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I have been suffering with gastrointestinal disorder for over a year and doctors aren't helping!

Posted , 2 users are following.

becki35775
becki35775

Hi, 

I am new to this forum and have put off writing about my story due to the humiliation I feel daily but I am so depressed and although my family and boyfriend try to support me they don't fully understand what I go through daily and how I feel about it. I no longer feel like a human being anymore I am the lowest I have been my whole life and I wish every day for it just to stop, I hope by talking to similar people I can find some strength and a way to continue fighting.

My problems started a year ago when I decided to quit smoking,  I have lost 6 stone over the past few years, I eat healthily,  go to the gym 6 times a week and barely drink, smoking was the last thing to go. I started suffering with constipation 5-6 days a week, only going several times on 1 day and then repeating the cycle. I have been prescribed various different laxatives which worked for a limited time and then stopped. I have been to see a specialist who did one transit test but when it came back normal he said he didn't know what to do with me and dropped me. 

I changed gp's,  and had a sigmoidoscopy,  which confirmed no blockages in the lower part of my bowel. That's it as far as testing goes. All the doctors keep saying is they don't know  what is wrong with me and that at 26 I shouldn't be suffering like this.

My symptoms are now out of control and vary greatly, I am constipated without medication,  but any laxatives now give me severe diarrhea. I bloat every time I eat something to the point I feel too big for my skin and I get lots of gas which a lot of the time is hard to pass. I have been noticing blood and mucus a lot when I try to have a movement and it can be painful. I am finding that no food is safe and regularly get diarrhea attacks from eating things I could previously with no problem.  It is greatly affecting my ability to work, exercise or function as a normal human being. The doctors don't know what is wrong with me and seem adamant they don't want to test me further. I wondered if this sounds similar to anyone else on here? My symptoms are daily and there doesn't appear to be any triggers or patterns to them. 😯😨

Any help, advice or support would be greatly appreciated,  I am at the end of my tether and just don't know where to go next

Thank you for reading,

Becki

2 likes, 6 replies

6 Replies

  • Tuesday1
    Tuesday1 becki35775

    Posted

    Hi Becky. Thanks for your prompt reply. I guess you are worried about colon  cancer. Have you had a colonoscopy?.This may put your mind at ease. Sometimes bleeding has nothing to do with cancer and more to dk with irritation inside the bowel. You need to find someone who listens to you a d helps you to rectify your chronic constipation. Have you tried TCM? It could help with your condition as chinese med treats the underlying causes rather than the symptoms. The use of laxatives can only make your probl worst. Also as you say your emtions are connected to your gut and if you are extremely anxious your bosel condition will get worse. I don't know about you but I am a hipochondriac and I have a lot of  xiegy bdcause Im constantly tbinking about the worst. Googling stuff for reassurance makes me worse because you only worry a lot more tbinking it could be something fatal. My symptoms only started a few weeks ago but Ive been having extreme anxiety this year due to emotional issues.Nothing to do with this problem but I guess all tbat stress takes its toll. Im having an upperabdominal scan tomorrow because I couldnt cope with waiting for weeks to have it arranged through the NHS. My worry is such that I cant distract myself with anything and feel like bursting into tears every five minutes. I so terrified of the ultrasound scan....My husband and GP tell me to stop worrying as other tests have come ba k normal but I cant help it. If there is nothing seriously wrong with me tomorrow Ill be able to calm down but Im so terrified at the moment I wont be able to sleep tonight.

    I dont know if you live in England but there is a phone number you can call if you need to talk to someone. You can call them anytime day or night and they are very helpful. I can pass you the number if you are interested and of course if you live in England.

    I hope you start feeling better soon.

    • becki35775
      becki35775 Tuesday1

      Posted

      Hiya,

      Yes it is cancer I am concerned about,  and I know it can be signs of many other conditions but like you I fear the worst and believe that if there was a small chance it could be cancer the doctors should be testing to at least rule it out. I just know that something isn't right and I don't feel listened to, I have an appointment with an anorectal surgeon in a couple of weeks who will hopefully be more helpful. I unfortunately have to wait for the nhs as have no other way of affording the tests myself.

      I have never heard of TCM but am open to anything so I will have a look :-)

      Half my problem is worrying too much too but I am so exhausted with feeling ill, I suffer every day, it is affecting my ability to work and socialise and I find it very difficult to think about anything else. I am very good at giving advice unfortunately not very good at taking it but I guess we're all a little guilty of that.

      Yes I live in England,  the phone number would be lovely thank you, I think my family and partner are getting fed up with my condition and it's hard for them to understand as they don't live it everyday

      I really hope tomorrow goes well for you and gives you some relief from your fears. I won't tell you to relax,  but break the time between now and then into small tasks and get through each one, one at a time. It may give you some focus which may in turn lead to a distraction and bring some calm into the chaos. 

