Sigh. Intestinal Issues Suck

[TraumaRN]

Originally posted by: Dirigible
I thought that Crohn's disease included quite a bit of pain. You haven't described that, so I'm hoping you don't have it.

Rage 187: Another thing that causes symptoms similar to Crohn's is a clostridium dificile infection. Like Crohn's, it involves lots 'n' lots of pain and diarrhea. The bacteria is called c. dificile because it is very difficult to detect and diagnose.

Yea but he mentioned no use of antibiotics. And really the biggest antibiotic offender for C-Diff is Clindamycin and I doubt he's been on that!

C-diff only happens when your other normal flora have been wiped out and C-Diff then takes over.

It's not that hard to detect more hard to treat.

Sounds like you do have ulcerative colitis...or Crohn's disease. Get a second opinion for sure and definitely a colonoscopy

 

[iroast]

Get multiple opinions...from specialists and not from your general physician.

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: Dirigible
I thought that Crohn's disease included quite a bit of pain. You haven't described that, so I'm hoping you don't have it.

Rage 187: Another thing that causes symptoms similar to Crohn's is a clostridium dificile infection. Like Crohn's, it involves lots 'n' lots of pain and diarrhea. The bacteria is called c. dificile because it is very difficult to detect and diagnose.

That's correct, it's rare I experience any pain related to this. Generally, only mild discomfort from having to goto the bathroom so urgently.

I will try bananas and yogurt next time I goto the store. I dislike oatmeal very much though.

 

[eakers]

1. cut out dairy see if that helps
2. cut out wheat see if that helps

my friend has celiac disease and she gets what you describe if she eats wheat.

 

[AUMM]

I had almost the EXACT symptoms you described about 3-4 years ago. upset stomach, bad bowel movements, was anemic, ate like a pig but was skinny, skin rash, etc... doctors at first though I had Crohns or IBS but after a couple biopsys and some experimenting I was diagnosed with Celiacs...

try not eating wheat for a while and see if it helps any...

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: AUMM
I had almost the EXACT symptoms you described about 3-4 years ago. upset stomach, bad bowel movements, was anemic, ate like a pig but was skinny, skin rash, etc... doctors at first though I had Crohns or IBS but after a couple biopsys and some experimenting I was diagnosed with Celiacs...

try not eating wheat for a while and see if it helps any...

did you find when you cut out the glutons you rapidly felt better on the whole?

 

[Geekbabe]

you have my total empathy.I alternate between the explosive stuff and the constipation,add in a ton of pain,bloating etc and I'm a pretty unhappy camper most of the time.

I'll be starting down the medical workup trail this month,simply because the problem is no
longer compatible with any sort of normal life.

 

[Scouzer]

Originally posted by: Geekbabe
you have my total empathy.I alternate between the explosive stuff and the constipation,add in a ton of pain,bloating etc and I'm a pretty unhappy camper most of the time.

I'll be starting down the medical workup trail this month,simply because the problem is no
longer compatible with any sort of normal life.

Best of luck, Geekbabe.

I forgot one of my symptoms...my diarrhea usually leaves residue in the toilet that really looks like the consistency/texture or flour...or sand...or something. It's strange...

 

[TreyRandom]

Back in my mid-to-late 20s, I used to have really bad intestinal pain, explosive diarrhea, constipation, all that mess. Pipes just weren't working right. Went to the doc several times, and they finally did a sigmoidoscopy - they said everything looked not only normal, but quite healthy. Had the barium test (yuck - like paint!) and it came back normal. Tried fiber, and it didn't work very well. They finally just called it IBS and waved good-bye to me.

A couple of years later, I went in to a chiropractor to see what he could do for a crick in my neck. For years, I had developed a distrust of chiropractors because my mom had back trouble, and every time she'd go see her chiropractor, she'd come out complaining just as bad as when she went in. So, with reservations, I went in to see a chiropractor my sister recommended - after all, who else is gonna fix a crick in my neck, right?

After an x-ray, the chiropractor starts checking out my back and asks me if I have any intestinal problems. Sorta shocked, I tell him yes. He adjusts my neck and lower back and tells me to come back in a few days. My neck felt better... but that wasn't the golden part...

...dude, my IBS symptoms vanished as if someone turned off a light switch. :Q

Turns out that when the nerves are pinched or blocked, you may not feel anything in your back... but it can still cause nerve impulses to not reach the organs they're supposed to communicate with.

So I went in as often as I could afford (at $25-30 a pop) to get everything straightened up once and for all... and to keep everything lined up as long as possible to help my muscles "remember" how my bones are supposed to be aligned. I now go every 4-6 months just to keep everything good, both with my neck and my intestines.

I'm not one of those people who thinks that everything can be solved by chiropractic, or that your particular situation would be helped by visiting a chiropractor. And there are plenty of bad chiropractors out there giving bad advice. But chiropractic certainly worked for my situation.

