Tom,TomPierce wrote: ↑Thu May 20, 2021 12:41 pm Scary,
OK, fair enough, sorry you're going through this. The triggers (or non-triggers...) are baffling given all the data you've shared. Fwiw, solely what I'd do: For sure talk to a good doc, probably a GI specialist? I'd hate to hear you tried various solutions when the causation was, in fact, something hidden and more serious. I'll share probably more than I should: Years ago my mom, who lived alone, was complaining of severe abdominal pain. I took her to the ER, had the usual battery of tests done, X-rays, etc. The doc's diagnosis (and yeah, a full blown M.D): constipation with an unstated tone of it-was-in-her-head. I left the ER with her and a prescription for a laxative in hand. Two days later another doc called from an ER at another hospital. She was in complaining of the same pain, he found she had an abdominal tumor the size of a large orange, he was going to operate within hours. She later passed away, years ago, from cancer.
I certainly do not want to be alarmist at all, but maybe get the bad possibilities eliminated soon, then experiment once those are ruled out?
I wish you the best of luck & good health.
-Tom
Wow. I appreciate the story a lot, thank you for sharing that about your Mother. I'm so sorry to hear about her loss.
If you don't mind me asking, in her second visit to the ER, what had they done in that visit, that they missed the first time around in the testing?
My dad had something kind of similar with prostate cancer. He went to the docs, feeling like something was wrong. He had xrays done that showed a tumor growing, they gave him the option of surgery, or radiation therapy. He chose surgery, and in doing the surgery, they found another hidden tumor about 3x the size of the original one. That would most likely never been discovered otherwise, and wouldn't have been targeted by the radiation had he chose that. Thankful doesnt begin to describe his decision on doing surgery that day. He had another battle with it later on, but he's still here through all of that.
I am to the point now where seeing a specialist is about what I've got left. To rule out anything, whether it be good or bad. At this point, any bit of info helps.
In asking here, I'm pretty shocked seeing how many people experience this feeling in one way or another, even some to the extremes I do.
Its beginning to be a desperate feeling for me to figure out what I can do to not feel so awful.
It's been super helpful hearing what others here have done, or ideas on what triggers them in the first place.
Shelly,shelly+ wrote: ↑Thu May 20, 2021 1:16 pm i understand, Tom. thanks. Canary, i'm focused on a few details here, specifically the puking and another mention of headache with puking. it's counterintuitive but both are related to food for me. i feel too sick to eat... but if i eat the *right* foods, my body feels waaay better. and this happens *only* for early starts at 14er THs (sometimes if i'm up early for other hikes elsewhere). it's not altitude sickness, although altitude certainly adds an element of stress on my body in this circumstance.
My headaches are usually pretty rare, thankfully but I have had them get so bad I throw up. They usually come on within minutes, and go full blown debilitating within about 15 or so. They also dissipate fairly quick, but leave me reeling in a haze for hours after. However, I've only had a severe headache 2x in the hills. Not sure the trigger for those, other than spring time.
I usually try to eat a lot of protein dense foods, and complex carbs the day before my hikes, and hydrate like crazy. Sushi/fish is usually what has worked best for me on days where my tummy hasn't hated me. But sometimes, sushi is my worst enemy too. Hamburgers have worked amazing as well, but also have been my demise.
If I eat something, and the result is me feeling good the next day, I repeat that exact scenario for my next week. But what works one week, never works the next...
Sometimes my stomach won't digest a single thing I've eaten the entire day, and it shows when I throw up.
Other times, im just throwing up globs and globs of acid.
I take an antacid after dinner the night before my hike to try and reduce that as much as possible..
I seriously hate it.
What types of meals do you typically eat in your day before you go into the mountains? Any suggestions? Haha