having GI symptoms/support and advice needed

October 26, 2004

Hi All,

I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate having this place.

Right now is a perfect example. Before I begin, I think I need to

tell you a bit more about how I got here.

I mentioned that I had a difficult pregnancy that ended in

termination, but I didn't give you the details. I had a condition

called hyperemesis gravidarum. This is like morning sickness

magnified about a million times. I was horribly ill. I lost 23

pounds in 8 weeks. I was constantly either nauseated or vomiting. I

was hospitalized three times. The last time, I was so dehydrated the

medical staff could not start an IV, despite trying 17 times. Towards

the end, I was throwing up blood and bile. When I went for the

termination, I could not be given IV sedation because my veins were so

weak. It was truly hell on earth.

I'm telling you all this because as I'm going through the withdrawal,

I'm starting to have some GI symptoms. Every time I get sick to my

stomach, it's like part of me flashes back to that time. I find myself

worrying that I'm pregnant even when it's highly unlikely or

impossible. One of the nice things about Remeron, in addition to its

anti-anxiety properties, was that it also soothed my stomach and made

me able to eat again. Unfortunately, that soon got out of control. I

gained back all the weight I lost and added 20 extra pounds as well.

Part of the problem too is that my ENT did an exam of my vocal cords

last week and said it looked like my reflux had healed, so he took me

off Nexium and said to use Zantac for 30 days, and then stop using

stomach meds altogether. I have had a week of terrible reflux

symptoms: burning pain, nausea, gas, and feeling as if someone has

punched me in the gut. When I called the doctor's office today, his

nurse said he would not be in till Thursday, so I would have to wait

to get either a visit or a new prescription.

I am starting to get very upset with my body. I know that I shouldn't

do that. But right now it is very hard to feel positive about myself

as I try to get off some of these meds and go through all these

symptoms. The stress of this has brought my IBS back in full force as

well.

I saw my acupuncturist yesterday, and she gave me some Chinese pills

called Ease Up that are supposed to be designed to help people coming

off meds that cause GI symptoms. I started them today but haven't

noticed any change yet. The label says they have ginger, ginseng,

buplureum, and a bunch of other herbs I don't recognize.

Does anyone have any advice for getting through this? I kind of have a

feeling this kind of thing will happen every time I taper a bit more,

so I want to have good tools for coping. I hate freaking out over

things my body does.

Dawn

October 26, 2004

i take it the zantac is not working? when i have that burning i found that

regular old tums worked better for me than zantac, don't know why. i'm on

aciphex for the reflux, tho i am trying to get rid of all prescriptions.

there is also an OTC called Tetrilac <sp?> that works good for me. i have a

hiatal hernia, but when it hurts about the only thing that helps is Axid.

it's OTC now too but not cheap.

dang. and now mine is acting up. ::goes off for meds::

susan

having GI symptoms/support and advice

needed