WDDTY (vol 12 no 4, Q&A) addressed a problem I have. For the better part of a year,
I have struggled with digestive problems pain in the lower abdomen, wind, hard stools, diarrhoea and smelly stools, nausea, vomiting and weight loss.
When my GP realised my rather dramatic weight loss, he arranged for me to have every possible test at the hospital. This took months. In the meantime, they found an obstruction where the stomach joins the gut. “Might be a tumour,” said the GP. I lived with that on my mind for a further six weeks until an investigation revealed a hiatus hernia. The other tests showed cysts in the liver, polyps in the stomach and diverticulitus in the gut.
The gastroenterologist suggested antispasmodics, but I declined the painkillers. I then began taking Fibogel, Isogel or Lepicol but, after weeks of this, I found that it was not really helping and stopped all of these remedies. In the meantime, I started on a gluten free regime, which
I found rather expensive. But now, after about six weeks, I think I am beginning to feel the benefits.
Thank you for the comprehensive article. I have found much of interest to me and shall try out some of the herbal remedies. No one has ever even hinted at the possibility of any relief of the diverticular condition, nor have I received any suggestions as to how to deal with the hernia. I seem to recall that, many years ago, an accquaintance suffered from this and was given strengthing exercises to do. I have tried deep breathing and exhaling in a controlled way no results yet! Mrs H. Hyde, Thorpe Bay, Essex……..
WDDTY replies: See our issue on hiatus hernia (WDDTY vol 8 no 1, Q&A) for ideas about how to relieve that problem.