Hello Everyone,
I am new here. I signed up specifically in the hopes for some help or answers from others. So please, if you have ANY information at all for me I would greatly appreciate it. I am at my wits end. I cannot live this way any longer!
I am a 25 year old female, I went to a GI doctor in 2009 for abdominal cramps, diarrhea, and bleeding when using the bathroom for a BM. For many years I always thought it had something to do with my very painful and heavy menstrual cycle and was concerned I could have Endometriosis. The daily symptoms would always get much worse during my period.
My gynecologist referred me to a GI doctor where he ran some standard fecal tests and blood work to rule out parasites etc. In October of 2009 I went in for a colonosopy where he ruled out colon cancer, and found polyps. He gave me a diagnosis of IBS and said I could take OTC Imodium to manage my symptoms. Since 2009 I have taken 2 (2mg loperamide) every single morning, and one more during the day if my symptoms got worse. It wasn't the happiest existence but I was managing my symptoms for the most part, and I actually began to be able to eat outside my home. For years I would not go out to eat with family or friends, and would wait to eat anything once I got home from work. As you can imagine, just being able to eat during a lunch break at work was a HUGE advancement and I felt like I was managing my symptoms and life was getting better. Until...
As of July last year (2011) I was on vacation in Tennessee with my family and I woke up in the middle of the night from a SOUND sleep with severe abdominal cramps, lower back cramps, cramps in between my shoulder blades, diarrhea, vomiting, chills/sweats. It was terrifying. I had such horrible chills I was shaking and my teeth were chattering. After about
4 hours of this I was finally able to go back to sleep. All day the next day I wouldn't eat a thing, and my stomach would gurgle and be painful. Since this episode I had what seemed like one attack EXACTLY like this once a month for about
4 months so July, August, September, October of 2011. I tried making appointments with my GI doctor but it is SO HARD to get in with him and EVEN HARDER to get someone on the phone to make an appointment in the first place. It seemed like maybe my attacks were subsiding so I chalked it up to severe bouts of IBS.
Now, January, February, and May of this year (2012) I have had these attacks as well. One attack per month. I just had one last night. Again, it was horrible I actually considered going to the ER in hopes of getting some answers. I worry that it could be my gallbladder because my maternal Grandmother had severe issues with hers and ended up getting it taken out after an attack similar to mine. The doctors told her she could have died because it was nearing basically "exploding" inside her body.
I have left a message with my doctors nurse on her answering machine, but I think I will be going IN PERSON this afternoon and making an appointment. If I can't get an appointment soon I think it will be time to switch doctors.
I don't know what else to do, I can't keep calling off work in the middle of the night over this anymore!! I feel like my body just keeps letting me down time and time again. I am exhausted and defeated both physically and mentally. If ANYONE has any advice or information for me please let me know. There doesn't seem to be a specific trigger, one food that might upset me one day doesn't the next! One thing I have noticed that upsets me and I try to avoid is pizza or anything with a red sauce.
Thank you for taking the time to read my post, I appreciate anything you can tell me!
Post Edited (fizgig182) : 5/7/2012 11:55:18 AM (GMT-6)