Constipation and bloating

[thatsdancin]

Hi, I am a 32yo woman, have had Type 1 diabeties for 7 years, have been constipated even longer, dr's call it IBS but have more recently had severe abdominal pain and extreme bloating. I decided to have colonic irrigation and this just stirred things up far worse, to the point of excruciating pain and a visit to Emergency! Eating anything can irritate my stomach and blow it up to at least 4mths preg looking! Lots of pain and even after taking the entire preparation used for people having colonoscopies, I have had little relief. My xray showed a large volume of faeces throughout my entire colon.  I have also suffered from 2 other auto immune relate diseases, rheumatiod arthritis and hypothyroidism.  I wonder if my digestive system being blocked for 8+ years prior could cause these immune breakdowns? ie; toxins in the blood stream etc.  My liver and kidney is also apparently not assisting properly in eliminating.  Perhaps poor diet, bulimia, overreating has contributed to the actual consipation problem but the resulting immune issues??? Any information or advice would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

[JDRF-Team-gg]

I am the mom of an 18 year old who was diagnosed at the age of 21 months, not a medical professional, so any info passed on to you should be verified with your healthcare team.

Sounds like you've had a pretty tough time of it - has your diabetes been in good control?  It must be awfully difficult to deal with all of the things you've had happening at once!  Because I'm not a doctor, I cannot diagnose your symptoms, but I will share my thoughts and experiences with you.

First off, have you been screened for celiac disease?  People with celiac have an allergy to gluten, which is in practically everything we eat!  Many of the symptoms you mention mimic other disorders and many people with celiac suffer needlessly because of misdiagnosis.  I've heard recently that there may be a higher risk of this if you have type 1 diabetes.  There is a blood test that can check for this.  Secondly, if you're taking prescription meds for your arthritis and hypothyroidism, have you checked the side effects associated with these medications?

If you're not already, you should be seeking the advice of a gastroenterologist and an endocrinologist to help you get to the root of your symptoms.  

Have you checked the archives on this website?  You may find some other useful information there.  Best of luck to you.

[JDRF Team SGG]

Also, you may want to ask your endocrinologist to have tests run for gastroparesis, which is caused by nerve damage to the nerves that control the digestive system. Usually this displays in food not being emptied out of the stomach after eating, resulting in nausea or bloating or pain. Here is a website that explains gastroparesis and the tests that can be done to diagnose whether it exists in you:
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gastroparesis/

While there is no cure for severely damaged nerves, many people do experience improvement if they tighten up their glucose control to bring the sugar levels to normal. Some minor nerve damage may even repair itself, and further damage can be prevented this way. It wouldn't hurt to be tested.