Still undiagnosed after a year maybe you can help

[Gaigehammond]

Hello I've been going to the doctor every few months for the last yeAr because I've been having sever stomach aches and abdominal pain I throw up after I eat or drink almost every day some times I go for a few days and won't get sick but it always comes back and it hurts when I'm not even eating sometimes I also have lately been having rectal bleeding, soft stool or very watery stool and horrible night sweats I'm not sure if it's crohns or something else the doctor isn't really helping and keeps giving me acid blockers such as lomprazal that do nothing at all Do my symptoms seem like crohns or something else thanks for the help

 

[David]

Hi there and welcome. Have you been referred to a gastroenterologist yet? If not, that's the next step. If so, demand a colonoscopy and possibly an endoscopy. Your current treatment regimen is not correct for what you describe. Get to a specialist. If you're already at a specialist, it's test time.

 

[Angrybird]

Hello and :welcome: to the forum. I agree with David, you definetly need to be seeing a GI about these symptoms. They can make sure the correct tests (ie colonoscopy) are done to find out what is going on inside, this is really something that you need to push for. Wishing you well and keep us updated on how you are getting on.

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

Hello I've been going to the doctor every few months for the last yeAr because I've been having sever stomach aches and abdominal pain I throw up after I eat or drink almost every day some times I go for a few days and won't get sick but it always comes back and it hurts when I'm not even eating sometimes I also have lately been having rectal bleeding, soft stool or very watery stool and horrible night sweats I'm not sure if it's crohns or something else the doctor isn't really helping and keeps giving me acid blockers such as lomprazal that do nothing at all Do my symptoms seem like crohns or something else thanks for the help

Are you F'ng kidding me? "Night Sweats"? Night Sweats are a symptom of Cancer. You need to find another doctor. You have serious symptoms that have not been treated for a LONG TIME! Night Sweats can be Chrons, infection, or it can be something far worse. You should go to the ER today, and write down your symptoms before you go so you don't forget when you are at the doctors office. Go to the ER today!!! Those are serious symptoms and you have had them untreated for too long.

I'm not trying to be an alarmist, but the symptoms you are describing all warrant Emergency Room visit. Not waiting for an appointment. Take this seriously. Your current doctor is not taking this seriously enough for whatever reason but your doctor is making a serious mistake.

 

[Peanuttt]

Thank you for posting, JonnyO!! I am also undiagnosed tho "unofficcially" diagnosed & not on any treatment regimen & often experience night sweats & the same symptons, yet ive had colonoscopies & they cant find anything actually inside the colon. Didn't ralize that night sweats waa a bad sympton!! Im always learning new things on this forum!!

 

[David]

I know JohnnyO is just trying to help and he's super passionate and protective (which I love!) but I think he is being a little alarmist (no offense JohnnyO!) Are night sweats POTENTIALLY a symptom of cancer? Yes, but the statistical probability that you have cancer is extremely small and no doctor is going to think that first, second, or even third. There's no need to jump to the extreme possibilities here Yes, your symptoms should be taken seriously but nothing I read made me think immediate emergency room trip. Call your doctor to see what they think and get in to see the GI ASAP? Absolutely. But I have no doubt you're going to be ok, especially once you get in to see a specialist who can get things figured out and under control.

 

[Lisa]

There are MANY causes of night sweats - and the sweats should be taken into consideration with ALL the other symptoms - from what you describe it is time for more tests, and/or a different doctor.

Throwing up after eating is not normal, neither is blood in the stool, or having night seats. Do you run a low grade fever? Generally if I am running a temp of 99 I will have night sweats along with that - it is my bodys' way of telling me I have some type of infection going on.....

And here is a link that has many more causes of night sweats - http://www.webmd.com/menopause/guide/8-causes-of-night-sweats

 

[Jessi]

Hello Gaige and :welcome: to the forum. You're not too far away from where I am in Ogden.

I don't understand why your doctor prescribed the acid reducer. I agree with the others who mentioned getting a new specialist right away. Have your stools tested in a lab and get a couple of scopes done, as David mentioned in his first post.

The bleeding is what would concern me more than the night sweats. I get both of those symptoms when I am having an ulcerative colitis flare. What color is the blood - dark or bright red? And is the blood in your stool or just around it? These are indicators of where exactly the blood is coming from. It could be a bleeding ulcer or it could just be a fissure from straining, for example.

