Any ideas what could be wrong with me???? - Page 2

[Petie1104]

Originally Posted by MsFortune 

In addition to your food diary, I would keep a mood diet.  I've had IBS off an on my whole life, and it took me a long time to figure out that it was related to my anxiety.  

Mine also went away during my pregnancies which may have been a physical side effect of my pregnancies, or could be because I felt mellow and not anxious when pregnant.

But I agree with seeing a GI doctor.  If this has been going on for years, and it is effecting your life to this extent, it's not normal and should be addressed.  Good luck with this!

 I was thinking about the pregnancy thing and I think I know why I didn't have issues with it then.  I was low on iron for all 3 pregnancies so I had to be on large doses of iron for all of them.  I remember one side effect they warned me of was constipation, which I never had. So maybe the iron is what did it.

[MsFortune]

So maybe taking iron pills would help?  Even if you are not low on iron, if it stops you up, maybe it's an answer?

I'd still do a food and mood diary, see a GI doc and if none of this works, take iron.

[elmh23]

No twitching.  I was on it for 5-6 months until I became pregnant and stopped it.  Still you should still go see a professional who actually knows what they're doing, instead of asking on-line.

Originally Posted by Petie1104 

Originally Posted by elmh23 

See a GI doctor.

I had something very similar and it ended up being Gastroparesis.  Basically, my stomach stopped processing food, causing cramps and diarrhea.  It resolved after about 5 months on Reglan.

It also sounds like a Crohn's Disease flare.  Or Celiac.

Basically, go see a GI doctor.  They'll do the necessary testing (for testing for Celiac, you MUST be eating gluten for at least 6wks prior, just so you know!)

Now gastroparesis is the ONE diagnosis I can cross off.  DH has it and well, our symptoms are nothing alike.  PLUS.....I'm allergic to Reglin which is the standard treatment. Speaking of that, do you have twitching since you've been on the Reglin?  How long have you been on it?  DH, after about a year, started having horrible twitches, that are now permanent.  But, it's better than dealing with the symptoms of the disease, so he tolerates them. 

I have considered going to a GI doctor, but I saw the testing dh went through and that honestly scares me.

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by elmh23 

No twitching.  I was on it for 5-6 months until I became pregnant and stopped it.  Still you should still go see a professional who actually knows what they're doing, instead of asking on-line.

Originally Posted by Petie1104 

Originally Posted by elmh23 

See a GI doctor.

I had something very similar and it ended up being Gastroparesis.  Basically, my stomach stopped processing food, causing cramps and diarrhea.  It resolved after about 5 months on Reglan.

It also sounds like a Crohn's Disease flare.  Or Celiac.

Basically, go see a GI doctor.  They'll do the necessary testing (for testing for Celiac, you MUST be eating gluten for at least 6wks prior, just so you know!)

Now gastroparesis is the ONE diagnosis I can cross off.  DH has it and well, our symptoms are nothing alike.  PLUS.....I'm allergic to Reglin which is the standard treatment. Speaking of that, do you have twitching since you've been on the Reglin?  How long have you been on it?  DH, after about a year, started having horrible twitches, that are now permanent.  But, it's better than dealing with the symptoms of the disease, so he tolerates them. 

I have considered going to a GI doctor, but I saw the testing dh went through and that honestly scares me.

 

no disrespect, but that's far easier said than done.  many people come on line to draw from a bigger pool because they've seen practitioners (as the OP has) that can't help.  I can't tell you how many specialists I was paraded through for almost 20 years with absolutely no help.  many meds, many invasive prodecures, but no help.  Asking here can give a potential direction to present to a doctor.

[Petie1104]

Originally Posted by elmh23 

No twitching.  I was on it for 5-6 months until I became pregnant and stopped it.  Still you should still go see a professional who actually knows what they're doing, instead of asking on-line.

Originally Posted by Petie1104 

Originally Posted by elmh23 

See a GI doctor.

I had something very similar and it ended up being Gastroparesis.  Basically, my stomach stopped processing food, causing cramps and diarrhea.  It resolved after about 5 months on Reglan.

It also sounds like a Crohn's Disease flare.  Or Celiac.

Basically, go see a GI doctor.  They'll do the necessary testing (for testing for Celiac, you MUST be eating gluten for at least 6wks prior, just so you know!)

Now gastroparesis is the ONE diagnosis I can cross off.  DH has it and well, our symptoms are nothing alike.  PLUS.....I'm allergic to Reglin which is the standard treatment. Speaking of that, do you have twitching since you've been on the Reglin?  How long have you been on it?  DH, after about a year, started having horrible twitches, that are now permanent.  But, it's better than dealing with the symptoms of the disease, so he tolerates them. 

I have considered going to a GI doctor, but I saw the testing dh went through and that honestly scares me.

