Hi everyone,
I didn't think I had an account here, but turns out I do for some prior reason! Good thing, at any rate, as I could use some reassurance right now.
Long story hopefully told short, I've had IBS symptoms for most of my life, but they've generally been mild and not hard to live with except for occasional bouts of more severe symptoms. Not long after my birthday in early February, things kicked up with D (loose stools, not liquid) and I got tired of hiding it due to my medical fears. I told my GP and I was referred to an extremely well regarded GI specialist at a very nice hospital.
He has been extremely meticulous and thorough so far. Since I've seen him, he has had blood and stool samples taken to be tested for a *bunch* of stuff, we've done a few other things, and he sent me today to have an Upper GI Series. His belief from the start was that I have IBS, given that I have complete lack of history except my mom (also has IBS) and don't really have symptoms to match more severe things. I do, however, have symptoms which align pretty much textbook with IBS. Confession upfront here, I do have health anxiety, and this episode has wrecked the good control my anxiety meds helped me to establish.
Anyway. I saw him, and I felt some mental relief after speaking with him and getting his initial thoughts. I could tell that he really did care and wants to help me feel better not just now, but in the long term. Unfortunately, with health anxiety, it can be hard to trust when you're really sick. The first things he put me on while we did the initial testing were Align, Benefiber, and aloe vera juice. I was actually starting to feel a bit better over the past week, and things didn't look nearly so bad when I used the restroom. Then, yesterday happened.
I went and had the x-ray test at 10am yesterday. It was for the Upper GI with small bowel follow through (something to that effect). I first had to gulp something fizzy and not burp until they said it was okay. Then I drank some thick white stuff. Then, while laying down, I drank some thinner white stuff through a straw. The test pretty much went off without a hitch and I was sent home. Now, everyone had been warning me to stay hydrated because of likelihood of constipation. Turns out I had the total opposite reaction, and man, did it make me panic. Totally unprepared.
There's no way to say this that probably isn't gross, so I apologize for that. As soon as I got home and sat down to use the restroom, the stuff I had ingested basically came straight out of me. Granted, I had been fasting for the test, so there really wasn't any food to come with it. Even so, it startled the crap out of me (no pun intended). The first time was the worst. No BM, just the white stuff in the bowl. I went again in the evening, got hit again, but not as bad. Now, having sat down to go at 6am following day, just had to pee and didn't have an attack at all.
Has anyone ever heard of their body purging those drinks so aggressively? For the record, I called my GI specialist in the thick of all this, and his nurse - the specialist was in the room looking at my X-rays right then - relayed to me that he said it was not uncommon when already in a D episode and not to panic. I'm guessing it's a good sign that another attack didn't come on my latest visit. I admit, it shook me up. I just totally wasn't expecting that, and unexpected things just about
blasting you through the ceiling don't help an anxiety sufferer.
Words of comfort are appreciated to help me settle down! As well, I guess there is a silver lining with all this. Combined with all of my other testing, he felt confident in ruling out Crohn's. He had already ruled out UC, and those were my two big fears. The x-ray did show that I have really bad acid reflux going on, even though I can't feel it, so he prescribed me something to take in the mornings for that.
Thanks for reading all of that. Again, relaxing reassurance way more than welcome. :P
Post Edited (Akoto) : 3/28/2018 5:34:52 AM (GMT-6)