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Gerd Diet - Not Getting Enough Calories

AWC-California

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AWC-California Rookie
AWC-California
Posted

I have been dealing with gluten intolerance  for about 4 months (Celiac genetic test was inconclusive).

 

Now I have developed fairly severe GERD symptoms.  I'm seeing doctors for this but I want to try and avoid going on medication if possible.  Its improved a little with a strict GERD diet but I'm having a hard time getting enough calories due to the small portions and not being able to just interrupt my work day with yet another meal break.  I have dropped from 165 to 157 pretty quickly.  I had to stop eating eggs (both whites and yolks) because they were making the reflux worse (at times they seemed to trigger breathing difficulties).  I'm just not very hungry most of the time.

 

Does anyone have any tips on how to get through yet another eating related challenge?  In addition to the strict diet, I've tried drinking only spring water, drinking small amounts of organic raw apple cider vinegar with water and all the other tips I have read online (propping my mattress up, not eating late,).

 

I would love to hear from anyone who conquered this so I know it might be possible for me.

 

Thanks.

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cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

Are you on a gluten-free diet as well?

AWC-California Rookie
AWC-California
Posted
  • Author

Oh yes.  I was doing well on the gluten free diet until the GERD symptoms started.  I now realize that I may have been focusing too much on the fact that everything had to by gluten free and not paying attention to my fat content.  But for the most part, I was feeling well.   Now I am just trying to get enough protein (animal and plant) and limiting fat since it aggravates my reflux.  I think the biggest problem is that I feel full after just a little food and I'm never very hungry.  It's become such a chore that I'm exhausted just trying to figure out how to get enough calories each day.  I'll get there.  Just need to make it the priority each day until the reflux improves (I'm trying to stay positive that it will).

HavaneseMom Explorer
HavaneseMom
Posted

I too have Gerd and it can be really hard to manage and figuring out your trigger foods is tough.

Are you taking a digestive enzyme? I have found that taking one before every meal helps me digest food more quickly. I like Enzymedica Digest Complete. They might possible make you feel less full and more hungry, since the enzymes will help you digest your food better. Many on this forum also swear by a good probiotic, especially when healing their gut. I'm not currently taking one, but have heard they do wonders for digestion.

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

HavaneseMom hit the nail on the head with the digestive enzymes. GERD is one of those problems that is symptom treated instead of finding the cause and many people do not have too much stomach acid, they have too little.  Or their ability to produce the right amount of digestive enzymes is compromised by the damage to their small intestine.  That will correct itself when the small intestine is healed but you will need supplements until then.

 

What tipped me off also is your trouble digesting fats.  That is classic with Celiac Disease and fats are difficult anyway, never mind in someone who has a compromised digestive tract. When you cannot digest these foods, your stomach pumps out more acid in an attempt to digest the food and it can't so it rolls around in your stomach, causing all kinds of grief.  You could also have a hiatal hernia, which causes GERD.  Doctors never look for the cause and put people on PPI's to suppress stomach acid but that won't help much.

 

I would definitely take the digestive enzymes mentioned as they work really well.  Helped me get back on track with my gut.  I never had GERD but had a lot of trouble digesting fats for a while, until my gut healed.  Take one with every meal you eat. 

 

Hope you feel better soon!

AWC-California Rookie
AWC-California
Posted
  • Author

Thanks to both of you!  I really appreciate the input and will try a digestive enzyme.  I've been taking a probiotic for a couple of weeks (Culturelle) so maybe that is helping.  My doc sent me off to a GI specialist (have an ultrasound next week to check gall bladder).  My primary doc handed me a few bottles of Dexilant and I politely took them and stowed them away.  No meds for me just yet until absolutely the last resort.  Thanks again!

cyclinglady Grand Master
cyclinglady
Posted

An ultrasound will just look for gall stones. A HIDA scan will check the gallbladder for functionality. Ask for a HIDA! Insist on it. My ultrasounds were always okay. My HIDA scan showed 0% functionality meaning it stopped working. I finally got the HIDA scan in the hospital because I was admitted for possible appendicitis. Something was rotting -- it was my gallbladder!

