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Stomach issues
Magus`
The fun has been DOUBLED!Registered User regular
The fun has been DOUBLED!Registered User regular
I figured this was worthy of its own thread.
Due to what I assume is stress/anxiety I've list my appetite to the point that food nauseates me. I'm smart enough to know that I need to eat but it's a struggle. Eating is, at very least, challenging and my body is not being agreeable.
I have no hunger pangs and despite my legs being wobbly at times I'm not light headed or ant other symptoms of starvation. I do eat, but it's sparingly because if I eat above a certain amount I get sick.
Unfortunately I do not currently have health insurance so I can't check for anything. I've looked up lots of possible stomach issues and I don't seem to have any symptoms of things like ulcers.
On a related note I don't have stomach pain for the first 5-10 minutes when I wake up leading me to believe it's psychosomatic.
tl;dr - I need suggestions for foods I can eat so I don't inadvertently starve myself (I'm below 240 and I started the year at 280). Would a (temporary) liquid diet be a good idea? I'd get the calories I need without the bad symptoms from solid food.
Due to what I assume is stress/anxiety I've list my appetite to the point that food nauseates me. I'm smart enough to know that I need to eat but it's a struggle. Eating is, at very least, challenging and my body is not being agreeable.
I have no hunger pangs and despite my legs being wobbly at times I'm not light headed or ant other symptoms of starvation. I do eat, but it's sparingly because if I eat above a certain amount I get sick.
Unfortunately I do not currently have health insurance so I can't check for anything. I've looked up lots of possible stomach issues and I don't seem to have any symptoms of things like ulcers.
On a related note I don't have stomach pain for the first 5-10 minutes when I wake up leading me to believe it's psychosomatic.
tl;dr - I need suggestions for foods I can eat so I don't inadvertently starve myself (I'm below 240 and I started the year at 280). Would a (temporary) liquid diet be a good idea? I'd get the calories I need without the bad symptoms from solid food.
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IANAD. You should try and see one even if you have no insurance. They're not that expensive and the prescription form of things (like prilosec or flonaise) can be cheaper without insurance than the over the counter versions.
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You say you're not nauseated for the first few minutes in the morning. Do you start getting nauseated a few minutes into the morning even if you don't eat in the morning?
Do you have any jaundice? Has there been any change in your stool or bowel habits? Do you have any noticeable issues with your thyroid?
IANAD but I've been through something similar recently and these are the first questions I was asked by my doctor.
Dramamine (and various anti-histamines) can help attenuate nausea. In general it's an anti-emetic even though it's marketed towards motion sickness.
In order to ingest calories without feeling awful, I recommend Ensure/Nutrisure. They can generally be found in the medicine aisle of a grocery store, often near diabetes products. Make sure to get the one with the most calories (generally about 300 calories. But they are small and you can have more than one over the course of a day without feeling bad). Hospitals use Ensure with people who can't eat solid food, so it's probably an ok temporary solution.
While you are doing this, look into stress relief solutions. Changing work/life situation to attenuate stress if possible; finding soothing videogames; cutting down/stopping use of caffeine and alcohol; exercising; whatever might work for you.
It would be best to see a doctor, but if finances don't allow, I guess that isn't possible?
I think, and this is obviously a guess, but I think I feel fine when I wake up is because for a few minutes I've not remembered what's happened. Soon as that kicks back in my stomach starts hurting and remains that way all day. Eating causes a lot of pain but I'm dropping weight like crazy so I know I'm not eating enough.
I'm not jaundiced, my stool remains the same (outside happening a lot less). I haven't had actual hunger pangs in weeks. Lots of stomach grumbling though.
I'm hoping once I find a job that it will help. Only issue is interviewing is difficult when you feel like you need to puke the entire time.
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Mainly my throat feels very tight and there's a bloated feeling in my abdomen as if I've overeaten. A lot of false positives for needing to use the restroom.
I don't drink and I've had maybe a few sodas on the last month. I've tried desperately to find things to relax but any moments of feeling OK don't last longer than 2-3 minutes.
On a relevant note I started a new med, Viibryd since Welbutrin wasn't keeping my feels stable. However a common side effect is nausea so I've stopped taking it. Wasn't feeling better emotionally anyhow. That stopped a few days ago and I didn't take it for very long so it's probably not causing it but I thought I'd mention it.
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What are you attempting to eat? and how often are you able to force yourself to do so?
How's your acid reflux been, heartburn? Are you a smoker?
It's basically I feel like I've eaten a huge amount of food and the idea of eating more just makes the nausea worse. In addition there is some occasional gas but nothing is notable as out of the ordinary.
