Divver? IBS? Something more sinister?

[NewEnglander]

Back again.

Noticed after a few weeks that I was eating fairly normally - always very careful - and not really going to the bathroom as much as I should have. Small soft BMs, after feeling like a huge BM was coming.

Also having either hemmerhoid or fissure, fistula issues, but my opening is very sore, a few bumps on the outside, and alternates between burning and an itch. Once I 'go' it seems to get much better.

I decided if I took an enema (Fleet) things would get cleared out and I would not feel this blocked up feeling. So I did. The result was something that's never happened. Huge pains, lots of stuff coming out, all soft. Not pencil thin, but nothing wide. (sorry). Then tons of urinating. That was an all-day thing, with exhaustion that put me in bed.

Felt better by nighttime and had a tiny piece of sandwich steak, mashed potatoes and applesauce. All ok - slept well. No pain or anything.

Next morning felt fine - had 1 1/2 cups of coffee and an English Muffin. WHAM!

Back in the bathroom with intense pain, lots of sludgy BMs and tons of urinating. Poor bottom is burning.

I don't know what to do. My doc sends me to a gastro guy - he wants to do a colonoscopy - again - had a perfect one before, whcih only showed diverticulosis - but the prep gave me a diverticulitis attack - then had a terrible reaction to the CIPRO. Argh.

So, we did a CT scan, and it showed diverticulitis some time back, mild, with some striations into the colon.

The thought of another invasive procedure!! It takes months to recover.

But now this happened. I'm pouring out my symptoms here, and my frustration. I'm housebound, missing my grandson, and feeling very depressed.

I called for a new appt. with a colo-rectal woman surgeon - have to leave a message - no one calls back. I called for a colonosscopy appt. Leave message. No one calls back.

Years ago I had a very bad motility test - taking weeks for poop to travel through - literally. I did have my gall bladder out 2 years ago.

The CT scan was of my entire abdomen - if it was a mass, would they not have seen it? What is wrong with me?

I truly apologize for all this.

[Meleber]

Hi, could be due to an anatomically anomaly in your abdomen. This is what I try to figure out for myself currently. I had an appointment with a gastrointestinal surgeon in a regional hospital but because of the missing medical history, files from other hospitals I visited before, I need to come back at the end of the month of november. The surgeon made his apologies for the fact that he wasn't well prepared for the first consult, last thursday. I told him I accepted his apologies. Later, when making the new appointment, a nurse showed me there was already medical information from other hospitals available in the IT-software they use. Hopefully the surgeon is better in working with a scalpel than working with a computer 😉. The only working/preliminary diagnosis I have had till now is form 2019, a functional bowel problem leading to constipation and overflow diarrhoea. Despite all the other consults with different gastroenterologists in several regional and university hospitals they still don't know what the root cause of my chronic bowel problems is.

[edwangy in reply to Meleber]

Exactly the same happening to me. I've been passed around from one 'specialist' to another, current surgeon said same that he had to get test results from another hospital as their tech systems are not connected, I've been waiting for 3 years now for somebody to give me a definitive answer ans I'm in a lot of pain 24/7

[NewEnglander in reply to Meleber]

TY! My first doc told me this could be "smouldering diverticulitis" meaning it never gets bad enough for surgery, but it's always there, just making you uncomfortable. One doc told me I had a circuitous colon and years later the other doc said he didn't know why he said that because it's perfect. So much of this is guess work I have a feeling.... I'm also reading up o the brain-gut connection - definitely stress gets me all fugged up!

[Carlettejaque]

As an IBS sufferer I have much sympathy. For the burning bum i recommend you keep a jug of warm water by the toilet. Everytime you go, lean right back on the seat and sluce with the water. If you find thst difficult use wet tissues to wipe. Then apply vasoline. Also use a haemaroid cream. To calm the IBS stay on the Fodmap diet and don't eat anything acidic. I was told by a dietician to stay away from all fruit for a while and definitely don't eat the apple sauce.

[NewEnglander in reply to Carlettejaque]

Yes, I do the fresh clean afterwards - or else everything burns. I've also got some fairly intense itching, but I DON'T! TY for the encouragement on the diet - will do!

[Frasina]

You are in the US so I am very surprised you did not get called back; I would phone again and email this colorectal surgeon's secretary too. You need someone medically trained to point you in the right direction as your issues could be from various different factors. The only advise I have to keep to some bland foods for now and use nappy rash cream such as Sudocrem for you sore bottom. I hope you get sorted.

[NewEnglander in reply to Frasina]

I have a colo-rectal surgeon appt. 2nd week of December. So, I'll wait that. Meantime bland foods and taking care of the bum. The bum thing is a fairly new problem. My daughter just had a baby and I swear her behind complaints sounded like mine. That's ridiculous!

[Februarygirl]

The thing that struck me first was that you said you had a coffee. I haven’t touched caffeine in years. I was really bad for months when I drank a strong coffee. I’d also noticed that of an evening it made me ‘wired’ and I couldn’t sleep. Maybe you have more than diverticulitis and have IBS too. I stick to the fodmap diet with the exception of peas and broccoli, they don’t seem to affect me if eaten in moderation. If you do have diverticulitis then don’t eat peas or anything else with a shell or pips/seeds. These can get caught in the diverticula and cause inflammation.

Something strange that does seem to be helping me a bit at the moment is 85% dark chocolate. It does have anti inflammatory properties. 4 or 6 squares most evenings and I’m not as bad as I was, although it’s not perfect anything is better than nothing. It’s worth a try and if after a few weeks there no difference what does it matter, it’s only a bit of chocolate. It must be a high cacao content though.

[NewEnglander in reply to Februarygirl]

TY so much for your advice. The dark chocolate is interesting. I'll try a little. The only reason I drink coffee is to get things moving - without that I'm not sure how my morning routine would go. As soon as I feel better and think I can forget about this for a bit - whammy - it brings me back to reality. Thanks again,,