Gastroenterologist Questions Gastroenteorlogist

Am I eating nutritiously? Do you believe that my stomach pains are diet-related?

Hello!!! My name is Tyler. I am seeking medical advice. From August 2016 until March 2021, I had lived in a residential treatment facility for adults in Florida where most of my meals were planned for me, prepared for me and portioned for me in accordance with the facility’s standards with the exception of me ordering a meal of usually three double cheeseburgers from the McDonald’s fast food restaurant every Friday as was allowed by that facility as long as my long-term overall healthy condition was decent as determined by the nurses and the doctor at that facility. My triglycerides, my cholesterol, my liver enzymes and my blood sugar were all within normal range when they were checked by blood test every three months throughout my time at the residential treatment facility in Florida from August 2016 until March 2021. My weight was also always within normal range when it was checked every month throughout my time at the residential treatment facility in Florida from August 2016 until March 2021. I am 26 years old and I am 5 feet 8 inches tall (68 inches tall). I had weighed 175 pounds when I was last weighed at my psychiatrist appointment this past Tuesday, November 22, 2022. My supposed normal weight at 5 feet 8 inches tall (68 inches tall) is about 125 pounds to 160 pounds according to the Body Mass Index (BMI) chart, which means that I am about 15 pounds overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 26.6. In August 2016, upon arriving at the residential treatment facility in Florida, I was 20 years old, I was 5 feet 8 inches tall (68 inches tall) and I weighed 130 pounds. In March 2021, upon leaving the residential treatment facility in Florida and arriving at my current assisted living duplex home, I was turning 25 years old that month (March 2021), I was 5 feet 8 inches tall (68 inches tall) and I weighed 155 pounds. My triglycerides were also elevated the past two times that they were checked. Triglycerides are supposed to be 160 at most in order to be normal. My triglycerides as of June 2021 were 167 and my triglycerides as of May 2022 were 180. My cholesterol was also elevated the last time that it was checked and my cholesterol was 210 as of May 2022. Cholesterol is supposed to be 200 at most in order to be normal. According to my doctor, my triglycerides is the fat that is in my bloodstream. My liver enzymes were also elevated when they were last checked in May 2022. At the assisted living duplex home that I have been living at since March 2021, I buy my own groceries, I choose my own meals and snacks, I cook my own food and I portion my own food and beverages, because I am being trusted to make nutritious food choices. I frequently tell the managers at my current assisted living duplex home that I am a critic of my nutrition and that I only want to eat the most nutritious foods and drink the most nutritious beverages. I never buy store brand food or store brand beverages or store brand condiments because I believe that name brand foods, name brand beverages and name brand condiments are always more nutritious than store brand foods, store brand beverages and store brand condiments. Therefore, I always buy and eat name brand foods, buy and drink name brand beverages and buy and use name brand condiments. I buy and eat Del Monte Canned Corn, Sara Lee Delightful Healthy Multi-Grain Bread, Thomas’ Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, Thomas’ Cinnamon Raisin English Muffins, Eggland’s Best Cage Free Organic Eggs, name brand organic low fat milk, Smart Balance Buttery Spread with Omega 3 which supports my heart, Yogi Name Brand Mango Ginger Tea with Busy Bee Name Brand honey and Domino Name Brand Golden Sugar, Land O’Lakes White American Cheese, Boar’s Head Genoa Salami, Boar’s Head Sandwich Pepperoni, Hormel Pepperoni Slices, Foxy name brand head of lettuce, Dole name brand cut-up lettuce in a bag with Texas Toast name brand Butter and Garlic Croutons. I also buy and eat Applegate chicken nuggets and Heinz Organic Certified Tomato Ketchup. I have been buying food, beverages and condiments that are the most nutritious based on the nutrition facts label on them. However, I have gone to the hospital emergency room six times in the past year due to unmanageable throbbing stomach pain, vomiting and constipation. I went to the hospital emergency room on December 15, 2021, February 3, 2022, February 10, 2022, March 22, 2022, May 2022 and September 2022. I have also had to take Maalox and Lidocaine to coat and numb my stomach pain countless other times in the past year. I have also had many urgent care visits and also many primary care doctor follow-up visits in the past year. I have had a CT scan twice and an ultrasound three times, which had shown small gall stones in my gallbladder and also small fat deposits on my liver. My primary care doctor had listened to my heart and lungs with a stethoscope and said that I don’t have any heart failure or lung failure, which is good. Doctor Goldfield looked at my blood test results from when I was living at the residential treatment facility in Florida from August 2016 until March 2021 and compared them to my blood test results since I have lived at my current assisted living duplex home since March 2021 and assumed that my stomach pains are diet-related. My triglycerides, my cholesterol and my liver enzymes could have risen by coincidence or simply because of my age or my genetics. I am a scheduled for a follow-up primary care doctor appointment seeing Doctor Wahba next Thursday, December 1, 2022. Am I eating nutritiously? Do you believe that my stomach pains are diet-related?

Male | 26 years old
Conditions: Throbbing Stomach Pains, Vomiting and Constipation

3 Answers

Hello Tyler, I am sorry you are having such a difficult time with this. I would suggest you come in and have the Dr. examine you and run some recent bloodwork to see if there is anything still going on. Please call us for an appointment. Thank you
THANKS FOR EMAILING DIGESTIVE DISEASE PHYSCIANS, WE HAVE RECEIVED YOUR EMAIL AND WE WILL CONTACT YOU WITHIN 24-48 BUSINESS HOURS.
There is no compelling reason to think that your stomach pains are directly related to your diet. I would need to know more detail about the pain so guess about the cause. You need a good GI doctor to take a thorough history and examine you then do any testing to arrive at a diagnosis. This should be done to try to avoid the many hospital visits which are costly to you and to the medical system.
To eat healthy, avoid packaged and canned foods. Buy fresh ingredients and cook them yourself. Follow a Mediterranean style diet.