Seeing the GI this week -- what questions to ask, tests to request?

I posted a short time back and recently had a surgical referral where I was told not to have my gall bladder removed although my PCP thought it would help my digestive issues. GI consult is for later this week and in addition to going over my food/symptom diary what questions should I be asking or tests to request?

Things for me since I last posted have been very up and down with some days relatively GERD "free" and others like today where anything I eat causes a lot of distress, chest pains, acid, gas and feathery, loose bm's. I've been trying to get my arms around what my triggers are but even these seem to change or perhaps it's what I'm combining at any given time. Although my diet is pretty limited. On an emotional level I alternate between being anxious and not, feeling like I'm "withering away" or laying in bed unable to sleep since I'm convinced "tonight I'm going to die." Other times I have no problems sleeping but the GERD or whatever it is that's going on is starting to take its toll. Same with my energy levels. Some days I'll wake up and go to work feeling ok and then later will come home and can't keep my eyes open. I'm literally turning old before my time and even people at work have told me I look "tired" though I'm thinking that "tired out" is more likely. To recap I'm currently taking 20mg of pepcid (and 2 PB8's each day) prior to each meal and eating lightly with the only sugar coming from fruit, which I eat sparingly. I'm (mostly) vegan (plain eggs 3x per week) so am thinking I should start taking B12 but don't want to make any other changes until I see the GI. I'm hoping for the best but sometimes it's very hard to stay optimistic.

J-

Post Edited (jcee) : 6/15/2010 4:07:16 PM (GMT-6)

Thank you. I'll take that up with the doctor.

During my surgical consult a few weeks ago the doctor advised against having the gallbladder removed which is what finally prompted my PCP to give me the GI referral that I had been asking for all along. I'll be doing that tomorrow and will also ask about my taking pepcid, which I've been taking for about 2.5 years, and how that might be interfering with digestion. I stopped the probiotic today and will see how that goes and I have been keeping a dairy of both food and symptoms since this all started up with a vengence in late April. And although some patterns are emerging I'm still not sure what my triggers are since sometimes the triggers aren't triggers at all, and other times things that sat just fine cause a huge amount of acid. Much to talk about with the doctor tomorrow and at the same time I'll get my blood drawn again to see if the elevated alkaline phosphatase level has dropped back into the normal range. Thanks for the heads up. :)

Thx Nolique. I'm glad I'm keeping my GB and my GI said that what the tests and past scoping showed, which I didn't realize I had (i thought I only had a colonoscopy) is that I have hiaetal hernia and IBS in addition to GERD. She put me on Prilosec for one month to see how I get on and had me stop taking the Pepcid so we'll see. It will still be a matter of life style changes, losing more weight, watching what I eat and trying to relax. Not easy for a worrier like myself but better than what I conjured up in my mind. At least as far as this episode/problem goes. Unfortunately a new one popped up or rather made itself known from the last round of tests that showed my elevated levels of Alkaline Phosphatase is not due to the liver (thankfully) but is coming from bone. A thought that has my mind reeling with thoughts of lymphoma, bone cancer and who knows what else. Waiting to hear from my primary care doctor to see what the next steps are while trying to keep my flip-flopping tummy/guts in check. Might be a good night to take an Ativan. Take care and thanks again.