Advice for sudden and persisting stomach issue

[Max_V]

Hello!

Quite suddenly and for a couple of months now I have been unable to ingest any sort of food or drink that increases stomach acid. Especially coffee hurts my stomach so much now, it delibitates me for the entire day if I drink just one cup. A lot of heartburn, bloating and gas, brain fog, all from that one cup. So much so that I had to take sick days whenever I did drink some. I've been to the doctor and done some tests and got prescribed omeprazol, to help lessen stomach acid and give my stomach some time to heal, but it is almost coming up to one month of taking it and I still cannot digest coffee, cacao, or even black tea at all anymore. For my work -- I write -- coffee is one of the things that really helps me get my creative juices flowing, just one cup alone, and it visibly impacts the quality of my work whenever I am unable to drink it. Cigarette smoking had the same effect for me back in the day, but I was able to kick that habit. I need to at least be able to get this back again. 

I'm here to ask if anyone might have advice or tips or to help me get my digestive system back to normal, so I could at least drink one cup of coffee at the start of my day again before I start writing.

I really respect your opion, and I'm curious as to what you might think too @Michael569
 

Anyway, all the best.

Edited May 13 by Max_V

[Grateful Dead]

Hey!

I went through the exact same problems. The problem for me is gluten and most dairy products. I no longer eat wheat products and feel great and can drink coffee again without any problems. For about six months I ate very restrictedly and didn't drink coffee, sometimes green tea, but that also gave me some problems.

So my tip: stop eating gluten immediately. Stick with meat, potatoes, rice, etc.

[Max_V]

@Grateful Dead Interesting! How do you figure that? I’ve always done really well on bread, it is what I was raised on. But it is valuable data  that around the same time when I started eating more bread, was when this problem arose.

I have no gluten intolerance though, got it tested. 

Edited May 13 by Max_V

[Leo Gura]

You could have an ulcer. You could have a bacterial infection. You could have mold infection. Etc.

Find an experienced doctor for digestive issues and work with him to run tests to determine what is going on in your gut.

Quote

For my work -- I write -- coffee is one of the things that really helps me get my creative juices flowing, just one cup alone, and it visibly impacts the quality of my work whenever I am unable to drink it.

You can take caffeine in pill form, which should not impact your stomach.

Edited May 14 by Leo Gura

[Rishabh R]

@Max_V I felt bad hearing it my friend.

[mmKay]

When I do chelation and take Alpha lipoic acid without food, I need to sip on sodium bicarbonate throughout the day to increase ( make more alkaline) my stomach PH or I can't really sleep. 

A single sip helps already . But that would be just bandaids for your wounds without addressing root causes.

Have you changed anything at all In the last few months that could have caused this?

Edited May 13 by mmKay

[ryandesreu]

Definitely tell your doctor that you want to be referred to a specialist. You might have to go to a few different places but don't give up until you're better. Digestive health is very important. 

[UnbornTao]

Have you ever drunk alcohol?

If you do now or have recently, obviously I'd quit that immediately, to start with.

Edited May 15 by UnbornTao

[undeather]

If things don't significantly improve under PPI-therapy, there is no way around a deeper diagnostic process.
You need to see a GI-doc 

[LSD-Rumi]

@Max_V it maybe an ulcer or gastritis, go to doctor and do some tests.

You may need upper endoscopy if tests were not helpful.

Edited May 14 by LSD-Rumi

[Grateful Dead]

11 hours ago, Max_V said:

@Grateful Dead Interesting! How do you figure that? I’ve always done really well on bread, it is what I was raised on. But it is valuable data  that around the same time when I started eating more bread, was when this problem arose.

I have no gluten intolerance though, got it tested. 

I was on an elimination diet and when I reintroduced wheat products it became obvious. I also had a few doctor's appointments and had a gastroscopy where I was told everything looked exactly as it should. My doctor couldn't figure out what was going on and I went to a naturopath, but nothing helped.

