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FINALLY Going to so the GI Specialist. What to Ask??

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/23/2012 4:38 PM (GMT 0)
Hello UC Family!!

Just got a rush appointment with my GI guy. This will be my first real appointment to get some answers and i dont want to forgot to ask the important stuff. this doctor may not be the doc for me as he seems kinda old school...

that being said i want to get as much out of this appt as i can!! could you lovley people give me some suggestions of questions/demands/ etc that i should be going after??

any advice would help :) Thanks!!

Deja-vu

Posted 7/23/2012 4:43 PM (GMT 0)
It'll help if you can tell us what meds you're currently on, which meds you have tried in the past and are no longer using, what your symptoms are like currently, and the results of any recent c-scopes.
Posted 7/23/2012 5:58 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, medication should be definitely a subject. If you're overdue for a coloscopy, ask about that too.

I would also ask him if he could do a blood test to see where the CRP (inflammation) value is at and how your iron level is.

If someone else has a good idea, I'm out of ideas :)
Posted 7/23/2012 6:01 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry!! that would help wouldn't it LOL

okay..Salofalk 500mg 8 pills daily - 3 morning (6:00), 2 (9:00), 2 (12:00), 3 before bed (~10:00).
nothing else other than kinda monitoring my diet.

Was Dx in April 2012 - basically told i had severe colitis affecting whole colon... however they were not able to finish as i was too infalmmed at the time. they gave me pills and thats about it... which is why i booked again to get more info from him.
Posted 7/23/2012 6:06 PM (GMT 0)
Definetely ask about rectal meds.
Posted 7/23/2012 6:09 PM (GMT 0)
I'm assuming you're not yet in remission?

If not, your next step, IMO, should be to add mesalamine enemas. Period. Don't let him talk you into pred. And don't let him tell you that mesalamine enemas won't help because you have pancolitis. It's a bunch of hooey, because the enemas do a WONDERFUL job at treating the portion of the colon that the oral meds really don't treat effectively. If you want to take a research paper that shows enemas are beneficial to those with pancolitis (when used in conjunction with oral meds), let me know and I'll try to find it again.

Other than that, I think it would be benefiical to just chat with him, ask him some general questions about UC, should you have any, etc.

Oh, definitely ask about probiotics. And if he says they don't work, ignore him and get some anyway. You don't need an Rx for them.
Posted 7/23/2012 6:13 PM (GMT 0)
Here's the article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1774619/pdf/gut05400960.pdf

You may have to copy and paste it into your browser window. 

Posted 7/23/2012 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
IMHO...
Yes to probiotics and rectal meds.

Resist the suggestion to use prednisone.
I did. It took longer to get the UC under control but I have never regretted it.
Many docs see it as their go-to drug.
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