19 replies to this topic

[InfiniteE]

Hi I'm new to the forum. Not sure if this is where to post this or not, but here goes...
I'm a quadriplegic coming up on 9 years post injury & recently began developing these symptoms:
Loss of appetite
- just smelling or thinking of food makes me queezy. When I take a bite of something it makes me gag and heave like I'm going to throw up. I try to chew fast & have to force myself to swollow it. Can only force myself to eat so much.
My stomach & whole abdominal area feels like someones squeezing it. Sometimes making it difficult to breath. I get dry heaves. Waves of being hot & cold. Sometimes it feels like my hearts beating out of my chest. But my blood pressure is about normal, so no AD for the most part.
My back by kidney area hurts also. By hurt, I mean I feel extreme pressure, as with my stomach. I'm a C4-C5 complete so obviously I'm not able to pinpoint the exact type of pain or discomfort it is.
Mild he*daches occuring the last couple days.
When I get the cold chills my body temp is normal but as I'm shivering my body feels like its on fire & being stabbed all over.
I believe I described everything. Any ideas?

[Hikkakaru]

I have the same exact symptoms, as a C5 incomplete ~4 years post.

I've always been told it is UTI symptoms, as I get UTIs quite commonly. The doctor has never diagnosed me. I've found that marijuana has made it possible for me to eat, but that's an expensive and legally prohibitive (depending on your area) alternative, plus it doesn't fix anything!

I have found a lot in common with Colitis symptoms, but my doctor has been unable to diagnose the problem with blood/urine/feces samples.. Maybe yours will have better luck.

[sh1wn]

I don't think it will fix all your problems, but pot should help you eat at least.
Have you talked to your doctor about these problems? You may want to see a GI doctor if you can.

[InfiniteE]

There's no blood in urine or bowels. I Just saw urologist. No UTI at moment.
Got a gastrologist app. June 7th. Seems so far away.
Thanks for the reply. Are you losing weight also? I'm afraid at the rate things are going that ill end up in a nursing home. Which is the LAST thing I want. My parents seem to think I'm a hypocondriac & its all in my head.

[goose]

It sounds like a UTI . Several years ago I had one and just seeing a picture of food made me want to up chuck. Eating was even worse. As soon as the UTI cleared up ,I was back eating again. I've only had that happen once but it was horrible. I didn't even want to talk or watch TV. It took about a week and a half to start feeling normal again.

[InfiniteE]

Ya I thought it was a UTI also but I gave a urine sample to a urologist about a week + ago. Haven't gotten a call back yet so figured that's his way of sayin it was ok. I straight cath every 6 hrs. Unless I feel my bladders full. Just had a Bowel movement last night. I don't think its a UTI because when I get them I piss myself normally.

[InfiniteE]

Ya I talked to my doctor. What's a GI? My doctor isn't an SCI doctor though.

sh1wn, on 28 May 2011 - 11:35 PM, said:

I don't think it will fix all your problems, but pot should help you eat at least.
Have you talked to your doctor about these problems? You may want to see a GI doctor if you can.

Exactly the way I feel goose. Thank you all for the replies. They're greatly appreciated.

Exactly the way I feel goose. Thank you all for the replies. They're greatly appreciated.

[airart1]

gastric intestinal doctor, your GI tract is your inerts! i would bet thats alot of the problem, irritable bowels or crohns, could be alot of things in the gastric tract doing it...........definately needs looking at, something is surely amuck!

[InfiniteE]

I seen a GI a couple days ago. He scheduled an ultrasound and then I go back the 7th for a scope procedure. Hopefully they fix me. Lol.

[mellowgator]

hi infinite,

i also am havingi problems with my eating. i'm really thin and i like to because it makes transfers easier. i've lost 25 lbs and i find that my energy is low. i think some of my eating issues is because of my pain meds. are you taking anything for pain? sometimes it screws with your appetite. can you force yourself to drink smoothies? i try to eat yogart and a half sandwich and try to eat fruit. i hate feeling full. also if you eat spicy stuff it messes with the bowel program. i hate the bowel issues so much that i don't eat much to avoid dealing with the outcome.

i also smoke pot which helps me with my appetits issues. its' so screwed up that the best medicine is illegal.

hang tough and try to regain your strength. you're not alone and i hope you situration improves. i'm hoping your dr will help you find out what's going on.

mellowgator

[goose]

Have they tested your blood to see if your white blood cells are in the normal range or off the chart? That's how my infection was found when I felt that way. Keep on top of it!!

[Tetracyclone]

I suffer similar things to the way Mellowgator lives, and Karen, you worry me. You are not really dealing with this and you are still drinking Coke. Lots of people have said their # of UTIs goes way down when the leave behind carbonated drinks. There are oher sources of caffeine out there.

Dammit woman, take charge! You have not tried everything yet. Are you sure you are not allergic to dairy? Ok. lecture/rant over.

