Patient story

I’m bloated enough to buy new pants yet losing weight, and I still can’t afford the endoscopy yet

@hereisenoughBronzeContributorShared September 2026
Female30s

Current status

Still struggling
  1. Still struggling
  2. Somewhat resolved
  3. Mostly resolved
  4. Fully resolved
In their words

The story

My mother say that ever since I was a baby, my gut clearly had a hard time getting things moving. As a kid I had a lot of constipation issues and as a 30 years later, my gut issues prevail. Things came to their first head when I was in college. Mysteriously, I became so weak I could barely walk, my joints both weak and in pain (it felt as if my joints were made of a hunk of jello with wire tied tightly around it), I would fall asleep constantly, my skin hurt to the touch (of anything, including fabric), and I threw up every morning. I was tested for everything, from cancer to arthritis, and all came up clear. I was prescribed an Autoimmune Paleo Diet and while it was a profoundly difficult experience with lasting repercussion (ten years later I still do not enjoy food and I lost weight that I did not have to lose and it took nearly a decade of lifting heavy weights to gain back), it also changed my life. It cured my symptoms and I discovered a plethora of food sensitivities and unveiled a range of symptoms (like, vertigo from chickpeas and bleeding gums from almonds). I'd like to note that the majority of the sensitivities were from the food I was eating most often during that time period. Ten years later these food still give me problems. Ever since, I have good years and bad years, but this year has been a Very Bad Year. I am bloated to the point that I've had to go buy all new pants, yet I have lost 10 pounds, I am constantly nauseated and have air bubbles in my throat that my boyfriend can hear gurgling "constantly," in his words. My upper abdomen hurts and burns often, I am terribly gassy, I fluctuate between diarrhea and constipation, about once a week I get so cramped up I can't stand, the list goes on. I tried Low FODMAP and while that helped a lot, my symptoms quickly came back. My list of food sensitivities is growing at an alarming rate. My labs came back fine, I had several ultrasounds of my abdomen, and I have been prescribed a endoscopy that I can't afford. I am waiting until January, for my new FSA to kick in, to do the endoscopy, and in the mean time was today given a round of xifaxan. Additionally, I take Omeprazole which has been pretty life changing, reducing the nausea and cramping, though not eliminating it.

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What they were dealing with

Symptoms

severeDifficulty walkingsevereFood intolerancesevereseveresevereJoint painseveresevereSkin reactionssevereSleepinesssevereVomitingsevereWeakness / reduced functionsevereBleedingmoderateBowel movement changesmoderateBurning sensationsmoderatemoderatemoderateSlow gut motilitymoderateUpper abdominal discomfortmoderateVertigo / imbalancemoderateWeight lossmoderate
What the workup showed

Tests & diagnoses

Cancercame up clearAbdominal ultrasoundSeveral abdominal ultrasounds were done.prescribed, pending
Every treatment, and what happened

Treatments

Each treatment this contributor tried, in the order that mattered, with their own reported result. The ones marked with a trophy are the treatments they credit as decisive.

Made worseNo changePartially helpedHelped
Acid reducers & PPIs
Helped

Life changing; reduced nausea and cramping, though did not eliminate them.

Autoimmune Protocol diet
Helped

Prescribed during college illness; contributor says it cured symptoms and revealed food sensitivities.

Dicyclomine
Helped

Helps when experiencing stomach cramps

Ondansetron
Helped

Helps when experiencing nausea

Weight training
Helped

Used over nearly a decade to regain weight lost during Autoimmune Paleo Diet period.

Helped a bit

Tried for current bad year of symptoms; helped a lot, but symptoms quickly came back.

fiber
Made worse
Discussion

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Important

This is one person's reported experience aggregated by GutPattern, not clinical advice, a treatment protocol, or a diagnosis. What helped one contributor can do nothing — or harm — for someone with a different underlying cause. Sudden, severe, bloody, feverish, or worsening symptoms belong with medical care. Always discuss care decisions with a qualified clinician.