Faecal CALPROTECTIN Test

Hello,

I have a complex medical history of chronic illness such as Fibro, ME, Chronic Fatigue, Multi level Degenerative disc disease, uncontrolled hypertension, early onset dementia and brain atrophy, ( I am 50) Benign pineal brain tumour, malabsorption of nutrients especially vIt. d. b12 and folate so am on injection....and much more.

Am waiting for results of bloods for Addison's disease and have had a report from endoscope saying possibly coeliac.

Rang to get appointment with GP yesterday. Can't get one for five weeks and GP's secretary says my stool test came back at 119 with a range of 0.00-50.0 and a note from lab telling doctor to discuss this with me.

If I hadn't rand, goodness knows when that discussion would take place.

I always have to wait over a month for appointment, despite heart issues and seizure etc.

The test was two months ago and I have to wait over a math for appointment.

I have to manually evacuate my bowel and recently there is bright red blood in the stools.

Am I over worrying at the test result?

Can anyone interpret what this result my signify please?

I hVent opened bowels naturally for over three hers. Always constipated and impacted. Only go to loo once every couple of weeks.

Also have duodenitis, gastritis and flattened gastric villi.

The stool tast as a FAECAL CALPROTECTIN TEST.

THANKS. X

[Hidden]

I really don't know the answer - sorry. I really really feel for you and so bad that the doctors are basically taking no notice of you - appalling. Don't know if possible but I would seriously look for another doctor.

Take care

xx

[willow24 Administrator]

Hi hun, sorry for late reply.

Manual evacuation can cause stress and damage to the bowel wall - even the most experienced person. The bowel is not supposed to stretch that much so even being impacted will cause stress.

The faecal calprotectin is slightly elevated and advice will probable be to repeat the procedure. Flattened gastric villi is also a sign of coeliacs as you mentioned, but studies have shown facael calprotectin is not a reliable diagnostic tool for coeliacs.

Does your GP not do emergency appointments as I feel it is totally unrealistic to make you wait that long. Also has your GP tried you with faecal softeners, it may make evacuation easier?

Good Luck x

[Hidden in reply to willow24]

Hi Willow,

Thanks for getting back to me. My GP has prescribed Senna, Laxido sachets and movicol.

What happens when I take these is that I have explosive diahorrea (sorry!)

But it is held within...behind the impact ion so in excruciating.

This can go on for up to and over a week until everything turns to liquid so no need for self evacuation.

I am bedbound so when this happens and I am home alone...it can end up very messy....( sorry again!)

I went a full month without a bowel movement before I realised I can actually relieve the pressure myself via latex glove...(ooohhhh dear!)

Anyway...I have more control being constipated/impacted and this is my new normal which I would rather endure than the other option.

In fairness, the laxatives don't always work no matter how long I take them for because after 'the event' I return to a constipated state...probably due to the amount of morphine I take.

Good news is that I had an appointment with a metabolic medicine specialist in on of the top North West Hospitals just yesterday and she is looking into EVERYTHING for me so I have faith now at least, that I may see an end to it all sometime in the future.

Many thanks for your input.

Hope you are well. Xxx

[Marz in reply to Hidden]

Well lets hope she also checks your thyroid - CORRECTLY. TSH - FT4 - FT3 - Thyroid anti-bodies - Anti-TPO and Anti-Tg. Many of your symptoms are linked to LOW thyroid. The Thyroid is the conductor of our metabolism so hopefully this specialist will know her stuff. Good Luck ....

thyroiduk.org

Check out the signs and symptoms of being Hypo in the above link ....

[Hidden]

Thanks for your reply Marz. Things seem to be looking up in that I am getting tests done left, right and centre! 😊