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11 Surprising Causes of GI Irritation

Gastrointestinal problems affect roughly 11% of Americans, but what causes such issues? Here are 11 potential causes of GI irritation.

Stomach and abdominal pains are a nuisance at best and debilitating at worst, and can turn a perfectly beautiful day into a struggle. Unfortunately, diagnosing the source of the problem isn’t always easy; many, many illnesses and irritants can cause gastrointestinal (GI) issues. Some of these causes are obvious, while others may not be quite so apparent.

Despite the fact that the GI irritation causes listed here are less common than, say, eating spicy food, knowing about them can improve your ability to spot a problem if and when it occurs. As always, if you believe you’re experiencing any of the issues on this list, speak with your local pharmacist or physician to seek a diagnosis and explore potential solutions.

1. Drug Interactions

Drug interactions are by far the most complex and confusing GI irritation cause. Not every patient will experience drug interactions, and it isn’t always easy to determine the drug that’s causing the issue if the patient is prescribed multiple medications.

Because drug interactions are so nuanced, it’s important that you always tell your pharmacist about every drug you take when getting a new prescription.

As for suspected drug interactions and your GI tract, certain drugs may be more likely to cause GI irritation than others, especially if you’re taking more than one at a time. Watch for common triggers such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like Aleve, and steroids like Prednisone — both can cause GI symptoms, though fewer people recognize Prednisone as a trigger. Likewise, certain beta blockers may cause irritation, too, yet patients don’t often make the connection.

2. Gastritis

Gastritis refers to almost any symptom resulting from GI irritation. This includes swelling of the stomach walls, ulcers, and intestinal inflammation.

Gastritis itself can occur for a long list of reasons (including many of the reasons on this list). However, many patients don’t realize that it can be self-perpetuating. You develop gastritis due to medication, and then the swelling itself causes further irritation and pain.

Sometimes, even stopping the trigger for gastritis itself isn’t enough; acid reducers or anti-irritants may become necessary to halt the condition for good.

3. Erosive Gastritis

It’s impossible to know for sure if you have erosive gastritis without an endoscopy, but there are telltale signs. If you’re experiencing sharp pains and burning sensations in or around your stomach, and you’ve experienced ulcers, it’s very likely that you’re experiencing erosive gastritis.

This form of gastritis withers away the stomach lining, and as you may expect, that causes pain and other unpleasant sensations. Ulcers form in various areas of the stomach, heartburn may occur, and enough irritation may even cause internal bleeding.

Fortunately, bleeding due to erosive gastritis is rarely severe or life-threatening, barring unusual circumstances or complex drug interactions. Nevertheless, it can become severe and may even result in anemia or stomach perforation. If you’ve been diagnosed with erosive gastritis, it’s a good idea to seek medical care if you experience pain, dizziness, or weakness for any extended period of time.

4. Medications

Chronic use of NSAIDs, like Aleve and Advil, gradually wear away at the stomach walls with chronic use. The effects don’t typically manifest with short-term use of these chemicals for the average patient, but may become obvious faster in sensitive patients. Any patient who has experienced issues like gastritis, ulcers, heartburn, or acid reflux in the past should take these medications with extreme care due to the heightened risk for GI irritation.

Stronger pain medications, on the other hand, can cause these issues in much shorter periods of time depending on the dosage. This includes:

Narcotics are especially problematic because they slow stomach emptying and reduce bowel transit time. This can leave foods sitting in the stomach or upper bowel where they may cause irritation and reflux. If the dose is high enough, some patients may even experience paralytic ileus.

5. Stress

Stress itself is a GI irritant because it directly impacts how your stomach processes food and how much acid you produce. If you’re suffering from extreme anxiety or going through a life-altering process, emotional symptoms could very well manifest as GI irritation. It’s very easy to throw the delicate chemical balance in the gut off, especially if both adrenaline and endocrine systems are hyperactive or imbalanced due to stressors.

As an added note, health conditions like thyroid and endocrine disorders that produce anxiety as a side effect (including Cushing’s Disease) may have the same impact on your stomach. If you suffer from endocrine issues, and begin to experience stomach pain, see your doctor for an evaluation.

6. Bacteria

This form of gastritis is commonly caused by the H.pylori bacteria. This bacteria lives in your stomach and secretes toxins that damage the stomach lining slowly over time. H. pylori is the number one cause for ulcers, and infects nearly half of the world’s population at any given time.

While there’s no vaccination to treat H. pylori, it is more than possible to treat it when it occurs. Treatments take a multimodal approach by counteracting the effects of the toxin itself through acid normalization, and then eliminate the bacteria with oral antibiotics.

