I suspect I have IBD...GP has given me antibiotics...could ABs make it worse if I'm right??

[JTB44]

I am already diagnosed with an inflammatory arthritis (AxSpA) and have been in a major flare the last few months due to a change in my drug regime. What is new however is that I have developed stomach issues that are escalating quite quickly. I have bloating, wind, discomfort, multiple bowel movements with urgency (up to 10 a day) and watery mucousy stools. I feel debilitated but dont have a temperature. I have had a private calprotectin test come back at 270 ug/mg (should be below 50) which advised referral to gasterontology.

My GP doesn't want to refer me yet and said he wants to try antibiotics first in case of some kind of infection such as diverticulitis. But my insides are so unhappy at the moment I can't quite face taking them...and I'm not convinced by his diagnosis anyway given my symptoms and history. Would I be unreasonable to seek a second opinion before giving them a go??

Ive googled diverticulitis and it says severe pain on one side, temperature, constipation and/or diarrhoea, blood in stools...I dont have any of these symptoms apart from the runs!

 

[Pangolin]

In general, antibiotics are more likely to help a little bit than to make things worse, even for IBD. Most likely they won't do much for you either way. Still, the GP is probably not unreasonable to want to try that first. However, that calprotectin really should get you to a gastroenterologist.

 

[wild_one353]

The idea of a, just in case, antibiotic prescription, is part of the problem right now in medicine, as far as I recall.

I'd say skip the antibiotics, talk to another doc.

Also learn about dietary changes that might help your IBD to add to your meds, the studies have come along way in this area and with diffuculty in treating ibd, its something we need to know about, and not wait until science perfects it, because even approved meds aren't perfect or perfected or gauranteed to work for every case.

At the very least, remove as many chemicals from your diet as possible, like artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, any odd chemicals at all, this is a good place to start.

Other things I recommend is turmeric, make it into a tea and strain it through a coffee filter. start with 1/4 tsp a day. It should help a little in 5 days at the earliest. Also take vitamin d 1000-2000 iu.

 

[whaleroad]

Hi. I'm sorry I don't have an answer to your question but as a fellow AxSpa patient in a similar boat I just wanted to offer some support. What was the change to your drug regime? I posted my story here

 

[wild_one353]

This link below is what i was referring to, its called antibiotic stewardship or promoting the responsible use of antibiotics. It may be the case the your docs judgement is sound, but its hard for me to judge in this case whether it was.

But if there is any other option then antibiotics, I suggest you take it. This is more info then you may need, but that's why we are here, to supplement, but not replace, what any doctor would say. And mainly stewardship is mainly for avoiding the promotion of antibiotic resistant bacteria from the overuse of antibiotics, but this could soon move to avoiding further damage to the human microbiome.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8022448/

 

[JTB44]

The idea of a, just in case, antibiotic prescription, is part of the problem right now in medicine, as far as I recall.

I'd say skip the antibiotics, talk to another doc.

Also learn about dietary changes that might help your IBD to add to your meds, the studies have come along way in this area and with diffuculty in treating ibd, its something we need to know about, and not wait until science perfects it, because even approved meds aren't perfect or perfected or gauranteed to work for every case.

At the very least, remove as many chemicals from your diet as possible, like artificial sweeteners, emulsifiers, any odd chemicals at all, this is a good place to start.

Other things I recommend is turmeric, make it into a tea and strain it through a coffee filter. start with 1/4 tsp a day. It should help a little in 5 days at the earliest. Also take vitamin d 1000-2000 iu.

Thanks, I agree with everything you say and willgive the turmeric tea a go. And I will be asking for a second opinion too!

 

[JTB44]

Hi. I'm sorry I don't have an answer to your question but as a fellow AxSpa patient in a similar boat I just wanted to offer some support. What was the change to your drug regime? I posted my story here

Thanks for your reply, I can see from your story that you're having a hard time of it too. I hope you get some answers soon. My story is that I was diagnosed with AxSpA a few years ago and was put on etoricixib which worked wonderfully. I took it with omeprazole to protect my stomach, but unfortunately I became really unwell earlier this year and was eventually diagnosed with severe anaemia. Investigations showed I had a bleeding stomach ulcer so I had to come off the etoricoxib. The anaemia has improved so presumably the ulcer has healed. But I have been in a flare ever since I stopped the meds back in June. Pain, fatigue etc and the last few weeks I've developed new stomach issues of the IBS/IBD kind. Up to 10 urgent watery BMs a day, meaning Im off work now (outdoors education tutor...too far from a loo!) Theres a long wait to see my rheum consultant so no treatment plan currently. I paid for a private calprotectin test because of my conviction that I am developing an IBD, and the result came back high. GP wouldnt refer me to gastroentology though...same GP who told me 3 years ago that no, I definitely dont have AxSpA because Im too old. Sometimes it really is a battle to get to the bottom of whats wrong. Anyway, fingers crossed we both get some answers soon.

 

[wild_one353]

i apologize, i misread your diagnosis as inflammatory bowel disease, not arthritis!! either way, any gi issues you described could also apply to my advice. Vitamin d will give you some support for fighting infections in your body.

 

[whaleroad]

My story is that I was diagnosed with AxSpA a few years ago and was put on etoricixib which worked wonderfully. I took it with omeprazole to protect my stomach, but unfortunately I became really unwell earlier this year and was eventually diagnosed with severe anaemia. ... GP wouldnt refer me to gastroentology though...same GP who told me 3 years ago that no, I definitely dont have AxSpA because Im too old.

Sounds familiar re diagnosis. Part of the reason I'm putting off seeing a doctor now is because the road to my AxSpa diagnosis was so exhausting and stressful I'm not sure I could go through that again.

I occasionally took etoricoxib but cut it out completely a couple of weeks ago to see if that was causing my problems, but it doesn't seem to be the culprit. My routine blood work last week showed nothing except mild anaemia. Not unusual with the medication I'm on.

Do you have a rheumatology nurse helpline who could expedite your appointment?