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Trying to determine if I have colitis...

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/25/2015 3:50 AM (GMT 0)
Hi all,

Off and on for the past several months, I've gone through days/weeks/months stretches where I'll experience terrible gas that begins only at night, after dinner, and continues into the morning. After a morning bowel movement, I'm usually fine all day. about an hour or so after dinner, though, it comes back like clockwork. I'll feel very bloated, very gassy, and have a strong feeling that I need to have a bowel movement but cannot. When this happens, what usually come out are tiny white-ish, clear-ish pieces of debris. Nothing that looks like anything I've eaten, and it looks consistently the same every time. What's weird is, this only comes at night. It's very uncomfortable, and not to mention embarrassing, but I can't seem to pin it on something that I'm eating, or what causes it to go away for a few weeks, or what triggers it to come back.

I've been going to doctors, getting CT scans, blood tests, etc. for quite some time trying to figure out what my symptoms are being caused by. So far, the doctors have not been able to tell me anything. I am a 30 year old male who is in otherwise good health. I have not yet had a colonoscopy and may not be able to afford such a procedure as it's estimated to cost me several thousand dollars even with insurance. My symptoms don't sound to me like that of colitis, but that is what my gastro doctor said she thinks it is. As the experts, do you all have any thoughts?
Posted 11/25/2015 4:25 AM (GMT 0)
Doesn't sound like UC to me but I don;t know what it sounds like. Could be another form of colitis.
Posted 11/25/2015 12:33 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like possibly IBS. The clear/white pieces or globs is mucous which is a good indication that it could be IBS. Can you correlate any of your symptoms to the foods you eat?
Posted 11/25/2015 12:35 PM (GMT 0)
What you describe isn't characteristic of ulcerative colitis. What would be is one or more of the following: passing a lot of blood when pooping, urgency, diarrhea, mucus, and abdominal pain.

The tiny white-ish, clear-ish pieces of debris that you describe could be mucus. The large intestine produces mucus, and it sometimes appears in stool. It can be seen in irritable bowel patients.

What you describe, discomfort and gas after eating sounds more like a food intolerance. Have you tried eliminating dairy, gluten, or other common allergens? Does it only happen with certain foods or meals?

Yes, colonoscopy can be expensive. A flexible-sigmoidoscopy is much, much cheaper. Gastroenterologist offices should be able to do that in their office or at a local hospital.
Posted 11/25/2015 2:11 PM (GMT 0)
I don't mean to scare you but your symptoms couldn't possibly be more similar to how my symptoms started. I remember being convinced I had worms which are typically more active in the evening. (The white debris is most likely mucous but it looked like worms to me.) The feeling that you need to have a bowel movement and cannot is called tenesmus. It can be caused by many things but UC is on that list. It was one of my first symptoms.

I didn't get the classic symptoms of UC until much later. But it is possible that I got IBS before IBD and you are experiencing a real bad bout of IBS. I remember my GI had me cut out dairy for 2 months and then reintroduce but to this day I can eat dairy with absolutely no problems. A lot of people get mucous and gas pain with dairy allergies. I would start there. Have they tested your stool?

I am horrified that your insurance does not cover a colonoscopy. I had 4 one year....all covered completely. Have you tried calling them?
Posted 11/25/2015 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
IF the colonoscopy is listed as a cancer screening - and not as diagnostic, then it may be little or no cost. A poor substitute is blood and stool tests for inflammation markers.

If you ever see blood, get a scope ASAP
Posted 11/25/2015 3:36 PM (GMT 0)
I agree sounds like IBS.
Posted 11/25/2015 8:16 PM (GMT 0)
My UC started out the same way you describe. However, I was taking a hefty antibiotic and prednisone at the time when it started for bronchitis, a sinus infection and an asthma flare up. It never went away despite probiotics and eventually (6 weeks later) turned into urgency and bleeding. However, my dad has IBS and he gets the same symptoms you describe as well and he has never been diagnosed with UC and he has had many colonoscopies over the years.
If I were you I would ask for a flex sig since they are cheaper. If you have UC they will see it there.
Posted 11/25/2015 8:52 PM (GMT 0)
My UC started very similar to that...and than it went downhill

It sound like you have some sort of irritation or possibly inflammation in your rectum. wether it is caused by colitis I do not know

many insurance companies offer free scopes as cancer prevention, some will stipulate that it cannot be in a hospital as that costs more
many hospitals have outpatient GI labs that can do it in and maybe insurance will pay
(mine paid 100 % and im only 20)
Posted 11/26/2015 4:52 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, everyone for the replies. I'll try to respond to most of the questions in one post.

about my insurance, I did call them, BCBS, to verify whether or not it would be covered. They said it's only covered after the age of 50. If it's prescribed for symptoms such as gastro issues, I'm responsible for the payment. Even after deductible it was estimated at several thousands of dollars.

Thanks for the tip on the flexible sigmoidoscopy. I'll talk to my doctor about this.

I have not been able to correlate the symptoms to anything that I eat. I almost always have dinner leftovers for lunch the next day, and never feel the symptoms until night. For instance, last night I had some seasoned chicken breast, avocado, and carrots for dinner. about an hour after dinner, the symptoms started. I had the leftovers for lunch today and felt no symptoms. At dinner tonight, I ate some ground chicken, cauliflower, and spaghetti squash. about an hour after dinner, of course, the symptoms came.

I have not tried cutting dairy or gluten or anything else for long periods of times. I've gone a couple days cutting out each, to no avail.

To the person who mentioned being convinced he had worms, I went through the same thing. Some of the debris at time is very long and I had convinced myself that between that, and the fact that bubbles were shooting to the surface during bowel movements that I, too, had worms or some parasite.

I have not had a stool test. I suggested this, and the doctor said it wasn't necessary and steered me back to the colonoscopy.
Posted 11/26/2015 8:49 AM (GMT 0)
I have bcbs ( wellmark) and they covered it. Even if they won't pay 100 percent it should either go toward your deductible or have some sort of percentage they pay. They cannot deny necessity for a scope when you are having the symptoms you are having call them back and bug them. It's inexcusable for them to decide if they want to cover a legitimate necessity. Shame on them.

Also even though they covered it was around one thousand dollar not several. I am not sure why they are quoting you such a high price.

What state do you live in
Posted 11/26/2015 1:54 PM (GMT 0)
BCBS usually has a nurse advocate. If they deny you coverage, appeal and possibly speak to an advocate.
Posted 11/26/2015 2:00 PM (GMT 0)
See if you can get a stool test for fecal calprotectin. If you have inflammation in the bowel it will be raised.
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