I experienced an episode of severe gut pain after about 3 days of very low carbs (under 20g/day) last week... my doctor's theory was that I was not eating enough carbs for proper bowel function,and I was instructed to eat 60g+/day for 3-4 days to test it. It worked, I think, now I'm down to 30g/day again for the past 3 days to see if I can manage on that intake without the pain returning.

Lending credence to the theory: I was just listening to a podcast this morning actually, Jimmy Moore was interviewing Paul Jaminet for his [Jimmy's] book Cholesterol Clarity - one of the things Paul mentioned was that eating TOO low of carbs can, for some people, cause nutrient deficiencies - things like iodine, important for thyroid function; copper & zinc, which are important for making a particular antioxidant; but when people on low carb diets restrict food groups too severely then you're missing a whole class of nutrients that we need (both from animal sources - like liver, kidneys - and from vegetables). This in turn can affect your guts: carbohydrates are important for making extracellular matrix, for making mucus (as @baconslave knows!) and other immune barriers which keep the intestinal barrier sound. If you're "starving yourself of carbohydrates" he says, your body may not maintain the intestinal barrier as well as it should, which can lead to endotoxicity (leaky gut) and, pain.

It's the Livin' La Vida Low Carb Show Episode 721, starts around 33:00. I'll see if I can find a link...

http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/8551/721-cholesterol-clarity-interview-with-perfect-health-diet-author-paul-jaminet/

@auntstephie321 might have some insight here, too. It really depends on where your pain is located. Hers was abdominally, i.e., not the stomach, more likely the intestines. She helped with it by adding probiotics, digestive enzymes (primarily helps the intestine/nutrient breakdown), and the ACV to help balance stomach acid - but this used strategically... To me, if they're wanting to put you on an acid reducer, this tells me your body is likely missing one key acid and therefore overproducing the others.

Having no gallbladder, this year so far has been a mass adventure in figuring out gut health and bathroom drama situations... Good luck, but personally, I would not go on an acid reducer until I'd explored all other options.

I take HCL digestive enzymes (2) and magnesium before each meal. Helps with so many tummy troubles!!

kathrout1973 wrote: »

Thank you so much everyone - I am going to try alternatives I think, was worried about taking the cider vinegar if I was having acid problems, but might give the probiotics a try and the digestive enzymes too - I don't want to be on meds at all and if I can solve it without the meds I would prefer to do that.

My pain is just under the left rib cage and radiates through to the back, I also sometimes get pain at the base of the sternum when the pain is strongest - he has started me on 20mg of omeprazole, I responded well to begin with, then had a months break from the omeprazole and was tested for H.pylori bacteria which came back negative and the pain came back with a vengeance, so the doctor prescribed omeprazole again 20mg for a month as it had helped before and said that if it didn't calm down then the next step would be a camera down the throat to see where the inflammation was, he has put the omeprazole on repeat prescription at 10mg but I am going to have to back and see him to take things further and check things out more.

Do you still have a gall bladder? Sounds like gall stones felt for me.
Pain was aweful. Felt like I couldn't inhale all the way and I couldn't stand up straight when it would happen.

I get terrible pains from upper to lower stomach and radiating around to my back whenever I eat any cruciferous veggies. I will be doubled over with the most horrible gas pains imagined. I have to take peppermint oil to get the trapped gas moving through my system and usually have to lie down on my right side in a fetal position and massage my belly and sides. Onions and garlic do the same. Really all fiber. I do much better with just meat and a little cheese. Egg whites hurt to and make me nauseated. I hope you start to feel better what ever you decide to do.

dmariet116 wrote: »

I get terrible pains from upper to lower stomach and radiating around to my back whenever I eat any cruciferous veggies. I will be doubled over with the most horrible gas pains imagined. I have to take peppermint oil to get the trapped gas moving through my system and usually have to lie down on my right side in a fetal position and massage my belly and sides. Onions and garlic do the same. Really all fiber. I do much better with just meat and a little cheese. Egg whites hurt to and make me nauseated. I hope you start to feel better what ever you decide to do.

Yep this is me too it's excruciating

kpk54 wrote: »

@Sunny_Bunny_ Gallbladder pain is under the left rib cage too? I thought it was the right. Bummer.

That's where my gallbladder attack pains were in '98 before I had it removed. Last year, I had 2 phantom gall bladder attacks (on SAD),which raised my liver enzymes. My endo had no explanation.

kpk54 wrote: »

@Sunny_Bunny_ Gallbladder pain is under the left rib cage too? I thought it was the right. Bummer.

@kpk54 - mine was just right of my spine, but it can be either side. Passing stones for me was painful enough I actually went to the doctor worried I was having a heart attack...I was passing them while pregnant, "No, @knit, that is just heartburn..." YEAH RIGHT!?!?!?!?! Ugh. Had it removed when my kiddo was 7 weeks old, and would not recommend it to anyone at all ever unless theirs GB is poisoned and dying, when so many options with eating this way to treat it... My complications have been HADES on wheels... The pain at it's worst required 2 vicodin and a heating pad in the dark for at least 2 hours. Not fun with a breastfeeding newborn (yeah, tried not to feed her within 4 hours of meds, as I metabolized them pretty quickly)...