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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 5/30/2008 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
Dulcolax is a stool softener... An over the counter one, though... And I bought the fewest number I could (25)... ('Cause I was only thinking of them for the colonoscopy prep)... It's what I've been using the past few days...

And, according to the secretary when I first called to make an appointment, my primary care doctor doesn't prescribe pain medication (I told her the main reason I was calling because I wanted to get my joint pain checked out... She automatically assumed that I was wanting for pain medicine... said the doc does referrals to pain management specialists...)

My GI doctor is the one who prescribed the pain medication... and he really doesn't like prescribing me pain medication. He's afraid I'll get hooked on it. So, I'm very, very wary about asking him about changing it...

Hmm... I really think my GI doctor doesn't respect me very much... :|... *I'm still having trouble getting over the fact that he told my grandmother that he doesn't think I'm very bright... (I think he said that because I often ask him to repeat himself because he has a foreign accent, and sometimes I can't understand him...)*
Posted 5/30/2008 6:46 PM (GMT 0)
Celey take the referral to the pain mgmt specialist. Many on the board go to pain mgmt docs and get more relief from pain than what the GI & PCP will order.

And the stool softners are over the counter. Are you sure the Ducolax are stool softners not laxatives?
Stool softners are not laxatives. They just draw water to the stool to make them easier to pass. If I didn't use them everynight my stool would not pass and I would be in BAD pain after the first day I missed having a bm. Thats why I take them everynight.
Posted 5/30/2008 8:37 PM (GMT 0)
It says stool softener on the box...

Went to the doctor. Think I got some pretty good news in regards to the joint pain... It's just a side effect from my medicine... probably the prednisone (or maybe the Imuran). Because the X-ray results were negative... I asked about an MRI... because I had read a few things regarding that avascular necrosis thing, but my doctor assured me that there wasn't enough evidence for him to order an MRI and my insurance to cover it... because he said my alkaline (think that's what the word was) phosphate levels were low... and if there was something going on with my bones, they'd be high...

My blood work looked pretty good except for a couple of things... My B12 levels are low... my white blood cell count is elevated (nothing new there)... Tested negative for other autoimmune conditions like RA and lupus...

He prescribed me an anti-depressant... Prozac... so... hopefully, that'll help with how I've been feeling emotionally..

I kind of feel like I didn't get much accomplished, though... :(... Told him everything... (Well, at least I'll be getting an ultrasound done June 3rd, so that'll check for anything bad going on in regards of the problems I've been having with that one area...) The doctor really doesn't want to do anything in regards to prednisone and new medicine without my GI... Which sucks... :(... Was really hoping I could get everything taken care of... I'm tired of feeling sick... :(
Posted 5/30/2008 11:44 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Celey Glad to hear your feeling better about thingsWhat did he say about your B-12 ? Hope the Prozac helps you to calm down or at least relaxes you the pred' can make a person wiry that's for sure. Did he say anything about the C and pains. Won't be long before your ultra sound,that is good ,I don't like waiting for test. .lol gail
Posted 5/31/2008 2:01 AM (GMT 0)
And what did he say about your constipation? Don't tell me he let you leave the office without giving you any help in that department.

Hmph.

Ivy.
Posted 6/1/2008 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
He just told me to continue increasing my fiber... and drink more fluids... like... a gallon a day... *Like I said... kind of felt like I didn't get too much accomplished... I told him I've been taking stool softeners to try to help, too, and that they're not helping much...* I'm so tired of feeling sick, and I'm tired of the GI doctor giving me the rush treatment... When it's time for me to come see him, I'm going to make sure I have everything written down and I'm going to make him stay and listen to me...* Though, good news Friday night... I was able to get a lot out (it was solid at first, and then it kind of turned into sludge)... it was extremely painful... and I think I must have been in there for an hour or so, but it made me feel better later... not so cramped up... Saturday, I didn't have a bowel movement... :(... I managed to get a little out today, though... *Pretty skinny, though...*

Haven't peed out anymore strange things... And... I must have been spotting because the blood is all gone...

My nausea is starting to get worse, though... Like every time after I eat... my tummy starts hurting, too... and I know I'm not eating anything that's caused me problems...
Posted 6/1/2008 11:19 PM (GMT 0)
Might you have a fungal infection, Celey? That wouldn't surprise me, especially with the high pred dose you're taking.

It might be a good idea to ask your doctor about it when you see him.

I'm so glad things have started to move down there. It's very encouraging.

I.
Posted 6/1/2008 11:24 PM (GMT 0)
Fungal infection? What's that?

I'm glad I had that big bowel movement, too... Like I said, it made me feel better afterwards... *Definitely wasn't pleasant during... but it was nice not to feel so cramped...*
Posted 6/1/2008 11:40 PM (GMT 0)
It means that you can have an overgrowth of fungus (it can also happen with bacteria) throughout your gut. This can be combatted with Nilstat or Fungilin and it's usually not a big drama - it happens to most of us at some point.

