Hi there!
Brand new here. Mainly here because I have a lengthy story but I'm sure everyone does
Basically I don't know if I should put myself in line for a colonoscopy or not...
So when I was 17, I moved to university and started having major problems with digesting foods. We always figured it was my lactose intolerance, but after a while it didn't seem to coincide with milk. It was high-fat foods, large meals, complicated meals (lots of carbs/proteins/fat all in one), etc. It was honestly just really hard to pinpoint what was wrong. I lost 15lbs in a year I think, which I didn't really gain any back until 2yrs later (and only now, 5yrs later, I've gained only about 13lbs of that back). I wasn't having really frequent diarrhea but anytime I ate, I pretty much got sick immediately.
3 yrs later I started getting a little better (things in my life also became dramatically positive). I was diagnosed with an overactive bladder due to frequent UTIs without positive culture results - so basically an inflammatory attack that hits me all the time. I'm pretty used to it now.
Then I got into medical school and here's where it gets complicated - being a med student actually makes you *afraid* to go to the doctor because they don't take you seriously at all. All med students are "hypochondriacs" and making **** up as they go. But in 1st year med, I started noticing aching in my finger joints (in weird ones too) and my wrists. I broke out in a strange rash, chalked up to pityriasis rosea. And my bowels were so annoying... it got to the point where I couldn't go out for dinner with my friends, go to formal events, etc. without getting sick. The only place safe was home - and I don't know if my diarrhea was any better at home but atleast I was alone.
Last week, I went to the doctor because we're in GI block, and my symptoms seemed alarming enough to me to wonder if something was legitimately wrong. The doctor said I was classic IBS, prescribed me some Buscopan and said I could do a colonoscopy but nothing will probably come of it.
Tested me for hyperthyroidism, celiac, anemia - normal. No physical exam done though, just went on symptoms.
I am positive for anti-nuclear antibodies and I have a very strong history of autoimmune disease on my mother's side. Psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, vitiligo, Grave's, Sjorsen's. On my dad's side, diabetes, colon polyps/problems in general, heart disease.
So..... after that ridiculous story... What do you guys think? Should I be worried about IBD? Or does IBS sound about right? I wanted to ask people who actually knows what it feels like to be sick all the time, and not just go on a busy Campus doctor's opinion.
Brand new here. Mainly here because I have a lengthy story but I'm sure everyone does
Basically I don't know if I should put myself in line for a colonoscopy or not...So when I was 17, I moved to university and started having major problems with digesting foods. We always figured it was my lactose intolerance, but after a while it didn't seem to coincide with milk. It was high-fat foods, large meals, complicated meals (lots of carbs/proteins/fat all in one), etc. It was honestly just really hard to pinpoint what was wrong. I lost 15lbs in a year I think, which I didn't really gain any back until 2yrs later (and only now, 5yrs later, I've gained only about 13lbs of that back). I wasn't having really frequent diarrhea but anytime I ate, I pretty much got sick immediately.
3 yrs later I started getting a little better (things in my life also became dramatically positive). I was diagnosed with an overactive bladder due to frequent UTIs without positive culture results - so basically an inflammatory attack that hits me all the time. I'm pretty used to it now.
Then I got into medical school and here's where it gets complicated - being a med student actually makes you *afraid* to go to the doctor because they don't take you seriously at all. All med students are "hypochondriacs" and making **** up as they go. But in 1st year med, I started noticing aching in my finger joints (in weird ones too) and my wrists. I broke out in a strange rash, chalked up to pityriasis rosea. And my bowels were so annoying... it got to the point where I couldn't go out for dinner with my friends, go to formal events, etc. without getting sick. The only place safe was home - and I don't know if my diarrhea was any better at home but atleast I was alone.
Last week, I went to the doctor because we're in GI block, and my symptoms seemed alarming enough to me to wonder if something was legitimately wrong. The doctor said I was classic IBS, prescribed me some Buscopan and said I could do a colonoscopy but nothing will probably come of it.
Tested me for hyperthyroidism, celiac, anemia - normal. No physical exam done though, just went on symptoms.
I am positive for anti-nuclear antibodies and I have a very strong history of autoimmune disease on my mother's side. Psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, vitiligo, Grave's, Sjorsen's. On my dad's side, diabetes, colon polyps/problems in general, heart disease.
So..... after that ridiculous story... What do you guys think? Should I be worried about IBD? Or does IBS sound about right? I wanted to ask people who actually knows what it feels like to be sick all the time, and not just go on a busy Campus doctor's opinion.
