Stomach acid issues

I honestly have no clue what is going on with my body right now. About six months ago, I started getting these intense cramps and stomach pains, and it’s been this constant, on-and-off nightmare ever since. I actually went to see a naturopath, but they just threw a million different herbal supplements at me that my stomach can barely even handle, so I've pretty much switched to just taking Acidophilus for now. Most days, the cramping has died down a bit, but this dull, nagging pain just keeps migrating all over my body.
And man, I am getting exhausted so incredibly fast; I just have zero energy left in the tank. My blood work came back fine, and both the ultrasound and the X-ray looked totally normal.
The only thing they actually found was a little bit of excess stomach acid, and that was it.
But seriously, I have no idea what is happening because I have lost an insane amount of weight. It’s honestly terrifying, and the worst part is that it feels like the weight loss isn't stopping.
I'm living in Canada, where the doctors... well, I don't even want to go there, but most of them are just plain incompetent.
Anyway, if anyone out there has any advice or can help me make sense of this, I would really appreciate it.

Thyroid issues? I'm guessing it might be related to excess acid reflux and weight loss. Are you eating normally—or have you actually cut back on your food intake?

maybe you should head over to a doctor instead of just seeing a neurologist... 😂 😂

silentcanyon102 said:Thyroid issues? I'm guessing it might be related to excess acid reflux and weight loss. Are you eating normally—or have you actually cut back on your food intake?

If there's too much stomach acid, you really have to rule out thyroid problems first—it could be nothing else!🙄
And she mentioned it's just about the acid levels

you should definitely talk to a real, actual, everyday
doctor.

And maybe we should shake up the thread title too? 🙄

Please, let’s try to maintain a bit more decorum; I know you all are capable of being polite when you choose to be
. And by the way, the thyroid isn't the answer to every single question...

Look, we need a little more info here if we're gonna figure this out...
Is the pain actually constant, or does it hit you in waves—like when you're hungry or right after you eat? Where exactly is it hurting, and does it radiate anywhere else? Also, what’s the deal with your bathroom habits? Any signs of dehydration, like being super thirsty all the time? Does anyone in your family deal with diabetes? When was the last time you had blood work done, how old are you, and have you noticed any weird weight loss lately? Just give us the full rundown on any other symptoms, etc., etc...
But seriously, bottom line: you should probably get to a doctor ASAP. 🙂

A quick tip regarding Pepsi 😁

I wrote that bit about the thyroid based on my own personal experience. I went to see a doctor because I was dealing with those exact—absolutely identical—symptoms, and they diagnosed me with a thyroid issue right away. It was. Now, that’s just my story—I don't see any reason to come for the attacks just because I mentioned "thyroid."

So, here’s the deal. I’ve been running every test under the sun since all this mess started. I did a barium swallow, and they just flagged a little excess acid. My blood work looks fine, hormones seem normal too—though honestly, I’ve got this nagging feeling my thyroid is acting up, even if it hasn't shown up as a full-blown hormonal imbalance yet. I was dealing with these brutal stomach cramps after eating, but I’m actually doing alright there now because I’ve finally managed to cut out a massive amount of stress lately.
I also went through with an H. pylori breath test, and it came back negative, so apparently, I don't have any ulcers. I think I’ve dropped a decent amount of weight since I cut out bread and basically all high-calorie junk, which helps since my metabolism is naturally pretty fast.
At this point, the only thing left on the checklist is an endoscopy, since my specialist insisted on it.
Bottom line: every single test says everything is perfectly fine, but I’m still stuck wondering what's going on, especially since my doctor keeps insisting that stress is the main culprit behind it all.

You really need that endoscopy. I mean, how can you be sure there isn't an ulcer hiding in there if they haven't actually looked inside? It’s all just guesswork without it.
I honestly never thought I had acid reflux because heartburn was never an issue for me... but then during my endoscopy, they took a biopsy of my esophagus and found cellular changes. Everything was inflamed and starting to change...

