Chiropractic Healthiness » Chiropractic » Help! Stomach problems
Help! Stomach problems
Question:
writes – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->I need some advice. >The story: I’ve been losing weight because I can’t eat much at one time, >and when I increase my intake I get extremely moody, my skin breaks out, >and my gut gets extremely active. Regardless of how much I eat, I often >become nauseated, but without actually throwing up, and it takes a long >time to get rid of the feeling of fullness. This has been going on for >many years, starting when I went through a month of anxiety and depression >(which still occur, though not as severely), along with irritable bowel, >nausea, and (hope this isn’t too gross) lots of deep dry burping with an >egg-like taste. Ever since then it’s as if I can’t count on my stomach and >gut to easily accept food — I feel worse when I eat than when I don’t. >Lots of antibiotics as a child (tonsillitis, fevers, etc), and occasional >megadoses now when dental work is done. >Blood tests and xrays show nothing unusual, and a gastroscopy showed only >mild gastritis. Doctors have prescribed medications that would address >only the symptoms (i.e. antispasmodics), and I’m getting extremely >frustrated because they don’t want to talk about what’s going on long >term. >A friend of mine has made a suggestion that sounds very promising: >acidophilus and Nystatin, starting with a low dose of acidophilus and >working up to a normal level, and then to Nystatin to wipe out what might >be a problem with yeast. This appeals to me for two reasons: one, that >it’s not just covering up the symptoms, but could change the way my system >actually processes food, and two, that it can’t hurt anything, since >lactobacillus are naturally occurring in the digestive system and Nystatin >isn’t systemic. >What I’d like to know is what other people have experienced with >acidophilus and/or Nystatin — any negative side effects? After so many >years I’m oversensitized to stomach upset — whenever it begins I start >thinking it’s going to lead to a whole bunch of nasty stuff, though >rationally I know it doesn’t. >Any feedback would be greatly appreciated — the weight loss is getting >scary at this point, and I’m open to suggestions about what to do. >Thanks so much. >–nb >ps feel free to email; posting is okay, too
Many people suffer from gastritis, stomach ulcers or irritable bowel syndrome. Conventional medicine tends to regard these as nervous conditions. However, the majority of people suffering from these complaints are actually responding to hidden food sensitivities or a Helicobacter infection of the stomach. Most people do not realise this and end up geting their symptoms treated and not the cause. Anyone with these ailments should rule out the possibility of food sensitivity and/or Helicobacter being at the root of their complaints. Free information on food sensitivities is available, E-mail: Lydia S. Boeken, M.D. London/Amsterdam
Response:
I need some advice. The story: I’ve been losing weight because I can’t eat much at one time, and when I increase my intake I get extremely moody, my skin breaks out, and my gut gets extremely active. Regardless of how much I eat, I often become nauseated, but without actually throwing up, and it takes a long time to get rid of the feeling of fullness. This has been going on for many years, starting when I went through a month of anxiety and depression (which still occur, though not as severely), along with irritable bowel, nausea, and (hope this isn’t too gross) lots of deep dry burping with an egg-like taste. Ever since then it’s as if I can’t count on my stomach and gut to easily accept food — I feel worse when I eat than when I don’t. Lots of antibiotics as a child (tonsillitis, fevers, etc), and occasional megadoses now when dental work is done. Blood tests and xrays show nothing unusual, and a gastroscopy showed only mild gastritis. Doctors have prescribed medications that would address only the symptoms (i.e. antispasmodics), and I’m getting extremely frustrated because they don’t want to talk about what’s going on long term. A friend of mine has made a suggestion that sounds very promising: acidophilus and Nystatin, starting with a low dose of acidophilus and working up to a normal level, and then to Nystatin to wipe out what might be a problem with yeast. This appeals to me for two reasons: one, that it’s not just covering up the symptoms, but could change the way my system actually processes food, and two, that it can’t hurt anything, since lactobacillus are naturally occurring in the digestive system and Nystatin isn’t systemic. What I’d like to know is what other people have experienced with acidophilus and/or Nystatin — any negative side effects? After so many years I’m oversensitized to stomach upset — whenever it begins I start thinking it’s going to lead to a whole bunch of nasty stuff, though rationally I know it doesn’t. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated — the weight loss is getting scary at this point, and I’m open to suggestions about what to do. Thanks so much. –nb ps feel free to email; posting is okay, too
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->A friend of mine has made a suggestion that sounds very promising: >acidophilus and Nystatin, starting with a low dose of acidophilus and >working up to a normal level, and then to Nystatin to wipe out what might >be a problem with yeast. This appeals to me for two reasons: one, that >it’s not just covering up the symptoms, but could change the way my system >actually processes food, and two, that it can’t hurt anything, since >lactobacillus are naturally occurring in the digestive system and Nystatin >isn’t systemic. >What I’d like to know is what other people have experienced with >acidophilus and/or Nystatin — any negative side effects? After so many >years I’m oversensitized to stomach upset — whenever it begins I start >thinking it’s going to lead to a whole bunch of nasty stuff, though >rationally I know it doesn’t. >Any feedback would be greatly appreciated — the weight loss is getting >scary at this point, and I’m open to suggestions about what to do.
At the risk of sounding repetitious, my first suggestion would be to cease consumption of all diet drinks and artificial sweeteners. However, your friend’s suggestions are also potentially quite useful, as your history of long/high dose courses of antibiotics is quite suggestive of loss of the intestinal flora which provides you with B12, Vitamin K, and several important digestive processes. I would add that if you do the bacterial supplementation, that you make sure you take at least as much bifidus as you do acidophilus, and that you begin this supplementation AFTER you’ve done a course of Nystatin. Nystatin is specific to yeast/fungus, but also affects other microbes, and can neutralize and be nutralized by bacterial supplements. Nystatin is also rather harsh on the system. If you truly have an extreme systemic yeast problem, you may need nyastatin for a time; however, you may find that a two week course of pau d’Arco will have similar effects upon your yeast population without the harshness of Nystatin. The important thing with either Nystatin or pau d’Arco is to terminate their intake with massive doses of bifidus (and some acidophilus) so that your gut gets repopulated with the proper critters, as opposed to having overgrowth of such folks as candida and e. coli return. If/when you do this program, it is important to abstain from sugars and citrus fruits during and for a month or two after the program is completed. Simple sugars feed candida and other undesirables. However, once you finish the supplementation with bifidus it is vital to make sure your diet has adequate levels of fermentable fibers such as apple pectin, since the fructo-oligosaccharides produced as these fibers ferment in the colon are precisely what bifidus needs to feed upon to maintain its "head count" within you gut. Finally, if all this doesn’t take care of your problem, you may have a somatovisceral (nerve irritation in the spine causing abdominal dysfunction) problem requiring the services of a chiropractor trained in chiropractic manipulative reflex technique. As there are only about 1,000 such chiropractors in this country (out of over 400,000) I would be happy to provide you with the name/address/phone of one near you if you email me with your geographical location. –Noel
Response:
For two weeks, try the bowel program in my post called "Diet and Supplement Tips" (1 teaspoon of fennel seeds and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder twice per day). Taking a good beneficial bacteria supplement two hours after the last dose or turm/fen is a good thing to do. Get a supplement that has the most different types of bacteria, like Jarrodophilus. If you think that there is a good chance that you really have a chronic candida condition in your digestive tract, add a 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 gram vitamin C along with the turm/fen if you can stomach it. Plus, it would probably be helpful to take pancreatin as well, up to double the recommended dosage, at every meal during this time. If you do not experience great relief after two weeks, perform the antiparasitic regimen in that same post. Even if your problem is not parasites, many of the bitter herbs used in it like wormwood and quassia are good for digestion. After three weeks of that, again if no great relief is felt (I’ll beat Don to it) consider that the problem could be one of gluten intolerance and see Don Wiss’ page on the web about it. turf