      Thank you for your support :-)

    • Tuesday1
      Tuesday1 becki35775

      Posted

      Hi becki. I can only begin to imaging how hard it must be for you as you have been enduring it for much longer. I think we are very similar in our state of minds. Today I had the scan and the staff must have thought I was really pathetic as tears were running down my face while they were doing the scan thinking omg what will be see.I couldn't even look at the radiologist face in case I could detect  a worried face. He also checked my lower abdomen and he was checking a spot for ages . I began to fear the worst until he realised it was a fibroid which I already know I had. Thanks God he didn't find anything abnormal with my kidneys pancreas gold ladder and liver and stomach. No tumours blockage or signs of can we. I cried of relief. I have a year old baby girl and in the last couple of weeks I was thinking I won't see her grow up and she will have to grow up without her mum which upset me a lot. You see I was fearing pancreatic cancer possibly having spread to th liver kidneys,,,,,My husband was jumping up and down when weedy the hospital. However although I was relieved I was and I'm still wondering whether they could miss something with an ultrasound and whether It would be wise to pay for an MRI to be on the safe side. I will probl push for a colonoscopy if my bow probl persist, I totally understand your anxiety as going through the NHS can take long and meanwhile you suffer with anxiety and worry to the point you can't function at work....I am a teacher and I was off work last Thurs because I didn't feel I could teach in front of a class in that state of mind.Fortunately it is half term this week so I didn't have to take time off work. Otherwise I wouldn't have been able to go to work. Like you I'm quite good at giving advice and supporting others but I don't apply the rules to myself  I would definitely try TCM I know it works be cause I took prescribed herbs from a reputable Chinese practitioner and I got pregnant naturally after a few months of starting treatment. I am in my early forties and chances of conceiving naturally are only 3 to 4 in 100 according to fertility specialists. Even though everything seemed to work and still works to the present we were tryi g for a year without success . However the herbs gave me a boost and improved my general well being as well as my menstrual cycles. I know because I was using a fertility monitor each month and I could see a change in the pattern which improved my odd soon after starting treatment. I also know women who had several rounds of failed IVF after years of trying to conceive naturally only to conceive and carry to term after TCM  treatment. I had a healthy pregnancy an natur quick delivery without complications. Unfortunately I don't know about the efficacy of Chinese treatment with regards to your problem but I could ask my Fiji see doctor with regards to your problem. The treatment is not cheap. A pot of herbs will last for a week and could cost you between£25 to £30 but you might only have to do it for a few months,However if you decide to go down that route look for a reputable doctor please. Chinese her bs can be powerful and need to be prescribed and handled by a professional doctor.pls.dont buy them from the Internet or directly from China but from someone practicing in the Uk as they tend to be more regulated over hear. Beware of cheap deals as it could compromise quality and be detrimental to your health. Otherwise the are usually safe and could be beneficial to your problem but they should never be a lon g term solution. You should start feeling better after a few weeks of taking them. Acupuncture could also help with your problem. The 24 hour service from IAPTS for support is 0924 284555. I talked to them last week when I was at my lowest and the lady I spoke to was ver helpful and supportive. She wasn't in a rush.We were on the phone for nearly an hour. You can also refer yourself if you feel you need counselling for a number of sessions or for advice on therapies to help with stress and anxiety such as CBT, the general phone number for enquiries about their services is 01484 434625 but this is the number for Huddersfield. Sorry for the long response. I hope this helps. Pls.keep in touch and let me know. Ill keep you informed as well. Everything will be ok in the end. It won't be cancer. Try to stay positive I know it is difficult and that's why I believe talking to the IAPT people will help until you can see your doctor in a few weeks. Remember you can call them as many times you need and at any time. They won't get tired of you. Take care. X
  • Tuesday1
    Tuesday1 becki35775

    Posted

    Sorry for my spelling mistakes. I'm using a minute mobile phone and I can't see what I'm typing.
  • becki35775
    becki35775

    Posted

    Hi Tuesday,

    I am very glad to hear your good results, it must be such a relief. I can understand you feel they may have missed something but for now try and find some comfort that they have checked you over and it's all clear. I would keep track of your symptoms and make note of them, see if there are any patterns before booking the scan. You may find everything just calms down :-) 

    Thank you for all of the information last night,  I shall look into them.  I am feeling very low today,  work are giving me a hard time because they don't understand how ill I am and I try to go in with a smile so as not to show how I am feeling. I have made a few silly mistakes recently because I feel so ill and stressed that i find it hard to focus and instead of understanding they have kicked off at me and i'm now worried I will loose my job. I am fighting with my boyfriend too because he doesn't fully understand either and is fed up with me moping and missing out on things he thinks that if I am happy I will feel better and cope better. No one fully understands the pain, sickness and anxiety I feel every day and continuing as normal is exhausting. 

    I don't want to be signed off from work but at the moment I feel it is my only option because I am close to breaking down. I just want to be normal, healthy and back to being me again.

    Sorry I'm not normally this negative it's just been going on for so long now I'm not sure how much longer I can cope

    I hope you managed to get some rest last night and start to feel better in yourself :-)

    Thank you for all your kind words

  • Tuesday1
    Tuesday1 becki35775

    Posted

    Hi Becky.Maybe you should take some time off work. Maybe then they will take it more seriously. If you are feeling this low call the 24 hour service line from IAPT as soon as you can. They will help you. You need to talk to someone who can understand and they will. Honestly.

    I'm still waiting for the stool analysis. Worried because stools havent returned back to a darker colour. I wonder if the supplements I was taking until I started with the nausea could have contributed to a darker brown colour. I will start taking them again to see what happens. I just have to assume the lighter shade of brown like plain cardboard colour is not down to abilliary obstruction or worst a tumor in the pancreas blocking the ducts. However as long as I dont see a darker shade of brown like before I know I will keep worrying. Take care and pls call thrE IAPT people. X

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