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My story so far, any input is appreciated!

Hey everyone! I am a 18 year old female going into my sophomore year in college. I am undiagnosed as of right now but in the process of getting an answer. So, anyone who would take the time to read this and give their two cents is more than appreciated by doing so! Ever since I can really remember, I have had this chronic abdominal pain. My mom is a nurse with functional alcoholism and some pretty bad depression/ personality problems so she pretty much told me my entire life that it was all in my head and there was nothing actually wrong with me. Still to this day she tells me this, but I know my body and I'm no longer going to let myself sit in misery. My dad has (had?) ulcerative colitis and crohns, he didn't find out about the crohns until a month ago but had UC for about 15 years. My grandfather on my dads side had colon cancer and my grandfather on my moms side had leukemia. He had to have almost all his colon removed and some of his small intestine. He also had diverticulitis right after his colectomy which almost killed him but thank god it didn't. :applause: But anyway, since I was probably 12 years old I can remember having (and still have) this horrid crampy pain on my left side right under my ribcage. It is just horrid, it feels like a period cramp on my rib. If it's bad it can move to my back, and it can last anywhere from five minutes to an hour or two. Laying down typically helps, especially in the fetus position lol. I can remember being at school and almost going to urgent care, I could hardly walk home from class and it felt like my breathing was getting tighter and tighter because I was hunched over walking in so much pain. My boyfriend nearly had to carry me. So that has been my main problem throughout my life. I also have had chronic nausea, headaches, night sweats, anxiety, depression, anemia, excessive gas almost always, excessive belching, occasional mouth canker sores, appetite fluctuations, horrible periods (very heavy and HORRID cramps!!), tingly feeling in my feet and hands, hip/wrist/ankle joint pains, chronic/recurring UTIs, and cramps in the lower abdomen/groin occasionally. My bowel movements I feel have never been normal. They are either way too soft or way too hard to pass, and a lot of the time (I dont know if this is an accurate description) they feel acidic. Like they look and feel acidic, and I dont really even know how to describe that. When they are softer they are more urgent, and harder they are less. More recently I have cut out gluten and dairy, which helped a bit with the left side pain but not the indigestion. I CONSTANTLY have this gurgly noise coming from my stomach, 24 hours a day. It sounds like I'm hungry but I'm not, it gets worse after meals. It doesn't hurt, but I can feel and definitely hear the liquids swooshing around in my stomach. I also sometimes have mucus in my bowels. I never sleep anymore, it takes 4 valerian roots and zzz quill to knock me out and ill still wake up early and be so tired but not be able to sleep. I'm constantly over tired and weak now, and it's a new thing. I went to the gym the other day and couldn't finish my work out. I felt so out of it and weak, it took me nearly an hour to catch my breath back and even then I felt sick for the rest of the day. I've lost a good amount of weight without trying really, but that could be from the GF/DF diet I've been on for a little over a month. (Lost about 15 lbs and I wasn't overweight to begin with.) I've had this horrible pain in my gums causing me migraines. So basically, I have been a total wreck, especially lately. I have a healthy diet especially now with no dairy or gluten. I try to exercise when I can but I usually get winded too quickly or feel too tired. I am trying so hard to get through this because I feel like my issues were always neglected and built up, and I don't know weather this is IBS, UC, Crohn's, or something else, but if anyone has input or thinks this sounds like something your help is TRULY valued. I'm going to my MD friday before work and I am seeing (FINALLY) my dads GI at the end of July. So until then I'm trying to find some answers!!! :(
 

DJW

Forum Monitor
Hi and welcome. I'm so sorry you've had such a long rough go of it. I'm glad you're seeing your doctor and a GI specialist. Sounds like something is definitely going on.

Not sure if you're doing it but I'd suggest a food and symptom journal. This can be very helpful for the doctors.

I'm curious if your up in the night needing to use the washroom. If so, let the doctor know. This isn't usually common in IBS.

I hope you get some answers soon. I ending you my support and best wishes.
 
Welcome to the forum, and I agree that there is something going on!!!

I am big on GI's and naturalpaths (good ones, that will listen to you)

The food journal sounds like a great idea and it is good that you have already eleminated wheat and dairy. Food allergies can cause so many problems.

Move forward and I wish you the best in finding out what is causing you so many issues and get you healthy.
 
Hey msu Spartan, you have come to the right place for input!! This being said it does sound to me as if you have some form of IBD. This being said the world is not over and you are definitely going to be alright now that you have found this site.
My name is Joe, I am student at Cooley law School in lansing, I have a year left, I was diagnosed with Crohns a little over a year ago and am without the use of any pharmaceuticals symptom free. My mom had UC until she had her Colon removed and was given a J-pouch (synthetic colon) last July. She is currently doing well and has almost no problems. I took it upon myself too find a alternative that worked. I decided to use medical marijuana, not by smoking it but by ingesting it through Rick Simpson oil and various edibles preferably lab tested ones. I am a medical marijuana recipient and grower it has saved my life.
I think for you the best thing is to go to your doctor, see a GI find out for sure that it is what we think it is and then go from there, then get certified as a medical marijuana patient, then you can go to the dispensaries and get what you need there to make yourself asymptomatic. I hope this helps and if you need more information, private message me I will help you personally considering you are down the road from where I attend law school it would be easy to put the ball into motion to help you out.
 
Your symptoms do sound similar to mine before I was diagnosed, glad you are going to see someone and hopefully they will be able to help you figure out what is going on.
Well done on quitting the dairy and gluten , I am sure it will help ( I have only managed to cut down a bit and that has helped me).
I would also try to get in some probiotics , they seem to help with tummy pain and gas , I know about it if I haven't taken them!
Also I have seen improvements since starting to take an oral spray vit d. There is a thread on here about it. I used to have a lot of mouth sores ect before that.
I have also given up caffeine and even decaf coffee as it is too acidic,
Hope some of this helps,
Good luck :)

http://www.crohnsforum.com/wiki/Vitamin-D#vw-comments
 
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