my husband has a weird stomach problem that no Dr. can seem to diagnose - can anyone relate?

Question

Okay. At first it just looks like acid-reflux, but its more like compulsive vomiting throughout the day. He can control the compulsion to some degree, and manages to not loose all of his nutrition. However, the stomach Acid is damaging his esophegus (sp?). He has been tested for Celiac Spru, Stomach Paralysis, and he's not allergic to meat or dairy. He doesn't smoke, drink coffee or eat acidic foods. It can happen 5-10 times a day before or after meals and also between meals altogether. If you have anything like these symptoms or have a guess as to what is the culprit, please drop me an email. Also, one more strange thing is that all throughout his childhood he would compulsively eat plain table salt. I have heard that this was indicitive of a metabolic disorder, but I can't find out anything more about it.
Additional Details
1 day ago
No, he has not had a colonoscopy. He has had an endoscopy and some sort of digestion test, where he drank radioactive stuff and then they watched him digest it. Both showed nothing.
Its hard to answer the question about his current symptoms because he tries very hard to prevent himself from actually throwing up . With a lot of concentration and relaxation, he is able to not loose his food-so its kind of like heaving but he is usually successful at keeping the food inside and not out. When it does occasionally come out its kind of whiteish. it doesn't seem to be associated with any specific time of day (although without fail first thing in the morning he has it). like i said before, it can be bore meals, right after a meal, when he's really hungry, when he's not, etc. However, it doesn't seem to affect his appetite at all. He eats many times a day, though on days where is stomach is worse, his portions are smaller. He hasn't had any head trauma, headaches, or really any other problems.
1 day ago
He takes asprin very rarely, and we drink alcohol (within moderation) a few times a week. However, in Nov. he got mono and didn't have a drop of alcohol for 3 months-symptoms of stomach problem did not change. He hasn't had any of these probelms:kidney-liver-disease ?
gall stones ?
headache ?
head trauma?
diabetes?
abdominal surgery ?
no results from any blood tests done so far. no pain, fever, diarrhea, constipation. he doesn't feel thirst, fait, or have dry mouth. But one of his biggest ways of easing his stomach just a bit is to drink ice water. so he drinks probobly 2ce the amount of water that most people due.
oh-and its been a problem for the majority of his life - he's 23.

We know that he doesn’t have an eating disorder and its not related to any anxiety problems – He’s had it pretty much since he was 4 years old, after he had been hospitalized for pneumonia.

Answer 1

Was he tested for potassium levels?
Potassium levels usually vary with sodium levels. When sodium levels increase, potassium levels decrease, and vice versa. Potassium levels are also affected by a hormone called aldosterone, which is produced by the adrenal glands.
Does he have Edema (fluid retention) or high blood pressure?

Answer 2

Has he been checked for ulcers? Simple I know, but maybe. Sounds maybe like esophogeal or stomach spasms. Maybe some sort of chemical imbalance causing this. I assume you are going to an internist and not a general practitioner? Get them to send you to a specialist.

Just saw the water thing...........If he drinks that much water, that may explain the salt thing when he was a kid also. The water is diluting his system and his electrolyte balance is off. The salt was his bodies craving for sodium replacement. Try giving him Gatorade for every other glass of liquid he drinks to try and balance out the effects. This may get him back in balance and stop the spasms, a result of electrolyte imbalance. May take a few days to see anychange, but may be worth a shot.

Answer 3

A friend had something similiar- she used peppermint oil and got some relief. She took in some of the vomit from morning and a sample from the afternoon. When you collect it put in a ziplock and refrigerate or freeze, so when you do get an appt. If you have not asked already- see if there is blockage or swelling from the stomach to the intestines, if food can not be processed and passed..your body will eliminate it any way it can. Hope this helps....good luck

Answer 4

This may or may not have anything in common with his problem, but when my daughter was very young, she vomited everything that went in. She never appeared ill at all, and she wasn't really underweight, but she kept on vomiting. The physician said he thought she had petit mal epilepsy, which is epilepsy without noticeable seizures. He put her on Phenobarbitol (small doses), and immediately, it stopped.
Good luck on that. He also may have an allergy to wheat. Try eliminating all wheat from his diet. Not just bread, but all wheat. You will need to read the lables, but if this is it, you'll know.

Answer 5

Has he lost weight? If his weight is steady despite all this throwing up, then a serious physical cause is very unlikely.

The fact that he compulsively ate salt as a kid suggests that what he has now is a similar problem. Perhaps he has a form of OCD.

Answer 6

Dear April

I sympothize with both you and your husbands problem and after reading the other answer's which have been given in relation to your question, I feel that your husbands problem does relate to his childhood craving for salt.

The human body automatically as a stable balance of salt within it and any excess amount of salt within the body can lead to Sodium Chloride Poisoning and this is what I feel your husband as got.

However, to be on the safe side and to make sure you are not wasting the time of your doctor, or hospital, there is a little test you can carry out on your husband before you either take him back to the doctor, or hospital.

This test must be carried out by either yourself, or another adult member of your family and NOT that of your husband himself.

TEST

Take hold of your husbands hand ( left or right ) it does not matter which one and run your tongue along the back of his hand and if it tastes salty, then your husband as got excessive salt within his body and this is the indication that there is the possibility of Sodium Chloride Poisoning being present.

Your doctor, or hospital should therefore treat your husband upon this condition having occurred.

If the back of your husbands hand does taste of salt, then get him back to you doctor, or hospital as soon as possible in order that they can treat for sodium chloride poisoning.

WARNING

Sodium Chloride Poisoning can lead to Death if not treated as soon as possible.

I therefore trust that this answer's your medical question.

Answer 7

he must be swallowing when he should spit!