[Chief Joseph]

Thanks so much Wakerobin! I had not considered Gall Bladder issues, I have had kidney stones for probably 10 years or so, with two procedures performed to break them up and a couple passed on their own. I hope I don't also have Gall Stones, not sure if my symptoms could be related to Gall Bladder dysfunction, but not stones. But at least this gives me something more to research regarding my problem and to discuss with my Doctor.

[wakerobin]

You are welcome. Once I finally got my ultrasound and started researching all the symptoms you can have, I realized I had been symptomatic for quite some time. Hope you are able to get some answers soon.

[Chief Joseph]

A friend suggested drinking pickle juice for stomach gas issues. Been doing it for about a week now and it seems to work well.

[Randito]

[Chief Joseph]

True, probably dilute it though as unlike pickle juice, apple cider vinegar tastes nasty to me...although I do like to soak my cucumbers in a diluted mixture.

[Layback]

Have you gained any weight recently? Your symptoms sound like acid reflux. Extra weight puts pressure on your esophageal sphincter. A few pounds can be the difference between okay and too much depending on how tight your ES is.

[kbatku]

Try Prilosec for a week or so - my wife had the same thing & it's worked wonders for her.

[Chief Joseph]

[Schroder]

I began having terrible acid reflux - so badly at one point I thought I was having a heart attack. The doc put me on omeprazole for several months and it improved slightly. I went to another doc for a second opinion and they ran a slew of tests and turned up that I was allergic to gluten. Just about off the scales on the numbers. I've eaten wheat all my life with no problems until now. I was a different person a week after I eliminated gluten. I'm not suggesting that's what your problem is but it sounds like an allergen to me and you should either be tested or eliminate stuff from your diet and gradually reintroduce them to find the culprit.

[Chief Joseph]

That could be Shroeder, another thing that gets me is Chinese food, maybe the MSG in it?

[tmatlack]

Wakerobin, et al RE: Gallbladders... I had two gallstone attacks just before a 5 night raft trip on the Main Salmon. The 1st one was debilitating and scary; I had never had a pressure on my upper GI/diaphram like that. I passed it off as extreme acid reflux. The next day, another milder attack, but with 5 days on a remote river ahead of me, I had to get it checked out. ER doc would not let me go rafting for fear of liver/bile duct blockage. My wife and I lost all our money for the raft trip. Still I consider myself lucky I didn't get that attack half way down the River of No Return. So, in short, I respect your decision not to have the surgery(I am sympton free now w. no dietary restrictions), but you should be very careful on long, remote trips away from medical care out of respect for yourself AND the 1st responders who would need to help you. Tom

[neek]

Maybe you have gut fermentation syndrome. (not really.)

[trestle]

Sorry but a fecal transplant sounds about as appealing as a neck tourniquet.

[Stefan]

My father recently had his gallbladder removed as well as part of his stomach and a stint put into a liver duct. And a large part of his pancreas removed too. This was all a result of them finding he had pancreatic cancer. After the surgery his burping became much more prominent and has really upset him with definite inconveniences. Maybe the gallbladder was a result of his burping? Maybe yours too? I do not know.

[Chief Joseph]

I tried a lower acid coffee and it helped a lot. I also read that drinking too much with or just after meals can cause excessive burping. So I am trying to sip my drinks instead of taking large gulps. It might not be a coincidence that this problem started around the time I had another kidney stone episode and made a conscious effort to drink more fluids. I made a spicy Chicken Cacciatore recipe tonight and so far, no gas! Chicken Cacciatore, it turned out pretty good, although I got a bit carried away with the red pepper flakes. Ingredients: I large or two small chicken breasts, 1/2-1 cup of sliced crimini mushrooms, 4 finely chopped cloves garlic, 1 medium onion of your choice, chopped, 1/2 red bell pepper, 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced or chopped, 1/4-1/2 cup white wine, 1/2 cup beef broth or stock, I teaspoon each of dried basil leaves and parsley flakes, 1 lg can crushed tomatoes, and 1/4-1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (careful)....cut chicken breast into 2" strip and brown for 5 min. each side in 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp butter. Remove from heat, set aside and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute' veggies for about 5-7 minutes. Cut chicken into bite size chunks and add to sauce pan along with all other ingredients and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve over egg noodles or pasta of your choice.