irritating bowel primitive has strange symptoms

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=317x4058

Oh my.

teenagebambam  (1000+ posts)        Fri Jul-23-10 01:42 PM
THE IRRITATING BOWEL PRIMITIVE
Original message

IBS....?

I have some symptoms which I initially thought were diverticulitis, and my doctor started treating as such (even though she wasn't QUITE sure about that diagnosis) but now I'm wondering if it could be IBS. If anyone is a sufferer, does any of this sound familiar?

- Bloated, pressure-y feeling in lower abdomen, between belly button and pelvis. Occasional waves of very sharp pain that last 5-10 minutes, sometimes relieved by bowel movement and/or urination

- Watery stool, I hesitate to call it diarrhea because it's infrequent, not a great volume, and not uncontrollable

- Had nausea the day BEFORE the pain started, but not since. Otherwise normal appetite though I'm trying to take it easy on my system as far as what I eat

The doctor prescribed a Cipro/Flagyl combo, which really knocked me on my ass (I started having flu-like aches, got flushed, etc.) so she told me I could stop the Falgyl and just take Cipro. The pain is gradually getting better (after 4 days of meds) but I don't know if it was ever really an infection...?

I have often had strange, similar symptoms in the past - the same sort of gassy, bloated feeling, but higher in my abdomen, in my lower back or even in my shoulder blades (!) I often have heartburn but oddly have not had much since this episode started..

I'm 44, male, and have only in the past 18 months sought medical help for any kind of gastric problems. Thanks for any insight!

I dunno.  Probably the irritating bowel primitive should add more fiber and roughage to his diet.

But that of course would cure the problem, meaning the irritating bowel primitive wouldn't have any excuse to see a physician.

And as we all know, primitives generally have a "need" for attention, which they "fulfill" by constant taxpayer-paid visits to physicians and hospitals.

Warpy  (1000+ posts)        Fri Jul-23-10 02:28 PM
THE DEFROCKED WARPED PRIMITIVE, #09 TOP PRIMITIVE OF 2009
Response to Original message

1. IBS usually presents as an alternation between constipation and diarrhea 

Yours sounds more like diverticulitis, especially if you had an elevated temperature and elevated white count, both of which I hope your doc checked. If you had any sort of a blood test, she did.

Referred pain between the shoulder blades can be a lot of different things, but IBS pain is usually located to the descending colon, lower left side of your abdomen.

If you're feeling better, then the treatment was appropriate. You might want to eat some yogurt with live cultures while you're finishing the antibiotics and for a week or two afterward. The live cultures can help your gut get back to normal.

teenagebambam  (1000+ posts)        Fri Jul-23-10 02:57 PM
THE IRRITATING BOWEL PRIMITIVE
Response to Reply #1

2. Never had any fever and doc didn't check blood! I did have a diagnosis of diverticulosis several years ago (different state, different doctor) which is why that was my default assumption. But the lack of fever and the doctor's uncertainty made me start to wonder.

Altoid_Cyclist  (1000+ posts)        Sat Jul-24-10 08:01 AM
THE ALTOID CYST PRIMITIVE
Response to Original message

3. I have no medical training so this probably won't help much.

I did however have to have my sigmoid colon removed two years ago after repeated bouts of diverticulitis.

Just from my experience, I had a lot of the symptoms that you describe. I didn't always have a fever but the other symptoms were pretty consistent with varying intensity. The flare-ups would often cause inflammatory peritonitis throughout the digestive tract so it was hard to determine where the pain originated.

The Cipro/Flagyl combination is a bear to go through every few months and Warpy made a good suggestion in regard to some sort of probiotic therapy. The antibiotics don't discriminate and will kill the beneficial bacteria that we need for proper function of the GI tract.

GI disorders really can be miserable so be sure to find the best Gastroenterologist that you can since the diagnosis is so important.

I was mistreated by Doctors for years even though my symptoms for an earlier illness years ago were the textbook signs of a pyloric ulcer. I never got referred to a Gastro. until it was almost too late. Doctors told me that I was faking the 20 pound weight loss, bloody vomit and diarrhea!

[chitownchica]

Good Lord- TMI! TMI!

These crazies love attention, don't they?

[chitownchica]

I'm no doctor, but I do have a suggestion....

[BattleHymn]

I'm still waiting for one of the braggart primitives to complain about having a bad case of the gout, so as to subtly rub in their good living. 

[Ballygrl]

I wonder how many antibiotics the OP was on when the Dr. was treating for Diverticulitis? just asking because when hubby had Diverticulitis he was initially put in Levaquin, but after a couple of days he wasn't much better so they switched to Flagyl and that took care of the problem.

[Ballygrl]

I have often had strange, similar symptoms in the past - the same sort of gassy, bloated feeling, but higher in my abdomen, in my lower back or even in my shoulder blades (!) I often have heartburn but oddly have not had much since this episode started..

Oh! not saying this person has this but pain in the shoulder blades could indicate a Gallbladder problem.