GI PROBLEMS__HELP

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-19-2004
GI PROBLEMS__HELP
3
Sun, 09-19-2004 - 7:49am
Hello everyone,

I need some help. I have been having GI problems for two years now. I have not had a normal bowel movement in along time. My abdominal pain and bloating have resolved now, but I have diarrhea to really soft stools. I have been to the doctors several times. I have done Upper and lower GI tract, barium series, the test where they took a piece of my small intestine and colon and biopsy them, several blood test. All which have come back normal. The only problem is that I do not have normal hard stools. When I know I have to do number 2 I have to go with in second to a minute. I can't hold it very long, or I'll have an accident in my pant. I am stuck on what to do next. Am I ever going to be normal again. I am so tried of my problem that I am afraid to eat, because If I have to go will there be a bathroom close my so I can use it. Is there any more test I can do?

PLEASE HELP

Lisa

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-21-2004
In reply to: lc52602
Tue, 09-21-2004 - 11:11pm
Are you going to a gastroenterologist or is your primary care doc doing all of this. You have the right, regardless of insurance type, to ask for a referral to a specialist. As an email I just received from CrohnsCronicles.com says, there is no one test that specifically tests for Crohn's disease. This is true for Ulcerative Colitis as well. The GI doc I was 'assigned' in the emergency room did a colonoscopy, but wasn't sure if it was Crohn's or UC. When I went to my husband's family GI, he ordered the barium series as well as a followup colonoscopy. He apparently saw things the other guy didn't. Like, I had actually had my first flare-up 8-10 years earlier based on scar tissue (and thinking back, I knew exactly when it was - and the emergency room then said I had stomach flu and sent me home).

If this is all coming from your primary care doc, ask for a referral to a GI specialist. If at all possible, get a name from a friend or family member so you can tell your primary care doc WHO you want to be referred to (as long as they're in the insurance network, your primary care doc should be able to do it).

Good luck, and keep us posted.

Just for some additonal info, here's the full text from the CrohnsCronicles.com email I received this evening:

What are all these tests for?

Finding out you have Crohn's disease may have been a frustrating experience. You may have had to visit several doctors and undergone a number of tests. Your doctor may have told you that you need additional tests. Though numerous and maybe tiring, these tests are important for your doctor to understand your Crohn's disease and how it's affecting your health.

There is no one test that specifically tests for Crohn's disease.

That is why your doctor may order several different types of tests. Tests you may undergo include:

Blood tests: Your doctor may check you for anemia, which may indicate that you are experiencing intestinal bleeding. Your doctor may also check the number of white blood cells, the number of clotting cells, and the erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). All of this will tell your doctor whether you have an infection or active inflammation.

Endoscopic examination: These tests use a thin, flexible, lighted tube to examine the upper and lower intestines. Endoscopic exams are used to confirm a diagnosis of Crohn's disease and to locate the affected areas of the intestine.

Radiologic examinations: These tests provide more information than the endoscopic exams. Radiologic tests include x-rays with or without contrast, CAT scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and ultrasound.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-21-2004
In reply to: lc52602
Wed, 09-22-2004 - 6:16am
Hi-

Don't waste your time with an internist or primary care MD. Go right to a gastroenterologist. If you don't have anyone in mind, check on the internet to see if any are rated by patients in your area. There is a site called the health pages.com that I believe has ratings of physicians. If you aren't getting answers, seek out another gastro MD until someone helps you. My gastro guy is fantastic, but I can tell you the first one I went to was horrible! Try not to worry. Hope you feel better.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-23-2003
In reply to: lc52602
Wed, 09-22-2004 - 6:30pm

Hi Lisa!


Welcome to the board!