# Tummy Problems :(



## Carls305 (Aug 30, 2012)

Hi ladies, I was wondering if you have any advice for me. I have undiagnosed stomach problems and it's often really painful. I've been off work for 3 months because of it but I wasn't getting any money for being off and we've got to the point now where we're struggling with money so I went back to work today. Just about made it but been in pain all day  I currently take paracetamol & Buscopan and rub heat lotion on it when it gets bad but it doesn't help all the time. I was wondering if there was anything else I could take to help me when i'm at work? I have an appointment with a specialist this month but until then I need something more to get me through work  

Any advice greatly appreciated!

Carls xx


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## happyhay (Sep 17, 2009)

Carl's , sorry to hear you are in pain. Have you had an actual diagnosis ?
I am a nutritionist do can help


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## happyhay (Sep 17, 2009)

Sorry just read it is undiagnosed. If you give me an idea of symptoms, hopefully I can help


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## Carls305 (Aug 30, 2012)

Hi happyhay thank you for replying. It's random sharp pains usually in the lower part of the stomach but sometimes in the middle too. Nothing seems to cause it as it's just random. It hurts when I need a number two sometimes and I also have diarrhoea with it :/ not the best thing to have when trying for a baby  xx


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## happyhay (Sep 17, 2009)

Has your doctor ever offered you a colonoscopy?
If not, ask for one, it doesn't hurt and they basically look closely at what is happening in your colon and intestine.

It sounds to me that you either have inflammatory bowel disease or colitis, both which can be relieved with diet,
Does it get worse with stress?
Also do you ever have any blood in your stool?
H x


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## Carls305 (Aug 30, 2012)

No, but I've had an endoscopy before. That showed nothing. I've had scans too and they said it was IBS but it was never really properly diagnosed but what I've been getting recently is a different pain :/ I'm due to see a specialist next thurs 19th but trying to cope at work is awful. I didn't want to go back but had no choice as I need the money!

No it doesn't get worse with stress, it feels like it's completely random. I've never noticed it get worse after any type of food. Do you know if they do food intolerance tests on the NHS? I know I'm allergic to melon but not sure if I have an allergy to anything else but like I said I've never noticed it get any worse after eating anything in particular :S  so confused. I'm trying to lose weight as well so I can get fertility drugs but I can't exercise when the pain is this bad and I only eat when I'm not in pain so not in a routine :/ xx


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## happyhay (Sep 17, 2009)

Carl's- I suggest that you take a probiotic daily as this. Really helps with stomach problems
Optibac daily well being is a good one from Amazom
Also fish oils daily Eskimo 3 liquid - google you can buy online
Try to stick to anti inflammatory foods such as fish,any type of beans, berries, fruit and veg in general, eggs, quinoa , hummous etc
Avoid dairy, try a gluten free diet so cut out bread , pasta etc for a week or so and see if this makes a difference
The Nhs don't do food allergy tests but you can try an elimination diet your self
For example cut out gluten one week, and if this doesn't help, cut out dairy for a week and see if this helps.
Let me know if you have more questions.
I hope this helps
H x


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## Carls305 (Aug 30, 2012)

Thanks, 

I already take a probiotic, I'm a vegetarian so I can't have omega 3 or eat fish. I get most of my protein and calcium from dairy so I can't really give that up! Bread and pasta, I honestly couldn't live without I've been tested for coeliacs disease before and I haven't got that. 

Thanks for your reply, I don't know what to do about work either. I'm off today thank God but i'm in so much pain I can't honestly move. I need to go to the doctor but everytime I move it makes the pain so much more intense so I've no idea how i'm going to get through work tomorrow and I can't not go because I need the money. It's such a vicious circle 

Xx Carls


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## sallyloo (Aug 12, 2013)

You can react from gluten even if you do not have celiac's. Gluten is inflammatory to everyone, but some people react more than others and in an autoimmune way.. If you are vegetarian and love your carbs try eating gluten free and try coconut instead of fish for omegas.


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## Caz (Jul 21, 2002)

Agree with sallyloo. I am not coeliac but I know if I eat too much bread or pasta it can make me awfully bloated and I get very painful trapped wind and cramps.

I think that your best bet would be to test by elimination. i.e. eliminate gluten from your diet for a week, followed by reintroducing it and see how that effects you. Then the following week try eliminating dairy from your diet and see how this affects you. By this process you should narrow down which foods (if any) are triggers for problems and pain which will be helpful for your GP in finding a cause for the problems. 
I know you're already keeping a food diary for your weightloss so it may be useful to keep a diary of when things are better or worse so you can see if there's any correlation in case it's a lesser known allergy.

As for the omega 3: http://vegetariansupplementsguide.com/blog/nutrition/vegan-sources-omega-3 lots of vegitarian sources. Obviously none are as rich as meat/fish sources but if you enrich your diet with these foods you will at least be getting some. Vegans don't eat dairy products so if you look at a good vegan food site you should be able to see some suggestions on how to get calcium and protein into your diet too if you want to cut down on dairy. 
If you're a vegetarian though, I am sure you already realise the importance of ensuring you have the right balance in your diet to substitute what you would normally get from meat. If you aren't able to balance your diet effectively within the range of foods you can eat, it might be advisable to take a good quality multivitamin/mineral supplement too just to make sure you're covering your bases that way. 

Caz

/links


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## sallyloo (Aug 12, 2013)

Wow! According to your link Omega 6 inhibits Omega 3 (which is super important for anti-inflammatory and DHA).. maybe I should back off the coconut oils so much


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## Caz (Jul 21, 2002)

Yep, I didn't know that either. Bit of an eye opener, eh! 

C~x


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## [email protected]@h (Dec 11, 2012)

it does sound a bit like ibs. Ibs is a diagnosis of elimination of other conditions so it can be hard to accept that is what it is. Doctors cannot tell you that you have ibs though until they have thoroughly checked you so you are right to still be looking at other things. I would ask for your gallbladder to be checked, full blood tests for liver etc. colonoscopy if they will allow it and elimination diet.  I would also speak with a a nutritionist as being a veggie isn't the diet our bodies was supposed to have.  No judgement, I was a veggie for seven years but had to start eating meat due to iron levels, energy etc.


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## Carls305 (Aug 30, 2012)

No offence [email protected]@h, but I don't think anyone would "have" to start eating meat to boost their iron and energy levels, there are plenty of vegetarian supplements out there. I would be sick if I ever ate meat. Vegetarians are generally healthier and live longer than carnivores, so it's obviously a good thing. I don't think my pain is anything to do with food IMO, I've had an ultrasound which I haven't got the results back for yet and I've had a colonoscopy, which was normal but they also took some biopsies so waiting for them. Thanks for the advice, but I've been fobbed off for too long saying it's IBS, I'm currently on 4 different types of pain relief just to make it through the day :/ xx


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