# I know I'm not crazy....



## Jemntheholograms (Aug 20, 2013)

I am a 28 y/o female with a list of symptoms below. These have been going on now for about half my life and I thought it was "normal". My symptoms and frequency have gotten noticeably worse after the last year. I have three small children (5, 2 , 10 months). My symptoms were slightly less frequent while I was pregnant with each if my children- but still there.

Loose bowel movement (cow pie like consistency)- between 2-5 times a day
Usually comes with lower abdominal discomfort and (on the rare occasion) extreme pain (prior to the bm. Not during) the pain is always in a straight horizontal line across my lower abdomen. 
Color of stool varies from medium brown- to orangey brown. 
If it comes as liquid it is almost always acidly and more orange in color 
I frequently have undigested food in my stools- to the point it can be noticeable what I ate just 3-6 hours before. 
Most commonly noticeable in my stool are: apples, leafy greens, and peppers (of course corn) 
Stools are not foul in smell- they typically smell exactly like what I had eaten 3-6 hours before. Unless of course it is liquid stool- in which case it's foul in odor 
Bowel movents last 1-2 minutes maximum and can occur on an hourly basis

I also when I eat I am hungry not an hour later.

Also- My LOWER abdomen also bloats out a pant size or two after a meal. Often times it is gas- other times it just goes away. This can happen in as little as half an hour after eating. (At this point I am already hungry again)

I have had tests for bacteria- negative 
I have had endoscopy- they saw nothing 
I've had a colonoscopy- I have a torturous colon and a very mild case of internal hemreoids (most likely due to child birth) 
I tested negative for celiac on both a blood test and biopsy. 
We also cut out wheat entirely from my system for 2 weeks with no positive change. 
I came back negative for my methane breath test (so no small intestine bacteria overgrowth)
I came back negative for my lactose intolerance test 
My abdominal ultrasounds were all normal (not my gallbladder. Not my pancreas)
My blood tests all came back within normal range for thyroid, sugar, hormones, everything 
My blood pressure is and always has been around 110/68

I am not stressed. My husband does most of the housework and taking care of the kids- as whatever this is is leaving me fatigued or locked in a bathroom

I am unable to lose weight. I have a fairly healthy diet. I do not eat fast foods whatsoever. I do not use a lot of butter. Or salts. Most things are low in fat and preservatives. But I am constantly starving

I do not know what to do at this point. My GI doctor seems to think this may just be a "norm" for me- but my gut (ha ha) is telling me otherwise. It is not normal to be chained to a toilet. It is not normal to have constant abdominal discomfort. It is not normal to be bloated all the time. ( I do not drink soda. in fact, I drink 1-2 lieters of water daily)

I just don't know where to go from here and am hoping someone else has seen or heard of something similar to this.

Update from when I started writing this: 
I am on a FODMAP diet with no results this far (it's only day 3)

I have been on xifaxan for a week now (550mg 3x daily)

I'm at my whits end.

I want to be happy. I want to chase my children. I and to be unchained from my heating pad and toilet. It's seriously effecting my job performance.

List of other meds:
Chronic asthma (I do not take medication unless necessary)
Chronic allergies (I take Zyrtec daily)
I lost my hearing in my left ear (as a child) . We believe it was due to a high fever. It's been gone since around age 3
I had chronic strep throat and after 5 years of non stop antibiotics my tonsils were finally removed at 13

I have arthritis in both knees since I was about 16. (Yes. Young- I know)

I have cherry angiomas all over the inside of one of my legs. These also showed up around the same time.

And the only reason I am telling you a this is for the hope that someone out there can put this all together and say "hey- this girl is not crazy. It's....."


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## rmiller1985 (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi Jemntheholograms,

This doesn't sound crazy at all. Based on three items -- you're 28, this has been going on for half your life, and you took non-stop antibiotics for five years until you were 13 -- it sounds all too familiar to me, and makes perfect sense.

I was constantly sick as a child in the 60s, and I lived on a steady stream of antibiotics as well, mostly declomycin and penicillin. I was only two and a half when I had my tonsils out, and it helped some, but I was still sick all the time, so I took buckets of antibiotics as a child. Although I don't have any hard evidence, I believe that this seriously damaged my gut and/or put me in a constant state of gut dysbiosis. A couple of my blog posts, http://omnivoreoncemore.blogspot.com/2013/06/my-wonky-gut.html and http://omnivoreoncemore.blogspot.com/2013/06/ibs-sibo-scd-wtf.html, go into my history in more detail if you're interested.

I've been on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet for about two and a half months now, and it has helped me tremendously. Given your history and symptoms, I'd highly recommend getting a copy of "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" and reading it. Then try the diet. If you're not a vegetarian, like I was, it will be easier, although it's usually still a major shift in eating patterns. Fortunately, if your family is supportive and open to diet changes, it's a nutritious diet and would be perfectly suitable for your spouse and kids.

Cheers,

Rich
Lifetime wonky gut

2 months SCD

http://omnivoreoncemore.blogspot.com


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## Jemntheholograms (Aug 20, 2013)

Thank you Rich! I am glad you were able to find something that worked for you!! And your blog? It's hysterical! I'm sorry I giggled so hard at your misfortunes but you made the journey wonderfully entertaining.

I've been doing okay on this FODMAP diet. I haven't had any major episodes...my cramping has subsided for the most part.. And my husband is no longer walking around with a gas mask. I hate the fact it's working. I'm a foodie at heart and the lack of everything I love is killing me.

