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What should I expect from first GI visit

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 12/27/2010 12:42 AM (GMT 0)
Hello all, I've been reading as a guest for a few weeks and am relieved to have found such an active and supportive group.

My pc doc and I suspect I have UC. I had emergency appendectomy on Halloween. I was readmitted to hospital 15 days later with extreme abdominal pain and fever. They initially expected to find infection related to surgery, but none visible on cat scans. My white count was elevated, fever spiked to 103, d began and became bloody quickly. Tested negative for c- dif. They had me on strong iv antibiotics including flagyl. I was released from the hospital 13 days later. I experienced night sweats and cold chills, low blood pressure and weight loss. Since the release I continue to deal with d. It improves some with probiotics, but I took a turn for the worse over the holidays - probably due to stress. I'm down to 104lbs and I see the GI for the first time tomorrow.

Will he prescribe something to help right away, do you think? Or will I have to have a scope first? What's common practice?
Posted 12/27/2010 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
It depends on how serious your condition is, what meds need to be prescribed, and your GI.

My GI will probably schedule you for a scope, test your poo, and wait for a diagnosis before prescribing medication. Unless your colon is in serious condition like mine was. My GI did prescribe me 5-ASAs before having a chance to scope me, but that was because he was worried about my condition. The colon can burst if it is seriously inflamed.

That is my GI. Other GIs might be more inclined to prescribe meds without a diagnosis.

Interesting about the appendectomy. Usually, having an appendectomy protects against UC. But if you already have UC, an appendectomy won't cure it.

Why did they have you on Flagyl and other strong antibiotics if you tested negative for c- dif?

Post Edited (subdued) : 12/26/2010 6:06:45 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/27/2010 1:17 AM (GMT 0)
They started me on the antibiotics because they were convinced of a post op infection. The d started the next day. When c dif was negative they thought antibiotics were cause of d. Even though cat scan did not reveal the abcess they were expecting, the doc's were still focused on the surgery and didn't think outside the box. UC didn't occur to my pc doc until I was 2 weeks free of antibiotics and still had d.
Posted 12/27/2010 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
That is terrible that they think you have developed UC. It seems like a big coincidence that you would develop UC right after surgery, doesn't it?

My GI gave me medication before doing a scope on me. I didn't have insurance and i couldn't afford a scope at the time. She gave me Asacol which helped a ton at the time. It since stopped helping so much but I still take it. I also had a script for Canasa suppositories given to me before colonoscopy. I did get a colonoscopy later and it confirmed UC. I was really sick, skinny and anemic. I couldn't wait, I needed treatment.
Posted 12/27/2010 2:02 AM (GMT 0)
It's a very unhappy coincidence. I have wondered, after all the reading I've done, if the antibiotics from the appendicitis surgery could have started the inflammation. I was on a lot of antibiotics this year for various things which is unusual for me. Perhaps it's been lingering and this threw it over the edge?

I hope the GI can offer some relief. I don't know if I can wait a week or so for a scope. I don't have much weight left to lose.
Posted 12/27/2010 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, one issue with many doctors is that they can think only inside the box, inside the box that they are treating you for. So if you were seeing a doctor for getting your appendix taken out, I'm not surprised that doctor did not consider another organ, the colon.

Chances are that you were misdiagnosed, that you had IBD and not appendicitis. In other words, your colon was already flaring. Like I said before, getting your appendix taken out before getting UC can help prevent getting UC to begin with.

However, if you have Chron's, then the fact that you had your appendix taken out can increase your risk for getting Chron's. There is a condition that is called Chron's Colitis, which is Chron's that affects only the colon.

http://ibdcrohns.about.com/cs/colitis/a/ucappendix.htm
http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/a/acute_appendicitis/misdiag.htm
http://www.freshpatents.com/-dt20090618ptan20090155813.php
http://www.crohns-colitis.com/

"Symptoms of acute appendicitis are also typical of many other diseases, disorders and conditions. These include ... irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, colitis, ... "

Yes. Some of the antibiotics you took could have made your condition worse.

It's good that you are finally seeing a GI.

Post Edited (subdued) : 12/26/2010 8:58:08 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 12/27/2010 9:58 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for all the input. I saw the GI today. He said the cat scans from the hospital did say "colitis" and since the symptoms have been going on for near 2 months it made since to do the scope. It may have been an infectious colitis, then my current symptoms would go away in a month or two, with his help, or it could be ulcerative colitis. Either way, we need the scope to know for sure and he's able to do it on Wednesday. Never thought I would look forward to a scope, but I'm sure ready for some answers and some relief!
Posted 12/28/2010 7:06 AM (GMT 0)
Strange.. Before I had my first colonoscopy I was flaring for a couple months not knowing what was going on. It got very bad and I was bleeding a lot and lost 30 lbs in that couple of months. They did a cat scan in the ER & told me it was pretty much UC & prescribed asacol that night. They didn't say anything about UC when you got your cat scan? "EDIT" I just seen your last reply, ok same situation I had pretty much heh.
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