Digestive Issues

Question: What besides probiotics is a good natural product to take to get rid of digestive issues? I've heard taking probiotics are good to help keep your digestive system balanced and healthy but is there anything else that you know that does this? Something that's even more effective for digestive issues such as recurring indigestion (which is what I've been having alot recently) and / or also chronic constipation?

Answer: Probiotics only help digestion by keeping up the populations of the beneficial bacteria of your gut. If your problem isn't due to a deficiency in those bacteria then probiotics won't do anything for you. If you are eating a healthy balanced diet, then the source of your indigestion and constipation is something else, possibly a medical condition that needs to be treated in some other manner. If you aren't eating a well balanced healthy diet, then altering it to one might solve your troubles. As a rule, constipation is directly related to the amount of soluble and insoluble fiber in the diet- a need filled by veggies, fruit and whole grains eaten on a regular basis. You can certainly include a glass of the water mix fiber drink daily, which will help with the constipation. As far as the indigestion, that might also be dietary related. Highly spiced, or high fat items lead the group as main causes of indigestion, as do very rich foods that you might be unused to eating. Eating quickly or eating too much can also do the trick, and simple stress can also do it. You might keep track of what you eat and how much, and the symptoms you associate with it for a week or so, and then see if you can detect a particular culprit. If not, then take that information with you to see the doctor, as it will be helpful in determining what really lies behind your troubles. I can tell you that it doesn't sound like all the yogurt and probiotic drinks in the world will help you with your particular complaint.

Question: Has anyone tried 100% Aloe Vera Juice for digestive issues and did it work? A co-worker told me that 100% Aloe Vera juice does wonders for digestive issues and moisturizes skin too. I've been having digestive issues for years and want to try it, but the brand this person recommended isn't available where I live. I found it online but it's sold in packs of 6 only which makes it a little too expensive for me to try to see if it works for me or not. The brand is Aloe King and the 6 pack costs $47.70. I did find 100% Aloe Vera Juice at my local GNC but it's not the Aloe King brand. Is all 100% Aloe Vera Juice the same and could you please comment on if you've tried it for digestive issues? Thanks

Answer: I will stand on a mountain and tell you that Aloe is great, I was a drinker of Aloe Vera jiuce until I was on a trip to South Africa and was put in contact with Aloe FEROX, not Vera. The Aloe is only found in Africa and is 22 times stronger than the vera juice and has 3 times more amino acids. Since getting back to the usa I have been taking the aloe vera in a capsule form, you are not able to get the juice in the usa, I will add the link below. the pills are called prosit aloe ferox..taking one pill is like having a whole glass of vera juice........ If you dont want to take the capsules then try the vera juice, yes both are great for the internal system..sorry I got carried away a little I think!

Question: Is it normal to have digestive issues after I had my gallbladder removed? Back in 1995 I had my gallbladder removed because I developed gallstones during pregnancy. The doctor never really informed me of any long term effects or things to expect so I guess I just thought it was like ur appendix...u know, there, but unnecessary. So, a few years ago I realized that I was having regular issues like painful cramps and diarrhea after certain foods (especially fast food, or warm drinks)...occasional faint nausea for no apparent reason, and rather ghostly pains right where the gallbladder attacks used to hit. Is any or all of this normal and expected?

Answer: Yes, it is normal to have these symptoms for 6 to 12 months after the gall bladder is removed, but not for 12 years. The gall bladder stores bile, the processed fat and waste from the liver, and when you eat, the stomach sends chemical signals to the gall bladder to contract and expell this bile, which then spills in to the small intestine and acting as an irritant, activates the small intestine to begin to push the digesting food that is in it along at a quicker rate, thus making room for the food that you just ate to get in to the intestine and be digested. Without the gall bladder, your liver slowly drips the bile through tubes in to the small intestine all day long and thus for some time most people will have multiple, small bowel movements during the day. Since the liver primarily processes fat, if you eat a fatty meal, the liver will try to dump the bile in it faster, in order to make space to eventually process all of the fat that you just ate. This can lead to abdominal cramps and to the stool passing through the intestine too fast for the water in it to be adequately absorbed, thus leading to diarrhea. I would recommend that you eat a near vegetarian diet for a while and see if the symptoms do not calm down. Especially, avoid cheeses and fried foods. If they do not, then you may have another problem, such as an ulcer, and you should see you Family Physician.

Question: What should I feed my great dane puppy with digestive issues? I feed her Eagle Pack giant breed for puppies and she has had diarrhea for weeks! We have been to the vet and they have not really had any good answers. I want to stay away from the raw diet until she is a bit older...HELP Please!

Answer: check out this website www.greatdanelady.com she will help you

Question: I want to learn how to eat right for my digestive issues. Is there a way I can consult a dietician online? Are there any dieticians online who will do consultations online or by phone?

Answer: I would speak to your doctor. If they refer you to a dietitian, the cost should be covered by your insurance and I imagine you will have much better results.

Question: Has anyone used acupuncture to remedy digestive issues? Has anyone used acupuncture to help with IBS type symptoms?

Answer: IBS is caused by bad digestion in the stomach. It can also be caused by a parasite. Acupuncture can help, but the best thing is to fix the root cause. If the problem is lack of stomach acid, you can fix that by taking supplements, typically, unless you have an interference field causing the sedation of your parietal cells in your stomach. What is happening, typically in this case, is that the stomach acid is not low enough pH and so the acidic chyme moves down the intestines and irritates the bowels, causing inflammation. Also, if you are deficient in probiotics, you will not be getting enough butyric acid to nourish the intestinal cells. Antibiotics cause this problem. If you have parasites, this will cause the problem. Parasites are difficult to diagnose and are overlooked most of the time. At least 60% of ALL Americans have parasites. If you take or have taken antacids, this can cause the IBS. You need to see a Certified Nutritional Therapist that understands QRA to get immediate help with this. Why not fix the root cause and fix the IBS so you won't be suffering from this. To take drugs for this is just not smart. It will only make you dependent upon them and you will still be sick, but have a little relief, only. good luck to you

Question: Can someone give recipes that will help with my digestive issues~chronic constipation & had my gallbladder out I really need help trying to get my digestive system back to normal. I don't trust conventional doctors becuz all they want to do is fix problems with drugs. I really want to be able to 'heal' myself using natural alternatives such as healthy foods, exercise and if needed herbs and/or supplements only. No drugs. Don't get me wrong, conventional doctors have their place - they are good for saving lives.

Answer: Find a supermarket or ethnic store that sells Papayas. Papaya is one of the best remedies for stomach problems. It has an enzyme called papain that seems to work wonders. It will soothe your stomach and keep you regular. You could probably supplement it with papaya pills that can be found in most health food stores. You simply chew them like kiddie vitamins.

Question: Does anyone take liquid chlorophyll? What is it for and does it help with digestive issues (constipation)? I think I read somewhere that liquid chlorophyll can help aid digestion. Anyone actually take it for digestive issues and has it worked for you?

Answer: Chlorophyll is good for the digestive system and is also an energy booster as well as an internal deodorant that deodorises your interior. A Yahoo search for chlorophyll + "health benefits" will tell you much more.

Question: Can the medication omeprazol cause digestive issues? I have a rather serious case of GERD and one 20mg pill every two days (the doctor advised one a day) helps a lot. However, over the past year and a half I've had a lot of indigestions or long, slow digestions. PS: My working hours do not allow me to visit my family doctor at the moment

Answer: It can cause constipation and flatulence. Nursing 2007 Drug Handbook. Add some fiber to your diet see if that helps. My husband takes 3 20mg a day and has not had this problem, its side effects effect everyone differently.

Question: How do I fix my dog's digestive issues? I have a 9 month old Boxer/Boston Terrier mix. He has been eating Pedigree puppy food dry his entire life. Two weeks ago he started throwing up his food. He would eat in the morning and throw up 10-12 hrs later. The food did nto look like he had chewed it and it was not digested at all. Still whole peices of soggy dog food. Vet said may be regurgitating since not chewed. Switched to wet food and he did fine for about 3-4 dayd now not throwing up, but has horrendous diarhea. I don't know what to do. I'm scared to switch him back to dry because he doesn't chew it and throws it up, but I can't give him wet and have him get dehydrated. Any ideas?

Answer: Pedigree food is very poor quality. Spend some money on nutrition now and you will save yourself huge vet bills. Choose a food with no more then 2 grains listed in the first 5 ingredients. It will cost you more, but at least it won't cost you at the vet or cost you the dogs life. The fact that he is not chewing it is NOT why this is happening. Dogs are not chewers by nature. That food takes so much water to digest it that he is eating maybe to much and it swells to a capacity he can;'t handle and up it comes. Put garbage in the dog and get garbage back out! If you really want to do whats best for him, feed a raw diet. Lots of info available on how to do this. Take a glass of warm water and drop in a handful of pedigree food and go back to look at it tomorrow and what you see is NOT what a healthy meal is supposed to look like. A bunch of swollen up corn and other grains and garbage. YUCK!

