Unrelenting gas pain...in agony and frustrated

Hello All,

I was in remission....about 3 weeks ago I tried a new gluten free bakery. Since then things have gone awry in a big way. Almost immediately I started with extremely bad indigestion and gas pain/bloating...I could feel it rise up and then I would need to run to the bathroom. I'd pass gas and b & m, but then have a solid bm. For a time I couldn't pass gas without some "residuals" also coming out. I tried every combo of tums, zantac, pepto and activated charcoal. I didn't eat. This continued in varying degrees for about 2 weeks. I would have a "day off" or the pain wasn't bad so I thought this was going away. Last week I had 4 days where I felt much better. Began eating again. Energy was good.

Since Wednesday I'm back to the extreme gas/bloating. My tummy is distended. I've gone days without eating a morsel but found I was too weak so I sipped ensure. In addition to the pain I'm cognitively feeling "out there." I can't concentrate on even TV never mind work because my tummy hurts too much. I'm slouched over. I seem to get some relief only if I drink a 1/2 bottle of pepto. But am refraining from food. This is affecting everything from work to socialization to even grocery shopping. (Used to be I had d 20-30 times a day, Never thought another symptom would develop). I'm a bit scared this will never go away. Although the 4 days of relief was encouraging.

I have no idea if I still have b or m anymore because my poop is black now. But my bm's are formed. It's this darn gas. It seems to subside overnight and I'm able to pass gas without anything other than air coming out. Then I feel it build throughout the day, whether I eat or don't.

Obviously I've stayed away from gas producing foods and triggers...I'm not eating only taking every remedy out there for a few hours of relief.

Does anyone have any insight? I'm due for my IVIG on Thurs so I'm hoping that will get rid of this as that stuff is my miracle. But i'm so worried. I never thought gas pain would be ruining my life especially when this past year has been awesome. I'm very weak, may be losing weight although I'm a healthy weight given my year of remission.


Current meds....monthly IVIG, 8 pentasa, I pouch VSL (no its not the VSL giving me gas), imodium/fibre when I go out, zantac (2 pills), pepto, activated charcoal, tums, vitamin d, turmeric (although stopped this now)

Thank you for the insight, I can't stand this anymore.

Pepto will turn you black. If your IVIG works so well then why even bother with all of the other stuff you are doing? It seems to me you have too many treatments going on all at once. You didn't mention anything about being on a gluten free diet so, if that is the case, why was it so necessary to buy gluten free bakery items? If it were me, I would drastically eliminate the sheer number of things you are doing.

Sorry Gary- yes I'm gluten free.

rbartolo

Sorry for your pain. You found out the hard way that "gluten-free" does not mean UC-friendly. Some "gluten-free" ingredients give my gut fits so I carefully read all ingredients, including "gluten-free".
Trust no one except your own two hands making the food you eat.

Here are some "gluten-free" ingredients my gut hates including: garbanzo flour, brown rice flour (too much fiber for me), xylitol or other sugar alcohols, almond flour (too harsh in large quantity), any ingredient I can't pronounce or recognize. Some people have trouble with carageenan but I don't think I'm one (knock wood). There are more bad news ingredients I can't remember right now.

Hope you feel better soon.

garylou said:
I must be somewhat of an unusual case because I have never once had pain.

I'm the same way, no physical pain just mental anguish, which can be very painful.
Non-UC doctors were always puzzled by my lack of pain but good GI's never questioned it so we may not be all that rare.

PathogenKiller: hard to say. maybe 2-3 normal bm's a day. But if I need to pass gas...then I'm running to the toilet to expel m or b and then usually have a normal bm. Today though I haven't eaten so it's just 3 times to the toilet to pass gas and 1 normal bm in the am.

I wouldn't say gurgling...but I can feel the gas building right up into my chest. I was at work this past week and felt the gas building, started sweating as I was in a meeting, then almost in a panic.

The gas or indigestion is always there, just in various uncomfortable degrees. Even if I sip water it's there; hence the various types of anti gas meds. Anything to alleviate this discomfort. I also feel extremely weak...like I used to do when I was going 20 times a day. I literally have no energy.

I sincerely hope the IVIG works on Thursday. If not I'll need to visit the doctor...dreading that....last thing I want is tests; especially after being in remission for a year:(