For me, the telltale sign of an infection is that I have pain and discomfort in my stomach immediately after eating, especially if I've had something sweet. Sometimes I also feel furry in the mouth, and sometimes I start to get itchy in my private parts too. And sometimes I feel irritated right through my digestive tract.

I'm sorry the bathroom trip was so painful. Do you have a hot water bottle you can take in there with you? I find that helps a LOT.

Best wishes,

Ivy.
Posted 6/2/2008 4:51 PM (GMT 0)
Celey if you increase your fiber intake, be sure to take it slowly.  For example if you take Fiber tablets and it says take 3 a day, start off with just one for say a week or two and then slowly increase.  Fiber supplements cause me to feel worse, but the stool softners work well for me when I take them nightly. 

I am glad you are getting the ultrasound.  Hopefully it will show something and then your docs can get you feeling better.  The fungal thing could be a possibility, but I am kinda doubtful.  To help with that you could take a probiotic, not sure if you said you have been taking any.  Those really helped me alot.  I was having 5-7 loose stools a day and now I only have one or two per day and they are more formed.

Celey have you had any tests to see if you have any strictures or narrowing?  The way you are feeling sounds like you have some kind of stricture or narrowing.  The nausea after eating, constipation etc.

Sure hope you get some answers soon and get feeling better too.  (((BIG HUGS)))

Posted 6/2/2008 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
You can get dulcolax as a stool softner OR as a laxative from my understanding...just like the Prodiem fibre supplement I take, also comes in a laxative form which is called by the same name...you have to read the boxes carefully when buying.

:)
Posted 6/2/2008 11:33 PM (GMT 0)
I don't have any hot water bottles... *I should think about getting one of those next time I'm at a store...*

I am taking a fiber supplement... and I've been eating oatmeal every morning... maybe I did go into increasing my fiber too fast... but I've also been drinking lots of fluids to help, too... I'm not taking a probiotic right now... I would like to take one, but I can't find one that's right for me... *The VSL looked good, but I've heard it cuts down on your bowel movements and I'd rather not do that right now...*

I've had some narrowing before (like I know when I first started having this disease, there was a lot of comments about narrowing and inflammation)... but I'm not sure if I'm still narrowing and have been narrowing (like I said, all my GI doctor said about my colonoscopy was that I definitely have Crohn's disease and that I didn't have any obstructions... When I see him, I'm going to ask for more details. I think I deserve to know what's going on inside my own body)...
Posted 6/3/2008 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Celey So glad to hear your finally having a decent BM .Yes ask your GI if there is narrowing. How you doing with the pred. ? Hot Water bottles are great for body pain too. Keep in touch .lol gail
Posted 6/3/2008 1:49 AM (GMT 0)
Not doing very good with the prednisone... The sooner I can start tapering, the better. The joint pain and stiffness is still as bad as it ever was... My ankles still get to feeling so sore and weak while I'm in the shower... and my back and hips and knees bother me constantly. Plus, the depression and irritability is making me feel like a totally different person...

I'm usually so laid-back... and optimistic... Not the type to get angry at anything or anyone, even if they are being really bothersome.

Today... I dropped a wire whisk on the floor (getting really tired of dropping things so much)... and I almost screamed, I got so frustrated...

... Later, looking back on it, I felt so stupid... It was such a stupid thing to get so worked up about.

And I've been crying a lot... and I feel so alone and helpless... Got a call from my younger sister the other day... She was kicked out of her foster home a good while back and because she's so close to turning 18, the courts are turning a blind eye pretty much. So, she moved into a house and was paying rent and everything.... working three jobs...

She asked me for money... But I couldn't afford to give her her entire month's rent... :(... So, she's going to be homeless... Don't know what to do. I know it'll only be temporary... She's going into the military soon. (I think that'll be good for her)...

There's so much else in my life... normally, I can handle it... I can take it piece by piece... But, lately, I have found myself incapable of doing that... It's all overwhelming me, and I don't have the energy to deal with it. And being in pain so often really sucks...

(I had an okay day today, though... With the new summer class started up and everything... kept my mind occupied... so... Helped with the depression a bit... and it seemed like I didn't have as much pain today as I usually do (mostly just after I ate something)... Constipation was still pretty bad... only one little poop...)
Posted 6/3/2008 5:19 AM (GMT 0)
Oh, Celey. *hug*

What would it take to make things just a little better for you? Would it help to make a list of the things that are worrying you, and maybe we can all brainstorm ways to help? I say this because one of the really insidious things about depression is that it can make you blind to some of the options that are available to help your situation. I'm not saying that they're not severe and they may not be fixable, but we might be able to help and listen...

*hug again*

Ivy.

PS. This thread is getting a little long. Would you be able to start up a new thread (call it Celey part 2 if you like) and allow this one to retire, please? I'm not exactly sure why, but I think long threads are hard for the HW server to handle.) Starting a new thread doesn't mean that we don't want to continue this conversation; it just means that we don't want the server to start struggling. Take care there; hugs - Ivy.
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