My raging beast of a stomach - relatively rare?

[Kevy B]

Hi,

Just curious about something.

When coming down with ME, and unto this day I have pretty much most of the classic symptoms.

One thing I'm wondering, though, as I don't think I've ever seen another ME mention it, is that I also came down with a raging monster of a stomach, with regards to stomach acid, e.g. acid reflux. It's such a while since first infection, though, that I can't recall if it came with first infection, or months later.

One thing I did notice though, was that my appetite also got out of control. It's like my stomach never stops being hungry or producing acid, even for sleep. I first noticed I had a problem a few weeks or months after first infection, when I went through 2/3rds of a loaf of bread and STILL felt hungry afterwards.

My stomach basically never lets up, and I've discovered this is one of reasons as to why I sleep so badly. I've now been on various forms of ant-acid for years, from cimetidine to the now more sophisticated types.

I was tested for helicobacter pylori, but nothing showed, and even persuaded my doctor at the time to give me the triple antibiotic treatment for it, anyway, but nothing changed.

Any other ME sufferers have a raging beast of a stomach, or am I a rare case?

 

[hapl808]

My stomach isn't usually like that (although all my stuff started with a viral GI thing). But in recent years all my crashes start with horrible hacking coughing acid reflux. Nothing helps, other than avoiding all triggers for crashes. That means no phone time, limited computer time, no video games, minimal reading, nothing stimulating, mostly in bed physically. If I do all that, then minimal reflux. One videochat, then awful reflux for days.

 

[Treeman]

Hi. Yes I'm similar. I kept a food diary to record what foods cause acid reflux. I then excluded them and the acid reflux stopped.

I feel I could just keep eating. Just feel hungry all the time. If I eat I seem to get hungrier. Go figure?

 

[hapl808]

Hi. Yes I'm similar. I kept a food diary to record what foods cause acid reflux. I then excluded them and the acid reflux stopped.

Surprisingly, most of my reflux triggers aren't food related but instead related to cognitive or physical exertion. Never would've guessed that until I eliminated some of the variables (started eating the same thing every day at the same times, but still reflux was wildly variable). Once I realized the connection between exertion and reflux, it's about a 90% correlation.

 

[IThinkImTurningJapanese]

Any other ME sufferers have a raging beast of a stomach, or am I a rare case?

Stomach problems are quite common, check out this thread. Miyarisan

 

[Kevy B]

Hi. Yes I'm similar. I kept a food diary to record what foods cause acid reflux. I then excluded them and the acid reflux stopped.

I feel I could just keep eating. Just feel hungry all the time. If I eat I seem to get hungrier. Go figure?

Yeah, I get that. Sometimes I eat something and feel hungrier afterwards, it seems.

But my stomach never, ever feels satisfied.

 

[Wishful]

Your ME may be messing up the communication between stomach and brain. There's plenty of bidirectional signalling that controls hunger/fullness, stomach activity, etc. Dealing with that will probably require experimentation with foods, times, and activities. If you keep good records, you may spot a pattern.

 

[Wayne]

But my stomach never, ever feels satisfied.

Hi @Kevy B -- My understanding is it's the vagus nerve that runs through our entire GI tract that sends a signal of satiation to the brain. If the vagus nerve is impacted in anyway, such as infection, trauma, or even an infection in an organ the vagus nerve runs through, then a signal of satiation can hit a roadblock.