It is important to note that in many cases, patients don’t experience symptoms from H. pylori except in the most severe of infections. But that doesn’t mean you aren’t experiencing irritation; damage just occurs slowly over time.

7. Pernicious Anemia

Pernicious anemia is one of many forms of vitamins B12 deficiency. In the body, B12 aids in the formation of red blood cells. Without it, your body won’t keep up with cellular destruction that goes along with life itself, and one of the side effects of this process is a weak stomach lining. Patients with pernicious anemia are much more likely to experience stomach pain, ulcers, GI irritation, and irritable bowel syndrome.

8. Menetrier’s Disease

Menetrier’s Disease is thought to result from an infection of some kind, potentially relating to HCMV or H. Pylori. It causes the ridges along the stomach walls to enlarge and fold up, resulting in excessive mucus production that causes proteins to leak from the bloodstream into the stomach. This shortage of proteins is accompanied by a decrease in acid levels due to the lowered amount of production cells. There are various treatments for this condition, but no known cures.

9. Crohn’s Disease

Researchers aren’t sure exactly what causes Crohn’s Disease (CD), but there are strong hints to genetics and other environmental factors. It causes the bowels to inflame and scar which results in fatigue, pain, and malnutrition. The severity of these symptom ranges from mild to potentially life-threatening, and in some cases, CD may even cause malnutrition or indicate a need for surgery.

There’s no cure for Crohn’s disease, but there are many treatments available, including compounded Crohn’s medication to lessen the effects. It’s very often possible for patients with CD to enter full remission and live healthy lives. Even when full remission isn’t possible, careful monitoring and management remains on the table.

10. Celiac Disease

A small number of patients experiencing GI irritation may actually have a disorder called Celiac Disease. This condition refers to an allergy to gluten, a chemical found in wheat and most grains. Having a gluten-free diet for these people isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes the immune system to attack finger-like projections in the small intestine. As a result, they fail to properly absorb nutrition. The immune system’s attack also results in GI irritation, pain, swelling, and even damage throughout the bowel.

Treating Celiac Disease isn’t easy. Current research shows that the best way to counteract this disease is to remove gluten from your diet permanently.

11. Other GI Irritation Causes

It’s more tempting to look for the more serious causes of GI irritation than the simple ones. Acidic and spicy foods are perhaps the most apparent victim when it comes to stomach issues, especially for people who struggle with an overproduction of acid.

Gas buildup is one source patients often overlook when trying to eliminate stomach pain. Eating almost any starchy food will cause your bowel to produce gas through digestion, and that means cramping, flatulence, and stomach pain.

Cut down on your pasta, potatoes, and corn intake if you’re experiencing stomach pain or excessive flatulence. Stick with a low-FODMAP diet and see if it reduces symptoms. Most fruits are a source of gas buildup, as are certain vegetables like onions, asparagus, and artichokes.

Conclusion

There are so many sources of GI irritation that it’s virtually impossible to self-diagnose your stomach troubles. Many simple ailments can be dealt with through lifestyle changes, including improved diet, increased water intake, or prescription antacids.

Herbal remedies like grapefruit seed and licorice root extracts may also help, but should only be taken under the watchful eye of a medical professional. If you need more information about GI irritation, speak with your pharmacist today.

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Health

What You Should Know About Probiotics for Crohn’s Disease

Crohn’s disease affects roughly 780,000 people in the United States, and it affects each one differently, requiring treatment to be personalized as well. As a known anti-inflammatory, probiotics for Crohn’s disease are becoming a popular treatment method.

Crohn’s is an auto-immune mediated inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affecting virtually every aspect of the gastrointestinal tract (from the mouth to the anus). Some patients who suffer from this devastating illness also develop systemic symptoms, including:

  • Skin rashes
  • Problems with vision
  • Joint pain

Because Crohn’s also affects the ability to digest nutrients from food, many sufferers also struggle with vitamin deficiencies and/or malnutrition. This can lead to a host of problems ranging from deep, unrelenting fatigue to serious or even fatal organ failure, especially if the disease isn’t treated.

Treatment Options for Crohn’s Disease

The good news is that Crohn’s sufferers now have more treatment options available to them than ever before.

Drugs can be the difference between life and death for patients, but they aren’t without side effects. These include:

Other options, including lifestyle and diet changes, may help.

If you suffer from Crohn’s, you may have also heard that prebiotics and probiotics can help you manage your symptoms. But what exactly are these supplemental food products, and are they really beneficial?

What to Know About Healthy Gut Flora

The science behind gut flora is actually much more complex than we can explain in a single post. For now, what matters most is that you understand how important healthy gut flora is to gastrointestinal functioning.

