HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

New to board-Need Advice

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 1/11/2009 2:11 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Everyone-

I am new to the board ( well I have been lurking for a while). I was diagnosed with left sided and proctitis about 4 years ago. My doctor calls my case "mild". I asked him if it is so mild then why do I feel so bad? Anyway, I went to the ER last weekend with searing stomach pains, they thought it was my gallbladder or an ulcer. They did an ultrasound and some bloodtests ( not sure what) and came up with nothing and gave me Nexium. I then went to my primary care doctor who was as useless. Finally I called my Gastro and talked to the nurse who then called back and gave me some pills to coat my stomach before eating. I started to feel a bit better and then the diarrhea (sp?) would come everytime I had one of these pains. The Gastro then put me on Colazal ( previously only on Supposotories and Enemas). I took the horse pills and then ended up puking my guts out all day yesterday. So essentially its 9 days later... I am 10 lbs thinner, throwing up and have diarrhea ( 20 X a day).

 

What do I do? Do I demand to get an appt with my Gastro ( its nearly impossible) this doctoring by phone seems ridiculous. Should I have more tests done? It just doesn't seem like a normal flare to me because I usually get really crampy and this is more of a stomach pain.

 

Sorry to have gone on so long.

 

Talliecat.

Posted 1/11/2009 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
Hi and welcome. Well it seems you have many things against your favor. First, you should have been on an oral medication to begin with and not just suppositories and/or enemas. But it seems you can't tolerate Colazal. Are you still taking them? Second, yes please try to get in to see your GI. You might want to ask him to give you an endoscope to check out what's going on with your stomach. It sounds like you might have a stomach ulcer or gastritis. But a scope should see for sure what is going on.
Posted 1/11/2009 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
hi, i feel your pain about the doctors.  they aren't very available and sometimes primary care physicians have no clue.  I would insist on seeing your gi.  they can't deny you an appointment.  it probably wouldn't hurt to have some blood work done.  be persistent.  or  get another doctor.   I know its easy to say, but thats my advice..  take care! and good luck

Posted 1/11/2009 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
Also, if you are not happy with your gastro you should get a second opinion if you can. It is amazing how the quality of doctors can vary.

I notice you didn't say anything about your diet. You might want to talk to your doctor about changing your diet and also look through the posts here to see what works for others. For example, many people with UC cannot eat dairy or raw vegetables when in a flare.
Posted 1/11/2009 5:38 PM (GMT 0)

OP -Here. I guess you were right to whoever said I probably should have been on Asacol the whole time but the gastro says that my colitis is in the last 8 inches of my colon so he is not so sure that Asacol was helping so he took me off it and said to just do the enema/suppository routine. No, I can not even think about taking Colazal, it was pretty disgusting to throw it up all day. When I feel up to it I will ask to go back on the Asacol.

We live in Coastal Maine and you might have guessed that there is 1 person here that you can see. He is super busy as you can imagine but has a nice bedside manner which I have not found in the other Gastros that I have seen. Everyone else is at least an hour to an hour and a half away.

I try to stay away from sugar etc and not eat a lot of ruffage when I am feeling poorly. I did try that Spinach Sunflower thing but the canned spinach was really disgusting. Maybe I will cook real spinach and see how I do. But the most I have eaten in the last 10 days is either toast, soup or crackers.

Posted 1/11/2009 5:45 PM (GMT 0)
You definitely need to see a GI, possibly a new one. Rectal meds alone would be appropriate for proctitis or proctosigmoiditis, but oral medications are indicated for left-sided UC. Colazal is usually a very good med for this, but obviously you aren't able to take it. You may be able to take a different 5-ASA medication, such as Asacol or Sulfasalazine.

Even if you can't take any of these, other medications are available. You should see a GI and get your situation under control. As you found out the hard way, you really don't get very good care in the ER. Their job is to to stabilize you long enough for you to get to your own doctor. If you can establish a good working relationship with a GI, you can avoid going to the ER in most cases.

Hope you feel better soon. Keep us posted.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply