08/09/2011: Brianna from Gladstone, Michigan: "For the last 6 months I have been having very curious stomach problems. In the morning I find myself horribly gassy and bloated. My stomach feels achy and full but I do not get sick. It disappates during the day but will return in the next morning. Another problem I have found myelf with is a loud gurgling of my bowels. It is loud enough for me to hear and for others to hear too. It happens often (almost every day) but never when I actually have to have a bowel movement. Again: I never have to use the restroom when this happens.

I do not have painful or bloody stool and other than these problems I am very healthy.

I went to the doctors for this problem and they told me it was "due to stress". While I respect the doctor and her knowledge I find that after lowering my stress that this is not the issue--the symptoms still longer.

Does anyone have any help for me? I'm feeling a little discouraged with these symptoms and I don't really know what to do."

06/25/2011: Lisa from Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa replies: "Traditional Chinese medicine worked for me for this issue. They have a lot to say about too much phlegm and the havoc it wreaks in the body. There are herbs they give you for this condition. Also, what you eat plays a big part of this as well. You might want to look into it. Hope this helps."

06/25/2011: Debbie from Melbourne, Australia replies: "Christine, try going dairy and gluten free and see if that helps. Stop all added sugar and limit all processed foods."

06/26/2011: Christiner from Nottingham, England replies: "thank you debbie for your suggestions. I am already gluten and dairy free, I might need some work on the suger, but I am sure it will help. When I do improve I will post again. All the best christine"

06/04/2012: Rachel from Bay Of Plenty, New Zealand replies: "I really do hope someone can help me. A month ago I was stressed beyond belief, and had an allergic reaction to something I ate at work. Since then, I have had two hospital visits, two naturopath visits, and full testing, all showing nothing but good health. I am in a lot of pain. After I eat, the burning begins, that then moves into the chest. Constant cramping & burning, and have just regained my appetite. No energy, and am losing weight that I simply cannot afford to lose. I am on ACV, slippery elm, a good diet, and am at my wits end. ACV and slippery elm help but only momentarily. Any help would be appreciated."

06/10/2011: Debbie from Melbourne, Australia replies: "Janet if you are not digesting fats, you should try digestive enzymes. A good probiotic would also be good."

06/10/2011: Candy from Ofallon, Mo replies: "If you find your digestion is out of whack, try buying hydrocloric acid.. If you look at your urine and it is cloudy it is because you are not digesting your food and not absorbing. It is washing out into your urine. Digestion starts in your stomach, if there is not enough acid or if there is too much the symptons are the same. Find out by experimenting, get some hydrocloric acid and take 2 or 3 during a meal. If it is too little it will help the indigestion, too much make it worse and just take some baking soda and water to help. If indeed it is that your stomach is not producing enough try a product called cell food. After 2 months on that my indigestion went away and I do not have to use the hydrocloric acid anymore."

12/22/2010: Brooke from Montgomery, Tx, Usa replies: "If you are serious about this, the I would refer you to a wonderful teacher of mine, named Jeff Levin, he does amazing things. You can look him up on the internet and also put in the search term Life Alignment. He is wonderful with all things that have to do with the ileocecal valve. I would also suggest an Osteopath in your area that does the "old school" Osteopathic teachings, if you can find one. I do not think that your ex needs to die though. There are a lot of people out there that have so many other ideas about her problem that the doctors just don't have. Doctors are unfortunately trained in their own medicine, and have no idea about alternatives. I just hate to see that a Dr. Is giving up on someone because of NO INSURANCE."

12/28/2009: Kelly from Cincinnati, Ohio replies: "hello, 2Quick. From what I've gathered from researching diets ( I plan on doing a juice feast myself for the new year) a person's speed of digestion= speed of ingestion and amnt. of ingestion. Try forcing yourself to chew food thoroughly and eat smaller amnts. at one sitting. Maybe, combine this with eating something like fresh beets that would darken your stool to tell exactly how long between bm's (write it down). As always, increase fruits and vegetables in your diet, they can correct digestion whether slow/fast. You did not state whether you had stomache discomfort or not. Google "fiber" for various homeopathic suggestions. Sometimes it all goes back to "grandma was RIGHT when she said "eat your vegetables and slow down and chew longer"". If you still have problems, consider googling intestinal parasites and consult w/ a naturopathic doc. Hope this helps. Many Blessings."

12/28/2009: June from Wichita, Ks replies: "Hi 2 Quick. Have you been checked for parasites? Please give us more of a background on your condition.. what you've been tested for, what was diagnosed, etc. Best to you."