When that fat came down the line, my gallbladder was not able to squeeze out the necessary bile to digest the fat.

Now, I can consume lots of fat without my GB.

I will tell you it is a family curse! Everyone said it was my gallbladder that caused me to pass out (there are seven kids in Dad's family and six have had their gallbladders removed -- no stones.....) But since I was a kid, I had to suffer over 25 years!

Read up on gallbladders. I did not have any classic symtoms. Pain was never in the upper right quadrant. Pain was in lower abdominal area and lasted 12 hours. I passed out with each attack and would vomit upon awakening.

Something to think about....

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shadowicewolf Proficient
shadowicewolf
Posted

An ultrasound will just look for gall stones. A HIDA scan will check the gallbladder for functionality. Ask for a HIDA! Insist on it. My ultrasounds were always okay. My HIDA scan showed 0% functionality meaning it stopped working. I finally got the HIDA scan in the hospital because I was admitted for possible appendicitis. Something was rotting -- it was my gallbladder!

When that fat came down the line, my gallbladder was not able to squeeze out the necessary bile to digest the fat.

Now, I can consume lots of fat without my GB.

I will tell you it is a family curse! Everyone said it was my gallbladder that caused me to pass out (there are seven kids in Dad's family and six have had their gallbladders removed -- no stones.....) But since I was a kid, I had to suffer over 25 years!

Read up on gallbladders. I did not have any classic symtoms. Pain was never in the upper right quadrant. Pain was in lower abdominal area and lasted 12 hours. I passed out with each attack and would vomit upon awakening.

Something to think about....

Indeed. My gallbladder was at 5% and ultrasounds and blood tests were normal. The HIDA scan was the only thing that found it. I had pain in the upper right though.

 No gallstones.

 

Have you tried eating smaller meals throughout the day instead of larger ones?

AWC-California Rookie
AWC-California
Posted
  • Author

I do have pain in upper right abdomen and mentioned that to the doctor.  I've had that for quite some time.

 

I definitely can only eat small meals right now, which is why its been a challenge to get enough quality calories each day.  I do need to lose some weight but not as quickly as I have been.  The last couple of days have been fairly symptom free so I've been able to eat more.

 

I'm on it now, thanks to everyone here.  I'll go through with the ultrasound but I will also insist on the HIDA scan.

 

Thank you very much.

AWC-California Rookie
AWC-California
Posted
  • Author

An ultrasound will just look for gall stones. A HIDA scan will check the gallbladder for functionality. Ask for a HIDA! Insist on it. My ultrasounds were always okay. My HIDA scan showed 0% functionality meaning it stopped working. I finally got the HIDA scan in the hospital because I was admitted for possible appendicitis. Something was rotting -- it was my gallbladder!

When that fat came down the line, my gallbladder was not able to squeeze out the necessary bile to digest the fat.

Now, I can consume lots of fat without my GB.

I will tell you it is a family curse! Everyone said it was my gallbladder that caused me to pass out (there are seven kids in Dad's family and six have had their gallbladders removed -- no stones.....) But since I was a kid, I had to suffer over 25 years!

Read up on gallbladders. I did not have any classic symtoms. Pain was never in the upper right quadrant. Pain was in lower abdominal area and lasted 12 hours. I passed out with each attack and would vomit upon awakening.

Something to think about....

I just got an email indicating I wrote a response but didn't properly post it.  So here is what I wrote a few days ago:

 

Wow.  This sounds bad.  So sorry it took so long to resolve (and hope you feel good now).  There is a history of gallstones on both sides of my family (amazing what you can learn on Open Original Shared Link).  I will talk to the GI specialist about the HIDA scan.  This sounds like excellent advice and I thank you very much for sharing this information with me.  I really want to get to the bottom of this.  All the best to you.

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