Worsening digestive issues which GP isn't helping with?
Posted , 4 users are following.
I've had countless GP appointments about this but they really have not been very helpful, and I'm hoping there's someone out there who has experienced similar and can shed light on the matter.
For around four months, I have felt nauseous on a daily basis, and my bowel habits have become incredibly unpredictable. I also bleed when I have a bowel movement (though not every time!). More recently, I have started to suffer with blinding headaches, and what I can only describe as stabbing pains in my bones (particularly arms and legs). All of the symptoms together do not make any sense whatsoever to me, but they are very present and are becoming worse.
I have had a blood test, which was clear apart from incredibly high inflammatory markers (47 ) and the doctor suggested I needed further tests. But when I chased them up about this, they decided that I wasn't a cause for concern as I'm only 31 and they just prescribed omeprazole which, unfortunately, are not helping whatsoever.
I've given up on them and feel like I'm not being taken seriously, despite feeling very unwell. If anybody has any suggestions, I would be grateful.
0 likes, 7 replies
christina11623 Bat1800
Posted
I'm sorry you are suffering and unfortunately can't offer much advice... although I would most definitely change your doctor or your doctors surgery as its shocking they aren't taking this more seriously. you xan change surgery's very easily.... just Google it. I had yo do this and boy am I glad I did.
There are lots of things to promote gut health have you looked into this? do some research as you sound like you have a very unhappy unbalanced gut. which can affect your entire body.
I hope you get to the bottom of your issues but demand further testing. To many people bow down to the doctors and listen to everything they say... they are proved wrong all the time so maje sure you put your foot down and say listen this is my health.. my body I know something isn't right.
unless you suffer with acid reflux, gastritis, or stomach ulcers omeprazole is going do nothing other than reduce your stomach acid... which then leads to vitamin deficiencies. don't take them unless you know they are nessasary. Good luck
sarah67030 Bat1800
Posted
they should definately be taking this more seriously
you know your body best, trust your instinct and keep pushing
im not saying this is what you have but my partner has chrohns and had some of those symptoms and it took a lot of pushing to get a diagnosis. it seems the nhs isnt geared up well for gastro issues but if you can get referred to a decent gastroenterologist that might help (request to be seen urgently as ive just been told my wait time was 9-10 months)
but keep at the doctors even if it means calling every day to be heard
Upchuckorbust sarah67030
Posted
Hi, Sarah! I replied to Bat before reading your comment. If you have the time, would you please read my reply to Bat1800 (I know it's long) and tell me if that sounds similar to what your partner has? It's a long story, but I didn't get to talk to the doctor before my colonoscopy and after I was out of it so have no clue what he said. When they called a week later to schedule the follow-up, the only thing they had was at the end of June so now I will continue to google and go crazy until that appointment and probably beyond because no one is telling me why all of this got so debilitating. I KNOW something is wrong but I need to get the right doctor to find out what it is and I am in a bad situation right now.
sarah67030 Upchuckorbust
Posted
hi,
reading through your comment it doesnt sound exactly like what my partner had. he had a few more symptoms and his colonoscopy showed very clear signs of crohns. im obviously not a doctor though so i couldnt say for definite either way.
i know stress is a big factor with these things and ive been there before a lot with nausea, hemmeroids, weight loss etc several times due to stress and anxiety (currently here again now! with added gastritis and having various tests) the only thing i will advise is that you know your own body and when you know somethings not right but feel like nobodys listening its so frustrating and can set the spiral off of getting more stressed and getting more ill. so keep pushing if you really feel something's not right.
my partner manages his condition through diet and lifestyle now which can benefit lots of health issues. you could try reading up on gut health and maybe anti inflammatory diets? as long as you dont do anything too drastic and dont have any health issues that can be affected by certain foods it probably wouldnt do any harm just on the off chance that things improve while youre waiting for the doctors input?
Upchuckorbust sarah67030
Posted
Thank you so much for replying. I have so many issues right now, if I even get out of bed it is a victory. Cooking is something I rarely do because I can't stand up that long and get nauseated easily, so mostly what I eat is not good for me and is something I can fix quickly (nuke). I am also the world's pickiest eater. Due to childhood trauma and other things, I refuse to eat things I don't like or think I won't like. If someone tries to force me then I will get sick and throw up so there's no sense in trying. Sadly, I won't eat anything green and don't eat many fruits either. I know the doctor is going to tell me the same thing you did, but if I change my diet and eat things I don't like, I am going to throw them up anyway. I guess I am just scre*ed.
sarah67030 Upchuckorbust
Posted
i see your situation. i have a phobia of being sick so i sometimes have certain habits with my eating that people dont really understand.
have you tried speaking to someone about your food issues? it sounds like even just slightly improving your diet or your anxiety around food could be really beneficial.
what foods are you able to eat? one of the things my partner finds helps his symptoms (which im doing now too) is making fresh smoothies. i know it might not be something you can tolerate but oats, banana, any type of milk and frozen blueberries are a good one and you can add peanut butter or any nut butter to add calories and bulk it up.
Upchuckorbust Bat1800
Posted
I am going through something similar. I have a LOT of issues (some mental) and I am trying to get help for all the issues, but because I have "health anxiety", I am not taken seriously. I was taken a medication that one of the side effects was nausea, so I had to wait to get an appointment to ask to be taken off. For some reason, the dr took me off one of the other meds I was on, so the nausea continued. I had to make another appt. and wait forever. This time I told him to wean me off that medication which he did. I soon discovered that it was not the medication because it was still going on, however still on my anti-depressant that I've been on for years, but it all of a sudden started working again. Thank God because I am not sure I could make it if I had that and all the other numerous things going on right now including chronic gastritis. The endoscopy showed "mild" chronic gastritis, barrett's esophagus and a hiatal hernia. I am still waiting on the colonoscopy results but was told they found one polyp (benign) and several small hemorrhoids. I was also told it wasn't crohn's but how can they rule that out with one test? I was positive it was either colon cancer, crohn's or lymphoma and now feel like I am back to square one. Other symptoms: 20 lb weight loss in 4 months (without trying), severe nausea from hardly doing anything (will throw up if I don't stop what I am doing right then) night sweats, fatigue, abdominal pain (worse under right ribcage), diarrhea alternating with constipation, cervical lymphadenopathy, itching in armpits. I do have an appt. in about 3 weeks to follow-up with GI Dr. and I also have an ENT appointment so maybe they can figure out why these lumps are on the back of my neck for months and haven't gone away even with antibiotics (I was never sick). I also have weird things keep popping up. Like I've had what I assume is pink eye maybe 3 or 4 times in the past couple of years and the day I left the hospital got hay fever something awful, but it was gone after a day. I've had a fever a few times with no explanation why. I know this is a lot but we are here to help each other. They agreed I have IBS but it has to be more than that. Gut retching vomiting with nothing in stomach to come up for like 5 minutes, collapsed on couch then finally one more retch and a bunch of mucous came up. That is NOT normal, and no way can be considered mild. I know I kind of made this about me, but Bat1800 please get an endoscopy AND a colonoscopy. Hopefully, they can find out what you have and treat it. There are so many things that mimic other things, it is a process and takes time.