Please read, need advice ... feel clueless!!

[FluidMotion]

Hi everyone,

The last 3 months of my life have been a hell storm of health revelations. 2 1/2 months ago I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. 6 weeks ago Rheumatoid Arthritis. Now the Doc thinks I also have CD.

I'm 54, female. I've known for 10 years or longer that something just wasn't right with me. Now these diagnosis in the last few months. I don't have insurance so the only Doctor I have been able to see was my GP. I am sero positive RA. I was prescribed methotrexate 10 mgsx1 week. Took that for four weeks until I had a bad allergic reaction (face, lips swelling, itching like mad). So, I went to the ER for the allergic reaction last Monday night, 8 days ago, and haven't taken it for 2 weeks. Since then these autoimmune symptoms have gotten worse and been kicking my hiney - literally.

Last Friday morning at 3.00 am I was woken up with severe cramps and proceeded to have painful cramping diarrhea for 8 hours. So, I chalked that up to other times it has happened and passed with just one incident. Now, each night since then I have been woken up between 3.00 and 4.00 am with terrible cramping, huge bloats of gas in my stomach, and terrible diarrhea that lasts until about 1.00 pm and leaves me exhausted. This is going on day 6 and I can tell already that it is going to happen again tonight. Except now my stomach is sore and painful, really hurting to the point of being hunched over. Ugh. So I don't know what to do. I dont know how many days I can keep doing this without just collapsing, and I'm afraid this stomach soreness/pain is going to be alot worse in the morning. Any advice? What has been your experience?:sign0085:

 

[Mary:)]

Well when I had my first flare and didn't know of my CD diagnosis yet I remember my stomach would be the worst at night...every night. Gas..bloating..pain..rumbling and pain near my belly button. If u have RA already you may have CD also. It took awhile for my diagnosis also. Just watch what you eat and push for a colonoscopy.

 

[FluidMotion]

Hi Mary - thanks so much. I've taken Cymbalta for 10 years. It's a good anti depressant. It does have wicked withdrawals if you take it for any length of time. Should work well. I've always had insomnia too, and take trazadone for sleep. it's cheap and effective, much better than any of the Ambien and other brands imo.

So, I'm anticipating the 3 am wake up call tonight. I'm also in the middle of an RA flare, so when I have to go potty I can't even rest my elbows on my knees haha. So tonight before bed, I am prepared with a chair to lean on if it gets bad. I live alone too so I've envisioned myself driving myself to the ER, poopin' in my pants along the way .... a little humor ...ahhhhh.

By the way did you get woken up in the middle of the night?

 

[David]

Hi FM and welcome to the forum. I'm so sorry to hear that you've been hit with so many health issues lately. That must be overwhelming

Let's pray that you don't have Crohn's Disease and there's a more benign cause of your symptoms. Do you have a meeting with a gastroenterologist lined up? Or have you already seen one and do you have some tests lined up?

We're here for you!

 

[Angrybird]

Hello and welcome to the forum, that is a certainly a lot to be hit with at once! If you have not already definetly see about seeing a GI and getting some testing done, hopefully there will not be anything too nasty going on (fingers crossed). I must say in the early days for me I was up for hours during the night, I was VERY thankful that I had an ensuite toilet so I didn't have to run too far.....

Hope you get answers to this soon.

AB
xx