 I have talked to doctors as I've stated.  They were either unwilling or unable to help.  Considering this has gone on in varying degrees for the past 15 years, this was my last stop.  Trust me when I say that every post I've made regarding MY health has already been through the ears of at least 3 different doctors.  This is by no means my first stop.  Ooops, I actually did post once about my throat hurting and not wanting to go in because we were in the middle of a move. But, other than that, I think about the only things I've posted about are persistent conditions that I'm not getting help for through my normal route. 

[HappyMommy2]

Originally Posted by Petie1104 

... I usually sat at a table sipping soda while the family ate.

Have you tried eliminating carbonated drinks?  When I have gut issues, soda is like throwing fire crackers into a campfire. and I do not enjoy the resulting gut explosions.  Try sipping ice tea or water instead.  (I know this won't fix everything, but maybe small things can help you make small progress!)
 

[madskye]

I've been having problems that seem like irritable bowel syndrome..this really helped--Yogi Tea Stomach Ease:

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/store/en/browse/sku_detail.jsp?id=YT-1008&sourceType=cs&source=FG&cm_mmc=Shopping%20Engines-_-googleproduct-_-Stomach%20Ease%201571%20MG%20-%2016%20Bag%20-%20Other%20Homeopathics-_-YT-1008&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=YT-1008

Also, yoga...this lady is a little groovy, but I watched it a few times and now do the postures nightly and it's also helped a lot:

http://yogayak.com/2005/06/24/kundalini-yoga-for-healthy-bowel-system/

[Llyra]

I have ulcerative colitis. Before my diagnosis, I was misdiagnosed as having irritable bowel, and informed that it was stress-- for 29 years. It took 29 years for us to figure out what was wrong, until I was bleeding from my backside constantly, and nearly dead from blood loss.

So that's my perspective. I think I would be asking for diagnostic procedures. A colonoscopy, for instance, is a good idea if diarrhea has been present for a long time. I would be asking for the culturing of stool samples, for parasites and bacterial infection. I would be asking for the testing for celiac.

I would also be making hardcore dietary changes. I would encourage you to look at the SCD, or GAPS, or similar intestinal-healing regimens. They are not easy to follow, but I've had a lot of success with SCD.

I gotta run-- DD2 wants me to fish Dumbo out from behind the dresser, and she's really upset about it. More later.

[elmh23]

Trust me, I know.  I've been fighting with doctors for 2 years now about my ds's GI issues.  The thing is, it sounds like she only saw one person who blew her off.  The first guy we saw did the same.  I gave it awhile to see if it'd fix and when it didn't, we found someone else.  And he's taking us seriously.

I don't mean to be flippant about it, really, but with GI stuff there can be SO MANY DIFFERENT CAUSES that it's kind of not useful to ask on-line.

Originally Posted by Panserbjorne 

Originally Posted by elmh23 

No twitching.  I was on it for 5-6 months until I became pregnant and stopped it.  Still you should still go see a professional who actually knows what they're doing, instead of asking on-line.

Originally Posted by Petie1104 

Originally Posted by elmh23 

See a GI doctor.

I had something very similar and it ended up being Gastroparesis.  Basically, my stomach stopped processing food, causing cramps and diarrhea.  It resolved after about 5 months on Reglan.

It also sounds like a Crohn's Disease flare.  Or Celiac.

Basically, go see a GI doctor.  They'll do the necessary testing (for testing for Celiac, you MUST be eating gluten for at least 6wks prior, just so you know!)

Now gastroparesis is the ONE diagnosis I can cross off.  DH has it and well, our symptoms are nothing alike.  PLUS.....I'm allergic to Reglin which is the standard treatment. Speaking of that, do you have twitching since you've been on the Reglin?  How long have you been on it?  DH, after about a year, started having horrible twitches, that are now permanent.  But, it's better than dealing with the symptoms of the disease, so he tolerates them. 

I have considered going to a GI doctor, but I saw the testing dh went through and that honestly scares me.

 

no disrespect, but that's far easier said than done.  many people come on line to draw from a bigger pool because they've seen practitioners (as the OP has) that can't help.  I can't tell you how many specialists I was paraded through for almost 20 years with absolutely no help.  many meds, many invasive prodecures, but no help.  Asking here can give a potential direction to present to a doctor.

[elmh23]

Oh, and another thought, tests change.  My aunt has had severe GI issues and has for at least 30 years, can't hold on to or gain weight (I always suspected she was anorexic or something.)  She's seen every doctor available.  Finally, they did yet another biopsy, with new technology and discovered she has something called Mastyositosis (sp?)  Her gut is basically amounting an allergic response to everything she eats. TESTING is what found it and I would encourage the OP to keep fighting to get testing done.

And stress makes everything worse, sucky huh?

