Almost two years out, still nauseated

[megan]

I posted here a year and a half ago after I had a couple bouts with c-diff following two heavy rounds of antibiotics for relatively minor abdominal surgery. Unfortunately little has improved since then.

I've had chronic low-level nausea since puberty, then I got c-diff and it got out of control to the point where I can't function many days. I have not have a c-diff reoccurance since November of 2007, fortunately. The nausea symptoms that started with the c-diff, however, have not gone away! I've been to three gastroenterologists, none of whom were helpful. The last gastro I saw did bloodwork, a barium study (upper), and an upper endoscopy and in the end diagnosed me as having IBS secondary to c-diff (with no bowel problems??) and as being "too high strung" and prescribed antidepressants (which I tried out of desperation, but they made my violently ill). That was a year ago last month. I gave up at that point and just resigned myself to being a crazy person who has to live in constant pain.

Last Christmas I encountered a new piece to this puzzle. My mother had to have major surgery and while she was in the hospital quite ill from pain meds, I was trying to discuss other nausea med options with her recovery nurse who finally asked me how the heck I knew so much about them, and I briefly mentioned my medical history... and she had the same problem. She had c-diff, got chronic severe nausea, went from doctor to doctor, they told her she was too stressed, prescribed meds that did nothing, and she also thought it was a crap diagnosis. I've since had two other doctors tell me that my "diagnosis" is what doctors give you when they don't know what's going on.

Has anyone else had this problem?! I know I'm not the only one now, and if anyone has any clues of where I can go from here I'd appreciate it. I am so tired of feeling awful. I want my life back!

[Vikingjeff28]

Have you been to an allergist? Have you tried Gluten free diet? Allergist may help you. Have you ever taken zyrtec or benadryl to see if it helps with processing food? I know what you are talking about, believe me. Mine finally got better to the point I can eat a lot of things(not red meat or anything spicy though).

[fire7163]

Megan:

When they were trying to diagnose me, one of the doctors decided that I was exhausted and wrote me a script that requires me to take a 1 hour nap each day that I was on duty...had I followed that ...I would be well rested and most likely dead.. Got to love Doctors like that, we had a very intense discussion after I was finally diagnosed with C-diff and required surgery, and a team of specialists saying he prescribed what ????

Fire

[megan]

Have you been to an allergist? Have you tried Gluten free diet? Allergist may help you. Have you ever taken zyrtec or benadryl to see if it helps with processing food? I know what you are talking about, believe me. Mine finally got better to the point I can eat a lot of things(not red meat or anything spicy though).

I have not been to an allergist. I asked the last gastro if I could have food allergies and he said no (not sure how he decided this?? He also told me I didn't have adhesions from having 3 abdominal surgeries in the same place, even though he never made any effort to check for them). I had an intestinal biopsy done for celiac and I do not have it, so at least gluten has been ruled out as a problem! I'm a vegan, so... red meat isn't an issue!! I really eat a very "clean" diet when I can eat :| I'll have to look into whether my insurance will cover an allergist/allergy testing. It's really pretty awful.

This also goes beyond what one would typically describe as nausea. I get severely bloated to the point that I look pregnant and my abdomen becomes rock hard. It's so bad that I can't take a deep breath. I also go through periods where I feel STARVING but eating only makes me more nauseated, not less hungry. I have no idea what that's about...

[quote=fire7163]
When they were trying to diagnose me, one of the doctors decided that I was exhausted and wrote me a script that requires me to take a 1 hour nap each day that I was on duty...had I followed that ...I would be well rested and most likely dead.. Got to love Doctors like that, we had a very intense discussion after I was finally diagnosed with C-diff and required surgery, and a team of specialists saying he prescribed what ????
[/quote]

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?! Why did someone give them medical licenses?! I got the "high strung" diagnosis because I apparently attacked the doctor *under sedation* during the endoscopy. The kind of funny part is that when we were discussing doing it, I told him that I am VERY uncomfortable with other people messing around in my mouth, and that things like the dentist require tons of self control for me to sit through, so if he didn't have me *VERY* sedated I was going to try to claw his eyes out, he laughed and said he'd handled tougher people than me, and true to my word I did go after the man. That was enough evidence to him that I was high strung which was the cause of all my problems. I don't even remember it happening! My not-under-the-influence-of-drugs alter ego is actually rather mellow.

[fire7163]

Megan:

A number of years ago I had a Doctor cop a serious attitude and he ended up getting his jaw broken. I only had to wear the shackles and hand cuffs for a short while. After it was all said and done. They had a new Director of Care in the program.....and there were no charges against me. I thought that it was fair as I didn't want the keys to the hospital.

Fire

[beth22]

When I firt got c diff nausea was my main symptom. I do not tolerate probiotics well, but I do remember that they did help with nausea. Florastor helped, but I got a rash from it and couldn't take it. SIBO can also give you nausea and people get it as post-infectious IBS. Some doctors treat it with Xifaxan, but I did that and wouldn't recommend it - more trouble than it is worth. However, the doctor did tell me that certain foods contribute to this problem - high fructose sugar, dairy...I have a list. Sometimes yeast can do this too and the foods that promote yeast can make it worse. When I was young I got a yeast infection after taking ABs and I was nauseated all the time. I finally took Nystatin and it went away. You could try to cut out foods that promote the yeast and see if that helps and/or try out different probiotics.

