Posted 2/22/2013 4:20 PM (GMT 0)
Hello. I am 28 years old male. I started suffering from frequent defecation around 3 years ago. The first few months, I didn't even notice. After that, I generally ignored it for the next year. After that time, I got married and decided to get this problem treated.
I went to my GP and he suggested infection and prescribed me antibiotics. That didn't make much difference, so after a week he prescribed different antibiotics. This went on for 3 weeks after which I stopped going to him altogether. When things didn't improve, I consulted an GI in my city. He suggested that I undergo Sigmoidoscopy. He found non-specific colitis and prescribed me Mesacol suppositories for 15 days. It did make some difference, but not much. After the mesacol stopped, things went back to the way they were.
Here's my problem. I don't get actual diarrhoea. Most of the times, my stool is soft/pasty and voluminous. I have to go 3-4 times a day, but seldom more. Also, I never felt the urgent need to defecate that I cannot hold it in any longer. Apart from this I get flatulence and cramps, but never pain. This in itself would not trouble me much, but during the worst flareups, I would start getting burning pain in my anus. I am not sure if it was from the frequent defecation or due to inflammation in my an-rectal region. I tolerated this for another year and went back to my GI. He said I might have Anal fissures and gave me Cremagel to be used after defecation. He also asked me to go off all types of lactose products. The cremagel does help in controlling the burning, but does not cure the root cause.
After suffering like this for a few months, I went to another GI. He started me on a course of Normaxin and VSL#3 (probiotics) for a month. I could feel some difference immediately. Instead of going 3-4 times a day, I would now go only 1-2 (Mostly only one). But the consistency of the stool remained the same. It would still be Soft/Pasty and a mess to pass.
Since last 4 days, I stopped having wheat/ wheat products of any kind. Since, then, for the first time in many years, 90% of my problems have been resolved. I go only once or twice, there's hardly any flatulence and the stool consistency is normal. I have not experienced burning since then. Now I am not sure if this is because I stopped wheat or if it is just because the Normaxin has started taking effect.
I researched the wheat connection on the internet and came across Coeliac disease, then Crohns and then Ulcerative colitis. Since then, I have been very depressed. I cannot imagine a life without having bread/pasta etc. The current situation is that I have to continue my Normaxin for a month and then report to the doctor. If I tell him there's no significant change, he would ask me to undergo a full Colonoscopy to rule out anything else.
My questions
1. What are the chances of this being Coeliac/Crohns? I hardly have pain in my abdomen and never had blood in my stool.
2. Is a colonoscopy worth the pain/humiliation (again, as I had a sigmoidoscopy once)? Can it successfully detect Crohns or Coeliac?
3. Has anyone here experienced relief from using Normaxin (A variant of Librax)?
4. Is burning sensation in Anus and Rectum common for IBS?
I am quite tense and anxious. Would appreciate some replies.