Do these symptoms sound serious???

[djobrien]

I was glad to come across this forum, and need to post my situation to see if my symptoms warrant making a return visit to the gastroenterologist. I'll try to keep my story brief, but want you to know all details.

I am a 44 year old male, and have gone my whole life without any sort of intestinal problems at all. About 8 months ago, after a night of good old mexican food, and getting drunk on tequila, the next day I started having many bouts of diarrhea, which would not stop until later in day, when blood started coming out instead. Went to ER, they said it was a bout of gastroenteritis. (hope I am spelling these things correct). Took a few days of Cipro, visited my doctor, went to a specialist, who agreed, and said otherwise I was fine. 1 month on a special diet and things seemed to return to normal.....almost.

Actually, I have never been the same since, and have had over the last several months, a few bouts of the diarrhea, sometimes after eating, which would last for a couple of hours, then calm down, as well as about 4 incidents of severe pain in stomach with bloating after eating, or having a glass of wine. I also have been a long time drinker of about 2 or 3 glasses of red wine each night.

Now, over the last 3 or 4 months I have developed a white coating on my tongue, and it's sort of fuzzy feeling as well. Can't get rid of it, and I have a general feeling of fatique and slight lightheadedness, which gets more prominent every time I have a bowel movement. That sort of spacey, slight vertigo feeling. And my bowel movements are varying in color a lot, sometimes a period of normal brown, then periods of very dark brownish - green, and then a period of brownish yellow, and always a shiny varnish - like look to them when I wipe. I don't know what to make of all of this, but's it's causing me concern. I hope this will ring a bell to someone in here, and that it doesn't sound too serious.

Just so you know a couple of other facts, my diet is good, low fat, lots of vegetables, and I eat pure oat bran every day. I am on one medication for high blodd pressure, Monopril.  I hope someone can help me with my problems.   Thanks!

[djobrien]

Thanks for your comments..

It's interesting, regarding the bowel habits. They keep sort of changing, never staying just one way. The brownish yellow stools happen for about 3 days, then start becoming normal looking again.

But all of these symptoms, along with your comments are convincing me that I need to go back in and be tested for a few things..

[Kevin Pho, MD]

Any type of gastroenteritis may take up to several weeks to completely clear.  First, I would send stool cultures out to ensure the infection still isn't present despite antibiotics.  

If there are still lower GI symptoms, like change in bowel habits, then you may want to consider an endoscopy for further evaluation - which may mean either a flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.

Regarding the white coating on the toungue - you may want to have it tested for a fungal infection (i.e. Candidiasis).  The risk of this increases if you recently been on antibiotics.  This can be done with a simple throat swab.  

If the symptoms continue, a GI referral would not be unreasonable.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
Medical Weblog:
kevinmd_b

[yoshi]

you can get a breath test in your doctor's office for h pylori bacterial infection,2 treatments are available,both takes 14 days .

[yoshi]

mexican food ??
did you test for hector pylori bacteria infection??
did any one eat with you that nite and did they have any symptoms??

[djobrien]

Hi Yoshi,
yes, other people were there, and no other reports of bad experience with food. But that was also 8 months ago. Could that really apply to the symptoms I am having now?