On another track... you might check food allergies. My brother is allergic to MSG (monosodium glutamate), so when he eats out, he has to be careful because he can have bad reactions to it. Since eating out exacerbates your problem, food allergies are worth checking out.

 

[foghorn67]

Originally posted by: TreyRandom
...A couple of years later, I went in to a chiropractor to see what he could do for a crick in my neck. For years, I had developed a distrust of chiropractors because my mom had back trouble, and every time she'd go see her chiropractor, she'd come out complaining just as bad as when she went in. So, with reservations, I went in to see a chiropractor my sister recommended - after all, who else is gonna fix a crick in my neck, right?

After an x-ray, the chiropractor starts checking out my back and asks me if I have any intestinal problems. Sorta shocked, I tell him yes. He adjusts my neck and lower back and tells me to come back in a few days. My neck felt better... but that wasn't the golden part...

...dude, my IBS symptoms vanished as if someone turned off a light switch. :Q

Holy Moly, that is amazing.

 

[Darthvoy]

I had this same problem. I remember once me and my buddies went to eat at this thai restaurant and it was damn good. It was so good my friends were telling me to slow down...anyways, after eating there we went to a pool hall and after 20 minutes my stomach starts hurting...I got diarrhea. They had only one toilet in that bathroom and it was the nastiest toilet I have ever seen. So I told my buddies to drive my car (I couldn't drive because of the pain) because I had to take a sh!t. It felt like ages before we arrived at my buddies house and I had to run into his house...and for the first time in my life I sh!ted and threw up at the same time. Luckily my friend's bathroom had the sink next to the toilet so all I had to was turn my head to vomit in it. It was definitely the worst pain I ever felt. After that incident I decided to finally got to the doctor was diagnosed with IBS...so I was told to eat healthier.

 

[BeauJangles]

I have about 80 - 90% of those symptoms. I've been for the endoscopy (upper and lower) twice, with no definitive results as well as every test you've had. It sucks man.

 

[MustISO]

I've been thinking about starting a thread like this for a while. I've had what's been labeled IBS for a very long time. It's getting progressively worse. I'm really amazed at how much worse it's gotten.

I almost always have a bad reaction to eating in restaurants. It's rare when I don't. I avoid a lot of social situations due to the problem. It's really messed up my life.

In a bad week I have bad "D" 5 or more times. The worst part about it is that I feel so much worse afterwards. Never better.

I've been to a lot of doctors since I was young and they've never found anything. Certain food are definitely a trigger for me. Unfortunately it's not always the same and there doesn't seem to be a definite pattern. I've kept a diary of what I eat for months. Anyway, just wanted to share my experience.


I found these two sites a while back. Certainly worth a look:

http://www.helpforibs.com/
http://www.ibshope.com/index.php

 

[TheDro]

Scouzer, try to get your mom to cut out high fructose corn syrup from her diet... and see if that helps. A year ago I found out that after I cut out all products with HFCS, that I began to have normal daily movements, which was never the case before. Before cutting HFCS out of my diet, I'd only have 1-2 movements a week, and the stool was hard and sorta dry and would sometimes get clogged up where I would have to take some Milk of Magnesia. Without HFCS in my diet, the stool is normal, isn't dry, etc.

HFCS is some nasty stuff.

For those that attempt to try to cut HFCS out of their diet, but enjoy beer, drink Beck's or start graduating to liquor.

 

[Nutdotnet]

Originally posted by: foghorn67

Originally posted by: TreyRandom
...A couple of years later, I went in to a chiropractor to see what he could do for a crick in my neck. For years, I had developed a distrust of chiropractors because my mom had back trouble, and every time she'd go see her chiropractor, she'd come out complaining just as bad as when she went in. So, with reservations, I went in to see a chiropractor my sister recommended - after all, who else is gonna fix a crick in my neck, right?

After an x-ray, the chiropractor starts checking out my back and asks me if I have any intestinal problems. Sorta shocked, I tell him yes. He adjusts my neck and lower back and tells me to come back in a few days. My neck felt better... but that wasn't the golden part...

...dude, my IBS symptoms vanished as if someone turned off a light switch. :Q

Holy Moly, that is amazing.

For real...I've been meaning to go to a Chiropractor....hmmm....

 

[TheDro]

Scouzer, you may be fructose intolerant (1st time I heard it myself, but found it interesting)

http://www.helpforibs.com/messageboards...248&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&vc=1

 

[BeauJangles]

Originally posted by: TheDro
For those that attempt to try to cut HFCS out of their diet, but enjoy beer, drink Beck's or start graduating to liquor.

Most beer contains HFCS?

 

[TheDro]

Blinder, most if not all beer made in the U.S. have HFCS. Canadian, & Mexican beer probably don't, though there might be a slight chance that some Canadian beer don't but I'm sure that Mexican beers don't. Even the microbrewed beers have HFCS, at least the ones I've consumed (Sweetwater 420 for example from Atlanta).

 

[RossGr]

My wife has Crones. A bit over 20yrs ago (before I met her) they tried to trace Barium through her and lost it. They operated very soon there after and removed a significant portion of her small intestine. From what the found she is very lucky to be alive. Before her operation she weighed about 80lbs (5'7") from the pics I have seen she was skeletal. After the operation she finally was able to eat and began to put on weight.

Currently she simply lives with diarrhea, she has major trouble with fiber of nearly any sort (we call her the "salad shooter") , seeds are an ordeal. So from this experience I would recommend that you AVOID FIBER and seeds of any sort. Eat only white bread and processed foods. Above all else HOUND YOUR DOCTOR what you are experiencing is NOT normal keep after them till they find the cause.

My wife lived with this from childhood till she was 30 before they found the problem. They blamed her, they ignored her they sent her to someone else no one seemed to be able to help her. One doctor was wanted it to be appendicitis, he kept poking her in the side asking if it hurt. Well, yes, it does hurt to be poked in the side. Finally they send her to a gynecologist (lets see, I can?t eat cause it hurts, I can?t gain any weight yep lets call in a gynecologist !) But the gynecologist was able to identify Crones diseases, probably saved her life.

 

[SLU MD]

Celiac disease can be diagnosed using a blood test called IgA anti-endomysium antibodies. I dont know how easy it is to obtain in Cananda, but it is extremely common in the states. I would definately run that test as a first option because it is less invasive.

If that comes back negative, a colonoscopy is the next step. This can readily diagnose crohns vs UC.

This is the standard of care for your described conditions, anything else is completely unacceptable.

SLU M.D. <----a real U.S. doctor

and people here in the states want universal health care, crazy.

 

[MustISO]

I've had all kinds of camera and probes in both ends and they've never found anything. One doc thought it was Celiac but it turns out my intestines are normal. Well, at least what they've looked at. It's clearly NOT normal.

 

[iliopsoas]

Crohns can be difficult to diagnose at times. A small bowel series (like the one you described) will only find abnormalities if you have ACTIVE Crohns at the time of study and if the timing of the study is right. Multiple overlying loops of bowel can obscure the abnormality.

Despite what SLU MD (pfththththt) said, it can be difficult to distinguish Crohn's from Ulcerative Colitis. The clinical picture is often indistinguishable. Colonoscopy may be negative if you have no colonic involvement. Evaluating the small bowel radiographically can be tough.

 

[ohmide]

Yeah I have IBS too. Both fructose and lactose intolerant and for some weird reason I can't have chicken or pork without having problems the next day. You should try what I do. Drink only water, eat only beef and rice. I also take this high cholesterol stuff "Colestid", it totally helps with stool formation so that it is not so loose. Good luck though, digestive problems really suck, I'd rather be diabetic, at least people understand blood sugar levels. Most peeps can't fathom the chronic inability to "plan" when to go to the bathroom.

 

[SLU MD]

Originally posted by: iliopsoas
Crohns can be difficult to diagnose at times. A small bowel series (like the one you described) will only find abnormalities if you have ACTIVE Crohns at the time of study and if the timing of the study is right. Multiple overlying loops of bowel can obscure the abnormality.

Despite what SLU MD (pfththththt) said, it can be difficult to distinguish Crohn's from Ulcerative Colitis. The clinical picture is often indistinguishable. Colonoscopy may be negative if you have no colonic involvement. Evaluating the small bowel radiographically can be tough.

from wikipedia

The best test for diagnosis of ulcerative colitis remains endoscopy. Full colonoscopy to the cecum and entry into the terminal ileum is attempted only if diagnosis of UC is unclear. Otherwise, a flexible sigmoidoscopy is sufficient to support the diagnosis. The physician may elect to limit the extent of the exam if severe colitis is encountered to minimize the risk of perforation of the colon. Endoscopic findings in ulcerative colitis include the following:

A colonoscopy is the best test for making the diagnosis of Crohn's disease as it allows direct visualization of the colon and the terminal ileum, identifying the pattern of disease involvement. During the procedure, the gastroenterologist can also perform a biopsy, taking small samples of tissue for laboratory analysis which may help confirm a diagnosis. As 30% of Crohn's disease involves only the ileum,[1] cannulation of the terminal ileum is required in making the diagnosis. Finding a patchy distribution of disease, with involvement of the colon or ileum but not the rectum, is suggestive of Crohn's disease, as are other endoscopic stigmata.[31]


dont really know what else to say

 

[jhayx7]

My wife deals with this as well. We have gone vegetarian and that has done wonders for her issues. It seems that meat (esp. red meat) would make her stomach angry.

Good luck on getting better. I know it is a horrible thing to deal with.