So, here's the deal. I've got a referral for a gastroscopy, but I’m looking at a five-month wait just to get it done. It’s an absolute joke, honestly. So, my plan is to head over to my doctor and basically lean on them to move my appointment up or something. I'm not just sitting around waiting.
The problem is, in Ontario, they don't allow private clinics to operate—just a completely broken system—so finding a private facility that actually performs this specific test is a massive headache. And even if I do find one, going the private route here will run me about $1,500 USD.
blah.
Does anyone know what the damage would be if you went private back in America? Thanks.

So, apparently there are actually countries even higher up than America. 🤣
But seriously though... look, you’re gonna have to spend some actual time dealing with those "glitches" of yours—just venting about them on a forum isn't exactly going to fix anything.
Besides, what does your diet even look like right now?
And why is the doctor still suspecting stress if you claim you already "eliminated" it?

My doctor thinks it might just be stress because none of my tests came back with anything. A barium swallow would have caught any kind of tumor, and I even did the H. pylori breath test, but that was totally negative too.
Everything else seems fine, I guess.
And look, America definitely isn't the worst place when it comes to the healthcare system—just take a trip to Canada and you'll see what I mean, haha.
Honestly, ever since I cleared up those million little issues, I’ve been feeling a whole lot better.
But at the same time, I'm still dealing with these intense muscle pains.
I don't know, like I said, I think an endoscopy is my only real option left.
Anyway, thanks for all the advice.

I suppose you can’t truly know what’s happening with your stomach without a gastroscopy. You might try one of those H. pylori blood tests, but it’s entirely possible for them to come back negative even when the infection is actually sitting right there in your stomach. If you're going to go through the trouble of seeing a specialist, I’d say it makes more sense to just have them take all the necessary samples and perform a full examination at once. It isn't exactly a pleasant experience, I'll admit, but it really is the only way to get a clear picture.

Alright, can someone point me toward a good private clinic in Washington, D.C. where I can get a gastroscopy done? Thanks.

Carol Kelly74 said:Alright, can someone point me toward a good private clinic in Washington, D.C. where I can get a gastroscopy done? Thanks.

Well, you might want to look into the Clinic in a Suburban neighborhood—their gastroenterology department is actually quite solid.
If you show up without a referral, you just pay the full out-of-pocket price and call it a day. I believe it comes to about $333.
It was roughly $167 when a woman walked in without insurance (we were actually sitting through an internal medicine lecture at the time).

You absolutely need to go through with the gastroscopy. A stomach ulcer can exist regardless of whether H. pylori is present... and honestly, lingering with that condition isn't wise. You risk developing gastroesophageal reflux, Barrett esophagus, and eventually esophageal cancer (as a consequence of chronic inflammation).

A gastroscopy is really the gold standard here. It’s vital because of what they see visually on the screen, but also for diagnostic purposes—they take a small tissue sample for pathology. I'm not entirely sure if the quality varies at private practices, since I don't know how closely they are integrated with pathology labs.

In terms of medication, proton pump inhibitors are the best bet—things like Omeprazole and other "-zoles."
H2 blockers (like Pepsi or Ranitidine) are somewhat older drugs and aren't nearly as effective.
Essentially, OMEPRAZOL aids in tissue healing (along with symptom relief), whereas Ranitidine merely masks the symptoms/inflammation, meaning everything could just flare right back up in a few months...

(Another issue is that the government tries to cut costs, so they often prescribe Ranitidine instead of Omeprazole... 😢 )

Triggers for increased stomach acid include vagus nerve activation (around 2 in the night), consuming acidic foods (lemon, soda), and high-protein meals (which act as a catalyst for acid secretion).

You’ve got that thread about gastroscopies right there, so just DM the people who said they went private and were actually happy with it. 🙂

In any case, if anyone else is looking for details, I might just post them publicly—under the scorching sun at Jarun, it'll cost $167. Or maybe it's 450, I suppose I can't be entirely certain. It tends to be slightly more expensive if they have to take a sample for HP, though I guess you have to do that regardless.

I went to a private clinic in San Francisco to get a gastroscopy done, and it set me back $117.