why can't doctors listen

[Iesgobdafydd]

I had a long-awaited gastroenterologist appointment today which I found extremely frustrating. I try and keep an open mind that the doctors may be right and I may be wrong but if they don't produce strong evidence and reasoning to show me I'm wrong then I don't find it easy to just take their views as being right just because they're experts, because I know they aren't always right. Of course they are under time pressure during appointments so they might not be able to take the time to argue and explain properly even when they're right and I'm wrong, as has happened sometimes.

This gastroenterologist hadn't heard of Michael Mahoney and his excellent track record using hypnotherapy to treat stress-related IBS, so was not in a good position to judge the fact that using his tapes hadn't made a whit of difference to my IBS, but she decided - perhaps because I looked stressed to her (I find doctor's appointments stressful) - that I must have stress-related IBS. She also hadn't heard of Atrantil, and wasn't able to say anything to help me understand why it might have helped me somewhat without curing me completely (I was unable to tolerate some foods - e.g. peaches & asparagus - before a course of Atrantil but was fine with them afterwards.) She was very worried about how much weight I'd lost in the past couple years, which doesn't worry me at all - I guess I can make a habit of overeating when my digestion is doing well to make up for when it's doing badly, but it just doesn't sound like a short-term health threat to me so it seems more important to focus on finding solutions to my problems with energy and digestive health, which are certainly not caused by undereating. She sent me for a raft of blood and stool tests I've probably already had once or twice - she didn't have access to my medical records from the GP surgery, which seems daft - I'd have printed them out and brought them if I'd realized it would help. She also wanted me to go on Omeprazole, which I can't see the point of because it didn't really help me before and it seems to me stomach acid is there for a reason so why weaken it unless you really need to. And she wanted me to have a colonoscopy, which I guess I'll go along with since I haven't had one of those but I don't think it'll turn anything up because I think whether it's IBS or SIBO I've really got, it's probably a result of gut flora imbalance not stress - I see no evidence at all that my IBS gets better & worse as my stress levels change.

The one thing I really wanted out of the appointment was a SIBO breath test, which my GP had told me was available at the hospital but rarely used. The specialist said flatly no, they never use it, because the results aren't very reliable. What she was prepared to offer me, though she obviously thought it was a waste of time and medicine, was a course of antibiotics, although what she's given me is Doxycydine which isn't one I've heard of being used to treat SIBO so I guess I should look it up and check it's not a bad one to try.

Any feedback or commiseration would be most welcome, but mostly I just needed to vent! Thank you all for being out there.

[Iesgobdafydd]

Thank you I'd be interested to see the link on Atrantil if you can find it. I've been reluctant to go private for a number of reasons, and getting the help of a qualified professional who specialises in SIBO in south-east England seems to mean finding a functional practitioner, probably up in London. I imagine I would get on much better with a functional practitioner than with my NHS doctors, but I'm also aware there's a lot of quackery in alternative medicine, and my partner (who would be footing the bill) is much more sceptical about it than I am. I saw a homeopath for a while some years ago; she was delightful to talk with but I'm not convinced anything she gave me ever helped me at all. What's your personal experience - have you had SIBO, and have you seen a functional practitioner?

[Synbad]

Hi, I need to vent too. Had an appointment with a different gastroentologist 3 days ago (I asked to see a different one as the last one wasn't very understanding and quite rude). The one I saw 3 days ago, re Ibs and diverticulitis, suggested lot more fibre and said my extreme fatigue had nothing to do with ibs. Said he could offer no more help than to keep a food diary, (how many times have I heard this). Came home, went out got shopping for foods with fibre, looked up diet for diverticulitis and hey guess what, cut down on the fibre, the diet completely opposite to what he told me. Also how many times have I read on this forum about the extreme fatigue people feel with Ibs. I would rather they say they don't know instead of causing all this confusion. Now once again, I am confused and a bit upset about the money I waste each time I follow their advice then find out it could be making my condition worse. God help us as no one else will.

[Synbad]

Hi little toad, thanks for reply. I am from UK but bought my IPad in US when lived there so most stuff comes up on US sites. I think the medical care is much better in US but oh boy do you have to pay for it! I would be grateful to receive the link for online steps to healing diverticulitis. Thank you.

[Nancydk]

I can't even express how much I relate! And it's really awful that so many of us do! I share in your frustration. And your point about stress during those appts is a great one. I'd like to see just one dr live in our shoes for a week!

Hang in there.

[A_IBS]

They just don't accept that you're stressed BECAUSE of the IBS do they? So frustrating! So I thought I'd share my story. I'm convinced I have SIBO. Caused by what I don't know, quite likely stressful events in my life on a daily basis. I know that a stressful day doesn't have any affect on my pain & symptoms (including fatigue) so I don't feel like I have stress related IBS / "spastic colon" (hope that makes sense). I live in the SW of England and I had to really push for a SIBO test. The test was negative! At first I was embarrassed to have made a fuss then proved wrong but then some of the specialists said that the SIBO test isn't accurate as it only tests for one type of bacteria and prescribed me antibiotics to try. I haven't taken them yet as I had one last food experiement to try (salicylates).

[Iesgobdafydd in reply to A_IBS]

Thanks for sharing that! I've started the antibiotics today.. fingers crossed. Salicylates? I hadn't come across that intolerance before, it's amazing how many different ones there are out there, so I looked it up in Wikipedia. Are you trying a low-salicylate diet, or the provocative challenge test they talk about?

[A_IBS in reply to Iesgobdafydd]

I'm trying Low Salicylates diet. Your reply reminded me to look for the name of the antibiotics I have in the cupboard. They are metronidazole. I've got everything crossed for you! I hope to hear you're feeling better soon.

[Hidden]

Very well said Little-toad re doctors are too quick to diagnose IBS whereas they are reluctant to look at anything else.