Wasted trip to the ER

[notherby]

Hello all, I began reading up on Crohn's, celiac, diverticulitis, UC, IBS because I've had this unrelenting cramp feeling in my gut since last Tuesday. I finally gave up and went to the ER on Saturday afternoon. Stayed there all evening, they took lots of blood and gave me a CT scan, and then told me they found nothing except a small (nothing-to-worry-about) mass on one of my adrenal glands.

I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy about three or four years ago and they told me there was nothing abnormal, although when I read the findings for myself, inflammation was mentioned several times. I no longer remember the context. But the temperamental nature of my gut has persisted throughout most of my adult life. I did have a dx of gastritis in my teens, and then again when I was about 28. I am now 58.

I am not confident that the doctors I have seen in the past were diligent and thorough. I have been convinced for years that something was wrong, but have been unable to get anyone to tell me what. It is not at all abnormal for me to go to the bathroom four to six times a day, even when my digestion is "normal," as in, normal for me. Since this cramping started, I have gone from feeling constipated for two days to very nearly having diarrhea for about four days now.

Wheat seems to make this worse. Today I have eaten only bouillon and one bowl of clam chowder, and a few potato chips. The pain is a little better than it was yesterday after I ate a hamburger along with a bun.

Also need to mention that vitamin deficiencies seem to be almost normal for me. At one point I found myself deficient in iron, B12, and D and I'd almost bet that vitamin K was deficient as well. There were times when I could just brush my arm against a door jamb or something, and an hour later I would have a horrible-looking hematoma on my arm. Seemed like those things would just seep blood under my skin for a day or two. Taking a multivitamin with 100% of daily vitamin K resolved that.

I'd love advice, if anyone has any. Don't have much confidence in doctors, but suppose that's the route I have to take, if I expect to be able to tolerate this pain well enough to work. Don't have a clue how to find a decent gastroenterologist, since I don't trust the ones I've been to before. What I'd really love is if I could actually figure out what's going on by my symptoms, so I could go in with some confidence when I next speak to a doctor.

Any comments, advice, or suggestions are welcome. Thank you for reading.

Jane

 

[Trysha]

Hello Jane
Welcome to the forum.
Forum members are not qualified to give medical advice but judging from your story perhaps you could benefit by a visit to the Mayo Clinic. if you can afford it.
Your ER trip was not entirely wasted since bloodwork and a CAT scan were done.
Did you get the results of the blood work?
They have also reported a mass on an adrenal, I would want to know what that is all about
if I was in your place.
Do you have a personal physician to help you through this?
Feel better soon
Hugs and best wishes
Trysha

 

[notherby]

Hi Trysha, yes, I do have a personal physician, an Internist, but suspect he will want to refer me back to that same gastro practice that I went to before. I will discuss it with him. Perhaps I am being unfair to them, I don't know.

And no, I did not get a copy of the blood work results, but I will. Truthfully, I didn't even think about it at the time.

Had planned on discussing the adrenal mass with the Internist, so yes, I agree that I want to know what it's about.

Thanks so much for your response. I do appreciate the welcome.

Jane

 

[Trysha]

It might be an idea to get a copy of the cat scan as well as the bloodwork.
It is your right to have a different GI if you are not happy.
Hope thing will work out better than you think.
Hugs
Trysha

 

[pink&green]

Hello notherby and :welcome:

 

[Chickadee]

I wonder if it would be worth seeing an endocrinologist since you have a mass on one of your adrenal glands? Addison's disease can cause diarrhea. It's probably not what you have, but it would be good to rule out, as well as any other possible endocrinological cause of GI distress.

 

[notherby]

Well, Chickadee, Addison's might explain the CRUSHING fatigue I've had for the last year. Sigh. Thank you for the suggestion. I imagine I will end up in front of an endo before all this is sorted out.

I also have an odd situation with normal potassium and consistently low sodium in blood, even though I am a notorious salt hound and crave and eat salt all the time. Have terrible lower-body edema all the time that doc said was caused by venous insufficiency, plus a dx of lipolymphedema. Suspect that particular set of circumstances, K and Na, is endocrine-related, possibly even adrenal-related, just based on some quick reading I did last night.

Thanks so much!

Jane

 

[Trysha]

salt craving can be a symptom of Addison,s and the electolyte imbalance is a cause for concern., which should be addressed sooner than later.
Will you be seeing a specialist soon?
If not I would suggest it is time to seek advice from an expert .
Hugs
Trysha

 

[notherby]

Finally have an appointment with a GI doc. A friend of mine went to a new doc, so I asked her for feedback, which was positive. I called them on Friday and they set me up for Wednesday morning. That's a nice start - I can't believe they got me in so quickly.

Found FODMAPs diet online and have been following it for a week now, but digestion is still all over the place, D all day today and I have no idea what I ate that's caused it.

Jane