My "program right now is to eat small quantities much more frequently, as I too find myself avoiding food to avoid the intestinal and spasm consequences. My appetite is often good though, so I get too hungry and then eat too much at once. I don't think I'm being a baby about this- the muscle tightness clamps down on my chest muscles now, all the way to the upper lung lobes sometimes. Breathing is such a quality-of-life issue!

For my sojourn in Ithaca, NY this Summer I will add regular colonic irrigation treatments to my list and see if that helps.

My sister said to me once about 5 years ago "I hope I never get like Pop and want to talk about pissing and BMs all the time!" Guess I better not talk to her about this.

Edited by Tetracyclone, 30 May 2011 - 01:45 AM.

[qbounce]

InfiniteE, on 29 May 2011 - 07:44 PM, said:

I seen a GI a couple days ago. He scheduled an ultrasound and then I go back the 7th for a scope procedure. Hopefully they fix me. Lol.

Wow, at least they're moving quickly for you. Hope they get it solved soon.

[marka]

i have the same symptoms as you but it comes and goes. ive had all the tests available and theyve never been able to pinpoint anything. in all probability it is severe wind trapped in your systen and will pass in time. you are not going to end up in a home, dont talk rubbish. no big deal to lose a bit of weight. when your appetite returns you can easily stack it back on if you want. my advise- smoke a little pot ,put your favourite shows oon and stop obsessing. your appetite will return. if you cant eat solids then drink shakes and smmoothies- good luck.

mark

[lavenderthistle]

I’m really new at this, but one of my methods for dealing with it is curling up in a small ball and hoping it goes away. So far that hasn’t worked. I do try to lie on my stomach during a particularly bad patch. I also get chills with it. I’m an incomplete and at the low end of the spectrum in regards to sci, but I do have serious visceral pain. I’ve mentioned it to my doctors and the best info I’ve gotten is the nerves don’t know what to do, so anything internal processes as pain. It’s pretty much ruling out what isn’t wrong. That sounds cryptic but I hope it helps to know you aren’t alone. When I get hit with a nasty bout of pain out of the normal pain range, it means something has changed. Either I have to go very badly, have a UTI, pulled muscle, reaction to something I ate, ate too much, drank too much at once etc..

I’ve been having odd stomach problems lately too and am glad to know I’m not alone. I also get weird spasms I can put my hand on my abdomen and feel. Currently I think the cause may be the round of antibiotics I’m on. The last round of the noticeably bad pains with nausea was a weather change. Sorry this isn’t more useful with info and great wisdom.

[Edinburgh Colin]

I'm afraid I can't help you I've not been hungry now for over 2 years! Still you never know, I'm regaining enough sensation and pain, well mostly pain to be honest but maybe an appetite will slip in there unnoticed!

[mellowgator]

[quote name='Tetracyclone' timestamp='1306719739' post='231983']
I suffer similar things to the way Mellowgator lives, and Karen, you worry me. You are not really dealing with this and you are still drinking Coke. Lots of people have said their # of UTIs goes way down when the leave behind carbonated drinks. There are oher sources of caffeine out there.

Dammit woman, take charge! You have not tried everything yet. Are you sure you are not allergic to dairy? Ok. lecture/rant over.

pat,

you got my number. i do drink a lot of soda. i'm trying to get it down to 2 a day. i will try hard to drink more cranberry and water. if it what's causing all my uti's i need to get this addiciton under control.

thanks for your concern,

karen

Edited by mellowgator, 30 May 2011 - 08:53 PM.

[InfiniteE]

I'm glad I'm not alone in my struggles.
I got blood work done last week. Haven't gotten results yet.
No pain meds for me. Could that be part of the problem? I've smoked hydro the last couple days & have been able to eat and feel almost back to normal...until it wears off then I'm miserable again.
I don't get prescribed any pain meds but have tried some to see if it helps. The only thing I've figured out with those and pot is that they help forget the problem till they wear off.

[InfiniteE]

If you don't mind me asking, what pain meds do you take?

mellowgator, on 29 May 2011 - 08:02 PM, said:

hi infinite,

i also am havingi problems with my eating. i'm really thin and i like to because it makes transfers easier. i've lost 25 lbs and i find that my energy is low. i think some of my eating issues is because of my pain meds. are you taking anything for pain? sometimes it screws with your appetite. can you force yourself to drink smoothies? i try to eat yogart and a half sandwich and try to eat fruit. i hate feeling full. also if you eat spicy stuff it messes with the bowel program. i hate the bowel issues so much that i don't eat much to avoid dealing with the outcome.

i also smoke pot which helps me with my appetits issues. its' so screwed up that the best medicine is illegal.

hang tough and try to regain your strength. you're not alone and i hope you situration improves. i'm hoping your dr will help you find out what's going on.

mellowgator

[stillgotswag]

Just wanted to add my 'me too'. Its frustrating when everyone thinks its in our heads. Im 5'9" and weigh 115. Look like a skeleton. Pain meds dont really help. Weed does, I smoke to eat, sleep, go places. But like you said it wears off. SCI wouldnt be so bad w/o the chronic pain. I wish there was an answer, cause Its pushing me to that point.