Hi all. I know, the title of my thread is bizarre, but I've been dealing with whatever this is for 4 years now and I'm just ready to move on. Brief history:
43 y.o. female, chronic constipation and long history of internal and external bleeding hemorrhoids.
4 years ago I started feeling tired all the time and no amount of sleep helped. Got blood tested and ferritin was 5 and hg was 10. Also had positive test for blood in stool. Saw Hematologist who scheduled iron infusion and referral to GI. Started having mild stomach pain. Tested negative for H.Pylori. GI started standard work-up - endo, colonoscopy and capsule endo. Said there was an AVM in my small bowel and what appeared to be NSAID damage in my stomach. Double balloon enteroscopy to deal with AVM. Surgeon after was MAD - didn't find AVMs. Said it was a waste of his time. GI doc insisted it was NSAIDs, although it didn't make sense - I didn't take them regularly.
1-1/2 years later same thing with ferritin and fecal test. Iron infusion again.
Pain started even more. Stabbing pains had me doubled over. Severe bloating, gas, breathing labored, etc... Had all scopes and camera pill again. Found nothing. Pain got worse - scheduled ultrasound and CT (they thought it was gallbladder). All negative. GI doc blamed NSAIDs again, even though I had specifically restricted my use of them in the past year and a half. Pain eventually went away.
1 month ago - tired. blood test showed low ferritin and positive fecal test. Iron infustion again. New GI doc this time. Endo, colonoscopy scheduled for this Friday. Pain started last week, today is bad. Doubled over, gas, diarrhea, feeling of dizzyness and flushed, along with heavy feeling in chest (breathing). Pain at it's worse today.
It's pretty sad when you wish for IBD, isn't it? I just want answers so I can move forward with whatever this is. New GI is open to all possibilities, so I'm hopeful.
43 y.o. female, chronic constipation and long history of internal and external bleeding hemorrhoids.
4 years ago I started feeling tired all the time and no amount of sleep helped. Got blood tested and ferritin was 5 and hg was 10. Also had positive test for blood in stool. Saw Hematologist who scheduled iron infusion and referral to GI. Started having mild stomach pain. Tested negative for H.Pylori. GI started standard work-up - endo, colonoscopy and capsule endo. Said there was an AVM in my small bowel and what appeared to be NSAID damage in my stomach. Double balloon enteroscopy to deal with AVM. Surgeon after was MAD - didn't find AVMs. Said it was a waste of his time. GI doc insisted it was NSAIDs, although it didn't make sense - I didn't take them regularly.
1-1/2 years later same thing with ferritin and fecal test. Iron infusion again.
Pain started even more. Stabbing pains had me doubled over. Severe bloating, gas, breathing labored, etc... Had all scopes and camera pill again. Found nothing. Pain got worse - scheduled ultrasound and CT (they thought it was gallbladder). All negative. GI doc blamed NSAIDs again, even though I had specifically restricted my use of them in the past year and a half. Pain eventually went away.
1 month ago - tired. blood test showed low ferritin and positive fecal test. Iron infustion again. New GI doc this time. Endo, colonoscopy scheduled for this Friday. Pain started last week, today is bad. Doubled over, gas, diarrhea, feeling of dizzyness and flushed, along with heavy feeling in chest (breathing). Pain at it's worse today.
It's pretty sad when you wish for IBD, isn't it? I just want answers so I can move forward with whatever this is. New GI is open to all possibilities, so I'm hopeful.
