What Are Your Gastrointestinal Symptoms?

[Guest Hanice]

I know we all have dofferent symptoms and I wanted to know everyone's experience on the matter.

[trice125]

Pain, cramping, constipation, bloating, nausea, vomiting, reflux, heartburn..........................

[Guest Hanice]

Could what I have be considered traditional pots GI issues?:

Now, I get a horrible shakey anxious feeling and then I notice that its because my bowels are moving (literally) But I dont have to poo just yet. So sorry for the tmi!

And also another new symptom is, when I'm outside in the humid heat (Miami fl) I get a diareah attack and I feel shakey and horrible and super tachy.

When I dont eat, I get sooooo much gas like an insane amount that feels like I'm erupting. Lol. Lololol.

I know this is "off of the above topic" but now some of my fingers go mildly numb on and off throughout the day. *** is that all about? And everyday I will see a whiteish spot or two a couple times but when I blink they go away.

?

[Guest Alex]

No GI sx here whatsoever.

Thank goodness, there is at least one system in my body that dysautonomia hasn't affected (or at least not yet?!).

I do get occasional (less than once a week) cramps from taking mestinon, particularly if I don't take it with enough food. Those are relatively common side effects for this medication though.

Alex

[KareBear]

For me it can vary from day to day. Some days are worse than others but here is what I experience:

Nausea

Severe abdominal pain

Cramping

Diarrhea

Bloating

Pain immediately when I start eating

Diarrhea immediately when eating

Lack of appetite

[Blessedgal]

IBS, diarrhea, nausea, bloating, gas, cramping, stomach pains...

My gastro doesn't know too much about POTS, but said it is known to cause severe flare-ups in IBS and gastro issues in general.

She recommended a low FODMAP diet. I am currently deciding whether to try eliminating gluten and dairy.

[AshleyPooh]

Was told I had IBS/constipation my whole life. Then when my dysautonomia started, I was getting random upset stomachs. Like literally had to drop what I was doing and go find a bathroom. Was always bloated, gassy, acid reflux etc before then though. Was checked for gluten intolerance, hpylori etc etc, nothing.

Doe GI symptoms only affect POTS people? Or does it affect NCS people as well? b/c I certainly have had a change in GI habits since my NCS symptoms began for sure

[Dizzysillyak]

Chronic constipation, hard stools, unless I take magnesium citrate everyday. Too much is as bad as too little so I'm always playing with this. Nothing works as well tho and I've tried it all. Digestive enzymes, more fiber, more raw fruits and veggies, coffee etc etc.

Other digestive symptoms resolved via diet changes.From what I've heard explosive diarrhea is common for gluten intolerance.

[Cala]

Oh! It's the poo poo chat LOL

I joke around with a friend of mine all the time about this because he uses my phone to telephone his mother, who has gastrointestinal problems, and they always discuss them, without fail. I call it the poo poo train.

Anyway.. /giggle

Mine is always loose stools. Sometimes sneaking up on me at bad times. Real...bad...times (waiting in line at the dmv etc) If you've ever had to do the poop shuffle with a cane up a flight of steps you'll understand.

Really interesting unpredictable gas (I think this is related to the Mestinon and the lactic acid in it because I'm lactose intolerant maybe) but sometimes it's just random. It can prove highly amusing. I say this because I don't embarrass easily and I will blame it on that uppity lady if the notion strikes LOL. OMG lady...really???

Gastric slowing? Sometimes it just stops? I think that's when my muscles seem to be all locked up. Often I'll find that things come out not much different than the way they went in, which means to me my body isn't even digesting it at all it's just looking at it and saying "reject and eject" LOL

Sometimes having a bm will bind me with cramping so bad it bends me double and then just all of a sudden, stop like nothing happened. Weirdest thing in the world. It is almost like an internal Charley horse than a poop cramp.

I probably will have to get it all looked into before long I'm sure but I've set a body alert weight for myself that I won't let myself get below. Once it gets there I will do something then. I dread adding another doctor to the ever growing list I already have.

[Guest Hanice]

Are any of your (all of u) symptoms triggered by heat?

[gertie]

I have had cramps start when I was outside in the heat but I never considered the heat a trigger, but I'm sure it's possible. I also have nausea, constipation, bloating, gas, sickening colon cramps with syncope. Just about everything I eat causes a bad reaction of some kind. I never eat when I'm away from home for fear of an attack & passing out in a public bathroom.

[Cala]

I think I'm somewhat a weirdo in that department LOL

Heat is my friend so I kinda doubt it. The only time it would be is if I was overheated because I don't sweat until I've got a fever and at that point I guess I'd be technically "sick" 101F+ LOL

However...since your mentioning temperature extremes I will say that cold is my enemy in the worst way and can bring on these symptoms in some nightmares from....yeah.

Makes me wonder though, I wonder if some of my worst experiences (like at the dmv) were brought on by the cold air conditioning in the place after coming inside from the warm summer air outside? Similar times at the grocery store and anywhere that was inside. Not limited to just the internal problems but also the passing out problems....hmmm Now THAT IS something to ponder.

