HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

New to this and not yet diagnosed

Support Forums
>
Ulcerative Colitis
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/13/2014 9:10 AM (GMT 0)
I do not know if I have this. I do know that for 55 years I never concerned myself with bowel urgency , stool consistency or frequency . I am in my 7th week of bowel habit changes and have been to one general doctor and spoke long distance to a close friend who is a gastro . He feels that without tests a diagnosis can not be confirmed . He wants to rule out "mild" UC or microscopic colitis .

The initial tests ruled out C diff (negative) and all was clear except these did find "blastocystis hominis" . I do swim in a pool daily . I was treated with Flagyl and Florestor . the Flagyl really irritated my bowels . One week after Flagyl I saw improvement but still feel soreness . I go 1 -3 times daily and fluctuate in stool consistency (loose stool occurs about 1/3 of the time )but the urgency is there .

 

 I am just not sure if the problem is enough to subject myself to a scope and possible meds . I pause in going to the gastro with one set of problems only to leave with a new set of problems .

I can't be the only one who questions the accuracy of the doctors . I question the accuracy of the testing labs . I cant be the only one who has doubts about the medications . I cant be the only one who views the entire medical/phramaceudical  field as some type of profit business where I end up questioning the intervention strategies .

I do have doubts about my health . But I also have doubts about the system which can either help or hinder me . I just feel so stalemated with the decision .

Please feel free to comment .. Thanks in advance .

 

Posted 2/13/2014 11:30 AM (GMT 0)
I feel exactly the same way as you do. I haven't been diagnosed, partially because I won't have insurance for another month, and partially I don't have alot of faith in doctors with all the stories I've read and also heard from friends. I've had stomach/gall bladder issues all my life (I'm now 66) with years that would go by with no issues at all. I do believe stress always affects my stomach and bowels but this time I'm concerned that I'm moving into colitis because I have all the symptoms - primarily diarrhea within 1/2 hour of eating anything - and I never had issues with that before. No blood in stool but discomfort on left side, along with alot of gas and belching. I've been taking Zantac but mentioned in another post that I'm wondering if that med is causing the diarrhea because they list it as a possible side effect. I am afraid to get into the whole doctor/med thing because half the time I don't think they know what they're doing and just like to load you up with meds that might be beneficial but also could be detrimental. I've managed to get through these episodes (sometimes lasting a few months) in the past, but with this new diarrhea thing, I'm concerned about the big "C". Now they're saying on TV that both colonoscopies and mammograms are not necessrily good for you so what is a person to believe. Some docs label everything IBS when they can't find a reason and other docs say there's no such thing as IBS! Very frustrating. Anyway, just needed to vent but also wondering if IBS or Zantac can cause this new symptom I'm dealing with or does it seem more like colitis. Good luck to you too!
Posted 2/13/2014 11:36 AM (GMT 0)
Why don't you be your own doctor for a while? I think most of us old timers with UC do that anyway after being through the doctor gauntlet.

Change your diet
Don't drink as much coffee
Try starting Kegel exercises (this are great for older people)
Eliminate all dairy
Eliminate all alcohol
Add more fiber
Eat more soluble fiber
....etc, and etc, and etc.

You sound intelligent so I'm thinking you can probably figure this out without the doctors. If you can't then that's a different story. But they still aren't the answer, so I understand where you're coming from.

