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gastrotic problems that get worse

eric_gladiator

Senior Member
Messages
210
It took me a few months to do more than feel bloated as if I had eaten a lot. at first I only had some gas but with the weeks they got worse without knowing why, until I reached a point that I am almost unable to eat anything since I am very bloated and that causes me a lot of anguish. I have tried probiotics, enzymes, treatments for dyspepsia ... everything alleviates something but the problem progresses and I do not know how to stop it. As a result I am sleeping very badly, there is no night that does not have nightmares or it costs me hours to sleep because of my bad digestion
 

PatJ

Forum Support Assistant
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5,288
Location
Canada
I used to have a lot of discomfort after eating but after a few months of using betaine HCL with pepsin to counter low stomach acid, my digestion improved considerably. I had to start at a low dose of betaine HCL (I think my stomach lining had thinned due to very low HCL) but was able to work my way up to higher doses within a couple of weeks.
 

Mary

Moderator Resource
Messages
17,335
Location
Southern California
I'm with @PatJ - taking hcl with pepsin made a huge difference with my digestion. Before started taking it, it felt like food would just sit in my stomach for hours. A doctor told me to titrate up to a dose where I felt "acidy" and then to back off by one. I have been taking it for years.
 

eric_gladiator

Senior Member
Messages
210
@PatJ @Mary

I already take it and I do not notice anything special, should I increase the dose? I do not know if it would be a good idea to continue taking chemical drugs that can cause other problems
 

ljimbo423

Senior Member
Messages
4,705
Location
United States, New Hampshire
It took me a few months to do more than feel bloated as if I had eaten a lot. at first I only had some gas but with the weeks they got worse without knowing why, until I reached a point that I am almost unable to eat anything since I am very bloated and that causes me a lot of anguish. I have tried probiotics, enzymes, treatments for dyspepsia ... everything alleviates something but the problem progresses and I do not know how to stop it. As a result I am sleeping very badly, there is no night that does not have nightmares or it costs me hours to sleep because of my bad digestion

That sounds like it could be SIBO. Have you looked into that? I had it very bad and still have it to some degree, although it has improved a lot with treatment.

I still have some gas locks at night, that bother me quite often and interrupt my sleeping a little bit.

I am almost unable to eat anything since I am very bloated and that causes me a lot of anguish.

Bloating is a classic SIBO symptom and sometimes the worst symptom people get.

Jim
 

PatJ

Forum Support Assistant
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5,288
Location
Canada
I already take it and I do not notice anything special, should I increase the dose?

The usual recommendation is to increase the dose with each regular meal (that contains protein) until you feel warmth in your stomach; then back off by one capsule.

I noticed from the very first dose that my digestion improved.

I do not know if it would be a good idea to continue taking chemical drugs that can cause other problems

In my case I would have many more problems from not taking betaine HCL. There's no doubt that I don't produce enough stomach acid. Low stomach acid has many serious effects on a body so supplementing is the right thing to do in my case.
 

eric_gladiator

Senior Member
Messages
210
@pattismith


if digestive enzymes, probiotics, betaine, natural antibiotics based on lemon, glutamine, ranitidine, cidine, flatoril, pankreoflat ... all without success


@PatJ


Is it better to take it 15 minutes before or at the time of meals?
 

eric_gladiator

Senior Member
Messages
210
One question, do you recommend eating gluten free? I see people who eat gluten free and instead I see that there are doctors who say it is not recommended either. So what is the correct choice?
 

PatJ

Forum Support Assistant
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5,288
Location
Canada
So what is the correct choice?

I think the correct choice is individual. Gluten might not even be the problem.

Here are some points to consider:
* Some people find great benefit from going gluten free, while others don't notice any difference.

* Some people don't have problems with gluten but they react to the additives used to fortify most flour. ie. If a person has an MTHFR mutation then they may have trouble processing the folic acid in fortified flour.

* Others don't do well with modern wheat because it has been so heavily modified to be high protein, yet those same people don't have any trouble digesting heirloom grains like Spelt or Khorasan (Kamut).

* Properly made sourdough bread is easier to digest. There are some people with celiac disease that tolerate long-fermented sourdough.

So the only way to know what works for each person is to experiment and see what happens.
 

Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,300
Location
Ashland, Oregon
In my case I would have many more problems from not taking betaine HCL. There's no doubt that I don't produce enough stomach acid. Low stomach acid has many serious effects on a body so supplementing is the right thing to do in my case.

Thought I'd mention that I used betaine HCL for many years with good results. I then heard about creatine HCL about a year ago, and have found I like that even better. I get the HCL, plus I believe I'm getting benefit from the creatine to support energy production in the cells.

I also apply magnesium oil on my body regularly, often over my gut. The magnesium "chloride" is easily converted to HCL to help out with a low-acid situation in the stomach. The magnesium "oil" (not really an oil) can also be ingested, so going directly into the stomach should theoretically aid in digestion as well.​
 

PatJ

Forum Support Assistant
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5,288
Location
Canada
Thanks for mentioning creatine HCL.

I then heard about creatine HCL about a year ago, and have found I like that even better.

Have you noticed if you need to take extra compared with betaine HCL?
 

Wayne

Senior Member
Messages
4,300
Location
Ashland, Oregon
Have you noticed if you need to take extra compared with betaine HCL?

Quite honestly, I haven't tuned into it that much these days, because the amount I'm taking seems to be sufficient for my needs. My attention seems to go where there's pain and distress, not necessarily toward things that seem to be working well. :rolleyes:

Interestingly, I use the creatine HCL as somewhat of a condiment, with the tart taste being somewhat similar to apple cider vinegar and lemon juice, two other ingredients I regularly put on some of my dishes. But I actually like the taste of the creatine HCL better than the ACV and lemon juice. I generally use about 1/4+ tsp. per serving.​
 
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eric_gladiator

Senior Member
Messages
210
I have new symptoms, this time I feel weakness after eating mostly in hands and arms, muscle aches ... how horrible is all this
 

pattismith

Senior Member
Messages
3,932
I have new symptoms, this time I feel weakness after eating mostly in hands and arms, muscle aches ... how horrible is all this


In Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis, there can be variation of blood potassium after a meal (carb intake especially), which can trigger the symptoms, so it may be a dysfunction in your ion channels.

Do you know your potassium blood level?
 

PatJ

Forum Support Assistant
Messages
5,288
Location
Canada
Hypokalemic Periodic Paralysis

This document contains two case reports where CoQ10 was used to successfully treat HPP:
Primary periodic paralyses (PPs) are autosomal dominant ion channel disorders characterized by episodic flaccid weakness associated with variations in serum potassium level. The main prophylactic therapy of choice for PPsis carbonic anhydrase inhibitors that are not always effective. In this report, we described two PP patients who were successfully treated with coenzyme Q10. They remained asymptomatic since initiation of treatment, which may be associated with promotion of energy synthesis, anti-oxidant activity, influence of the fiber type composition and regulation of the expression of gene. To our knowledge, this is the first report of primary periodic paralyses which have been successfully treated with CoQ10. More observations need to substantiate this clinical finding in PPs.