What kinds of foods have you been eating? If you are getting sick and in pain after eating, often it's helpful to go on a liquid diet until you're better (Ensure, Modulen...) Check out our Enteral Nutrition subforum: http://www.crohnsforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=161

I really hope you can get help from someone soon. If you'd like, the people here on the forum from Utah can recommend a few good GI doctors. :hug:

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

It's probably NOT cancer, BUT, throwing up every day and blood in stool, AND severe pain are severe symptoms. If you have insurance you have nothing to lose but your copayment by going to ER and having some tests done. I wasn't trying to scare anyone, but it's clear to a lot of people on here your current doctor is not addressing this properly. I only recently got insured through my partner and now I take full advantage of what's covered by my insurance. I've been to the ER myself 3 times in the last year for minor infections and the point is they run any test/scan they feel you need at the time of visit and you see a specialist if necessary that day.

PS also sometimes we need a nudge from our support group to get a second opinion. This forumn has helped me out so much. I really appreciate everyone's input here.

 

[David]

The ER shouldn't be utilized in that capacity in my opinion. If something is potentially very wrong then yes, don't think twice about going. But it's for emergencies and utilizing it for other means increases health care costs for everyone and increases wait times for those that do have emergencies. And suggesting going to the ER when it's likely not an emergency may scare the heck out of people into thinking it is a dire emergency because they don't understand what's going on

 

[JohnnyRottenAppleseed]

Maybe urgent care? I just don't think he should have to wait to make an appointment, wait for a referral etc. He has had the symptoms for a long time. Thanks for being the counterbalance to my urgency. I was only trying to balance out his docs lack of urgency .

 

[Cupcake]

I think we've all been in situations where it was difficult to get our symptoms across to the doctors. Crohn's is one of the invisible diseases, one could say, and just because you don't look "sick" doesn't mean there isn't anything wrong.

As many of the others have mentioned, seeing a doctor is dire. If you have access to any medical records you've got from previous doctor's appointments, having them faxed over or bringing your own copies is very beneficial for a first appointment.

I would suggest that you start a log of all your symptoms. If you start taking your temperature, recording the number of bowel movements a day you have and your pain levels, it will greatly help when you're able to sit down with a medical professional and go over everything you've had going on. It's really easy to forget what was going on inside your body on any given day and how long things have been that way. Also keeping track of what you've eaten over the course of the day can benefit you later on when trying to look at what kind of a diet will be most beneficial to you.

There are a few iPhone aps I've used as food diaries. One was "Lose It" which is a dieting ap. Another one is Crohn's Specific and called "Wellness Widget".

 

[DougUte]

Hi Gaige. Apparently your post was posted twice. I responded in the other thread. I could recommend a GI in Davis County if you want to drive north of Salt Lake.

Like Jessi asked, is the blood bright red or dark red? If it is bright red the bleeding is most likely from somewhere around the rectum. If it is dark red, that means the bleeding is from farther up the digestive track. I would think you need to get into a GI (or another GI if the doctor your seeing already is one). I would also document the symptoms you are having, and get copies of your medical records from your doctors offices before you see the new doc. Have them with you when you see your GI.

FYI We have a Utah group that gets together every month and we would love to meet you. Next meet up has not been scheduled yet, but will be sometime in March.

 

[DustyKat]

Regarding going to the ER and the OP.

My daughter was undiagnosed for 18 months and we had repeated doctors visits, although she did not have diarrhoea or bleeding as a symptom I do believe that severe pain is reason enough to head to the ER. I have taken both my children to the ER on two separate occasions each because of severe abdominal pain that I was unable to treat at home. The outcomes were as follows:

Sarah 1. A diagnosis of pancreatitis and admitted for 4 days.

Sarah 2. Emergency surgery and diagnosis of Crohn's.

Matt 1. Was already diagnosed with Crohn's. Diagnosed with a ?micro perforation and abscess, admitted for 8 days.

Matt 2. ?Micro perforation and abscess which was later confirmed followed by a fistula. Was in hospital for about 3 & 1/2 weeks.

Pain is not normal nor are any of your other symptoms. It is difficult to say what you may have going on but IBD is something that should be considered. The night sweats may well point to you having an infection. Have you had bloods done for inflammatory markers?

As cupcake as suggested, start a diary of your symptoms and take that with you to every doctor/ER you visit. Have a look at the one we have in our wiki...

http://www.crohnsforum.com/wiki/Diary-Inclusions

Definitely start the process of seeking out other opinions but in the meantime, should you have an episode of severe abdominal pain then head to the ER.

Good luck and welcome aboard!

Dusty. xxx