To understand prebiotics and probiotics, we must first explore the role of bacteria in the gut and how it affects digestion.

While many of us fear the word “bacteria” because we associate it with infection and illness, the world of microorganisms is much more complex.

Some bacteria are harmful, while others are harmless and have absolutely no impact on the human body at all.

“Good” Bacteria

Beneficial bacteria, on the other hand, are virtually required in order for our bodies to function normally, especially within the gut.

Not only do they support gastrointestinal structure and health, but they also help you digest and break down your food so you can metabolize nutrients or process other ingredients (e.g., medication).

Without healthy gut flora, digestion takes a very serious and immediate hit. Your ability to process food suffers, leaving you at risk for nutritional deficiencies, and the gastrointestinal tract loses efficiency.

Over time, this may worsen or even lead to some of the symptoms associated with Crohn’s Disease.

What Exactly are Prebiotics and Probiotics?

Prebiotics are dietary fibers that directly support healthy gut bacteria levels by providing them with nutrition for optimal functioning. Think of them like groceries for the healthy bacteria inside your gut.

Probiotics, on the other hand, are live bacteria (such as lactobacillus acidophilus or bifidobacterium infantis). When ingested, these cultures directly supplement the level of beneficial bacteria in your gastrointestinal tract.

Both prebiotics and probiotics play an important role in healthy digestion; neither can function without the other.

You could take all of the probiotics in the world and still never benefit if you aren’t ingesting enough prebiotics to keep them fed.

What Does the Science Say About Probiotics for Crohn’s Disease?

We know that healthy gut flora plays an important role in digestive health, and better digestive health is important for everyone.

It is especially critical for people who suffer from inflammatory bowel conditions. Anything that causes irritation or forces the gastrointestinal tract to work harder than it should can raise the risk for a flare.

It makes sense to assume that taking prebiotics and probiotics for better gut health is a wise choice for IBD sufferers.

But what does the science say?

Is there any evidence to support this being a safe, smart choice, or is it mostly woo?

1. Variables May Influence Usefulness

Science does support the role of probiotics in overall gut health. In fact, there are countless studies that demonstrate a direct correlation.

What researchers aren’t yet certain of is whether or not the type or route of ingestion makes a difference in whether or not these substances have any measurable impact.

To clarify, let’s get specific.

  • Studies have shown a measurable difference in results gained from, say, taking an over-the-counter probiotic and having a direct fecal transplant from a healthy patient to an unhealthy patient.
  • Similarly, taking certain probiotics may be more effective than eating dessert yogurts.

This is further complicated by the fact that not every source of probiotic contains the same type of bacteria.

Essentially, whether or not probiotics for Crohn’s Disease are helpful really depends on which bacteria you’re deficient in and which source you’re using.

2. Probiotics for Crohn’s Disease

Regarding Crohn’s, study results have been mixed and extremely nuanced. The short answer is that more research is needed, but we have enough evidence to support probiotics as a possible treatment avenue.

Some of the most compelling science shows that probiotics for Crohn’s may be more useful when it affects certain areas of the bowel (such as the colon versus the ileum). It isn’t clear exactly why this is the case, but it might be a result of natural differences in bacteria colonization throughout the bowel.

 – Probiotics for Biofilms

Some Crohn’s patients develop problematic biofilms of bad bacteria along the intestinal wall. These biofilms can lead to a worsening of symptoms because:

  • They cause additional inflammation
  • It can cause a flare or faster bowel degeneration

A new novel probiotic may help prevent or even eliminate these biofilms, leading to a reduction of symptoms.

Mahmoud A. Ghannoum, a professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine, believes this approach may have other benefits, too.

“A probiotic can prevent and treat biofilms that are found in the gut,” he explains. “This is a big issue since gut biofilm correlates with Crohn’s disease and colorectal cancer.”

 – Probiotics for Pouchitis

There is also evidence that taking certain probiotics may help to prevent pouchitis, an inflammation in the lining of a j-pouch or ileostomy.

Although this is typically only applicable to patients who have had surgery to redirect one or more areas of the bowel, it is an incredibly important topic.

Pouchitis can be extremely serious and prevention is far easier than treatment once it occurs.

Conclusions

Specific types or conditions aside, taking probiotics for Crohn’s may still be beneficial for patients. Patients in other studies reported:

  • Fewer flares
  • Less pain
  • An overall improvement in digestion

The main risks associated with taking probiotics are diarrhea, gas, bloating, cramps, acne, and rarely, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). However, these risks are relatively rare.

If you think that probiotics may be helpful for you, contact our pharmacy today.

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