I'm screwed!
Posted , 9 users are following.
Have been diagnosed without tests or investigation with Diverticular disease by my GP?
It is a bit of a long Othello but in mid-September, I and my wife were travelling down to Harwich for the overnight ferry, and I started to feel unwell and the symptoms were like the beginnings of food poisoning, blood draining from your head feeling shaky and sweating, now I didn't think I could carry on but got some relief from visiting the loo on five! occasions at different stops. I continued to have lower stomach pain mildly for the rest of the holiday which was two weeks and the best way to describe it was feeling poisoned/toxic! Now, this has carried on up to now even after the second visit to my GP to explain how I was feeling, in my previous consultation he prescribed me a mild laxative (Macrogol) which I had to take 3 times a day with Fybogel. Now here is the rub, I have a spastic colon which is excruciatingly painful if I come off Fybogel for even the briefest of time! Hence the title! Now I've been off work since last Tuesday with lower back pain and feeling miserable with painful joints I attributed to a mild urinary tract infection because of the semi-painful peeing, I had no temperature but a pulse of over 120bpm for three days solid which I successfully tackled with Atenolol beta blockers which brought it down to my normal. Now last night I was awoken by severe abdominal pains in my lower left quadrant it was distended and it was a devil for that gas to free itself which meant the pain was mobile I went to the loo several times without relief from that awful pain and was at one point going to call for an ambulance but I remember reading somewhere that applying heat to that area helps so I put my electric blanket on high and it helped a little, I also drank lots of purified water which also helps, so what do I do? If it is div and I am not supposed to have fibre but I have to have it for my spastic colon? A tip to other sufferers, the only time I had brief relief from feeling poisoned was to have an apple cider vinegar enema every day for four days and not the stuff you get from the supermarket either but organic stuff either from Braggs or Living Earth. Does anyone think I should get a second opinion on my GP's diagnoses because I am not convinced it is Diverticular disease?
Thanks for staying with me on this looong story!
0 likes, 16 replies
christine63572 Smarty2
Posted
sounds very odd to me for a gp just to assume that you have DD without taking blood tests for inflammation or indeed infection DD can be if not treated be life threatening especially of you have an infection or a blockage. I had the same symptoms as you and was diagnosed by way of a colonoscopy I also had at the time a blockage which was impacted poo which I had no idea I had but fortunately this was naturally passed by way of laxatives that I had to take before the colonoscopy. When I get pain now I tend to keep my eye on it and just stick to a liquid diet for a few days which fortunately tends to clear the inflammation if it doesn't improve after a few days I would go to gp for a course of antibiotics. I take cosmocol every day which is a mild laxative and stool softener which I get on prescription, fibrogel I find is to harsh for my stomach and gave me cramps and bloating but cosmocol is more gentle. if it doesn't improve I would go to A&E or a walk in centre who will probably give you a scan to see whats happening a gp will just refer you if you are lucky and you could wait 4 weeks at the least for a hospital appointment.
dee88278 Smarty2
Posted
I would definitely see a doctor - you need to have a cat scan to see if you have diverticulitis which can be very dangerous if not dealt with by antibiotics! I, too have an irritable bowel (spastic colon) and have had 3 rounds of diverticulitis in the last several years. The last one was in November - and I did a lot of research at that time. First, go to a liquid diet until the pain eases - then soft foods - low fiber. Gradually build back up. I did go off my fiber supplement during the antibiotics b/c they gave me loose stools anyway. Went back on supplement about day 5. Here is what I blessedly discovered during my research. I had been taking a probiotic, but it didn't have a whole lot of strains in it including the one most recommended. I got one that had 27 different strains including the ones most recommended and billions of probiotics. Don't know for sure if that is what has helped me the most, but since I started taking them, my irritable bowel has been 95% better. Worth a try, especially with all your problems. Tons of info on the web. In the meantime, go see your doctor!
susan95516 Smarty2
Posted
jon43244 Smarty2
Posted
I'm not a medic but I can't understand how diverticular disease can be diagnosed without a CT scan or equivalent. In your position I'd ask my GP how he has reached the diagnosis and on what basis he has been able to exclude (say) colon cancer. And I believe you are always entitled to ask for a second opinion and/or a referral to a colorectal consultant.
angela91414 Smarty2
Posted
Smarty2 angela91414
Posted
Hi and thanks all for the replies, I am in the UK unless there's another port called Harwich in the world? :-) My dad has DD but my GP didn't know that and I understand it is inheritable. But I have a GP's appointment for this Monday and will definitely push for proper investigations! I am not entirely convinced that I have DD I've never had blood in my stools and still don't, the symptoms from the hours of research I've done seem to point to the link of Lectin and soy for poor gut health! It's too much of a coincidence. Once again thanks all for your responses, appreciated.
jacqueline01135 Smarty2
Posted
If you do have D..D the lower left side of your abdomen will be extremely tender and painful, ,which means you have infection and do need a hospital stay with antibiotics, and, to hope you do not have a
perforation, I had that, and fortunately the infection was stopped and so was a visit to the theatre.Your first call should have been to 999, , not many G.P's know what to do with D.D My pain was so severe I couldn't move. .Your G.P cannot give you the selection of antibiotics that are needed to clear the infection. so, stop battling on,, on,, doesn't work .
christine63572 jacqueline01135
Posted
I totally agree jacqueline my gp told me he thought l had a strained muscle initially. My pain wasnt lower left but higher up left side where blockage was its still my weak spot where l get twinges and pain until my regular bowel movement. If i do get a bad pain next time it will be straight to A&E for me.
jacqueline01135 christine63572
Posted
Probably better ,,and faster if you ring for an ambulance, Sitting for hours in A&E is too painful, as you have to wait to be triaged first ,and that can take for ever.
susan95516 jacqueline01135
Posted
I don't think they will send a ambulance do DD They will probably say for you to make your way there yourself. Even if you get an ambulance you still have to wait to wait to be seen
jacqueline01135 susan95516
Posted
If you tell them you can't walk because the pain is so bad. Even if you are waiting you will be on a trolley. I found sitting excruciating.
chele59 Smarty2
Posted
I was diagnosed with DD 6 years ago via a CT scan. I have never had blood in my stools, but get a lot of pain in the lower part of my abdomen. When it's really bad get a fever. Fortunately, I seem to have managed it with diet, not eating nuts or seeds ever!!! However, whenever I do get a flare up I always get scared that it's something worse. Well, it's that bad isn't it. I always take it easy for a day or two and have a liquid diet. Fingers crossed it seems to work. I do take a probiotic daily too.
Hope this helps.
Smarty2
Posted
Hi once again and thank you all for the continued interest.
Well, my pain has gone and the discomfort too, I took your advice and had more liquids on Friday, on the Saturday I had some greek yogurt with some no lectin fruits with no problems later on, and for lunch, some organic eggs scrambled with red onion and some cheese again with no problems being encountered later on and definitely no bread at all! Still going to push my GP for proper investigations to be made I am convinced it isn't DD but some food intolerance.
jacqueline01135 Smarty2
Posted
take care
susan95516 Smarty2
Posted
I started taking a probiotic tablet every morning abit 6-7 months with fybergel and I haven't looked back. I used to have lots of flares but not had one for ages. Touch wood. I do have problems with my IBS but I soon sort it out. Glad you are feeling better