Aa
Chronic diarrhea for 18+ months and no idea whats wrong
Hi, I’m hoping someone can help point us in the right direction. My girlfriend has experienced chronic stomach and digestive issues for the past year and a half. Her symptoms have evolved over time and they are really intermittent.
She started by getting diarrhea every few days and always had an upset stomach. She got blood and stool samples, I believe it was the blood sample that showed up salmonella (although it might have been the stool). They put her on antibiotics, and it didn’t go away.
We later moved and she went to another doctor. Same thing, blood and stool and salmonella was found. More antibiotics, nothing changes. By now she thinks she can control her symptoms by cutting out certain foods like onion, garlic, bell peppers etc. She does OK for a while but things get worse for her and then she finds blood in her stool. It’s really red, and it only happened once but there was quite a lot. She said it seemed to leak out of the stool and turned the water red.
She gets sent to get a colonoscopy and a gastronomy, which are both done. They don’t find anything, the take a biopsy sample and it comes back showing salmonella again. They put her on really heavy antibiotics.
She comes back after the antibiotics course and they do more blood and/or stool and the salmonella doesn’t come up, however they say it might not show up but still be present.
Anyway, she is still experiencing the same symptoms. She can go a week or so with no issues, then 1 or 2 days of really bad diarreah. Now, after some meals she starts being nauseous and she has recently (the last 5-6 weeks) being throwing up as well. Today she is at work and can’t even drink any water as it comes straight up. About 2 weeks ago she had another lot of blood in her stool, then find again after that.
She is going to another appointment with a gastro soon. One doctor said she needs another colonoscopy! What would a second one find that the first one didn’t?? Another noticed that her white blood cells are constantly above average and going up slightly each blood test. Could the salmonella be still there and causing all her symptoms??
We are really struggling to get an idea of what’s wrong and it’s so draining on her to go form doctor to doctor and not get anywhere. I was just hoping there would be someone out there that might read the whole thing and with a fresh set of eyes help us figure out what is going on?
I appreciate any help at all, thanks so much to everyone reading.
Alex
She started by getting diarrhea every few days and always had an upset stomach. She got blood and stool samples, I believe it was the blood sample that showed up salmonella (although it might have been the stool). They put her on antibiotics, and it didn’t go away.
We later moved and she went to another doctor. Same thing, blood and stool and salmonella was found. More antibiotics, nothing changes. By now she thinks she can control her symptoms by cutting out certain foods like onion, garlic, bell peppers etc. She does OK for a while but things get worse for her and then she finds blood in her stool. It’s really red, and it only happened once but there was quite a lot. She said it seemed to leak out of the stool and turned the water red.
She gets sent to get a colonoscopy and a gastronomy, which are both done. They don’t find anything, the take a biopsy sample and it comes back showing salmonella again. They put her on really heavy antibiotics.
She comes back after the antibiotics course and they do more blood and/or stool and the salmonella doesn’t come up, however they say it might not show up but still be present.
Anyway, she is still experiencing the same symptoms. She can go a week or so with no issues, then 1 or 2 days of really bad diarreah. Now, after some meals she starts being nauseous and she has recently (the last 5-6 weeks) being throwing up as well. Today she is at work and can’t even drink any water as it comes straight up. About 2 weeks ago she had another lot of blood in her stool, then find again after that.
She is going to another appointment with a gastro soon. One doctor said she needs another colonoscopy! What would a second one find that the first one didn’t?? Another noticed that her white blood cells are constantly above average and going up slightly each blood test. Could the salmonella be still there and causing all her symptoms??
We are really struggling to get an idea of what’s wrong and it’s so draining on her to go form doctor to doctor and not get anywhere. I was just hoping there would be someone out there that might read the whole thing and with a fresh set of eyes help us figure out what is going on?
I appreciate any help at all, thanks so much to everyone reading.
Alex
the current episodes of nausea and vomiting could be gastritis or pancreatitis even.
Hi,
I read your post. It sounds like she may be having crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis as they are also prone to develop salmonella infections and can have bleeding in stools.Does she have any significant family history,allergies to food etc? Also bleeding the kind you described could be from hemorrhoids but i doubt that here.
I read your post. It sounds like she may be having crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis as they are also prone to develop salmonella infections and can have bleeding in stools.Does she have any significant family history,allergies to food etc? Also bleeding the kind you described could be from hemorrhoids but i doubt that here.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Gastroenterology Community
Learn which OTC medications can help relieve your digestive troubles.
Is a gluten-free diet right for you?
Discover common causes of and remedies for heartburn.
This common yet mysterious bowel condition plagues millions of Americans
Don't get burned again. Banish nighttime heartburn with these quick tips
Get answers to your top questions about this pervasive digestive problem
