Previous
|
Next
Chronic Diarrhea and other symptoms
Jan 16, 2008 11:48AM
- 4 comments
Tags:
Tags:
I have not left the house except to go to a doctor or test in 6 weeks, and my husband has driven me as I feel too weak. I have chronic diarrhea with severe gas after eating. I and am afraid to eat anything that will cause distress and have lost 40 pounds in 4 months (20% of body weight). Constant nagging abdominal pain ULQ whether I eat or don't, I also have anxiety, sweats (no fever), tremors, and lower back pain. Symptoms were occasional at first but are now almost daily. I wake up in a sweat (which seems different from a hot flash) and fell sick until I have a stool. First stool may be semi-solid, about an hour after eating throughout the day, stools are watery and yellow.
I force myself to eat as I have NO appetite. I feel only weak, faint, pain (and anxiety), not hunger if I don't eat something every 2-3 hours. An I feel full right away when I do eat. Daytime seems to be worse, Evenings are better (or I'm just starving), I can usually eat a small meal. I have avoided most dairy (have eaten yogurt and cheese), alcohol (I was a heavy drinker), all caffeine. I have also eaten bland, cooked, low-fat, soft or liquid foods, avoiding raw veggies/fruits, or fatty/greasy foods. I added Boost High Protein for nutrition. Many foods I can eat one day I find unpalatable the next. Sometimes water upsets my system.
Tests done December and January include abdominal CT, chest x-ray, barium swallow upper x-ray, barium swallow intestinal x-ray, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, pill-cam intestinal, and various stool samples. All appeared normal or were negative. Liver, AC1 and thyroid blood tests done at my family practitioner in November were normal.
I have had previous DVT episodes (unexplained cause) so am taking Coumadin for life. Complete hysterectomy in 2005 put me into menopause but I cant take most supplements because of the DVT. Had a Nissen fundolication to repair a para-esophaghal hernia in March 2006. I also take Prilosec (20mg/day), Lexapro (5mg/day down from 20), Singulair (10mg/day), and Ambien CR (12.5 mg/day or I can't sleep AT ALL). I'm wondering if one of my meds is causing some of these symptoms since I quit drinking. I also wonder if I may be having vision problems and seem to be light and color sensitive. I wear new prescription glasses (I got about the time this started) and have some blurred vision.
I have suggested Habba and Dumping syndromes to my GI but have not been tested yet. He's ready to send me to Mayo or Iowa City.
I am desperate. I have been away from my job on unpaid leave for over 4 weeks now. I am afraid to drive or leave the house for fear that I may soil myself in public. Anxiety and depression are worse. My friends and family offer to stop and visit but I don't want to see them like this.
I force myself to eat as I have NO appetite. I feel only weak, faint, pain (and anxiety), not hunger if I don't eat something every 2-3 hours. An I feel full right away when I do eat. Daytime seems to be worse, Evenings are better (or I'm just starving), I can usually eat a small meal. I have avoided most dairy (have eaten yogurt and cheese), alcohol (I was a heavy drinker), all caffeine. I have also eaten bland, cooked, low-fat, soft or liquid foods, avoiding raw veggies/fruits, or fatty/greasy foods. I added Boost High Protein for nutrition. Many foods I can eat one day I find unpalatable the next. Sometimes water upsets my system.
Tests done December and January include abdominal CT, chest x-ray, barium swallow upper x-ray, barium swallow intestinal x-ray, gastroscopy, colonoscopy, pill-cam intestinal, and various stool samples. All appeared normal or were negative. Liver, AC1 and thyroid blood tests done at my family practitioner in November were normal.
I have had previous DVT episodes (unexplained cause) so am taking Coumadin for life. Complete hysterectomy in 2005 put me into menopause but I cant take most supplements because of the DVT. Had a Nissen fundolication to repair a para-esophaghal hernia in March 2006. I also take Prilosec (20mg/day), Lexapro (5mg/day down from 20), Singulair (10mg/day), and Ambien CR (12.5 mg/day or I can't sleep AT ALL). I'm wondering if one of my meds is causing some of these symptoms since I quit drinking. I also wonder if I may be having vision problems and seem to be light and color sensitive. I wear new prescription glasses (I got about the time this started) and have some blurred vision.
I have suggested Habba and Dumping syndromes to my GI but have not been tested yet. He's ready to send me to Mayo or Iowa City.
I am desperate. I have been away from my job on unpaid leave for over 4 weeks now. I am afraid to drive or leave the house for fear that I may soil myself in public. Anxiety and depression are worse. My friends and family offer to stop and visit but I don't want to see them like this.
