Toot, toot...here I go again!

Larissa, your statement about bacteria overgrowth in your gut you are going to have gas, is not all together true.  This was a nightmare for me my first 21/2 years out of my DS. I did not show the typical signs of bacteria overgrowth, no gas. I did have bloating, maybe 2 times a week, but I had this before my DS. Now the signs I did have were, not able to absorb my vits. A and D and K, calcium. I took massive amounts. Vit. A300,000 a day, Vit D 300,000 a day and calcium 6,000 of calcium citrate a day. Could not absorb my iron and went om massive iron infusions, 1xevery 3 months. This was all getting so old and I was so weak I could hardly walk at times. When I finally got to Mayo and the many test I had done showed that there are a few of us out there who do not get the same results with bacteria overgrowth. This is very scary to me and should be for many others who are walking around not knowing they have it and are not getting their labs done like me every 3 months and then bang they get hit with malnourishment. The GI at Mayo who works with so many different kinds of WLS people says studies are being done to address this issue and hope to be in print soon. Not soon enough for me. No one should have to go through this. I talked to Diana Cox about this and she thinks this can be a break through for many who suffer this. We need to know the signs, and to some of us the signs are not gas, bathroom issues, weakness, and vits. not absorbing are a key sign.

It is easy to control, but your local PCP has to be willing to prescribe the flagyl and other antibodies and rotate them on and off. A endo will need to work with people who have this as once the overgrowth is gone your labs will shoot up and a need to cut back on the vits. I do wish more was out in print about all of this I am a housewife and this stuff seems so far over my head, but I do what I can. 

Also, it does not matter what you eat, as I know I follow all the rules and eat clean and high protein, sometimes living on egg power shakes after surgery, overgrowth still happens. Heck just having a surgery can kick it in to hing gear. 

WOW I did not know that.

So c-diff can present with no gas or bloating? That is scary.

Larissa, I don't know about c-diff. It was determined I had server bacital overgrowth and nothing I could do like eating yogurt's, robotics, high protein, low sugars a day, stayed around 50gr. a day and it didn't matter how clean eat I did. made it any better. My heart problems also were a result of the overgrowth. Heat arrhythmia, heart palpation's, weakness, fatigue, vision loss that come and goes, depending on how bad the growth is. I am so grateful that Mayo is working will me through my PCP to prescribe then.

Ok, Feeder, I just saw your other post and now I want to know more about your experience.

Lately, I've had a lot of trouble with my bowels – lots of obstruction-type symptoms. Had SO MANY expensive tests done, including exploratory surgery! Yet nothing is wrong...structurally, I mean. It was determined that the pain meds I'd been getting for my dental procedures (don'cha love our frail human bodies? Like driving a crappy car that you can't trade in!) was causing my gut to slow down.
Ok, that makes sense, I've been off the meds for a few weeks, and things have improved, but I'm still struggling a bit with gas and some constipation.  

Mostly, what caught my eye in your post was what you said about heart palpitations and arrhythmia. I have this Mystery Tachycardia that's been going on since the beginning of this year. Once again, I've had numerous, time-consuming and expensive tests...nothing wrong with my heart. 

I struggle with fatigue and weakness, and my ears ring in time with my heartbeat. That symptom is just plain annoying. I run low-grade fevers most of the time. I've always thought it had to do with my rotting teeth, but now I'm wondering if I should ask my PCP about bacterial overgrowth. I think it's at least worth a shot. 

So how did you get a diagnosis and what would the treatment be?

Thanks,

Lynda

 Feeder3565, thank you so much for sharing your experience. One of my biggest worries about getting the DS is malnutrition and being sick and weak all the time. One of the reasons I want to do a revision to DS is to feel better, not more weak and sick!

Honestly, if what happened with you happened to me, I don't know that I'd figure it out without a lot of suffering involved. 

I'm going to remember your post. Thanks again for the information.

~Lynda