doc never checked for bacteria in stool

When i was firsted diagnosed in 2011 I had a colonoscopy because of blood in stool and diagnosed with ulcerative proctosigmoidtitis. Recently I had a flex sig and had active ulcerative protosigmoidtitis and went on hydrocortisone enemas and mesalamine enemas which seem to clear (fingers crossed) the flare, although i still have a little urgency in the morning.

Anyway, what I would like to know from you all, as time goes by i am feeling that my gi is not the best, he has never done a stool test to test for any bacteria. He has done a biospy of the tissue of my colon with the colonoscopy and the flex but as far as i know he has never checked for bacteria. is that normal or should he have done this?

My GI did any an initial parasitology test but not sure how extensive. Later my primary recommended the CDSA from Genova which I've done several times since. The first time it identified 2 potentially pathogenic bacteria. Maybe try going through your primary for the test. In my case it was mostly covered by insurance.

In addition to stool culturing, c-diff can be checked by blood test looking for antibodies to the bacterium. If you had blood tests this could have been included. If you're wondering about this, ask your doctor. Many docs feel like when they're giving us important and not-so-pleasing information it's overload to tell us about everything they ruled out with tests. Your asking tells him you're ready for more information.

I def understand your worry about your GI not being thorough.
I ended up in the ER when my flare started so I gave a stool sample then. But no one checked my blood for almost 6 months of flaring. Until I went to my GP/NP and quit seeing my original doctor.
She was amazed that I had been flaring for 5+ months... with blood and D and had lost weight and was clearly anemic... and no blood was every taken.

Def ask your doc lots and lots of questions. Anything you think of. Even write stuff down so you dont forget!

DBwithUC said...
if you have it you know it.

I disagree! :)
I have no idea how long I had my c. diff. But once I was diagnosed... i figured out it was probably for months. I KNEW I was sick and something was wrong... but no one checked for c.diff since first ER visit. Even after blood, pain, diarrhea and urgency continued despite meds... for months... and months. (about 7 to be exact, before stool test was done.)

My doctor did not test for parasites/heavy metals until I asked him to. I think unless you voice that you may have been exposed they dont generally check. I could be wrong. I agree that they should check for for everything before diagnosis. If you are unsure about your doctor you should get a second opinion, its important to trust your doctor.

I should also ad I went a month and 2 hospital visits with cdif before I was tested and finally givin antibiotics.

Post Edited (warrior.princess) : 3/3/2014 3:25:08 AM (GMT-7)

Thanks everyone for your replies. My colonscopy which discovered the colitis says on the biospy report that "features of chronic colitis are not identified. The changes are most suggestive of an infectious etiology, however less commonly idiopatic inflammatory bowel disease"

My sig recently says "the findings are compatible with idiopathic inflammatory bowel disease if other etiologies have been excluded"

I take this to mean no biospy of the stool was done. Which I may be wrong on this, but there is not mention of a cdiff test on the biospy reports.

Which by the way I just happened to find on the hospital website under reports of my condition.

I was never given these reports.

Pluot said...
It's standard practice to retrieve a stool sample directly from the colon during colonoscopy. Is it possible that your doctor did this and tested it but never mentioned it because the results were negative? Just because you've never "given" a stool sample doesn't mean you haven't been tested.

You what?

How is it possible to take a stool sample during a colonoscopy? This cat's face says it all.

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