# Let's speculate on my gut issues **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 25, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495 "2013-07-25T16:33:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495/1 "2013-07-25T16:33:33Z")
Just to get this out of the way, I went to the doc yesterday, had a blood test, have some more tests scheduled next week to see if I can get a proper diagnosis. For the last 3 weeks, my digestive system has been extremely touchy. I either feel bloated and gross, or I feel like my stomach is collapsing in on itself (if anyone has ever taken an antibiotic like tetracycline on an empty stomach, it feels very similar to that). BMs have been perhaps more frequent and have been loose but not watery. No blood or mucus that I can see. When it first started, I thought I was becoming lactose intolerant, but lactaid doesn’t seem to reliably make a difference. Then I thought, maybe a gall bladder issue, but there is no PAIN as such. Ulcer? Doc didn’t think so. I started taking a probiotic supplement a few days ago, but here I am at work and rather miserable. Who wants to hazard a guess? ---
**Author:** ![Girlundone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/919ad9/32.png) [@Girlundone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girlundone)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495/2 "2013-07-25T16:38:07Z")
I think gluten is evil, but it’s not a popular opinion. I don’t eat any grains at all, in fact. ---
**Author:** ![DeepLiquid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deepliquid/32/14893_2.png) [@DeepLiquid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeepLiquid)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495/3 "2013-07-25T16:41:02Z")
Sounds like your “good” gut bacteria are out of balance with your bad. Lots of probiotic and try cutting all yeast out of your diet for a few weeks. Made a huge difference in my life. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495/4 "2013-07-25T16:45:38Z")
Done any drinking lately? Drinking, particularly on an empty stomach, will kill the hell out of your stomach lining. I imbibed on an empty stomach (and red wine no less!) on the 4th of July, and it’s only been this last weekend that things were back to normal. I had indigestion every time I ate, bad/weird poops, and pain in my gall bladder/transverse colon area. And no gas at all, which for me is weird. I didn’t go to the doctor, I just waited it out. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495/5 "2013-07-25T16:48:43Z")
I don’t drink at all, so it’s not that 🙂 I’m really hoping the probiotics make a difference, but I understand it can take some time for them to make a healthy, happy home in your belly. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495/6 "2013-07-25T17:05:06Z")
Are you trying anything to alleviate the symptoms, like Pepto Bismol or Immodium? If so, does that help? ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495/7 "2013-07-25T17:23:54Z")
I took a pepto tablet (not the liquid kind) the other night because I was having trouble sleeping, but it didn’t seem to make a noticeable difference. I haven’t tried gas-x ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495/8 "2013-07-25T19:00:40Z")
Your doctor’s advice comes first, of course, but the usual dose of pepto is two tablets. For my own particular case, I’ve had a doctor instruct me to take two eight per day – two at each meal and two more at bedtime. Immodium, not at all the same as gas-x, completely shuts everything down for most folks. I’ve found it useful to let my guts have a chance to “rest.” IANAD, YMMV. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-speculate-on-my-gut-issues/664495/9 "2013-07-25T20:19:52Z")
Thanks for the advice! I’ll look into Immodium.