Your physical/emotional symptoms peeked my attention as they are very similar to mine. I was diagnosed, after many many false negative test results, for clostridium difficile. Docs were amazed, as it used to be believed only possible in elderly and inpatient candidates. Not so anymore, and its a tough one to convince them to consider. My eyesight still isnt completely back (blurry, light sensitive). I also responded to your board post, as I always throw that out there as a possibility if someone's symptoms sound familiar. Definitely worth asking your doc about, but they sometimes done believe "false lab tests" are possible. If he/she does agree to test you for C Diff AND Toxins, put the sample on ice immediately, write on the cup "possible C Diff pls test ASAP", and take directly to the lab for testing. Best to test the ickiest of your sample, and on a "bad day". They should do at least one sample per day, on two different days in a row. Took them many months to finally get a positive for me. The good news is, if it is infact C Diff...a couple of rounds of antibiotics will send you well on your way to recovery. All my best...and its well worth a google to see if that sounds like your symptoms too.
I have the same symptoms as you. FATUGE, YELLOW STOOL, VISION PROBLEMS, NOT ABLE TO SLEEP, TREMORS, NOT ABLE TO EAT AND i CAAN ONLY EAT A LITTLE UNTIL MY STOMACK STARTS TO HURT, MUSCLE PAIN, i CANT STAND UP AND WALK AND I DONT WANT TO VISIT ANYONE I HAVE TO GOTO WORK AND SOME DAYS I DRAG MYSELF TO WORK AFRAID THAT I WILL DROP AT ANYTIME. THE MEDS THAT I AM ON IS AMBIEN CR, EFFEXOR, B-12 SHOOTS DAILY, STOOL HARDNER, AND ABOUT 14 TO 16 CODIENS, AND 2 OXYCODIENS A DAY. WHAT IS WEIRD IS THAT THE PAIN MEDS STOP OR SLOW DOWN THE RUNS AND GIVE ME ENERGY AND I CAN MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY IS HARD BUT I CAN IT IS STRANGE WE HAVE THE SAME SYMPTOMS.
THEY HAVE TESTED ME FOR EVERYTHING I TO BELIEVE THAT I HAVE TO GO TO THE MAYO CLINIC I AM ABOUT THERE,
***@****
THEY HAVE TESTED ME FOR EVERYTHING I TO BELIEVE THAT I HAVE TO GO TO THE MAYO CLINIC I AM ABOUT THERE,
***@****
girlvet
What antibiotics did you take? I was given rifaximin and it gave me worse diarrhea. In fact any antibacterial oral gives me worse diarrhea. I've begged the doctors for injected antibiotics but no doctor will do it. I take 20 Imodium a day to keep firm stool. I've taken all tests and normal. Have not had a thorough stool analysis. Please email answer if you can at cmartino_741***@****.
By the way taking 20 Imodium a day is causing severe dehydration and leaching out all my minerals. I drink a gallon or so of rice water daily to keep some of the fluid in but I am dying.
I never had diarrhea until I took antidepressants. Now I have chronic diarrhea. It's been suggested that the fluoride in the antidepressant had caused the problem but no one is sure how. Maybe it killed the good bacteria in my digestive tract. Maybe it damaged my pineal gland so that it no longer excretes serotonin and melatonin properly. In any case, the antidepressants will eventually cause my death. If I'd never taken prescription medication I would have been healthy today. I'm sorry I trusted the system.
What antibiotics did you take? I was given rifaximin and it gave me worse diarrhea. In fact any antibacterial oral gives me worse diarrhea. I've begged the doctors for injected antibiotics but no doctor will do it. I take 20 Imodium a day to keep firm stool. I've taken all tests and normal. Have not had a thorough stool analysis. Please email answer if you can at cmartino_741***@****.
By the way taking 20 Imodium a day is causing severe dehydration and leaching out all my minerals. I drink a gallon or so of rice water daily to keep some of the fluid in but I am dying.
I never had diarrhea until I took antidepressants. Now I have chronic diarrhea. It's been suggested that the fluoride in the antidepressant had caused the problem but no one is sure how. Maybe it killed the good bacteria in my digestive tract. Maybe it damaged my pineal gland so that it no longer excretes serotonin and melatonin properly. In any case, the antidepressants will eventually cause my death. If I'd never taken prescription medication I would have been healthy today. I'm sorry I trusted the system.
I've been to Mayo in Rochester. They found that I was dumping but never had surgery. You sound a lot like me. Did you end up going?
Post a Comment