If you've experienced this, please share

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-27-2003
If you've experienced this, please share
1
Mon, 09-13-2004 - 2:36am
Hi. I've been on the boards in the past, but it's been a while.

I've always had trouble with my stomach and intestines. However, about 2 1/2 years ago I began feeling a mild burning sensation in the center of my stomach from the area just below the rib cage down to the naval. Sometimes it would move a bit to the left as well. It's not the same as heartburn or acid reflux. I'm very familiar with those. I started getting heartburn about 10 years ago...still do. I get acid reflux sometimes, too. What I find interesting is that the discomfort is usually relieved by eating. Then is returns a few hours later. I've read that certain types of ulcers will do that. I've been to the doctor several times. I've been taking 15mg Prevacid once daily on and off for the past 2 years. It seems to help, but the problem has not gone away. If I stop taking the pills it gets noticeably worse.

I should also mention that I recently discovered that I'm lactose intolerant and slightly allergic to wheat products. Yeah, my digestion is pretty poor. Plus...just when you thought it couldn't get worse, I'm also emetaphobic (afraid of vomiting). No, I'm not exaggerating, but that's a topic for a different board. The only reason I mentioned being phobic is because one doctor thought that my stomach troubles may have been primarily brought on by my fear.

I haven't been scoped yet, and I really don't want to be. It sounds scary and I honestly can't afford it (no insurance). Right now I'm just looking for someone who may have had a similar experience. Most people I talk to confuse my symptoms with heartburn and GERD. I don't think it's the same thing. While I DO get heartburn and GERD at times, I believe the burning in my stomach is too low to be considered the same thing.

Stomach cancer HAS crossed my mind, but everyone I've spoken to (including my doctor) says that it's been going on for too long to be cancer. As I mentioned earlier, it's been 2 1/2 years. I'm an otherwise healthy person. My eating habits have changed for the better. I barely eat any junk food anymore because my digestive tract can't tolerate much of it. As of 2 months ago I gave up all dairy foods and replaced them with soy products. I eat a lot of poultry, fish, fruits, veggies, etc. Aside from my stomach, I feel very good and seem to be healthier than ever before. I don't even catch colds as often as I used to.

Sorry, I just realized how long this has turned out to be. I better stop now. Please, if anyone has any thoughts or experiences to share I would REALLY appreciate it. I posted about this several months ago, but didn't get much of a reply. I'm hoping my luck will change. Thanks so much.

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2004
Mon, 09-13-2004 - 3:15pm
Hi, eegads, I had my gallbladder out Feb 3, 2004. Still have the same pain I had before.I keep a journal, so I know. My pain does not go as low as yours does. Could yours maybe be in your small intestine? You mention being slightly allergic to wheat products. Perhaps your difficulties with wheat may be stronger than you think. Have you tried eliminating all wheat , barley and rye from your diet? I am wondering if perhaps you may be wheat intolerant, or have celiac disease. It has recently been learned from studies that many more people have celiac disease than was previously thought. If you have trouble with wheat, I would try a gluten-free diet. It is amazing how many products have gluten in them. You really have to read labels. There is a celiac board on ivillage. More extensive information is available on www.celiac.com or on http://www.breakingthrough the vicious cycle.info/, or http://www.scdiet.org/ (not sure about that last slash). If you have celiac, eating gluten messes up the villi in your small intestine so that you can't properly digest your food. The needed nutrients just go through and everything from there on gets irritated as well. I also have pain under my right ribcage next to esophagus. I am told after endoscopy that I don't actually have gerd, or didn't in January, but, rather, something called nerd . I have the heartburn, but it isn't apparently causing any major damage in there. I am using a celiac diet, have been on it about 6 weeks. Sometimes I have a good day, sometimes bad. Like you, fruit causes me problems. I also am lactose intolerant. Which makes me recall a post from a Burdee on www.celiac.com. She is lactose intolerant and tried switching to soy products which didn't work at all. Perhaps the soy is bothering you. I do not expect to have very fast results from my diet. I have had digestive problems for around 70 years. I am 76 now. I have not been actually diagnosed with celiac, but the cost of getting the diagnosis is a factor. Also I am leery of these invasive tests. There are various diets for celiac out there. The one I am on is very limited. There are several others around that are easier to follow. Think I forgot to say that it may take months or more to see strong results. It takes time, too, to work with the diet. Hope this is of some help, at least it may give you a couple of other ideas to check out. I'd be interested to hear how things go. Cheers, Ruth