10/23/2009: Mrs Cloud from Dallas, Tx replies: "Tara,

Of course no one here can dx you because only a doctor can do that...
8 days is too long for diarrhea/nausea/loss of appetite so if it is persisting you should probably see a doctor.
If I were you, I would probably try cultured/fermented foods such as natural yogurt or kefir,raw garlic (in small dosages about 2-3 cloves per day), natural sauerkraut (not the canned processed kind, homemade is best), activated charcoal if nausea/diarrhea persists.

As with all intestinal illnesses, I would have broths with some diced veggies. plenty of fresh juices and pure water, and lay off the heavy meals until you are well...

Personally, I believe that e.coli is something that most of us have been exposed to for most of our lives and therefore the threat is to those with immature or weak immune systems. If you are a healthy adult, it may be e.coli but it may be any of many, many other causes."

10/24/2009: Marilyn from Milpitas, Ca. Usa replies: "I have used on several occasions activated 260 mg (4grain) Charcoal capsules 3-4 if I get flu-like symptoms within 2 hrs after eating a meal. It usually tells me I got food poisoning. If you take them right away, they can do their job which is to eat up the bad stuff in the food you just ate. It takes care of it in that day. But if you feel sick for 3 days after, you didn't take it soon enough. Take it first signs you are sick after that meal. It works! 1 capsule for children up to age 7, as they get older increase by adding 1 more. Every health store carries them."

10/24/2009: Joyce from Joelton, Tn replies: "Hello Earth Clinic,

I hope Tara has already gone to the doctor or ER, because this could be a lot of things - the burning she complains of could indicate stomach acid spilling out (perforated intestine), the early symptoms in lower right abd. could indicate early onset of appendicitis (which may have ruptured) and if either of the two above has happened, she might not have a fever initially but when peritonitis sets in she is going to have a tough time and the sooner she finds out what is going on the better, so the sooner she gets some labwork and abd. views, the better. If this is either of the above, she is going to need hospitalization and treatment for same as soon as possible.

I have a daughter in law who developed abd. pain, low grade fever and went to closest ER after 1 week of illness (still working at time) and was sent home with instruction to see her family doctor after her next period if symptoms still present. The poor misguided doctor did a pelvic exam, a pregnancy test (they had been married a few months at the time of illness), and a urinalysis. He did not do the one test that would have said - hey take a look at the appendix (guess he bought all the crap in some of the OB/GYN textbooks about females being hypochrondriacs and couldn't believe one could be that stoic). That one test is called a CBC, which would have shown a shift to the left & pin pointed the appendix. When she went to see her doctor a few days later because it was much worse instead of better, he apparently was more experienced with hot appendices than the ER doctor was, because he sent her back to the ER from his office, and must have called ahead and told them who was coming and what to do, because they really dived into her case this time. They had everything labwork, abd films and wanted to admit her then to have abd. scan done later in the evening, she refused telling him that her husband would be home from work in a couple of hours and she would like for him to be with her, so she would come back at whatever time they could schedule the scan. Of course the ER doctor got a surgeon on board very quickly this time to make the decisions. Well, the scan didn't definitely identify the problem either. You should have seen the operative permit they asked her to sign. Ouch they could have taken everything out, depending on what they found. At her request I was with them when they came to talk about the scan results, so I interpreted the medical lingo for them in discussing it with the doctor. I said, "In other words you are saying that this expensive scan didn't tell you anything you didn't already know from the abd. xray, that she has a double fist size abnormality in the lower rt. abd. and you don't know what it is until you go in after it. The worst case scenario is an abnormal growth and the best scenario for this case is a ruptured appendix and her body is trying hard to contain it in a big fat acscess." He said "That is what I am saying". When she asked me if she should sign for the surgery, my reply was, "I don't think you have any other choice, and we are all going to be looking forward to hearing an abscess following a ruptured appendix". It was! There was also some interesting complications, like a flare up of higher fever after fever went down & readmission to hospital and further tests and scan that showed PID (which he didn't like it when she called it PID in talking with him after I tagged it that). She quoted him as saying if she was a prossie down on Jefferson St. he would worry about PID, but that wasn't what she had. I had to laugh when she told me that and told her that PID was shorthand lingo for "pelvic inflammatory disease" and the symptoms were the same no matter whether you got it from being a prostitute or picked up the inflammation in the operating room. There was some concern expressed as "difficulty in getting pregnant" since the infection had spread to the pelvic area. We took care of that by putting her on Vitamin C 1 gram every hour while awake (up to l0 grams/day), vitamin E 400 IU's 4x/day, and zinc 50 mgm 2 x d as soon as she got home. After a few months of recovering from the surgery, it was bingo as soon as they tried. They presented me with two handsome grandsons, about l5 months apart, who are now 10 and 11 years old.

