Good Morning..
First I have to start off by saying that I feel so relieved to know there are other people out there going through the same thing I am... for the longest time I never have heard of another person dealing with what I have been. Other than myself, the only other person I know of that has had colonic inertia was my mother, and let's be honest - I want to hear about someone else going through what I am.
I have been experiencing going to the bathroom since I was about 16 - I am now 29. It wasn't until 2007 that it got to be horrible and unbearable that I decided I needed to go see a doctor. Usually the otc medicines helped me or even an enema. Well then that all came to a screaming hault. I was miserable. I couldn't function, I didn't want to leave my bed, I was hungry but got sick after eating... MISERABLE.
I went and saw my primary doctor - man was he puzzled. I had a CT scan & x-ray. After those results, came the mirolax, metamucil, glycerin suppositories, fiber supplements, everything possible. And all it did was make me feel like there was cement mixing in my stomach. We tried so many different combinations until it was enough. I then decided to go see a gastro. This was my first colonoscopy at age 22! Man was I freaked out, I couldn't even take the gallon of stuff they give you - It didn't work. I had to mix it with the magnesium citrate and other things just to make sure I was "cleaned out" for my test. Low & behold - I wasn't 100%.. But that's when I was diagnosed with colonic inertia. Panic set in.
My doctor put me on Amitizia and I was good to go. It helped me for about 2 years and then as usual it stopped, so we upped the dosage from 8mcg a day to 24mcg 2X a day. I seemed to be ok, along with some other OTC stuff.
Then comes 2012 where everything just stopped. Took a major hault and I was back to being miserable. I was tired of hearing the doctors tell me to change my diet, exercise, all the same things with no results. I cut out dairy, tried not eating meats, everything and nothing was helping. So I decided to go see the docotr my mom did to see what he had. He said there was a new medication that just came out Linzess, its the best on the market. I should try it... so I did. Well within 30 minutes of taking it, I'm off running to the bathroom for about an hour. Well, as much as I liked this, I also work full-time and couldn't move my office to the bathroom. The stall just wasn't big enough! =) So I had to play around with what time I took it and how it would work. But then, after about 6 months it stopped working all together. No matter if I took it in the morning or at night. No results. Up the dosage they say - let's go from 145 to 290. That should work. NOTHING. Just pain and crankiness on my side. So I went to see another doctor - one at the University of Michigan... what does she tell me.. well let's keep the does up, but along with that let's take Ducolax pills, suppositories, enemas, senna and see how that works. ARE YOU KIDDING ME. That was horrible.
So, now after all of this I am just stuck. I feel hopeless. I have tried everything OTC and prescription - but my body just rejects everything. I am 29, recently married and we would like to have a family. My doctor yesterday told me that he is concerned with me having children because it slows your body down and let's be honest - I can't get much slower. I don't want to have surgery before having children, but then am nervous it's my only hope. My mother says I need to have children first and prolong the surgery as long as possible... but I am miserable.
What do I do? Has anyone dealt with this issue and had children? I just need some ray of hope that it will all be ok and I will get through it.
I took my linzess this morning along with herblax - no results - I was really hoping that things would work... ugh... 