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Horribly overtreated with bowel prep

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angel-baby
angel-baby

Hello. Last year I had some terrible issues with my stomach. They have mostly faded by now, but the short of it is I had IBS-like symptoms for a good few months. I went to the hospital multiple times and I was given a huge bottle of bowel prep that I was meant to finish in four hours. Well, somehow I ended up in the bathroom for a total of nine hours and I never finished the bottle. Only days after this I was given magnesium citrate, which I did not finish either and by the end I was in so much pain that I didn't want to live anymore and I was faced with incredible exhaustion.

Now, I'm a very anxious person-GAD. My anxiety is health-focused, and I have PTSD to boot so this really messed me up. To this day I worry that perhaps I somehow ruined my intestines with that intense and horrible regimen that was actually completely for naught. I have incredible anxiety about whether I may have given myself cancer somehow, or put myself at a greater risk. I was hoping someone here could ease my fears or perhaps tell me how doomed I am.

For reference, I was 18 years old at the time of treatment, I'm 4'11" (149 cm) and roughly 80 lbs (36 kg).

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2 Replies

  • sue162
    sue162 angel-baby

    Posted

    Did you have a colonoscopy done, usually this prep is for this or sigmoidoscopy?  Have your ibs symptoms calmed down now?  I don’t think the prep causes long term damage, I had the prep for colonoscopy and reacted with a lot of loo visits compared to my partner who didn’t make so many trips to the loo with the same prep, so I think we all react different to this stuff.  It’s hard with health anxiety, I have it also as your mind focuses on anything with health that it is going to mean something bad.  One thing that makes it worse is googling, I try not to do it and if you are concerned still I’d make an appointment with a dr and discuss it rather than googling 
    • angel-baby
      angel-baby sue162

      Posted

      I did not have a colonoscopy, I underwent the treatment solely for the laxative effects as I had been constipated for a few days. That's the first treatment I was given, before any other, gentler treatments. My ibs symptoms have calmed down dramatically since I started on a Lexapro regimen for anxiety. I did have an upper endoscopy and biopsy though, which came up clear. I'm just worried I may have really messed myself up, since nobody else seems to have had this elongated period of treatment.

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