What could it be? I can't stop worrying. PLEASE HELP!

[895cse]

what could it be? I can't stop worrying. PLEASE HELP!

So this all started nearly 2 months ago. I originally got sick with a sinus infection and was put on 2 diff antibiotics to clear it up. Between the antibiotics I developed this funny discomfort on my left side by my belly button. Ended up getting really painful where I thought my entire side was going to explode. I was also having occasional diarreaha and loose bm with nausea and loss of appetite I lost about 17lbs. The doctor thought that it might be c difficle or a parasite so they put me on flagyl for 10 days. symptoms slightly improved on the 8th day. Now its weeks later and I am still having pain/discomfort on my left side near my belly button. Sometimes worse than others but its always there although not nearly as bad as originally. Appetite is back but nauseau still occurs off and on. So far I have had blood work, x-ray, catscan, and stool testing. All tests have come back normal. I saw a GI the other day and he said I could wait it out a few more weeks and see what happened or have a colonoscopy to see if it could possible be crohns or ulcerative colitis or maybe just ibs. I feel like I am going crazy here worrying about what I might have. I just want to feel better and I am dreading a diagnosis of crohns or ulcerative colits. I just find it ironic that all my symptoms began with antibiotic use. I wonder if it could be an overgrowth of yeast or something in my intestines. In the mean time I feel like I need to be hospitilized from all the worrying. I am so freaked out by all the stress of this. I just want to know what I have and I pray to God its not crohns or ulcerative colitis. Any ideas/suggestions/help/diagnosis ideas or encouragement would be greatly appreciated.

 

[D Bergy]

Since I have been involved with Lyme disease, and many Lyme infected people take lots of antibiotics I know a little about this. Many people have bad stomach/intestinal reactions to antibiotics. Some have it so bad they cannot take them anymore.

I would try the Dan Active yogurt mentioned in the probiotic thread. Anibiotics are not real discriminating and they can kill of intestnal flora you do not want to get rid of. The yogurt is not going to hurt anything and maybe it is all you need.

Hopefully if that does not help, your doctor can find some other cause. A colonoscopy may give you the answer.

I would not jump to any conclusions about diseases yet. It may be just a side effect from the antibiotics.

I believe D-Mannose works for sinus infections. No side effects. But check it out for yourself. I am going from memory and it is not as good as it used to be.

Good Luck

D Bergy

 

[Kev]

Well. since your dr gave you the option of waiting it out, or getting scoped, you have
the choice. Seems the worrying is worse for you than the symptoms. If thats true, then why wait? True, it may be IBD, but the scope is a quick way of finding out, and it may be something else. something easily treated. colonoscopy is a painfree, but the prep is a real chore. and the cleanout from the prep may turn it around for you.

 

[Cara Fusinato]

I'd get scoped. It's not THAT bad, and they can see a lot of different things up there and remove polyps and everything. We should all be scoped from time to time. Plus it may answer your mystery. Also see if ther is any way the antibiotics could have caused this. I just finished 10 days of flagyl and the side effects got so bad I had to quit taking it.

 

[Jeff D.]

I wish you the best of luck. I would get the scope to see what it could be. Try to take your mind off of the worry by doing other things.

Best of luck

 

[old hat]

It sounds like the doctor thought it was C difficile colitis caused by the initial course of antibiotics. Flagyl (given orally) is the preferred treatment but doesn't always work. In some cases, especially in resistant cases, Vancomycin is neccessary. I am not sure exactly what sort of stool testing they did. There is one that is very sensitive and specific for C difficile but it isn't often done in clinical practice because it is very expensive. An ELISA assay is usually done but sensitivity is around 80% and it doesn't catch all cases.

A colonoscopy with some biopsies taken is the next logical step. There are some risks associated with it like any other invasive procedure that requires anaesthesia. The risks are quite minimal eg 4 people out of 10,000 will have some adverse reaction to the sedative. I don't know what kind of insurance you have but it is an expensive test.

I have had it done twice now. The test itself is no big deal. They put the stuff in the IV and then...I am waking up in the recovery room. That's about it. The prep isn't a lot of fun but it isn't all that bad.

 

[895cse]

colonoscopy

Had a colonoscopy. Not crohns. Just IBS!

 

[Dekar]

yo, a lot of crohns cases have been misdiagnosed as IBS, make ur self 10000000000000000% sure its not IBD for ur own future

 

[laura2002]

No sense in worrying any more than you should - get the scope and get it over with. It's the only way they'll know for sure. Just like the saying, "I'll believe it when I see it." "A picture is worth a 1,000 words" etc., etc. Do the scope! The prep just involves drinking some yucky stuff, do the scope and you're done. Questions will be answered, and your doc and you can make a good plan of attack from there, instead of making 'best guesses.'