I love how you guys make me churn my brain around and think outside the box!

[Guest Hanice]

I think I'm somewhat a weirdo in that department LOL

Heat is my friend so I kinda doubt it. The only time it would be is if I was overheated because I don't sweat until I've got a fever and at that point I guess I'd be technically "sick" 101F+ LOL

However...since your mentioning temperature extremes I will say that cold is my enemy in the worst way and can bring on these symptoms in some nightmares from....yeah.

Makes me wonder though, I wonder if some of my worst experiences (like at the dmv) were brought on by the cold air conditioning in the place after coming inside from the warm summer air outside? Similar times at the grocery store and anywhere that was inside. Not limited to just the internal problems but also the passing out problems....hmmm Now THAT IS something to ponder.

I love how you guys make me churn my brain around and think outside the box!

Wow! The COLD is my friend! How weird it is that we can be so different with same illness.

[Portland Bedhead]

My dysautonomia triggered gastroparesis a few years ago. When it first started, I had constant nausea, burping and cyclical vomiting episodes. But now when I have a flare, my entire digestive tract becomes paralyzed and I experience: horrible fullness (after 1-2 bites), constant severe upper abdominal pain (level 7,8,9 pain), lack of bowel sound/sensation, I stop being able to have a bm (and laxatives/enemas don't work the way they should during a flare), I can't eat solid food and can only sip small amounts of juice, sometimes for several months. I'm just getting over a flare that started on 7/6 and ended on 9/27. I lost 45lbs.

[Cala]

OMG that is horrible Bedhead!!!! I wish they could find a way to install on/off switches on our body parts! My gastro stuff is just every now and then I can't imagine dealing with it for that long. How awful! /hugs

[blueskies]

I've had constant constipation problems for about 8 years. I've tried everything. Sometimes I'm not doing too bad and glycerine suppositories and occasional fleet enemas keep me comfortable. I have a script for a compounding chemist which I must get filled soon. Essentially my gi doc has recommended the stuff that they give you to clean you out before a colonoscopy. But I'm getting it made up without the colouring and artificial sweetener because I react to that. I have to get out and get this done soon as possible because I feel like my bowels are going to stop completely again.

BTW, fibre is not my friend. This can be the case for some people with constipation problems.

Unlike bedhead (sorry to hear you have such a problem bedhead) I never feel like not eating (years ago I stopped being able to eat and lost a lot of weight but that passed and now I'm fatter than ever). You'd think with a gut full of crap that I wouldn't want to eat a thing but that is not the case. In fact, high fat dairy is soothing to my gut.

I've had all the tests from colonoscopy to anal mamometry (?) and there is no mechanical problem, apparently. It's a POTS thing. At least I have a gi doc who is very interested in pots. I had a gi doc for nearly 6 years that did not bother to educate himself on it even though he had another patient with pots. Because the gi doc I have now is interested in pots and how it affects the enteric system..well, I find it somehow reassuring even though he hasn't been able to 'cure' my constipation.

blue

[Darlene72]

Constipation

diarrhea (never a happy happy medium here)

Sweating and chills when I have to go

Stomach gurgles so loud it sounds like train!

Burping and farting (lol sorry)

Back pain

And it makes my belly swell to wear I look 6 months pregnant!

Milk of Magnesia has become my new friend!

[Darlene72]

Oh..and no appetite. Hardly ever. And when I do feel like I'm starving, 3 bites and I'm full. But, continue gaining weight.

[cberau]

Mine varies back and forth (usually on a weekly to bi weekly basis). I don't often have cramping, I do have some bloating. I go from a 7 on the bristol scale to a 1 and anywhere in between. Very inconsistent. My nausea has been all but cured by being on both H2 blockers, Prilosec (and domperidone when I feel like I am having GP issues). My appetite is crazy inconsistent, sometimes people ask my if I'm anorexic, other times if I am in fact a pregnant woman. It's bizarre.

[Tachy Phlegming]

Oh my. So you get both questions even if you're a guy. I had thought that if I were male, I might not get even the anorexia question. (Maybe next time someone asks the pregnancy question, consider saying yes with no explanation. )

[cberau]

Yeah you'd be surprised these days. What seem like sexist questions towards women about anxiety, hormonal issues, other psych issues, they have all been asked towards me. And I was going to the aviation equivalent of Harvard, am. 6'7 and have no history nor any present signs of a mental illness. They really do ask everyone these questions, and act like the answer is always yes, because it's easy for them.

[Cala]

OK here's a question guys or gals...

I'll try to make it non tmi he he he

What is going on when my digestive system seems to be in hyper drive? As in, I eat something and an hour later (it seems) it comes back out the opposite end, with very little change? It's like I'm not digesting anything at all. I'm losing weight but not rapidly so I'm not alarmed yet...but it's been going on for long enough I'm about to bring it up to the already harassed doctor :-)

Anyone else with this problem?

[Bambamjr2013]

Spastic Colon