I will definitely give this "SCD" diet a look. I went through a cycle of antibiotics every 2-3 months for a few years in my early teens... Not too long after I stopped antibiotics my issues arose. Thank you for giving me a new thread to tug on. I will definitely look into it


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## rmiller1985 (Sep 13, 2011)

Hi Jemntheholograms,

If it helps in any way, you're welcome to laugh as hard as you want at any and all blog posts! 

I completely understand hating the fact that a dietary change is working. It took me 8 or 9 months to even start the Specific Carbohydrate Diet after buying the book, because the change was going to be so drastic for me. I went ahead and tried it as a vegetarian -- skipping the intro phase and simply eating anything on the legal list -- and gave up after 10 days because after the first couple of days it wasn't even making a dent. Finally I'd had enough, and decided that I'd either have to try it seriously or just give up on the idea altogether. My wife even asked me shortly after starting, "Are you sort of hoping it works, and sort of hoping it doesn't?" But by that point I was committed enough to be able to reply, "No, I'm hoping it works."

I've been struggling a bit with the restrictions lately as well. If I could, I'd live on a steady diet of chips and hummus washed down with a glass of red wine, and some chocolate and port for dessert. But aside from an occasional glass of wine, all of those items are off the table now. I can tell you that, for me anyway, it's worth it, but that doesn't mean I don't get a bit wistful sometimes thinking about a big bag of Mission tortilla strips and a big tub of roasted red pepper hummus.

In any case, if a low-FODMAP diet is helping but it doesn't feel like quite enough, definitely read Elaine's book and see if the science behind it makes sense for your situation. You might also consider a hybrid, as I tried for a while, either by combining portions of each diet (I haven't tested it all that thoroughly, but it seems like sticking to low-FODMAP within SCD doesn't really gain me much), or by adding SCD yogurt to the low-FODMAP diet.

Cheers,

Rich

Lifetime wonky gut

2 months SCD

http://omnivoreoncemore.blogspot.com


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## Sgali (Aug 27, 2013)

Hello Jemntheholograms,

Your story sound too familiar as I have suffered with this condition for 3 years. However I have been symptom free since Jan. '13 and am ever so thankful. My life was miserable, travel, friends, family all bore the consequences of this in one way or another. It is my hope that what I am about to tell you will improve your quality of life.

I believe this was caused by over use of antibiotics due to two case of Lymes disease, two bouts of Giardia, some dental work and a bad burn , all within a period of about 2-3 years. The constant pain and rumbling began shortly after and escalated to endless D , bloating, loss of appetite, severe abdominal pain and horrible smelling gas. After tests for everything, (H. Pylori,Parasites,Hep C,Pyroluria, C Diff, 2 MRI's, ultrasound etc), all came back negative, I began to lose hope. That is when I began talking about it with friends.

The first suggestion came from my Yoga teacher ( I am certain that she was as eager to clear this up as I was - Hah! The 'Plow' was notorious for well , you know ) when she suggested I drink Aloe juice( Aloe Life ,Aloe gold to be specific. Do not use aloe gel or Georges). I bought some that day and began sipping away( 1-3 onces/day). By that evening I noticed a reduction in abdominable pain and by the next day it was nearly gone. Aloe juice will never win any culinary awards, so I would mix it with coconut juice (the thick creamy kind, not the water). I should mention too that I am gluten intolerant and had eliminated it from my diet previous to the onset of these symptoms. I also restrict dairy to Goat milk and unpasturised (misspelled ,I know. The last letter of the alphabet does not work on this computer) Cows milk. It is important that you rule out any food allergies as soon as possible. The pain was gone but the constant D , bloating , loss of appetite were not. Then I began taking probiotics in many forms. VSL#3, S. Boulardi were very helpful but did not solve the problem. After spending quite a bit of time on the internet researching probiotics, I began brewing Kombucha, water kefir and making saurkraut. The results were immediate. The gas and bloating diminished and my appetite began to return . Life was steadily improving but I still had to deal with constant D. The bouts were less severe and didn't keep me up all night. Then one morning, I drank a cup of coffee on an empty stomach and it just erupted into a cacaphony of rumbling followed by a rapid trip to the bathroom and explosive results. That was it for coffee. On Dec. 10 ,2012 I drank my second to last cup of it ( I tested the theory a month later and had the same result ). My health has improved steadily and by Jan. my GI tract was actually forming firm stools.

It has now been about seven months and I can say that my appetite has returned, GI tract functioning correctly , energy level are up and my social life has improved. Travel is no longer anxiety producing ( I formerly carried TP and spare clothes in the car) and I have returned to exercising as before. My diet remains Gluten and dairy free (the exception being RAW cows milk and an occational lobster roll ). I also eat Yogurt made from raw milk ( It is heated during the process, so it may be pasteurised to some extent). Kombucha ( GT dave's,Reeds ), Water Kefir and real saurkraut ( Bubbies) are all available at health food stores if you lack the time to make it. Coconut water kefir is excellent as is coconut oil (NOT palm oil). The coconut oil is said to repair damage to the intestine, contains no cholesterol, does not produce free radicals when heated (cancerous) and tastes delicious. It is loaded with medium chain fatty acids and has a low glycemic index.

It would be naive to think all cases are the same and that everyone with this syndrome will react to these changes similarly. I am relating my experiences with the hope that you will begin to explore the working of your GI tract and how it responds to various foods and stress .Also, I want to give you and others who may read this a valuable tool. Hope . Without it you stand little chance of recovery. Be patient, experiment ,keep a food log, read about it, use your intuition (gut feeling?), talk to people and most importantly, don't let ANYONE tell you this is incurable. Good luck.

PS. Most alopathic doctors are clueless about this syndrome. Restoring gut flora and eliminating offending foods is the solution, not drugs. Hope this helps.


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