Help, Husband had mystery GI Illness...

[faehren]

It's been 3 months now since my husband developed a illness which no doctors have been able to help us with. One night he became ill with diarrhea and vomiting and since that night, he has had loose stools, chronic insomnia (getting 3 hours of sleep on a good night), headaches, chest pain, abdominal pain, memory loss, slow reaction time, and confusion.

We have tried melatonin, tryptophan, magnesium, sleep hygiene, otc medicnes like advil pm, sleep medications like trazadone and seraquel for sleep with no success.

He has been following a vegan diet for a few years now, and eats a lot of vegetables and beans for protein, drinks a lot of water, and is a runner. He was always in amazing health before this happened, he slept through the night, and enjoyed napping. He always had regular bowel movements, and now they are always green in color and never completely solid, but not diarrhea. His digestion has also slowed down a lot and he can go a few days without having a bowel movement and he is constantly hungry.

Any help is appreciated, we are both losing hope that life will never be the same again since he is always in pain and chronically fatigued...we are both 25 and we've been married 11 months now...this has been a much harder first year than I could have ever imagined..

 

[Ajax]

This is a complete shot in the dark -- but here goes. I was always an athlete and sleeping in to me was getting up at 8. Then I got joint pain, frequent indigestion, brain fog, and fatigue so extreme I couldn't work out. If I slept 10 hours in a night I would still wake up tired and sleepy. My doctor checked me out and said I was in perfect health. Then I took a shot at going gluten free and within days the difference was remarkable. I am not in my 20s so suddenly becoming gluten sensitive after all these years was a surprise. Like I said - just a shot in the doctor - but my doctor was baffled also.

 

[knightofalbion]

I think what you need to do is regroup.

He is eating a lot of vegetables and beans. Both healthy, but you can have too much of a good thing....

I'm wondering what fats he is eating? And wheter he is getting enough? Certain vitamins are fat soluble. Without fat, they won't be absorbed.
As nutrients work in a synergistic effect, an absence of one nutrient can disrupt the whole chain. Which can lead to multiple ailments and deficiency symptoms of certain nutrients, even though you might be taking plenty of said nutrients, just not absorbing them.

So a reassessment of your diet (I'm a vegan myself) would be a good idea.

You might like to think about probiotics and/or bromelain to see if that helps.

Also:

Has he been tested for an over-active thyroid?

Does he have any issues with his teeth? i.e. mercury fillings (mercury sensitivity)

 

[liverock]

Ajax may be right, Gluten sensitivity (or celiac disease) can produce green stools. Celiac can cause malabsorption of fats which can stagnate in the bowel and turn green. Being constantly hungry and fatigued points to malabsorption problems.

https://www.zocdoc.com/answers/5806/why-have-i-been-experiencing-green-stools

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-diagnosis-tests

.

 

[knightofalbion]

Ajax may be right, Gluten sensitivity (or celiac disease) can produce green stools.* Celiac can cause malabsorption of fats which can stagnate in the bowel and turn green. Being constantly hungry and fatigued points to malabsorption problems.

https://www.zocdoc.com/answers/5806/why-have-i-been-experiencing-green-stools

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-diagnosis-tests

.

* Though so can over-consumption of green vegetables, and lack of bile.....

 

[liverock]

* Though so can over-consumption of green vegetables, and lack of bile.....

True, that's why I said Ajax may be right, not was right.

 

[DM27]

"....he is constantly hungry"

This is a weird coincidence that I found this post because I was just about to post about digestive issues and constant hunger. He could very well have an infection or gut problem. The medical community seems to overlook the role the gut plays in health (with the gut apparently affecting virtually every organ or system in the body).