So as most of you know, I'm in clinical remission from UC (though I am increasingly skeptical that this diagnosis might not be correct), and have tested C. Diff free twice in the last two months now, but I am still having the exact. Same. Symptoms I've been having for over a year now. Urgent, watery D.
"It must be IBS," said my GI.
The ONLY treatments that have worked for me are Vancomycin, the first week of Xifaxan, and Augmentin of all things. (Augmentin, which is supposed to wreak havoc on UC patients.) On all of these I was having normal, formed stools within 24 hours. GI brushed off my response to Augmentin as coincidence.
To me, this seems indicative of some kind of bacterial problem. I reached out to my doctor inumerous times over the last month with this information, asking for more extensive stool testing for different bacteria beyond the normal stool panel and C Diff test. He avoided answering my question at all junctures. Kept prescribing IBS meds, none of which are working.
Finally, today I spoke with his physician's assistant. (His preferred method of communication is email -moist of which go unanswered despite numerous follow-ups on my part.)
"Oh, he's an IBD specialist. He doesn't deal with other types of GI problems like bacteria. You'd have to go to someone else to get stool tests for other types of bacteria."
Are. You. KIDDING me.
Over the last six months, you've given me FOUR rounds of Vancomycin, one round of Dificid, performed a fecal transplant on me for C. Diff, and you DON'T DEAL WITH GI BACTERIA? You are THE IBD specialist in the largest hospital in one of the largest cities in the state, and despite my obvious response on antibiotics, you haven't even considered bacteria as being a potential cause because all you care about
is IBD? YOUR colonoscopy report says explicitly that 'a chronic infection process cannot be completely ruled out.'
I'm done. Absolutely done. I have an appointment at Mayo July 17th. This is war.
Post Edited (Canaveral) : 6/14/2017 11:29:39 AM (GMT-6)