Feeling great. NOT! :(

[Stevi (:]

So I started getting all my really bad symptoms in January 2014. I have abdominal pain off and on all day everyday(really triggers like an hour after eating). I have diarrhea everyday and mucous in stool everyday sometimes blood but fresh.. Im really tired my joints hurt I get headaches often... nothing food wise likes to agree with me. When i eat foods like oatmeal... I hurt even worse... I also have GERD so say good bye to spicy and greasy foods. Ive lost like 15 pounds... im 5'2 95 pounds and my average weight is 110-115. I have poor absorption with a very small appetite. My doctor suspected it was h. pylori and so we went through the treatment with that...i should be feeling much better now...but i don't.. i should know in a week if the bacteria is eradicated... Anyways... im really frustrated with feeling this way constantly... I try to pretend it all doesn't exist sometimes and go out and well i pay for it later... I just know a lot of people on here learn to cope with these feelings a lot longer than two-three months...Im used to working 5 days a week and on my days off going out into the wild and enjoying a walk... i cant even clean my house in a whole day... when i could in two hours... im so tired.. and im sick of it....not to mention no one i know really understands. I need some ways of coping... :ybatty:

 

[Trysha]

Hi Stevi
Have you been diagnosed with IBD?
Did you have a colonoscopy done by a GI specialist?
This is the gold standard for IBD diagnosis.
Do you have some medication for the GERD which these days can be successfully treated with proton pump inhibitors like omeprazole pantoprazole, ie.(Nexium, Prevacid etc
They will have you feeling better quite quickly.
You do need a comprehensive evaluation by a GI specialist for a full diagnosis and treatment., and hopefully this is underway.
Make sure your doctors know of your continuing symptoms which they may be able to help.
You will find ways to cope but none of us find it easy to do this.
There is much information in these pages and if you take a good look around the forum you will find others who have similar experiences and feelings that you have., which you may find helpful to your situation.
Feel better soon
Hugs and best wishes
Trysha
:ghug:

 

[Stevi (:]

I havent been diagnosed. Im seeing a surgeon right now who specializes in the alimentary tract. For some reason he only gave me a flex sig which came back normal ...He took me off all meds including the omeprazole becuase he wanted to see if it stopped my diarrhea but its hasn't so i will be put back on the... im going to have to get surgery to help with the gerd ... i dont have a lower esophageal sphincter keeping my stomach acids in... today i think hell be scheduling me for a colonoscopy. Its just taking a long time :/ thanks ive been spending a lot of time on this page looking at what everyone has to say.. it has been great help.

 

[Stevi (:]

So i just got back from the Doctors they ordered a pill cam and an ultrasound... he told me today that I can prevent my days from being so miserable... with Imodium.... if it was that damn simple i wouldnt be going to the doctors... ugh.

 

[RosannaKate]

Hello Stevi, did they mention a colonoscopy or endoscopy at all? The pill cam is great for seeing the small bowel, but they cannot do biopsys and they dont look into the large bowel with it. A biopsy is usually a must have in diagnosing IBD, its the most accurate check. In someways I'd ask about the possibilites of those as the pill cam is great but if inflammation was shown, they'd probably want to do an endoscopy for biopsys. Personally, I'd rather do as little bowel prep as possible to get a dx.

While you cannot take Imodium long term, it should help short term with the diarrhoea just to give you a little relief in the toilet department! Once you have a dx, hopefully they can put you on something which helps. But getting to the dx is not always the quickest of processes, so hang in there!

 

[Stevi (:]

I had a flex sigmiodoscopy and an endoscopy they took biopsies in the upper gi but none on the flex sig. I have edema/hypermia in my duodenal, chronic gastritis, and esophagitis showing in my biopsies on my upper gi. And the doc said my sigmoid looks normal.

 

[RosannaKate]

Oh right, if they haven't done a colonoscopy that might be the next port of call if the rest doesnt give you answers. Good luck with the tests and I hope you get a diagnosis soon! Its a horribly long journey as there is many things that could be causing the symptoms, but hopefully they can pin point it

 

[Stevi (:]

Thanks rosanna i really hope so too