I hope Tara comes out as lucky as she did."

10/24/2009: Sharik from Arcata, California replies: "To Tara from Boston:

Just a question: Do you still have your appendix?
Also, be very careful taking licorice in any form for any length of time as it raises blood pressure. Should not be used by persons with diabetes, glaucoma, heart disease, high blood pressure, severe menstrual problems or history of stroke in the family. Should not be used on a daily basis for more than seven days in a row. Extended use can cause high blood pressure, water retention and low potassium levels.

Hope this helps.
Peace, Sharik"

10/25/2009: Tara from Boston, USA replies: "Thank you very much to everyone who responded to my plea for help! Update: I took your posts seriously and decided to go to the emergency room yesterday to get checked out to make sure I didn't have a ruptured appendix or a tear in the small intestine that was leaking stomach acid. They took a bunch of blood and urine and it all came back fine. They also hooked me up to an iv and gave me a pain medication and a dose acid reflux medication (prevacid maybe?). I didn't think the iv and meds were necessary and protested to the 2 nurses, which they found amusing. The doc came in and was very rushed, many ill people being admitted all at once, asked me questions about my pain level 1-10, where the pain was, etc. Then he asked me to show him where the pain was located, which was tough for me because its been moving around for 9 days. Today it was sensitivity in my diapraghm area and stepping off a curb today caused an immediate nauseas (sp) response so I told him that. The ER doctor did NOT touch my adomen at any time. I was very surprised since you can tell a lot from touching someone's belly and organs. I had read in a med diagnosis book recently that doctors are increasingly relying solely on tests to make diagnosis, which they shouldn't be. They miss important signs when they skip the touching part.

3.5 hours later they let me go with a prescription for prevacid and also, get this, vicodin! Told me to get to my doctor who should order an ultra sound. The doc thinks it could be pancreas, gall bladder or an ulcer. The meds they put in my iv did nothing for the pain in my stomach. I am exactly where I was before I went to the ER. I would have gone to the doctor last week, but am new to the suburbs here in MA and have yet to find a doctor I am happy with.

Will give another update when I have one (but not this long, don't worry!) Thank you again for your caring responses."

10/25/2009: Sharik from Arcata, California replies: "If your appendix ruptures, you can sue and retire to a nice tropical island somewhere! The problem with Dr.s in this country; they're trained to keep you sick rather than keep you well. Add the pharmaceutical companies, and you have a cauldron of bubbling problems. It is up to us to take responsibility for our own health (and, by the way, next time ask the nurses if you are dehydrated. If not, refuse the IVs and threaten to turn them in if they force you. You're bigger than they are and it's your body!) Could you list all your symptoms in the order in which they appeared and the severity at the time? If you like, we can work on this privately. Ask EC for my email. But something has to be done. By the way, did you tell them about the licorice? I have a feeling that may be part of the problem. Stuff ain't good for you in large and lengthy amounts.

Peace, Sharik"

09/24/2009: Deborah from Sarasota, Florida replies: "For inflammation in the digestive tract, I would try either slippery elm or licorice extract. Make sure you buy slippery elm from a reputable company. I read years ago when I was researching slippery elm that some companies were selling wood pulp instead of slippery elm. Apparently it's difficult to tell the difference."

09/29/2009: Bunny from Santa Ana, Ca replies: "Probiotics and aloe might help. Get checked for celiac disease-gluten causes this problem in some people"

09/22/2009: Clare from Valencia, CA replies: "Hi Kathy,

I have the same problems! And no one listens to me either. I don't have any solutions for you, I just wanted you to know you're not alone.

I haven't been able to successfully swallow capsules for decades now. They feel like they're stuck in my throat. My husband insisted it was just in my imagination, until one day while I was speaking, about a half hour after taking capsules, powder was flying out of my mouth. Nothing helps. I even try eating nuts or an apple after the capsules, but they still don't go down. I also drink tons of water. I've recently been told that I have low hydrocloric acid (not by a doctor). I have a very dry mouth, despite all the water. I'm about to try the ACV suggestions on this site. My heart flutters often, and I just had my first attack of atrial fibrillation which lasted 3 hours and scared me to death. I do take magnesium.... I thought maybe it was anti-parasite herbs I started taking as part of a colon cleanse. Oh my, the body is a puzzlement!"

