Hi all I don't post very often but I do read what you guys post. In fact I would say that I have learnt nearly everything I know from reading posts on this forum with regards to limited systemic cutaneous sclerosis.
I have had Scleroderma for a long time, but not known, mainly because nobody I know had ever heard of it. After around 10 years of messing around I got diagnosed and settled into living around my biggest issues which is the effects of Raynaud's and the G I tract. The problem is if something different starts you wonder if it is Scleroderma and don't always consider it may be something else.
I started to have what I called attacks where I was in a lot of abdominal pain so much so I had to take paracetamol, go to bed before I collapsed with raised blood pressure. After fully emptying my system with going to the loo and vomiting then the pain would go away and other than feeling a little weak it was if nothing had happened. At first they happened perhaps around every 3 moths or so. My husband would be furious with me because an attack could finish around 2.00am and i would get up and go to work. Well that was at least 5 years ago and it has taken me till now to get the issue resolved. I had lots of CT scans, OGD, Colonoscopy and MRI and nothing was showing up other than the Scleroderma had caused the small bowel to be dilated more than it should and made it floppy. Due to the poor motility SIBO was diagnosed and I have a course of antibiotics every 3 months to help clear the bad bacteria out.
In the meantime I must have told 20 different doctors about these attacks which were becoming more frequent and more painful to the point I lost 4.5 stone in weight and was having abdominal distension so bad it made me look 9 months pregnant. In the end I was taken into hospital as an emergency and still in the attack a CT scan showed a twisted bowel. Trying to cut the length of the post down, I have just had abdominal surgery where the bowel was fully untwisted and the small bowel was put back into position. The surgeon said it was the Scleroderma that had made the small bowel so floppy that it was all over the place and he had to reposition nearly all of it. No wonder I was full of gas, SIBO was making it a the rate of knots and it couldn't get out because of all of the damage. My surgeon said to me " you know you were not making it up". At this point I nearly burst into tears because at last someone knew I was not neurotic.
I post this just so that anyone who is having problems with their GI tract, as well as all the regular stuff eg. GERD, don't automatically assume it is the Scleroderma per se. The twist causing the attacks was a natural bend in my bowel but it was the Scleroderma dilation that was making it twist more.
Sorry for the length of the post but I wanted to inform incase some other poor soul is going through something similar. Keep well everyone I am looking forward to be able to go out for a lovely meal when I am fully recovered.