Recent Feedback
hello I have constant excess gas in stomach and burp constantly(often cant burp though and gas gets trapped) gastroscopy fine-whats most likely causes? Have also had some abdominal/stomach pain/discomfort and thrush in throat.
Optional Information: Person's Gender: Male Person's Age: 29 Already Tried: Had gastroscopy-all clear tried omeprazole/gaviscon-reflux meds-little improvement tried domperidone -little improvement
Hello, this is Dr. David. I have read your question and am ready to help.if you drink a lot of soda, that could be part of it.your stomach could be making too much stomach acid. omeprazole and gaviscon are usually at lower doses. you can try stronger stomach acid blocking medications like nexium or protonix to see if they help. you could have a H Pylori bacterial infection in the stomach. this can be tested for by blood test or breath test or could have been tested when they did the endoscopy. you can try over the counter GasX with simethacone in it to see if this helps break up the gas a bit.
have had this since december. Have not been drinking soda/fizzy drinks for months now so cant be that. surely if production of acid was that great it would have showed up on gastroscopy? acid reflux meds havent worked so are unlikely to be the answer. Meds to help break up gas arent really getting to rrot of problem-stomach is producing too much gas and all through day i can feel gas in my stomach/throat. soemtimes i burp/belch-some gets trapped. Is it not more likely to be something else other than the usual 'its reflux'-i have been told its not.
many people have that misconception.excessive stomach acid is not seen on endoscopy frequenly. only after the acid eats through the lining and forms an ulcer is that seen. if they biopsied your stomach, they would have seen acid induced inflammation of the gastric lining called gastritis most likely. I would make sure you were tested for H pylori. if not, ask your GI doctors to get tested for this bacterial infection which can livein stomach acid. and also ask to try for 2-4 weeks stronger stomach acid blockign medications to see if they work. medications like nexium or protonix. if they work, they you know more about what might help.
i tested negative for pylori.
usually if gastroscopy clear and reflux meds ineffective,acid reflux isnt the main problem. There was no evidence of inflammation as i did have a blood test that showed no inflammation in lower area. I have a little reflux/heartburn but doctors dont think this is main reason for burping/excess gas. They think its more a functional problem. I wanted to know what were the most common factors that could potentially cause the stomach/throat to be constatnly full of excess gas or what causes the body to not to be able to burp properly to release gas-instead of answering that-you have just said 'no its reflux-take these meds' -which is what doctors always say to try to move you on!
there is a condition called gastroparesis when the stomach is ineffective and very slow to empty its contents. we see this condition in patients who have diabetes who have damage to nerves which help contract the stomach. you can get tested for this with a contrast stomach emptying xray study which times how long the stomach takes to empty its contents. I don't think you have this, but you can get tested for it. the most common cause of excess gas in the stomach is excessive stomach acid. stomach acid is hydrochloric acid and when the acid is broken down and used, it turns into carbon dioxide gas which escapes through burping. if there is less acid, then there is less source of carbon dioxide in the stomach and less gas to be burped up.
what though causes an inability to burp-when you feel the gas building but it wont come out? what functional problem stops it?
if excess acid is the cause of the gas why didnt the omeprazole work,even on a higher dosage? surely it should have helped a little-there has been no difference off it to on it.
that is a good questionsometimes the GE junction and anatomy can keep gas in the stomach. the best ways to help get gas out is to relax the GE junction sphincter and to sometimes introduce more gas.things which help relax the GE junction: smoking a cigarette, alcohol, chocolate, peppermint. basically things people do after a meal to feel less full.you can try drinking a bit of ginger ale and the added carbonation could help get the gas in the stomach up to a point where there is a enough to burp up. you can try this after taking in some chocolate or peppermint to relax the GE junction and hopefully this can help.
Relist: Answer quality.
HiWell other more unusual causes of excess gas production would food intolerance- you can develop intolerance to lactose as you get older (seen more in people from countries outside of Europe)Bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine- these cause excess production of gas from the breakdown of plant materialHypersensitivity to certain foods (like gluten)You can read about it here:http://www.medicinenet.com/small_intestinal_bacterial_overgrowth/article.htmPhysical obstruction of the bowel (although people tend to vomit)Functional obstruction of the bowel (such as gastroparesis)As you can see there are a number of possibilities which are very different in treatment. If the antacids are not working, then you need to return to your GI doctor and discuss these possibilities. You may need a change in diet, different medication, probiotics or a combination.warm regardspress the GREEN ACCEPT BUTTON if this was helpful
Experience: American Board Certified in Emergency Medicine- Ivy League trained