Good luck,
John
Posted 2/13/2014 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
I think you are being way too hard on doctors and the medical profession. Sure, there are all kinds of horror stories, missed diagnosis, diagnosis which should have been made, some meds backfiring and either making you worse or doing something else to you, etc., etc., BUT that doesn't mean you can't trust anything or anyone. In my opinion you need to find out what's up. Living like an Ostrich with your head in the sand isn't a solution. If you do indeed have this disease or something else, getting early treatment is waaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than letting it get out of control, at which point life can turn into a pure hell. Let yourself get diagnosed with something because at that point you still have the option of believing it is all just a load of crap. There's no law which says you have to do what the doctor's suggest and you can be the final decision maker no matter what a doctor or the tests say.
Posted 2/13/2014 2:16 PM (GMT 0)
Oh I know there are great doctors out there but I believe they're few and far between, hard to determine who the good ones are, expensive if they ARE good, and oftentimes not taking new patients (especially when they know your age and/or what insurance you have....Medicare not being one they like). I don't know how old you are but at my age (66) I know that alot of doctors lose interest for all those reasons. I worked in a nursing home for six years as a unit secretary so the docs would come up to the desk to fill out their patients charts and a good many of them would actually make fun of their elderly patients....and alot of these docs even SPECIALIZED in Geriatrics! Why? It really made me sick and probably part of the reason why I feel the way I do.
Posted 2/13/2014 2:28 PM (GMT 0)
I'm actually almost 57, so not far from you. You sound jaded by your own life experiences, which happens to us all. Try to keep an open mind to the fact that there is an entire world out there to which you were not exposed. As I said, it doesn't hurt to get diagnosed because you still have the option to not believe it if you don't want to.
Posted 2/13/2014 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
I have to disagree with you based on my experience. I'm 67 and the past 8 years of my life have been courtesy of modern healthcare. However, we all have our own experiences to motivate us. I would urge you to have the colonoscopy, however, just to rule out colon cancer. My mother died from that, and I don't wish it on anyone else in the world.
Posted 2/13/2014 2:36 PM (GMT 0)
In response to your post John, thanks for the advice. I've stopped caffeine and don't drink alcohol. I'm also on a bland diet of boiled chicken, mashed potatoes and a veggie which has always helped me in the past but, as I said, now it's diarrhea within 1/2 hour of eating (anything). I also drink apple juice which I'm not sure is good for diarrhea or constipation (I've heard both theories) and am now going to start drinking more water. I always felt water made me bloated and gassy but everyone swears by it cleaning out your system of bacteria, etc. I tried a probiotic a few years ago when I was having similar problems with stomach issues but without the D, and they didn't seem to do much. I do believe strongly that stress and anxiety are huge triggers too, and I certainly have that right now so who knows....maybe I'm just a neurotic. I've always been afraid of the big C since childhood (a close girlfriend of mine died of it at age 10) so I've always had an exaggerated fear of it. I've also stopped taking the Zantac as they say diarrhea can be a side effect so we'll see what happens. I guess I'm just concerned because D was never my problem before....always regular as clockwork. A few years ago doc thought all my issues were a result of gallbladder but I also have a fear of the knife so I didn't go ahead with surgery. So I obviously have issues of my own and always hoping to self-cure. Hope you're doing well yourself and thanks for your post.
Posted 2/13/2014 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
I also think you should have a c-scope. If it is UC, then you'll know and you'll be able to treat it, however you choose. Some have good success with meds, some with diet, some with supplements and other "natural" remedies. Like gary pointed out, you'll likely have a much easier time with your UC (if that's what it is) if you start treating it now, instead of when the symptoms get really severe.

Or, it could be something like colon cancer, and you don't want to let that go untreated.
Posted 2/13/2014 4:41 PM (GMT 0)
I think everyone questions doctors from time to time and that's a great thing. It can help you be an informed consumer, advocate for your own health and help get the best result out of the medical system .

However, it should not hinder you from continuing to use modern medicine which with all its faults is really a wonderful thing.
I think you should see a gastroenterologist and have a colonoscopy if they recommend it. Yes, it might turn out to be something minor that will clear up on its own, but it could be something more serious and its not really worth it to take that chance. Also, if your GI doc turns out to be anything like mine you will first wait 5-6 weeks for the first appointment and then another several weeks before a scope can be scheduled so that gives you another month or two to cancel if you feel you are better.

I have lost two first cousins to colon cancer who died while in their 50's so I feel that at the very least submitting to a c-scope to be screened for cancer is worth the price of admission.
Posted 2/14/2014 12:36 AM (GMT 0)
Interesting thread .. thanks for the replies .

To clarrify a bit :
1) I don't drink alcohol
2) i don't smoke
3) I swim 1.5 hrs a day (former competitive swimmer)
4) I eat healthy but am not sure if it's UC ideal selections .
5) I did have one incident three days prior to the onset where I accidentally drank dirty water which came from a water fountain (it was brown ).
6) I have pets . None are ill .
7) I am in a 10 year monagamous heterosexual relationship ( I am male ) . She is not ill .
8) I am an ideal weight at 5'9 162. I did lose weight at the onset partially because I was hesitant to eat just about anything that i thought might get me ill.
9) I get yearly physical exams with complete blood tests . In fact one month prior to this I went and received a perfect results . I am not diabetic , not anemic , cholestrol was 138 .. no issues .

Of course at first i thought the problem was food . I began eliminating one item at a time . I soon realized it wasn't food .

