[Sojourner]

For the past year I have been having bouts of diarrhea and vomiting/nausea. I knew it was related to something I was eating and I discovered that I have a sensitivity to MSG. I have been avoiding it but it seems like I am getting more sensitive. It is so hard to avoid it because it is hidden in so many things. Anyways, I think I might have some sort of gut/malabsorbtion issue and it is probably time to see a doctor. I don't want to be a science experiment if that makes sense. I just want to talk to someone about my history and get tested to see if I have parasites or yeast or celiacs or whatever the case might be. Is this possible? Can you tell that I don't like doctors and don't have a lot of trust in them? What should I expect at a visit with a good gastroenterologist? How will I tell if I am getting good care?

 

[AquariusHome]

Honestly, in my experience a GI isn't going to get you very far. I think you might do better with a Naturapath/ Homeopath or a DAN! dr. Especially since you already have an aversion to doctors, I'm afraid a visit to the GI will just reinforce that.

What you want is a good, thorough stool analysis that will look into all the things you mention. We used Genova Diagnostics and got some good info that way. Most of the testing done by mainstream docs is much more limited in the parasites and bacteria they look for. You may also want ELISA or ALCAT food intolerance testing. Most docs will not order those tests, but holistic practitioners typically will.

Good luck -