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Gastroenterology clinic in BC or best specialists

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/31/2020 6:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hello,
We live in British Columbia, Canada, in a remote area and every time we have to see a specialist we travel 700km. But that is not the biggest issue. It seems the GI we are seeing (both my son, 19, and I have UC) is not responding well to our concerns/questions. He is convinced the only option for my son is biologics. My son is extremely anxious about taking those and is refusing to take any form of mesalamine because he feels it is making him feel worse and the doctor does not beleive him. (I know, he is not easy, either). I feel we have to see another specialist and am trying to find out who is the best in our province or if there is a clinic specializing in IBD. I did Google it and am not sure if I can trust the result. If anybody is familiar with the situation in BC, can you, please, share. Or, even, another province, I am desperate. I suspect my son has IBS on top of UC and nobody is even trying to treat that.
Thank you all.
Posted 8/1/2020 12:42 PM (GMT 0)
I can sympathize with your son because I have tried different mesalamines on three separate occasions and found that they all made me feel worse. I have heard other stories from people who post here on HW who found that they are allergic to mesalamines.

It is possible that your son's particular mesalamine had excipients that gave him the problem and not the mesalamine itself. You could try topical rectal meds that so many here have found effective.

Having said that, I don't live anywhere near Canada so I can't help you about finding a clinic. Sorry.
Posted 8/1/2020 1:16 PM (GMT 0)
Not sure if I’ll be much help but I’m in BC. I’m currently seeing a GI in Kelowna...
Posted 8/1/2020 1:26 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Svetla. I am in Coquitlam. I am not aware of an IBD clinic or who the best GI is. I like my GI (in Vancouver) but then I saw someone else post here once that they hated her, so I hesitate to recommend her. It sounds like it would be a good idea to consult with a different GI just to get a second opinion.
Posted 8/1/2020 4:28 PM (GMT 0)
I just wrote a book about my experience in British Columbia results for the colitis, and then my battery died. This was the gist of it:

1). I live in the lower mainland, And have access to all the GIs from Vancouver to the Fraser valley And I don’t think I get very good support. My situation is the same. Pushing biologics and me and me not understanding fully why and resisting it.

2) CBD oil has really helped me with my fatigue.

3) IBD AID diet Helped me with my gut symptoms, but I think even when I didn’t have pain and bloating and diarrhea, there was inflammation and I still felt exhausted. Everyone is different, maybe your sons worst symptom is diarrhea, and maybe this diet will help him.

4) After a whole year of resistance I decided to go on inflectra infusions. Finally I have hope that I can recover now. The last three years I’ve been more sick than I realized. So I am at this time extremely grateful that I’m on Biologics. I finished my third loading dose last week and now I only have to go once every eight weeks. I just don’t think it’s a big deal anymore, I think it’s taking responsibility for my heath and treating it.
I already am starting to feel better. There is nothing better than that!
5) I think your role as a mother is to support your son no matter what decision he makes. Encouraging him with advice could make him less interested in looking at his options. Support him in whatever he’s interested in. I know it’s really hard to see someone you love dealing with sickness. I had to come to this decision on my own.
Posted 8/1/2020 7:08 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks all for your support and input. It feels so surreal when you don’t feel comfortable talking to your GI and trying not to upset him and get answers at the same time. Adverse reaction to mesalamines is something real and doctors don’t seem to believe it. I don’t want to influence my son but he is fairly new to that world and can be impulsive. And again, thank you so much.
Posted 8/1/2020 9:55 PM (GMT 0)
I took mezavant for about two weeks a year ago and had liquid diarrhea the whole time which ended two days after I went off it. I went on pentasa instead and did not have the same side effect.
Posted 8/3/2020 6:33 AM (GMT 0)
IBD and U.C. are poorly understood even by a lot of GI docs, unless they happen to specialize in it. When I was diagnosed in 2003, I was still using a doctor at VGH who was great, but I've also heard a lot of horror stories. I moved away from B.C. quite a while ago, but there definitely was a shortage of GI docs when I lived there.I doubt things have improved much. If you can, try switching to a different doctor, even if you keep seeing your current doctor while you wait.
Posted 8/3/2020 11:20 PM (GMT 0)
Brian Bressler is the best in BC. He is out of Vancouver.
Posted 8/16/2020 1:15 AM (GMT 0)
I really like Dr. Whittaker, although he is close to retirement so may not be taking new patients. He works in the same clinic as Dr. Bressler, I believe. Pacific Gastroenterology Associates, I think it is called.
Dr. Whittaker has always been understanding of my desire not to go on biologic, but does acknowledge that there aren't a tonne of other options, and I can't be sick all the time either. I had severe pancolitis back in 2011, and so far have managed to stay off biologics, despite not having a great response to mesalamine.
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