Many Symptoms...NO diagnosis

[mommyof3at23]

since around 2005 I have had serious problems with bowel movements and stomach problems. I had a colonoscopy which showed absolutely no problems. I was told I had IBS and if I took a laxative daily with fiber I would be fine, and he left it at that. Well here I am almost 4 years later an NOTHING is working and I'm actually feeling a lot worse now than ever before. Here are my symptoms: serious constipation, diarrhea(with asthma attacks), bloated to the pointed to where i look 6 months pregnant, dizziness, weak, sweating hands feet and nose with no fever, irritable/cranky, tired to point of sheer exhaustion, crampy feeling in entire abdomen, lack of appetite with no weightloss, sexual desire is weak, heartburn after meals, no rhyme or rhythm to symptoms, sometimes at night sometimes during the day, sometimes before eating sometimes after, no matter what I eat, I don't eat anything in excess, I try to maintain a balanced diet. I don't eat a lot of junk food, i don't drink soda, don't eat red sauce, don't drink milk(lactose intolerance), don't eat a lot of bread, I take a multi-vitamin EVERYday. I have 3 children that really need their mommy and most of the time I'm too sick/tired to do ANYTHING. I have to find the energy to take a shower and brush my teeth. This has been going on too long and the last 3.5 months have been the most miserable of my life and geting worse! I've tried so many things... fiber daily, daily laxative, changing diet completely, eating small meals throughout the day... If you can help me PLEASE tell me how I can fix all of this!

[Banned1]

HI again.  First off, it's horrible that your pcp is a quack.  I'm glad you are seeking a new doctor.  A Gastroenterologist is probably the best person for you to see.  You've gone through so much and I just ache for you.  The worst of being sick, I think, is the guilt that you are letting your loved ones down.  

I belong to a Yahoo! group which deals with Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction, Pancreatitis and Undiagnosed Symptoms, among other things.  If you want to let me know where you live (city/state only, please), I can ask the forum if they could recommend a doctor in your area.

Here are a couple of things that I've found helpful (and I post them frequently):

Research!  Read old posts in this forum.  There is a fantastic research resource that I've found very helpful called "The First Principles of Gastroenterology": http://gastroresource.com/GITextbook/en/Default.htm.  

Log!  Keep a journal.  It helps identify patterns in your symptoms, foods, sleep, mood, medications and pain level.  You're welcome to read mine but I write a lot (can you tell?).  :)  http://www.medhelp.org/user_journals/show/12546?personal_page_id=8912

Reach Out!  You are not alone!  Try to stay positive.  

When you do find answers,please post to let everyone know what you found and how you got rid of your symptoms.  It gives people on this site hope to hear success stories.

All the best,

Sam

[mommyof3at23]

Thank you for answering. Yes I have talked to mt pcp and she is a quack. I am in the process of finding a new one. My colonoscopy was in jan 07, sorry for the confusion. I too have no idea how I get myself out of bed each day. I wish I could say that I put on a smile and go on with my day but unfortunately I cant find the strength to do that! Im a stay at home mom but my kids are suffering because most days I'm too sick to get on the floor to do anything(they are 4, 2 and 7 months!). My poor husband I'm sure is getting tired of me saying "I'm tired of being sick"!! The last GI doc i saw was more interested in making a buck than finding out what was wrong! I'm really scared that once i start this process my med bills will add up quickly and i wont be able to keep up financially! I have 3 kids to feed with one income, and we are already at poverty level! The stress definetly adds to the sickness!

[Banned1]

Hi mommyof3at23:

I'm so sorry to hear that you are suffering.  There is an interesting article on Irritable Bowel Syndrome at http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Understanding_and_treating_an_irritable_bowel.htm.   There are many new medications available to help you treat the symptoms, if it is IBS.  Unfortunately, a lot of people get lumped into the IBS diagnosis because no one can figure out what is wrong with them.  

You have so many symptoms going on, I can't imagine how you are coping every day.  Please make an appointment with your primary care physician.  If you don't like your pcp, get a new one.  Since it's been four years since your colonoscopy, you may want to re-visit your gastroenterologist.  Regardless, you need some medical advice from medical professionals to get this sorted out and get you back to having a life with your family!  

Good luck and Godspeed.  You'll be in my thoughts and prayers,

Sam