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Doctor says I might have IBD - help!

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Posted 11/14/2015 5:49 PM (GMT 0)
I know I need to wait for a doctor to diagnosis me, but am wondering if anyone here might relate to my situation, since based on my reading it doesn't seem altogether 'typical'.

I am 29 years old and have always had a troublesome gut. I'm pretty sure I was told I have IBS as a teenager, but am not 100% positive. A few months ago I started to get these awful bouts of diarrhea. It seemed to happen most often after eating or first thing in the morning. I didn't really experience pain beyond moderate cramping, it was more like feeling shaky and nauseous with a 'gurgling' stomach and extreme urgency. After the diarrhea I would be extremely nauseous/weak/sweaty for a few hours and then it would go away. This kept happening maybe 3-5 times/week but never more than once per day. Then, a month ago it happened one morning and basically didn't go away. I was extremely sick for a week with no breaks, though it was always WAY worse during the first half of the day. Thought I had the stomach flu but it just never cleared. Since then, so for about 3 weeks, I continued to get sick every morning as soon as I woke up, but then I would be ok the rest of the day - besides extreme fatigue and just feeling kind of under the weather. During this time I lost 15 lbs (from 125 to 110) and I had to go on sick leave from work. Last week my doctor did a stool analysis and found some white blood cells (6-30/HPF - whatever that means). There was no bacteria or parasites, and now it seems IBD is next on the list...

For the past 2 days I've actually been feeling a little better (and constipated - which is actually quite a relief!). From my online research it seems very rare that an IBD flare would ease up on its own like this, so I'm very confused.

Does this sound familiar to anyone? I can't stop worrying!
Posted 11/15/2015 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
I am sorry you're stressed. It's frustrating but you really can't conclude anything until you have a scope with biopsies. I agree that it is odd to have the symptoms come and go. My experience with IBD is that it has been very chronic. I am sick for weeks, months, or years at a time. I never have one day with symptoms, then I am great for weeks, then another bad day. I have had that type of reaction to food poisoning, but it's rare to get that often. When I am struggling with a flare up, it's a 24 hour a day problem. I wake up, run to the toilet and I am stuck there for hours. Sometimes I am up in the middle of the night, in and out of the bathroom repeatedly. I have to pull over on the way to work to get to a toilet and I have to carry "supplies" in my trunk just in case. It's awful. Your symptoms sound similar to what could be IBD, and it's possible this is the beginning, but it's also possible it isn't. Mine started mild. Please stay calm and continue searching for answers. Get tests, if it is IBD, you will find a treatment that works for you and manage it. Pointless to sit around worried about something that may not be reality.
Posted 11/15/2015 6:38 PM (GMT 0)
White blood cells increase during infection and inflammation. Not sure what "6-30 HPF" means
Posted 11/15/2015 10:08 PM (GMT 0)
MustLoveDogs,

HPF stands for "High Power Field" - I guess it's a unit of measurement. So, 6-30 white blood cell (WBC/HPF). I'm just not sure what the specific numbers mean, whether 30 is a lot etc.
Posted 11/15/2015 10:14 PM (GMT 0)
notsosicklygirl,

Thanks for your response. I know it's useless to worry over what may/may not be, but I can't help it. I'm a worrier by nature. I also have a vomit phobia, so anything stomach-related really freaks me out, which usually makes things worse :/ Even the thought of getting the necessary tests terrifies me!
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