Regarding doctors .. it's not that that I don't feel that they can help at all .
In fact the one doctor who offered to help is a personal friend . His practice is 3K miles away (hes in another state) . In discussing this with him I truly believe he is sincere and even though our friendhip in the past was built on us both having interest in fine cars I reached out to him with this . even though I would be treated locally he did offer his time to discuss and listen anytime I wanted. What i found in numerous discussions was that the symptome are so similar that unless a person has severe symptoms even a good doctor faces a puzzle .

As for the meds .. my feeling has always been if one has to take them then its really up to the individual to weigh the risk vs the reward .

As for the medical industry .. I do believe that behind the all the caring smiles of a doctors office or hospital .. it's still a business . The medications , the physicians, the testing facilitites and the insurance companies .. they are not working for free. It's hard to face being both an aware consumer and a patient while at the same time feeling unwell .

And lastly .. At the height of the issues I had about a week of very frequent stool (5 -10 times) daily but it was brief . I am seeing a huge improvement . It's now 1-3 times and despite some soreness it's relatively solid . There has never been any pus or blood . Does UC ever go into remission ? Can anyone describe their process of healing ? Is it just an instant change from loose to solid ? Or is healing in stages ? I found nothing anywhere that answred those questions .

I just worry that even a colonoscopy or a new medication might cause a disruption .

I am leaning towards reschedueling the appointment . If i get better I might always wonder if i just caught something at the pool and it took time to heal . If i get worse then I have no choice but to go .

I feel everyones threshold for taking the big step might be different. I am just so on the fence with it . I have not cancelled/reschedueled it yet .
I have one more week to decide .

Thanks again for reading .
Posted 2/14/2014 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
I think you're over thinking all of it. People get food poisoning, they get bacteria, they get the stomach flu, and on and on. We are all gonna die anyway so it's not that big of a deal.

You're not going to find much sympathy here because most of us have been dealing with diarrhea and bowel problems for years and years and years.

If you're sick and want to go to the doctor then go. If you don't then don't. Sounds to me like you just ate something weird. No, you do not have ulcerative colitis.
Posted 2/15/2014 7:42 AM (GMT 0)
You might be correct. I might not have UC but I can't fathom why a GI physician who also happens to be a friend suggested it as a possibility (in need of tests) . I spoke with him last night and expressed that I posted in a forum and that after reading the posts I am confused . Even though I don't feel great I am not as sick as some of the posts I have read . His reply to me was "not everyone gets as sick" and that he's aware of how sick one can get .

I got a call today from my local GI's automated system . It asked me to press 1 to confirm and press 2 to to rescheduele . I hung up .
I guess that means I am really that uncertain.

I wasn't hoping for "sympathy" BTW . Ulcerative colitis isn't a conversation I ever had with anyone before until i posted here so my hope was to find my own direction with my next step.

Post Edited (ifitis) : 2/15/2014 12:45:55 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/15/2014 3:10 PM (GMT 0)
I still say you should get a diagnosis. You don't have to agree with it or even get treatment if you don't want to. Knowledge is power.
Posted 2/15/2014 3:29 PM (GMT 0)
I personally have a very high respect for my doctors. I was just diagnosed with UC in January and my GI doc has been with me every step of the way and really saved my life. Although I think it's important to be in charge of your own health, part of that comes with making sure you are doing everything you can, and you have to have some kind of trust in your doctors to do that. We can't do everything on our own. Not every doctor is a good doctor, so find a good one that acts as your personal advocate.
Posted 2/16/2014 6:14 AM (GMT 0)
I made my decision and want to thank all for the replies . I have decided not to go to the doctor . That does not mean that i will never go . In fact if I felt sick I would go but after 5 straight days of perfect stools (1-2 times a day) and a winding down of the soreness I just can see going .

I always wondered why my friend who is a GI even suggested the UC as a possibility . I also wondered who so many GI doctors dismiss the only thing they did find in my stool ( a parasite called blastocystis hominis) yet the posts i read on taht topic point more towards a shorter term but stubbon recovery .

For me its been 7 weeks where the real agony began with taking Flagyl and the recovery seemed to begin when I finished the dose (3 weeks ago) .

I am OK with not having a formal diagnosis because even if i were given a label I would question its accuracy with skepticism and even if concrete proof revealed that they are correct I would accept it but then question every medication risk/reward.

It may come to that at some point if illness returns . I hope it doesn't .

I want to once again thank the folks in this forum and hope that whatever route you choose to obtain better health brings peace .
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply