I've been struggling to understand what is going on with my digestion for a good while now, but feel I should try to intervene in some way, as I'm not seeing too much improvement happening.
Basically I've been without appetite or hunger for a very long time (years), with a tendency toward constipation. There's the occasional diarrhea, as well, usually seeming to relate to something upsetting my stomach. I don't experience any particular stomach pains, but can be slightly sore just below the left rib, with some noise and sloshing around happening in that area. I usually have 1 BM daily, but they can vary in size, drier and smaller when constipation is going on. Irritating my stomach can make me very dizzy, for example after drinking excessively salted water or eating uncooked apples has made me wobbly and out of it for several days in the past.
On the diet side I eat cooked oats and eggs for breakfast, which don't seem to bother me too much, but I don't know. Avoiding gluten, and drink about or slightly below half a litre of milk daily. Dinner tends to be some combination of beef or cod fish, greens (spinach, broccoli, and such) and rice or potatoes. Pretty bland stuff, but it's alright. I drink coffee, but am cutting back recently since the gastritis thought came up.
I've been considering whether this is some kind of long-standing gastritis, SIBO, or maybe both. Possibly nicotine use is an issue, previously I remember it promoting evacuation, but nowadays I don't seem to get that effect. I've tried B1 in sub-100 mg doses but didn't feel too well on it, so stopped, but sometimes do 5-10 mg. Lab tests don't find much of anything, not routine blood tests nor things like fecal hemoglobin, no elevated calprotectin, etc. Doctors prescribe unappealing laxatives, like macrogol and bisacodyl, I haven't had the stomach to touch those yet.
Anyway - there seems to be lots of different and sometimes contradictory approaches and experiences in dealing with digestive issues, so I'm curious to hear if anyone has had success dealing with similar things.