09/23/2009: Kathy from Anywhere, Usa replies: "OK so I am really trying to eat better and I am almost eliminating wheat/carbs and it might just be helping with the full feeling. As far as taking pills I am just taking the bare minimun to feel OK...

Wish me luck!
Kathy"

09/17/2009: Kathy from Dubois, Pa replies: "I don't want to frighten you, but bloating such as you describe can be a symptom of ovarian cancer. If you haven't been tested for ovarian cancer and had it ruled out, I would ask...no, I would demand...that the doctor run tests for it, or refer you to someone who will, just to be safe. Ovarian cancer is relatively rare, thank God, so chances are it is not what is causing the bloating, but still, if it were me, I'd find out for sure."

09/17/2009: Sarah from Cambridge, Mass, USA replies: "Hi Saffi,

I know exactly what you are going through. I had similar symptoms when I went on a low fat/low carb diet a few years ago. I lost a lot of weight but threw my body out of whack in the process. I thought it was parasites and did one week of parasite cleansing herbs and tinctures. This helped, but I still had uncomfortable gas and stomach gurgling within minutes of eating. I then tried Licorice extract (dgl kind) and that cured me. I think it took a week on the licorice to get back to normal. I now take licorice whenever I am feeling digestive problems and it cures them within a few hours. It's one of my favorite supplements.

Please let us know how you are faring.

Best,
Sarah"

09/18/2009: Julie from Ellwood City, Pennsylvania replies: "For CONSTIPATION you need fiber in your diet. Fiber to bowel movement regularity is like gas to your car engine ... without it, you don't move (pardon the pun). Fiber is what stimulates the walls of the bowels to initiate a bowel movement. Without this natural stimulation, your stools simply keeping packing up. The longer the stool is the bowel the body will continue to absorb water from it, thus causing the hard, dry stool that is difficult to move. You should be deficating two or three times per day; yes, per day. So for those of you who only move your bowels once every three days or once a week or longer, your diet is void of fiber. Also make sure you are drinking plenty of water every day. All other drinks (soda pop, coffee, tea, etc) are not fluids that work the same way as just plain water does. Do not take a fiber laxative. Make sure you take a fiber supplement.

I get a lot of BLOATING when I eat carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, rice, any flour products actually, as well as sweets. I believe that it is due to candida. I have read that candida must give off acetelhyde gas (not sure if spelled correctly) in order to digest/eat the glucose generated from eating these foods. It is this gas that causes the bloating as it builds up. Candida lives off sugar. Flour made products become pure glucose when digested. You might as well be eating right from the sugar bowl. So I avoid these food items. I also take molybdenum, 300 mg per day, which helps to remove or dissipate this gas given off by the candida. When I find that I have over indulged in carbohydrates I become uncomfortably bloated. The quickest relief is to do the salt water cleanse. It is fast and very effective. I take 2 teaspoons of sea salt and mix and dissolve in 32 ounces of warm water. Usually I split this in half. It is very salty (some cannot do this remedy). However, I drink 16 ounces; wait about 15 minutes and drink the other half. Sometimes I only get in about 3/4 of the second half... one more gulp and I will throw up. Not because of the salty taste but because you just dumped a quart of water into your stomach almost at once. You will feel some stomach bloat feeling because of the amount of fluid just taken in at once but it will pass in about ten minutes. In about 45 minutes, you will find the bathroom is your best friend. This will continue for about one hour. Your done. This works faster than over the counter intestinal cleansers.. no hanging around home all day waiting for it to work. The reason why drinking this much water is not taken care of by the kidneys and causing increased urination is because salt and water follow each other. Because of the high salt content, this water stays inside and moves straight through your intestines cleaning it out and removed through defication. Remember though if for some reason (medically, or otherwise) you should not ingest anything of a high salt content, this remedy is probably not for you.

Saffi, I hope this helps. Take care."

09/18/2009: Saffi from New York, NY replies: "Thank you very much for the feedback. Yes, they've tested me for ovarian cancer too and that was negative also."

09/23/2009: Nichar from Los Angeles, Ca replies: "The same thing happened to me except in addition to the symptoms you had I also had hemmorhoids. I lost 20 pounds, had no energy, couldn't eat much. I was miserable.

I too am lactose intolerant. I did not find relief until I started using grapefruit seed extract. I took the tablets, and I have the liquid because it is a great product for so many things parasites, mold, fungus. Just give it a try it can't hurt and hopefully it will help."