Symptoms experienced which led to colonoscopy?
Posted , 2 users are following.
Hello,
I've been suffering for 4 years now with loose stools, urgency to go at times and feeling really nauseated. Sometimes I have to go 4 or 5 times a day. I don't have bloating or cramps or pains. Kept food diaries, no particular food/ingredient jumps out as being intolerant to, happens with anything I eat/drink. Sometimes I've noticed all down my left side under my rib swells out then settles back down again, only happens some of the time.
To this day I've still never had my bowel checked, stool samples sent away have came back normal. An x-ray of my stomach years ago showed my small bowel inflamed but an MRI scan of it a few days later, came back as normal. My bowel movements have completely changed since this all began.
How did any of you get a colonoscopy done? I feel like I need my bowel investigated and not sure what else to say to get help. I barely get 2 days a week where I can eat "normally" without feeling sick and having to keep going to the toilet. I can't put on weight and it's affecting every part of my life for years now 😦
TIA
0 likes, 2 replies
jan48389 ElleJ22
Posted
It certainly sounds like IBS, in which case a colonoscopy wouldn't have any positive benefit, other than to put your mind at rest. The reason my GP referred me for the procedure was because I fulfilled several of the established "red flag" criteria for bowel cancer. I can't remember all of the criteria ( this was over 3 years ago) but they included my age, significant change in bowel habits of at least 6 months duration, right side pain and weight loss. I had a colonoscopy within 10 days of the referral from my GP, and fortunately there was nothing sinister.
Have you asked your GP why s/he doesn't think a colonoscopy is warranted?
Have you tried the Low FODMAP diet? Like you, a food diary didn't help me to identify triggers, but as soon as I eliminated mushrooms, garlic and onions, which I discovered are often hidden in everyday things such as stocks, tomato ketchup etc, my symptoms improved.
I do sympathise. IBS can massively impact on your quality of life and I get really irritated when people dismiss it as "only" IBS. On a positive note, however, Low FODMAP has helped me enormously in managing and controlling my symptoms.
Hope this is of some help to you. Best of luck.
Jan
ElleJ22 jan48389
Posted
Hi Jan,
thanks for your reply and information regarding reasons for your colonoscopy, I'm glad to hear nothing sinister was wrong.
They just said I didn't merit one. I wish I had asked why thinking back.
I attempted the FODMAP diet myself a year ago and lost too much weight which I can't afford to lose as I'm already so underweight and it didn't help however I am seeing a dietician next month to give it another go. I have cut out onions, garlic and tomatoes recently as well and don't eat anything from packets or jars, all my own made stuff and it didn't help either. I don't think there's a food I haven't cut out yet lol. Just now I am eliminating potatoes, it's one of the only things I haven't actually tried yet so never know!
I have my fingers crossed the FODMAP diet with the help of someone can figure out the cause of this eventually!
thanks again and glad you have worked out your culprit foods as you said, it does have a huge impact on your life!