I was also raised with bread; baked goods are very popular in Germany. But when I stopped eating them, not only did my physical condition get better, but my mental capacity is also higher than ever.

Gluten intolerance is a complicated topic. There are forms of gluten intolerance that cannot yet be tested for, so it could be that you still cannot tolerate it. In most cases, it is not gluten itself that is the problem, but rather the fertilizers with which it is sprayed.

11 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

You can take caffeine in pill-form, which should not impact your stomach.

Good advice, I tried this and it worked.

[Michael569]

1 hour ago, undeather said:

You need to see a GI-doc 

^ listen to our GI doc

Don't mess up with supplements and experimental stuff at this stage Max. Diagnosis prior to treatment. 

Edited May 14 by Michael569

[Max_V]

I had my stool tested and blood taken. Seems like there's no ulcer or gastritis. The doctor diagnosed me with a stomach that overproduces acid which might have caused small wounds in my stomach that get reinflamed everytime I do get excess acid. The omeprazol should have taken care of that and given it time to heal, but I suppose something is still wrong. In about 6 days when my month of taking the medicine is over I will contact my doctor again to discuss what we should do next.

Thanks for you guys' thoughts and advice.

Also, I will try the caffeine capsules to see if that helps with my work in the meantime and cut out bread/other gluten to see what effect that might have.

@Michael569 @Grateful Dead @LSD-Rumi @undeather @undeather

@UnbornTao @ryandesreu @mmKay @Rishabh R @Leo Gura @Grateful Dead

Edited May 15 by Max_V

[Rishabh R]

@Max_V hurrah you are overcoming a huge obstacle.

[Applegarden8]

I had it and still have it. I am also on omeprazol. I am still searching, I have a few things I will do to try to solve it. Seems like a lot of people have it acctually, when I asked around. 

[Michael569]

@Max_V if it doesn't get better, consider asking for HPylori assessment.

The tests are called Urea (13C) breath test and Stool Helicobacter Antigen Test (SAT)

If positive, a 'triple therapy should' help you get rid of it. Definitely speak to your doctor if the symptoms don't get better on Omeprazole.

Good luck!

[Leo Gura]

To be honest, GI docs can be aweful and worse than useless.

Edited May 23 by Leo Gura

[LSD-Rumi]

On 15/05/2024 at 2:54 PM, Max_V said:

he doctor diagnosed me with a stomach that overproduces acid which might have caused small wounds in my stomach that get reinflamed

That is ulcers or gastritis but I think he meant no stomach infection (H.pylori)

On 15/05/2024 at 2:54 PM, Max_V said:

I suppose something is still wrong. In about 6 days when my month of taking the medicine is over I will contact my doctor again to discuss what we should do next.

A short course of omeprazole is the first step in a lot of stomach disorders, don't worry, if it doesn't help they will do further tests to determine the cause of excessive acid.

You don't take any painkillers (like Ibuprophen) or alcohol right? 

Any anxiety these days?

bloating or indigestion?

Edited May 24 by LSD-Rumi

[Applegarden8]

8 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

To be honest, GI docs can be aweful and worse than useless.

 I noticed that there is another school of thought regarding people who used omeprazol and pantoprezole for few years (for acid reflux and gastritis), they have tried something else until it has worked for them like one very popular solution is to regularly consume apple cider vinegar, aloe vera juice etc. depending on their problem. I also don't want to sit on omeprazol or pantoprezol, therefore I feel I will solve this problem by a lifestyle change which is not so clearly laid out by the docs I visited. Also stomach ulcer/gastritis can be created by stress alone which only reflective people who can find some time in the day can manage to heal and prevent by a change of their lifestyle. In that case I can see why it can suck. I think they are more helpful for more serious conditions and photo of your stomach ain't that bad if you have researched some solutions for the type of thing you have.

[undeather]

12 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

To be honest, GI docs can be aweful and worse than useless.

 

Edited May 24 by undeather