Suffering From Digestive Problem. Took Levaquin And Flagil Antibiotic. Which Specialist Should I Consult?

Posted on Thu, 25 Apr 2013

Question: I have been suffering from digestive problems for many years, I have tried medication which never seems to work for me. I manage it mostly with my diet but in the past 9 months it had gotten so bad I was given Neximun once again and once again it made no difference. I then had an upper endoscopy, biopsy and a breath test. The upper endoscopy came back fine, the biopsy was irregular and showed I had bateria in my system. The breath test showed I am allergic to Sorbetol found in red berries and sugarless food products. So I cutted that out of my diet. For the bateria in my system, I was given Levaquin and Flagil antibiotics for 14 days. Finished that and still don't feel right. My stomach has so much activity it sounds like the waves in the ocean. I am always feeling bloated with allot of burping. It seems like everything I eat I can really digest. My throat has progressively become so dry it feels like it is stuck together and gets worst at night. I now keep a bottle of water by my bedside which started out with 1 or 2 sips a night. Now, I need to take a sip 10 times a night just to lubricant my throat to release the pain of friction when the walls are rubbing agaisnt each other when I swallow. I have been see a gastrointerologist. Should I seek out a Nose/Ear/Throat Dr or an Allergist? I am also lactiose intorant. Can I be allergic to gluten?

Answered by Dr. Dr. Ivan Romich (2 hours later)

Hi and welcome to XXXXXXX
Thank you for your querry.
This condition is something that worries many people and various of disorders can cause it. First, after you do eradication therapy(Helicobacter pylori bacteria treatment) there must pass some time till your stomach mucosa recovers. It is not just enough to take antibiotics. You need to take antiacid therapy. If nexium didnt help, some other drugs such as antacids and ranitidine can be prescribed. Dietary is of course the most important treatment. You should avoid alcohol, smoking, fats and gas producing food. So if we rule out stomach disorder I suggest to look for problem in your bowel. Bowel hyperactivity will cause stomach activity and all your symptoms can be resulting from some bowel motility disorder( IBD, inflammatory bowel diseases, food allergies etc.). Gluten allergy would make you lose weight and experince diarrheas and weakness. You can try to avoid certain food for few days and see is there improvement. Bowel can be checked by colonoscopy which is unpleasant but it would exclude some serious bowel disorders. Throat and esophagus disorders wouldnt cause stomach and digeston difficulties, but I recommend to do ENT examination to check your throat and mouth glands especailly if you are a smoker.
Hope I have answered your query. If you have any further questions I will be happy to help"

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar