I feel like my abdomen has a sunburn on the inside. What next?

March 19, 2016 3:20 PM

YANMD. I've had digestive issues for the past few months. Went to the gastro doc, and he did a CAT scan of my abdomen and an endoscopy. He said I look healthy, but my stomach is enflamed. He recommended dietary changes (which did work for a little while—I gave up coffee). So he felt that it was just a minor digestive episode. Since then things have flared up again, I've gone to a holistic health person, and they have me taking mastic gum, digestive enzymes, L-glutamine, and probiotics.

My symptoms are that 1) the left side of my abdomen (if you're me) at the vertical level of my belly button has this slight burning/achy/tense sensation really often over an area about the size of your palm. 2) I get lots of acid reflux, but seemingly randomly. 3) I am randomly gassy and constipated. Stools are... "small."

I can't pinpoint a food that's causing this (I'm keeping a food journal). I've cut out coffee, almost all alcohol, spicy foods, and fried foods over the past few months. I've stopped drinking milk.

This came on sort of randomly in October of last year (no anxiety or stress triggers), and it's slowly gotten worse—though it seems to come and go at times. I've slowly given up coffee and any caffeine, almost all alcohol, fried foods, etc. etc. because I just can't sleep and feel awful so often.

Any tips for figuring this out? Should I go back to my gastro guy and demand a colonoscopy now? Do a strict no-gluten, GAPS, or some other kind of diet? See an allergist? Any help would be appreciated.

posted by uncannyslacks to Health & Fitness (17 answers total)

You might look into anti-inflammatory diets. The modern American diet is known to be too acid. There are lots of books and articles on this and I am not seeing that angle addressed in your description of what you are doing.
posted by Michele in California at 3:29 PM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

Oh yeah, I get this once in a while, then I eat some Ramen noodles and it seems to settle my stomach. I know that's not up with the gluten free crowd, but it works for me. I like to throw a little curry powder in for taste, maybe an egg stirred in, and some hot sauce and Parmesan cheese for extra effect.

Then once that settles, the next day, I make a yogurt smoothie with yogurt, milk, frozen blueberries, a spoonful of peanut butter, half or whole of a banana, depending on how I feel. Suck it down and it calms me down for the day.

It's your gut and you have to feed the food that treats it right. That's just what I've found treats mine.

I say this as someone who has had gastro issues and inherited gastro issues and this is what has worked for me.
posted by Marie Mon Dieu at 4:23 PM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

If it really is your stomach and not another organ, try something called DGL - first thing in the morning and like 10 mins before meals. From personal experience, it healed my peptic ulcer which was like a gnawing that kept getting worse and worse for 5 months and caused other digestive issues, like you mentioned. Dietary changes also did little. I have taken all four things you mentioned but DGL finally did the trick. You may not have an ulcer but it should help with stomach inflammation.

It's like $10 for a bottle at the health food store and maybe even regular grocery stores may carry it in the vitamin section. It comes in chewey tablets. Worst-case scenario is it doesn't do anything, but it's worth a try.

Also, you may have a hiatal hernia, which believe it or not can cause intestinal issues, as well as reflux. It is so common, though, your dr may have thought nothing of it.
posted by atinna at 4:53 PM on March 19, 2016 [3 favorites]

Digestive enzymes can hurt! Since you don't know for sure that you need them, and they aren't helping, cut them and the probiotics out. Do a one week treatment of Prilosec and see if that helps. If it doesn't, go back to your doctor.

If you aren't already, drink lots of water, and eat a salad every day.
posted by myselfasme at 5:39 PM on March 19, 2016 [2 favorites]

Best answer: Why on earth wouldn't you just go back to your actually-medically-trained (not a "holistic health person") doctor if your symptoms are flaring up?
posted by a strong female character at 5:53 PM on March 19, 2016 [26 favorites]

Eliminate nightshades from your diet for a couple of weeks to a month or so to see if you have some improvement. I've had as little as a table spoon of salsa cause a flare so eliminate totally if you can. I have a form of arthritis and eliminating nightshades has eliminated the pain and arrested/limited joint damage. With nightshades, if you smoke tobacco, a nightshade, you must quit or the trial is pointless.

My conjecture is, IBS and Chrohn's may be related to nightshades.

I also had significant acid reflux prior to quitting nightshades.

Doubters, detractors, skeptics, this is and has been my experience. My arthritic symptoms have been in remission for 23 years so far.

It's worth a try.
posted by WinstonJulia at 6:58 PM on March 19, 2016 [1 favorite]

I’d completely cut out gluten and see what happens. It’s not just a fad.
posted by bongo_x at 6:59 PM on March 19, 2016

Have you tried just taking Pepto Bismol for a few days until things calm down? It can really calm your guts down.
posted by littlewater at 8:23 PM on March 19, 2016

Echoing: talk to actual doctors. Holistic whatevers peddle woo.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 10:10 PM on March 19, 2016 [4 favorites]

Makes ure you haven't picked up an infection in your stomach. And make sure you don't have appendicitis, though it is on the right, the pain sometimes refers left. E pylori infection will give you ulcers and reflux.
posted by Oyéah at 11:25 PM on March 19, 2016

Get some Omeprazole and take one when you wake up and one before you go to bed. Start taking Metamucil, or a similar OTC fiber supplement.

If you're not seeing a lot of improvement in a few days, definitely see your doctor.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 1:02 AM on March 20, 2016

Go back to the gastroenterologist and say your symptoms have not decreased. Use words like "interfering with daily activities" and "pain that keeps me from sleeping." Good luck.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 2:23 AM on March 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

I should have read your question more carefully. It's possible this is just some minor thing, but you definitely shouldn't be self-medicating and just hoping it goes away. Go back to the doctor.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:38 AM on March 20, 2016

Omeprazole is a once per day pill.
posted by Oyéah at 9:13 AM on March 20, 2016

I've had it prescribed twice per day during episodes of bad heartburn.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 1:09 PM on March 20, 2016

Only things I've got to add: if it's been going on for 6 months, it's not your appendix.
Omeprazole can be taken once or twice daily depending on the severity of your symptoms. It's one of the strongest reflux medications available over the counter.

Since you're taking nothing now, you could try something like Pepcid or Zantac first - they work faster. These medications are available over the counter because the risk of side effects is low. I agree that starting max dose PPI on your own for the long term isn't a good idea (there are several health concerns), but trying some kind of reflux medication for a week, considering that you're having self described reflux, isn't likely to be harmful and could provide useful information for your GI doctor.

Try to consider your doctor a partner in your health rather than an adversary. Give them a chance to help you. Before you make a plan of attack or decide what to 'demand', just ask what they recommend as the next step.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 5:49 PM on March 21, 2016

Go back to your GI doc, and if this GI doc won't run more tests, get a second opinion.
posted by bedhead at 10:35 AM on March 22, 2016