[Panserbjorne]

Originally Posted by elmh23 

Oh, and another thought, tests change.  My aunt has had severe GI issues and has for at least 30 years, can't hold on to or gain weight (I always suspected she was anorexic or something.)  She's seen every doctor available.  Finally, they did yet another biopsy, with new technology and discovered she has something called Mastyositosis (sp?)  Her gut is basically amounting an allergic response to everything she eats. TESTING is what found it and I would encourage the OP to keep fighting to get testing done.

And stress makes everything worse, sucky huh?

You are correct, and perhaps it was more an issue of internet communication.  Asking here can help her go to the doc with, "hey, can we also test for x, y and z?"  It's not a substitute for care, but if she gets 8 people internationally that can say "I had those EXACT symptoms and I had "yadda yadda" then that provides a jumping off point for more research on her end and something to bring to the doc.  It took me 20 some odd years to get someone to test for celiac disease.  Had I gone and asked ONE of the GI specialists 15 years ago, "hey, can you test for celiac?" I'm thinking I'd have saved myself and my kids a world of pain.

So while an actual practitioner is helpful, so too can be asking questions.  :)
 

[Petie1104]

Originally Posted by Panserbjorne 

Originally Posted by elmh23 

Oh, and another thought, tests change.  My aunt has had severe GI issues and has for at least 30 years, can't hold on to or gain weight (I always suspected she was anorexic or something.)  She's seen every doctor available.  Finally, they did yet another biopsy, with new technology and discovered she has something called Mastyositosis (sp?)  Her gut is basically amounting an allergic response to everything she eats. TESTING is what found it and I would encourage the OP to keep fighting to get testing done.

And stress makes everything worse, sucky huh?

You are correct, and perhaps it was more an issue of internet communication.  Asking here can help her go to the doc with, "hey, can we also test for x, y and z?"  It's not a substitute for care, but if she gets 8 people internationally that can say "I had those EXACT symptoms and I had "yadda yadda" then that provides a jumping off point for more research on her end and something to bring to the doc.  It took me 20 some odd years to get someone to test for celiac disease.  Had I gone and asked ONE of the GI specialists 15 years ago, "hey, can you test for celiac?" I'm thinking I'd have saved myself and my kids a world of pain.

So while an actual practitioner is helpful, so too can be asking questions.  :)
 

That is actually exactly what I needed.  Some option so I can go into the doc and say, "hey, can you check and see if xxxxx is the problem"  or "can you run this test".  Plus getting ideas like keeping a food diary, natural type things to help until I get a diagnosis and that sort of thing.  Honestly, I'm about as non-natural as it gets.  If I get a headache, I'm taking tylenol.  If I'm running a fever I'm grabbing the Motrin.  I drink tea when I'm sick but that's mostly because mom always made it for us when we were sick as kids. So, I don't ask to replace a diagnosis, but after talking to a certain number of docs that don't help, well, you get desperate for any help you can find.

[marimara]

Sidenote: MsFortune::  Love your quote!  I used to loooooove that song!!!!!  Now I'm singing it and must.find.album........

Originally Posted by MsFortune 

In addition to your food diary, I would keep a mood diet.  I've had IBS off an on my whole life, and it took me a long time to figure out that it was related to my anxiety.  

Mine also went away during my pregnancies which may have been a physical side effect of my pregnancies, or could be because I felt mellow and not anxious when pregnant.

But I agree with seeing a GI doctor.  If this has been going on for years, and it is effecting your life to this extent, it's not normal and should be addressed.  Good luck with this!

Ok on to serious isses:  I agree sounds like Crohns, Celiac, IBS, or I don't know if someone mentioned this but hyperthyroidism can cause diarrhea.   Anything that stimulates your adrenal glands or cortisol can do this too, like the fight or flight thing.  How is your blood pressure?  headaches?  anxiety?  

[Petie1104]

Originally Posted by marimara 

Sidenote: MsFortune::  Love your quote!  I used to loooooove that song!!!!!  Now I'm singing it and must.find.album........

Originally Posted by MsFortune 

In addition to your food diary, I would keep a mood diet.  I've had IBS off an on my whole life, and it took me a long time to figure out that it was related to my anxiety.  

Mine also went away during my pregnancies which may have been a physical side effect of my pregnancies, or could be because I felt mellow and not anxious when pregnant.

But I agree with seeing a GI doctor.  If this has been going on for years, and it is effecting your life to this extent, it's not normal and should be addressed.  Good luck with this!

Ok on to serious isses:  I agree sounds like Crohns, Celiac, IBS, or I don't know if someone mentioned this but hyperthyroidism can cause diarrhea.   Anything that stimulates your adrenal glands or cortisol can do this too, like the fight or flight thing.  How is your blood pressure?  headaches?  anxiety?  

Because my grandfather and my mother both had hyperthyroidism, they check me regularly for that.  So, I don't think it's that.  Blood pressure stays around 120/60.  Headaches, only if I forget my glasses.  Anxiety, well, I'm not sure, I know I don't like being around people, I don't like crowded places, I don't like feeling out of control, so I guess maybe a bit of anxiety.