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I am feeling hopeless and heart sick

I have very high triglycerides, and my GI had his nurse call me and tell me to talk to my general practioner about getting my triglycerides under control. He would not talk to me about what might be causing this new problem and wouldn't answer if it could be caused by any of the medications I'm taking. On top of that, I had a really bad start of the month--I was shaking and in pain while going to the bathroom 20 times a day. I had that rolling pain that rolled over my body before each trip to the bathroom and I was a week away from Remicade so I was almost positive it was Crohn's. They took a blood test before the Remicade, but discarded it because my blood was so high in lipids. After Remicade, I got some relief (less trips the bathroom and not as much pain) but they had me take a new blood test, and because the post-Remicade one came back without any inflammatory markers, my GI had his nurse tell me that I wasn't experience a Crohn's flare and that my Crohn's is not acting up. I don't understand this at all. How can one tiny test negate every single symptom I'm experiencing?

On top of this, I talked to my general practioner about medicines I could take to lower my dangerously high triglycerides and she is recommending more bile sequestrants (I take WelChol now). It says on the internet and in the WelChol prescribing information that WelChol can increase triglycerides as can Questran, so not only does she want me to continue the WelChol (which I need to or I would be shitting bile every 5 seconds) but she wants to add Questran on top of it. Does this make sense to anyone when both meds are contraindicated in the presence of very high triglycerides? My fasting result was over 700.

Neither my GI or my GP wants to try to find out why my triglycerides are high in the first place. Neither one wants to check my pancreas or my liver. I have tried to get so many doctors to listen to me or just explain their rationale and I'm so tired of fighting. I wish I could find a doctor who would look at the entire pattern and try to find out why this is happening and actually prescribe an appropriate medication to lower my triglycerides before my arteries harden into sticks.
 
Hello there :)

Does high cholesterol run in your family? The only reason that I ask is because I am a 27 year old female who eats extrememly healthy, and I too have dangerously high triglycerides. They told me that it was most likely just hereditary and nothing I could do about it except for take medicine.

I ended up getting pancreatitis because of such high levels ( that's what they said caused the pancreatitis, but there wasn't much investigation into it).


As for the Crohn's symptoms... I've had numerous blood tests that came back without inflammatory markers and had found that my Crohn's was not in remission. I don't think they should go just off of that.

I hope you find some relief soon and that you get to feeling better. Hang in there.
 

Terriernut

Moderator
Sorry, I havent lived in the States for quite a while, but, is your Dr an Internal Specialist? Can you ask to see someone who is not just a general practice doctor?
 

suschex

Suzanne
I know you have to be so worn out having to fight so hard for your health! Is there any chance of finding a different GI? I'm just so sorry you are going through this terribly tough spot!
 
I do think I need a GI who will listen to me and take the time to either find a solution to my problem or refer me on. I do think this is partially hereditary and that the medicines have made it worse because the problem happened almost overnight. My cholesterol was fine until I started Imuran and Welchol. I think that my triglycerides were becoming elevated due to a family problem and the meds are making it worse. I would like someone to prescribe a triglyceride lowering medication but my GI doesn't want to deal with the problem and my general practioner is recommending a med I don't agree with. I'm usually a compliant patient, but I do do my research. It was just very hard being blown off by two doctors yesterday on the heel of the news that I have another problem I need to worry about.

I do think my general practioner is not up to snuff so I need to move on from both docs. You can see an internist in the states but I'm not sure they're exactly different (from my experience, although it could just be my location).

Thanks for the support!!
 

DustyKat

Super Moderator
Perhaps you could give psyllium husks a go to bulk up your stool? Might go quite a way to solving your diarrhoea without the need for medication that has adverse side effects for you.

My daughter uses them with great effect. :)

Dusty. xxx
 
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