stomach problems

[sicktired1998]

I have been sick for five weeks now. Stated with what the Doctor said was a viral infection. Every since then I have had horrible cramping,heaviness in lower center & right side of rib cage, went from constipated to going all of the time. Everytime I eat my stomach bloats and I have to use restroom. Horrible pain after I eat also. Feeling of fullness...even if all I eat is a cracker. They have done blood work, xrays,ct scan,ultrasound of gallbladder and everything is normal. They recently did more blood work, stool samples and I have an endoscope & colonostmy scheduled. My stool goes from black tary to normal color and liquid. I'm at my wits end! They so far haven't been able to find anything. I also have lost 10 lbs in less than a week because I can't keep anything in me. Any suggestions as to what may be wrong???

[ggreg]

Before I begin, I will say that it is likely your clogged guts is a fairly common situation, particularly when they order a colonoscopy because of indigestion.  But I'll tell you what I think and hopefully they will at long last get you straight.  Also, if you have a regular doc, go see him as an emergency squeeze-in appointment and see can you get a doc's excuse for all this whilst you are out of work.  He also may have some ideas about getting unclogged, which leads me to what I want to say.

I wonder if the people who were doing the colonoscopy at least sent you down the hall so someone could at least un-clog you???  They were right to stop the procedure, becuz you do have to have a really clean bowel, but they should have also asked someone in the building to try to get all the stuck waste out of you, too.  I mean, the medical people are right there, with all the equipment they need to do long-tube enemas, they could have tried to get all the stuck waste out enough to where you could "get well," and then you could set up another another date to come back for the colonoscopy again.  Don't tell me they sent you home to work things out for yourself!!  

Well, if they did, those scoundrels, then you'll need to get some enemas going that will in essence "chip away" at the waste stuck in there, they have enema bags that come with a long flexible tube, and you ease that up in there and blast the water, and it'll begin to move the waste slowly out over a period of a couple days or so.  Now, if the waste ever gets down further and right at the end and ready to come out, but won't, you can get "BabyLax or PediaLax," little boxes of tubes of ointment at the drugstore, squirt a couple in the rear, and your waste will come out in minutes.  But that only works if your waste is lower and at the end.  If it's stuck higher up, the enemas is the way to go.  

Then there are indeed all kinds of laxatives that will cause all the muscles in the guts to surge and push, and eventually the waste will come out, but that way sort of hurts with the cramping and all.  But a combination of laxatives and enemas, with the BabyLax for any that gets stuck at the very end, that should "clean you out."  Afterwards, slowly begin eating normally again, slowly introduce fiber stuff like fresh vegies, salads, whole wheat bread, oat cereal with Acidophilus milk (at the groc store, the milk will help return intestinal flora to normal).   Also drink plenty of water, six glasses is pretty good, and keep up with whatever exercise you do.  Hopefully in two weeks, your gut will return to normal, keeping in mind you may still have a virus or other problem that will prevent 100 percent normal.

But if if your digestion DOES NOT return to subnormal or you cannot get that waste to come outta there, they really MUST order a CT scan and take over your health at that point.  You see, you might have a twisted bowel somehow, or maybe some benign growth on another organ or in the intestine has made it clog up, or you could have diverticulitis where an abscess has formed where the intestine bulges out of whack, it could be so many things wrong that are serious enough that they simply cannot just keep sending you home until next time, when a scan would probably tell them what the problem is right away.  The signs of blood alone is enough to order a scan in the first place, nevermind all those scopes, particularly when you were so stopped up with waste that they couldn't complete the colonoscopy!  And if nothing else, your regular doc can do some bloodwork to make sure you don't have an intestinal bacteria, even tho they've already done labs, you can request more, just in case.  Keep us posted.

[sicktired1998]

Thanks, but I'm not taking any meds. The endoscope went fine, they said stomach looked normal, but still did biopsy. Colonoscopy didn't go as well. Have to have it done again. Even after the MoviPak....my colon is still completely clogged. So now I'm worried as to why that is. Any ideas?
I just hope they figure it out soon. This is my 2nd week off work...and I'm just miserable.

[ggreg]

Once in a while medications can do this.  If you think back and remember starting a particular medicine about that time or just before that time, then see your doc that prescribed it, and get him to change it to another kind.  I had something like you and no one knew what it was, until I figured out it was my pills.  Weaned off them and bingo, I was well.  Only other things I can think of is liver or gallbladder, since it's on the right side, but they did a scan, so... If you indeed have a virus, if the doc declared it was from a blood draw, and if you haven't had bloodwork recently, then ask for more labs to check for that virus.  Could be it didn't go away like it's supposed to.  Buy a new toothbrush, too, and either chlorox or alcohol wipe doorknobs, refrigerator and other kitchen handles, and your phones, just in case.  I DO NOT like the sound of black stool, can indicate bleeding, which could come from almost anything, but still... hope your endoscope and colonoscopy are soon, and DO ask for more bloodwork.