Also the SIBO specialist wrote a book and in the section for nausea he talks about buying entero coated pepperming oil capsules to take for nausea. I think you get them at a health food store. I never tried it, but I know mint tea helps me too, so maybe they are worth trying - don't think they can hurt.

[Nancy1]

Megan,
Have you tried phenergan or zofran for nausea? Some folks here have used them with good results. Good luck.

[cindym]

Nausea has always been one of my worst symptoms. I found in the beginning than taking zofran and phenegran did not curve it. However, with time I now take phenergan (only 1/2 tablet at first onset of nausea) and .25 mg xanax.........it goes right away! I found the kicker to the deal is to take it the moment I start to feel the nausea.......don't wait. I also have found out that anything carbonated really does me in! I also have learned from trial and error to eat only enough to be satisfied and never indulge! Once you get the nausea managed it gets better with time. I also take ranidine? which has absolutely been the best GERD treatment I have ever experienced and it also helps with the nausea. It has helped me more than brand zantac or any of the other PPI's. Good luck....nothing worse than nausea! Nervous stomach can also and DOES cause nausea.

[megan]

You might try switching to the BRAT diet for a few weeks and then reintroducing other things slowly.
Theres a huge differance between food allergy and food intollerance
(coeliac is an allergy) Wheat could still be causing you problems.
I fully respect your choice to eat vegan but it must be harder to replace the natural gut flora that those rounds of antibiotics AND C.diff meds destroyed.
You know a lot more about vegan diet than me so look into where you can get the probiotic type foods from to build up your immune system.
Perhaps your body is asking for something that your not providing it.
As for being crazy, Welcome to the club!!


Roy

The only nutrient that is not available in a vegan diet (except via fortified foods) is B12. (B12 is found in the soil, and animals ingest the soil, and it ends up in their muscle tissue with people eat.) There is no reason why it would be more difficult to replace natural flora. In fact, many foods high in natural probiotics are naturally vegan, like sauerkraut and fermented vegetables. There are also vegan yogurts that contain probiotics. If that wasn't enough on its own, I took Align probiotics on the advice of the gastro nurse practitioner for 6 months and it didn't do anything (except make my wallet lighter). I've done the BRAT diet and other bland diets. They didn't help.

Thanks for the suggestions Beth -- the antibiotics I took that caused the c-diff also caused yeast infections and I was on meds for that. I've heard about peppermint capsules but I've not found any yet. I have tried mint tea, and all sorts of gingers. They help a little temporarily, but the effects are short lived.

Nancy1 - Phenergan works great but I need about 12 hrs to sleep it off and function. It puts me in a coma :) I'm a full time PhD student and work 2 part time jobs. I can't take something that makes me that drowsy. Zofran works, though not as well as phenergan, but it doesn't make me drowsy. On the negative there, the doctors won't prescribe more than a couple because you're not supposed to take them long term, so I save them for "emergencies" when I'm too sick to leave the house but I have something I have to do. Either way, both are just bandaids.

[megan]

Nausea has always been one of my worst symptoms. I found in the beginning than taking zofran and phenegran did not curve it. However, with time I now take phenergan (only 1/2 tablet at first onset of nausea) and .25 mg xanax.........it goes right away! I found the kicker to the deal is to take it the moment I start to feel the nausea.......don't wait. I also have found out that anything carbonated really does me in! I also have learned from trial and error to eat only enough to be satisfied and never indulge! Once you get the nausea managed it gets better with time. I also take ranidine? which has absolutely been the best GERD treatment I have ever experienced and it also helps with the nausea. It has helped me more than brand zantac or any of the other PPI's. Good luck....nothing worse than nausea! Nervous stomach can also and DOES cause nausea.

Unfortunately, there is never a time that the nausea isn't there. There is never an onset... it's just... there. Sometimes it's better and sometimes it's worse, but it never isn't present. I was on Protonix 40mg twice a day for a few months because all the AB's between the ones that gave me cdiff and the ones that cured it I got gastritis. That helped so that I'm not in pain most of the time now, just nausea. Prior it felt like someone punched me in the gut all the time.

I know that nerves/stress/anxiety can cause nausea and IBS symptoms. I'm the first to admit that I absolutely get IBS from stress, and I've discussed that with the doctors and that I understand what that's like. If I have a big exam or something I need to allow myself an extra hour in the morning for "bathroom time." That feeling is not this feeling. I don't know how else to explain it. In my day-to-day life my #1 stressor is the fact that I'm constantly nauseated and trying to get through the day without vomiting on anyone.

[cindym]

At one time I was staying nauseated around the clock (about a year ago) and the doctor upped my ranadine? and also gave me antivert as he said that inner ear problems can cause not only dizziness but constant nausea. He must have been right because it cleared up within a few days. You can now buy antivert (but the generic form) over the counter by asking at the pharmacy. It is called meclozamine (I think that is how you spell it). I could not believe that would work but it did TOTALLY and put me back to only occasional nausea. You might suggest it to your doctor as it is worth a try!

[cindym]

Forgot to say that you should demand them to take an ultrasound of your gallbladder (if you still have it) because small stones can cause constant nausea a long time before causing any pain. I had mine out in 2004 for that reason.