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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 6/2/2010 9:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I am a (confused) 23 y.o male, UK. Never had any health issues until around November 09 when I started with consistent diarrhoea, gas, bloating.

I went to the doctor and they have done a stool sample, a million blood tests (i have slightly low iron levels) and checked for coeliac disease, which came back negative.

I have lost weight and the condition is really starting to affect me mentally too. I am very sporty and the knowledge that you have diarrhoea does not help you to perform at your optimum level in these activities!!

I have been referred to Gastroenterology at my local hospital for a colonoscopy. This came back clear except that I have an inflamed small intestine. I have been prescribed mesalazine (in the form of Asacol) 3x per day. However this has not improved my symptoms at all.

The diarrhoea is consistent and I usually have around 3 bm's per day. They tend to be very gassy and watery, often with bits of undigested food in there.

I have bought some Rifaximin (in the form of Rifacol) from the internet and I'm really tempted to take this, but I'm worried about how it will react with the Mesalazine and I've also read horror stories about C-diff being brought on by too much antibiotic use.

Any tips or ideas?

Thanks jiirtih
Posted 6/3/2010 2:04 AM (GMT 0)
Sorry to hear you are not well. I have IBS tendancies, along with a past history of UC. Had you been on antibiotics before your symptoms appeared? Have you tried eliminating foods that may be aggravating your symptoms?...yeast, sugar (including artificial sugars), grains? Too much of these give me similar symptoms, as I feel my condition has a fungal etiology, and fungus loves these foods. When I eliminate them for a time, I feel significantly better. Have you considered probiotics?

Posted 6/3/2010 11:34 AM (GMT 0)
I really think more stool tests to check for parasites might uncover a cause - bearing in mind that most docs are reluctant to order the tests, and that the tests themeselves often give false negatives.
Posted 6/3/2010 5:11 PM (GMT 0)
jiirtih

They prescribe Asacol for Ulcerative Colitis. Did they say that might be what you have?

Did they say why you have 'inflamed small intestine'?

Rifaximin is used for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. There is a test for this and if I were you I would not take Rifaximin without working with your doctor on it.

are you losing weight and eating right, or are you not really eating right and losing weight.

If your losing weight and eating normally then that is a red flag.
Posted 6/5/2010 1:14 AM (GMT 0)
If you read the prescribing information for Asacol you will see that one of the side effects can be diarrhea. Asacol and the other mesalazine drugs can make some people have worse symptoms. I would report your continuing bowel problems to your gastroenterologist and see if he can perhaps try a different medication.

I am confused by your gastroenterologist's findings on the colonoscopy. If you have an inflamed small intestine, this is often a symptom of Crohn's disease. Some people that have taken lots of NSAIDs also get inflammation in the small intestine. Irritable bowel syndrome does not cause inflammation in the small intestine.
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