Note: it switches between feelings of being bloated and the kind of cramps I get from IBS. No consistency/warning as to when this happens. I choked down half a McGriddle my mom was nice enough to bring me. It did not feel good but I was able to keep it down.
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Those are the hallmark symptoms of GERD, however, it's also like a hundred different other things too.
What's your diet like magus? I see mention of fast food, I assume your diet is like that all around? Things like fast food, pizza, subs, etc? Greasy high fat foods can exacerbate stomach issues. Try eating salad for a few weeks to see if it abates. You could also just be asymptomatic for things like ulcers or hernias and need medical imaging to really figure it all out.
Either way, doctor.
The fast food is what my mom brings. I tell her not to, but you know how moms can be. I eat it cause she spent money and I'd feel bad for wasting it.
I'll see what I can do about seeing a doctor. The timing of the above events happening and my appetite suddenly tanking and me feeling ill isn't a coincidence. No idea if the break up or firing is more of the stressor at this point.
Anyhow thanks for all the tips. I'll see what I can do to eat stuff easier on the stomach.
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Sounds like what I went through before I had my gallbladder taken out. First doctor thought ibs, second thought Gerd. Finally got a doctor to give me a haida scan and found a lazy gb
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I just didn't want to have issues again in my next relationship, whenever that may be.
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There's an app called Doctors on Demand that lets you video call with a doctor, they only charge you $40, they can prescribe you medicine, and the first time you use it it's free. We've used it for stuff when our family hasn't had insurance or when we needed a second opinion on things.
I'd love it if you took a look at my art and my PATREON!
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Stick to easily digestible foods. Like plain pasta, plain chicken breast, rice noodles, oatmeal, cooked apples, ginger ale... That sort of stuff. Try to avoid eating anything heavy, or strongly flavored. And when you eat, go slow. Take a bite. Wait five minutes. Take another bite. If you can hold down four bites, stop waiting in between bites, but go slow. If you start to feel bad, stop.
And do something while you eat, like watch TV or read (something light, though!) Something that'll keep your mind off vomit.
Oh, and make sure all your dishes are totally rinsed off after you wash them. I was sick for a week once because my roommate at the time insisted we use this horrible dish soap she'd bought that didn't rinse off anything.
Since I haven't seen it suggested yet I would recommend some form of probiotic (think yogurt or go get a supplement at Kroger) and a fiber supplement. This might help get your stomach and or digestive track straightened out and make eating solid foods less stress on your system. When it comes to the fiber aim for a no wipe BM, not for health reasons, just life achievement unlocked
Look for some mild form of working out (assuming it's not dangerous with your weight loss/ how you are feeling that day). Take advantage of slimming down by going for a bike ride or nature hike (check meetup.com for local groups to find out more) or just do something that interests you. If you see the weight loss accelerating or ever feel woozy/dizzy STOP, don't try to overdo things, just see if you can kick your body into wanting food again. Group activities might also improve your mood and a lot of outdoors stuff is free/low cost to get into. A lot of groups might even welcome you with some of their old gear, so don't be afraid to reach out to some strangers if you're interested enough in the topic (kayakers are notorious suckers for trying to get more people to paddle with).
SOME forms of alternative medicine can also be helpful. Acupuncture, aroma therapy, and others have been helping people for a long time, I don't necessarily subscribe to that belief system but I can't argue with someone who is feeling genuinely better because of it.
Also, there are certain natural substances that are now quasi-legal/fully legal in some states that have been known to increase appetite and decrease nausea. I'm not condoning breaking the law here, but if you can legally obtain some to use via a prescription it could be worth looking into. I've truly got no experience here so you'll have to look elsewhere for that info but I'm sure it's out there.
They can come from anywhere (pets, bare feet, eating, and existence in general) and can live in any part of the body, like the nose, in which case a Neti pot can help and may reduce some ibs symptoms (kill a few of the bastards that you may be swollowing alive). Also making the body more alkaline with food can help a bunch since pathogens like these thrive in an acidic environment.
There's no real times table for when you'll be free if you discover that you do indeed have these pests within you, because of how long they've been in there, how many and how large they are and how aggressively they insist on avoiding being expelled (temporarily relocating to outer limbs and such). The best method I can recommend for dealing with live animals that are reluctant to leave, is to be relentless.
