Posted 12/16/2009 9:48 AM (GMT -5)
Yes, I have a ton of gut issues from Lyme. Some things that help me:
Eating smaller meals (may need to eat more often than 3 times/day).
Avoiding high fat content foods, fried foods, spicy foods, citrus fruits, tomatoes, chocolate, and any other foods that irritate my gut (or to which I am allergic).
Sufficient water intake (helps prevent constipation).
Fiber - I like flaxseed meal the best (personal preferance) - helps prevent constipation and also can help with detoxing.
Gentle exercise - wait at least 15 minutes (preferrably 60 min.) if exercising after meals - helps prevent constipation, good for general health.
Homeopathic remedies that sometimes help: I use homeopathic Nux V. for a general icky/nausea feeling in my stomach, or for abdominal cramping from constipation. And I use homeopathic Ipecac. for nausea that is really intense and feels like I'm on the verge of vomiting. If these remedies don't work, I opt for medications to help fight the nausea.
Over-the-counter Antihistamines - I take Claritin, helps with allergy issues but also helps calm down my stomach. If my stomach is not responding to the Claritin, or if I'm having an acute allergic reaction, sometimes I will take Benadryl.
Prescription Zofran - works wonders for my nausea, but they went and changed the ingredients so now I would have to have it custom compounded, and I can't afford it this way (the generic pills are relatively inexpensive, esp. if you have insurance). Other prescription medicatons for nausea include Phenergan, Compazine, Reglan, Domperidone, etc. I am also taking prescription Domperidone (only available by custom compounding in the US; not a US FDA-approved medication) because of slow stomach emptying, and it does help some with this (not as much as Reglan, but Reglan causes severe side-effects for me).
The following are less effective for me personally, but I have tried them in the past and know that they can be helpful for some people:
Ginger tea (1/2 inch peeled ginger root in 2 cups water; boil with ginger in water already, then let it sit 10 minutes; when tea is cool enough, sip 1 cup of the tea over about an hour or two...tea will keep in refrigerator up to 24 hours). Do NOT use ginger if gallstones/gallbladder problems are present.
Motion Sickness bands can be found in some drug stores - they are worn on the wrist and have a special knob built in to stimulate an acupuncture point on the wrist that helps reduce nausea from a variety of causes.
Digestive enzymes taken with meals, to help reduce the overall digestive burden on the pancreas & liver.
Probiotics, to combat antibiotic-related yeast overgrowth & bacterial imbalance in the gut.
Make sure you are in touch with your Son's doctor before trying any medications or herbs. Good luck,