Question: Does Ibuprofen cause constipation or digestive issues? I took some and I am constipated now. I actually want an answer, not a link.

Answer: Constipation and digestive issues are amongst the possible side effects listed for ibuprofen.

Question: I have been having really bad digestive issues since switching to organic? Starting about 2 weeks ago my husband and I thought it would be a good move for our family to switch to all organic food. From organic milk and fruit to organic chicken and beef. Since then about every other day i have been having really bad diarrhea? Could it be my body getting used to the new kind of food? My friend said it was my body getting rid of all "crap" in other food. Either way i want it to stop! what do i do?

Answer: I really think it is coincidental and that your friend is wrong. I eat organic as much as possible but cannot afford to go all the way. Is your husband suffering from diarrhea also. Perhaps it is time for you to see a doctor or if this is not possible to go on the BRAT diet for a few days (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast (without butter) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BRAT_diet or to try some Imodium tablets. They do work and I was advised to take them when I had a very bad case of the runs.

Question: Are there any good online support groups for Moms with babies who have digestive issues?

Answer: www.cafemom.com They have support groups for anything you can think of. And if they don't you can very easily start your own.

Question: Depression. Is it possible that it causes digestive issues? I have serious issues with digestion and just about anything I eat will have me in the restroom for hours! I know I am depressed, but is it possible that it could cause this?

Answer: Yes. Depression causes stress, stress causes upset stomach. See a doctor and let them know about your depression. My boyfriend had the same issue, and he was treated for hernia, stomach ulcer, and several different antacids before he got the right treatment. Depression can cause a lot of physical symptoms without there being any real physical illness.

Question: I'm gonna go vegetarian for a month to see if that'll help my digestive issues, but I don't have time to cook? Are there some good prepared vegetarian foods that are healthy? (that don't contain preservatives or additives?) I don't have a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods anywhere near me so I don't know what prepared foods would be good to buy. Are the Lean Cuisine frozen dinners healthy?? Their boxes say their meals contain no artificial flavors, so does that mean they'd be a good choice?? I really need help planning out my whole meal plan (meaning what I'm gonna eat for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and snacks for the month). Any advice or super quick and healthy recipes containing regular easy to find ingredients would be really appreciated. Any of you who are vegetarians and have been so for a long time, please help me. What do you eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?

Answer: No time to cook? Hm, well, the more you practise, the faster you get. We can cook up an awesome meal in 30min. You can just wash your veggies ahead of time and keep them in the fridge. So, chop them up, stir fry them, throw in some tofu or whatever is tasty... boil some noodles at the same time, ta da, 15min. Buy a rice cooker with a timer and set it to cook rice for you in the morning... that's super easy. You can also get yourself a Thermos pot, they are awesome. You just fill the pot with water, chuck in a bunch of stuff, lentils, split peas, rice, veggies, or whatever. Bring to a boil, put on lid and into thermos. Go to bed or go to work. When you come back it's ready, you just bring to a boil again, add seasoning (sea salt, nutritional yeast, or miso etc.) and eat. Every day we either use the thermos pot or the rice cooker (we use a purple clay rice cooker as aluminum is no good for ya -- neither is teflon). Buy dried mushrooms, and you can just pop some in a container of water the day before and they'll be ready to chop up and put in your stir fry. Lots of stuff you can do. Buy lots of those Chinese or Thai rice noodles. They are super cheap and take like two minutes to cook -- you can even chuck them in your soup bowl. Oatmeal is good for breakfast -- really fast meal. You can even soak the rolled-oats in water or soy-milk the night before and they'll be ready when you wake up. I could go on and on about all the time saving stuff we do yet still manage to eat whole foods and hardly any instant or packaged stuff. Really, a stir fry will take just as long as some package stuff to make, yet be ten times better tasting and good for you too.

Question: Any issues to do with the digestive system ? I have to find different issues to do with the digestive system , one example is a gastric bypass which raises ethical issues and some medical ones. I was wondering if anyone knew of any other issues ? Thanks

Answer: 1. Laparoscopic Surgery 2. Gastric Banding for Obesity