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I recommend these herb powders:
Neem (a very potent pesticide)
Black Walnut (absolutely the best herb to begin with)
Cape Aloe (use as a tea at night, it's a very sticky and powerful laxative)
Pomegranate Peel powder/tea (the hardest to obtain since they're not in season during the summer and you basically have to make it yourself by dehydrating the skins then grinding them into a powder. It's pretty good on its own but works better with other herbs especially Neem, most likely black walnut as well)
*Not Wormwood since it is overhyped and seems to give parasites a buzz rather than stun or kill them, it's basically useless, but you may have better luck with it than I did*
You can also try:
Diatomaceous Earth
Activated Charcoal
and Aloe Vera Gel
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Foods to add to your meals:
Coconut Oil
slices of whole Ginger Root (this stuff will make you go)
and Garlic
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Common types of parasites:
Tapeworms (they get expelled in segments, you have to get the head to kill it)
Hookworms (enter through bare feet, suck blood and live in the respitory system)
Roundworms (like earthworms but in your gut)
Flukes (the type of thing that may actually be making you ill, use black walnut powder to exterminate it/them)
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My experience has been that for larger worms use a bit more herb powder.
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It's weird, I'll get feelings of hunger for a few seconds before the bloating/nausea comes back. Like I felt hungry but by the time I had the food hitting my lips it was gone. This was within 10 seconds (I have crackers next to me).
I'm hoping when I find work it'll disappear. I don't have the time, energy or desire to go over my break up so it better not be that. Girl already hurt me really badly, I don't need emotional aftershocks.
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I'm not sure if counseling would help but the place that does it is the place that fired me. I mean, to be honest, I don't currently feel depressed or mentally anxious. I'm thinking that anything I'm feeling is going straight to my gut.
I've dealt with stomach issues most of my life. They're just really inconvenient when you're job hunting and possibly still grieving your past relationship (cause who knows at this point, really). I just want it to stop.
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Apologies, I've seen people seriously hurt by ignoring serious problems with supplements so it is something I am passionate about.
Magus, I strongly recommend at least seeing a walk-in clinic near you. It will probably only cost you about $50 but better to get an actual professional to assess you than take bad advice and prescriptions from those who are not specialists with adequate knowledge of your medical history. Your health is the most important thing. It's good to treat it as such.
Just wanted to highlight this advice. I have on and off trouble with my appetite. For me "blandness" can be equally hard to stomach, but jello, applesauce, and drinkable soup is really helpful. I also try to keep gatorade around, because its easy on the stomach and can give you a little salt and energy back when you are truly not keeping much down. If you have a whole foods near you, they sometimes have hot plain broth in their soup bar, which is more tasty than drinking the boxed stuff.
For super cheap, you can take a box of low sodium broth, a pack of top ramen (throw out their flavoring) and some cooked chicken breast and make something easily palatable, makes it easy to control the extra stuff, like the amount of chicken, and you can throw in a tiny amount of veggies to help work towards eating more. Also mixes very well if you poach an egg in there, if that's not too rich for your pallet.
V8 makes some veggie juices that are sweet, again, not going to replace anything in your diet but can help ward off the shakes like gatorade and at least get your stomach working and not cramping. I'll have a little juice/sports drink and an applesauce/toast/jello to start getting things working.
But all of this is just anecdotal, getting to that doc should be a priority. New jobs come with their own stress and you don't want to miss a bunch of your first weeks of work because you misdiagnosed yourself and got sicker. Really cant emphasize trying to see someone enough, if you can.
My guess, just from past experiences, is that something is suppressing my appetite and since that means I've been eating very little my stomachs being all dude, WTF. This somehow morphs that feeling of starvation with pain and nausea. Also I notice when I inadvertently think of stressful things it's almost like a wave of.. something.. that goes from my head to my stomach.
It's like I made a reservation at a restaurant but I keep getting blocked by a bouncer (that shouldn't be there or this aggressive). Restaurant is wondering what the hell is keeping me not being aware the bouncer is blocking me right outside.
I'm bad at analogies.
Edit: If I get a job by the end of the week and I feel better than I'll take it. If not, I can see a doctor but I don't think my town has a free clinic, I may have to travel.
Edit 2: I don't mean to imply I'm ignoring people's suggestions. I appreciate all the advice given.
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I've been slowly sucking on Altoids. It doesn't make me hungry but my stomach seems to remain calm. My temp is also around 99.5 (it's usually below 98) but that is probably coincidental. Also it's about 85 in here which feels to me like 100 does for average folks.
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Go to the doctor!
EDIT: Even if it is stress and the doctor can't cure it, there's a good chance he or she can prescribe more powerful than OTC drugs to alleviate the symptoms so that you are better equipped to deal with the stress on your own time.
I should also sign up in the Marketplace but I think policies only go into effect the following month.
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Is this a good plan to have until I get a job that I assume will provide it's own insurance?
I'd only need it for doctors visits and meds.
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