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591925 tn?1218982710

Gastro problems, NEED HELP! :(

I am 23 years old and a female. I am usually in good health and haven't had any major health issues. I have 120/80 B.P. a little high cholesterol (not high enough to take med's), and I have psoriasis (scalp, torso, arms, legs). I sometimes get anxiety attacks. I am on very few medications, Birth Control (Cyclessa), and a nasal spray (Rhinocort AQ) and a daily multi-vitamin.

About 14 days ago I developed a 'stomach ache' that started out on a Wednesday as very mild nausea when I tried to eat dinner at night...but I still ate my meal. Then Thursday morning it turned into mild tummy upset and diarrhea and little more nausea. Thursday morning I had gone to my family doctor for vertigo, and nasal issues (which he put me in Singulair) which had been off and on since last month when I had an ear infection (and took Avelox).  I didn't think to ask him about the stomach issue since it was so mild at that point. That night (Thursday) I went on vacation with my family and became very nauseated and sick. I was not able to eat dinner, drank a water and ate crackers and slept most of the evening.  The next few days (Fri, Sat & Sun) I felt nauseated off and on and ate what I could here and there (mostly soup and gatorade) and had watery diarrhea 3-4x a day. Monday I made an appointment with my doctor and he suggested that I had gastroenteritis, and put me on and antibiotic called Cipro. He did not do any blood-work or stool samples or any tests for that matter. He just asked my symptoms and felt around my stomach, and I told him I had lost about 1lb. He told me to take the Cipro and I should start feeling much better in 3 days. Wednesday, about 3 days into the antibiotic (a week from when the symptoms started) I was not feeling any better as he said I should, and feeling worse. I went to the E.R. told them my symptoms and that I had seen a doctor for what he thought was gastroenteritis, and that I had also started to develop mild discomfort/pain on my right side near my ribs & back that day.  They took blood and urine samples, put me on an I.V. for fluids and administered a pain medication, and Phenergan. They discharged me in 2 hours saying it was just the gastroenteritis that my doctor told me it was and to follow up with him if it did not get better in 3 days. They also sent me home with Pepcid and Lomotil and told me to continue the Cipro. Another 4 days and no relief and I finished my Cipro (I had been taking Pepcid, I had not taken the Lomotil at all). I made a follow up appointment with my doctor again this past Monday (12 days after symptoms started), and told him I had been to the E.R. and that my symptoms are not getting any better and that I had developed the side/flank pain. He felt around my stomach again, asked my symptoms again, made me do a urine sample to check for infection, due to the side pain, which came out fine he said so he wasn't worried about the pain in my back and side. He suggested that it could possibly be a 'C Diff'' infection or Colon problems (he wasn't very specific). He told me to stop all medications for 10 days, eat yogurt because of the cultures in it, no dairy products, took stool samples, and told me to come back in 10 days to see my results and where to go from there.

I'm very frustrated because has been over 2 weeks with these symptoms, no relief, no answers, and I've lost almost 6lbs. I'm really worrying that something is really wrong with my organs/GI system, or I have some disease. Or that if it is a C-Diff infection like the doctor thinks, that it could be getting worse and cause major problems later as the days pass. I have anxiety so this causes my attacks to happen often recently. I am wondering if it could possibly be something that the doctors are missing or over looking such as problems with my kidneys, liver, gallbladder, pancrease, or some type of disease. Should I suggest a different type of test(s) to figure out what else this could be? Or should I ask to be seen by a G.I. doctor? I am waiting on my stool sample results which I was told could be 3-5 days (this coming Friday or Monday...probably Tuesday due to Labor day). I was never told the outcome of my blood-work from the hospital. I need some insight from someone with medical knowledge or who has experienced this before. I need to know what exactly to ask my doctor, what to suggest, where else to go, so that I can get whatever is wrong with me treated promptly!

Symptoms:
-Diarrhea that has turned into loose stools, brownish yellow in color, no noticeable blood, very little yellowish mucos sometimes when I wipe, passing about 3-4x per day mostly in the morning & afternoon. Sometimes it almost seems as if its hard to push it out or only a little comes out and I try again later.

-Nausea with no vomiting. I gag every now and then as if Im going to vomit, sometimes smells make it worse.

-Gassy stomach. Burping a lot especially after eating, passing gas here and there, can feel the gas/food moving around.

-Loss of appetite. I am only able to eat small bland portions. Soups, apple sauce, banana's, grapes, apples, yogurt, pretzels, rice, and occasional things like granola bars, pasta, cheese pizza, in VERY small amounts.

-Weight loss (originally 128lbs at 5'2", 6lbs so far and now I'm 122lbs).

-Mild pain/discomfort in my right side at my ribs/waist area, radiating to my back(flank) area.

-Fatigue, I can't do many of the activities I usually do...I become tired and out of energy very quickly. And I stand 8 hours per day, 5 days at work so this becomes bothersome.

-Incresed vertigo (a previous symptom I had been having due to my ear).

-Irritated skin near anus, in-between anus and vagina.

Other information:
I have 3 cats. I had 3 tooth fillings done about 6 months ago, and a wisdom tooth pulled about a year ago with minor complications (TMJ). I had been having vertigo which the doctor thought was being caused by my ears being blocked, and having sinusitis. I took Avelox about a month ago to relieve my ear. Had been to an outdoor city Fair where we ate food, and to an amusement park where we ate food and used the restroom, a few days before all these stomach symptoms started.

Thanks!
2 Responses
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591925 tn?1218982710
The pain/discomfort is more constant, and not really that far up into my shoulder. It doesn't happen right after I eat either...since its more constant.
Helpful - 0
535822 tn?1443976780
The Pain you describe could be the Gall Bladder, however Gall Bladder Pain is very severe, it could have been an Attack . I dont knoew if Dirareha acompanys it either, possibly constipation, you could put it in the search Engine and see if the symptoms fit yours, the Pain starts under the right ribs and radiates up and into the shoulders. it is so bad people end up in ER and they give you Morphine.try going on a low fat diet, and check if the pain etc comes about an hour or so after eating,
Helpful - 0
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