Multiple digestive and pain issues

[curiousgenxer]

Hi all. I’m looking for a little support. Over the past three years I feel my body has been breaking down. First my Achilles tendon tore, then my back started to throb and gradually got worse. Over the new year I contracted campylobacter food poisoning, over new year which has caused ibs symptoms and a wave of autoimmune reactions all down my right side, from joint inflammation to stiffness. I can barely walk now with my back and heel pain, I have palpitations, no appetite, I’ve lost 21lbs in 6 weeks, I have constant fatigue and my anxiety is through the roof. I have had to quit working and I feel I’m close to rock bottom. Any support would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

[meadfoot]

Gosh you are going through such a lot. Little wonder you feel anxious and ill. What has your doctors said. Do they have any suggestions and are you getting lots of medical care and input.

The emotional aspect needs as much care as your physical issues. I so understand that aspect. What have your medics said about your weight loss and the rest of your symptoms. Have you had tests and are you currently on any medication to support you back to health.

Wishing you well and sending very best wishes. Its not easy but given the correct treatments you can return to sound health then your anxiety will lessen and you can rebuild your life. Remember nothing goes on forever but please pursue the best medical help and support you can access. All the very best, chin up you can get through this.

[curiousgenxer in reply to meadfoot]

Thanks for replying and for the advice . I’ve called my doctor for emergency appointments, he has sent a request for physiotherapy sessions and I’ve asked for a scan on my back, my digestive issues are getting worse so I’ve got to call again tomorrow. Maybe get an endoscopy but it’s NHS so might be a while till I get sny results. So far all the doctor has done is say it will take time for my gut to heal and prescribed haemorrhoid cream, and losartin for depression which could exasperate the diarrhoea so I’m not taking them. Thanks again for the encouragement. It really helps. Xx

[-lilybet]

so sorry to hear that your experiencing all of that…. Anxiety alone is horrible but add in pain and fatigue ect I’m not surprised your feeling so low….. I too have suffered with bowels/bladder issues have anxiety and depression Ali g with IBS and diverticula disease also waiting for biopsies results so I too have been low and felt like rock bottom….. you will get through this one day at a time and if that’s too much right now a step at a time be kind to yourself as you KNOW YOUR OWN BODY better than anyone else.

Keep being strong xx

[curiousgenxer in reply to -lilybet]

Thank you, Lilybet, for the encouragement. I hope you get better soon too. It’s good to tslk to people who know what you’re going through. Thanks again xx

[-lilybet in reply to curiousgenxer]

Absolutely I felt so alone before joking this group x

[meadfoot in reply to -lilybet]

Tough isnt it to always feel poorly. Didnt sign up for this did we. Stay as well as you can and hope you get some suuport from the medics. The resultant anxiety and depression are dreadul add ons, sigh!

[-lilybet in reply to meadfoot]

The medical profession have been 💩 to be honest I’m still awaiting urgent suspected cancer colonoscopy biopsies but my drs are saying it’s not come through I rang the consultants office who ordered said colonoscopy and it’s proving difficult to find/get results my anxiety at it’s all time high to do with this and other factors!!!!

[meadfoot in reply to -lilybet]

I bet it is. Its dreadful how we have to wait and get overwhelmed with concern. Its just not good enough. I so hope you get some answers and treatment as necessary. Sending you very best wishes. Take care,

[curiousgenxer in reply to -lilybet]

I’m finding the same myself with my doctor. The waiting is so stressful. I couldn’t get an appointment with him any earlier than 5 weeks. Last appointment I had to persuade him to arrange a scan on my back, now looks like I’ve got to get a colonoscopy as digestive issues aren’t settling. I’m trying meditation now to calm down, hopefully it will help. Hope you get your results through soon and all is well. Stay strong xx

[Edgar77 in reply to -lilybet]

I find that once they ruled out cancer they loose interest. That's it box ticked

[tony11173]

Thats a fairly specific timeframe. Can you think back to Spring 21. Did you do anything different that may link to ' autoimmune '?

[Frasina]

One of the main issues with multiple problems is that all GP's will only address one thing at a time! This means you have to either try to see a doctor a few times or you invest around £130 of in the UK and see a private GP who will give you a half hour consultation and provided you make it clear you cannot pay your way after that, they will help you with NHS tests etc..(my friend did this and got all NHS tests done within a few months when waiting times were a year plus..)

I personally have not seen a private GP, but I have paid on occasion to see a private consultant (£250) especially a gastroenterologist. I got diagnosed with patchy pancolitis by a gastroenterologist in 2021 from an urgent colonoscopy (back on the NHS) having lost over a stone in a month and having bad symptoms that my GP said were 'just IBS'....she refused to let me see the gastro team at my local hospital. Heaven knows what my colon would be like without intervention!

Having a one off private consultation is just a suggestion and one you may not have considered. I hope you do get sorted and things look better for you soon.

[Harley1020 in reply to Frasina]

I, too, can recommend the private consultation route and then requesting to have the tests done on NHS. It worked for me as I had all the tests done within 3 months. On NHS, I would have had to wait a year!!

It pays to also do research on the private consultant you decide on to find out their patients reviews.

So, so sorry to hear what you are going through and hope you get the care and support you need. Take care.

[Frasina in reply to Harley1020]

Good to hear that you got your tests done on the NHS within 3 months. This does seem to be the way forward these days...I agree that one has to research the consultants and ensure they are working in the NHS too so that you can swap to see them that way too. I did this for my gastro man and when I have my 6 monthly NHS appts, he sees me if he is at his clinic that day.

[xjrs]

Sorry to hear what you've been through. There are three issues that need addressing and hopefully taking action will make you feel more in control and give you hope:

1. Campylobacter food poisoning: if not already, give probiotics a 3 month trial (or beyond if these help you). Not all probiotics are the same. Alflorex worked best for me and is good for gut infections. It has been scientifically studied for IBS. Others get on well with Symprove which also has science behind it.

2. Back and Achilles tendon: if you are in the UK, in some areas, you can self refer for a physiotherapy appointment. Physios have always got me back on track. Here is some info:

nhs.uk/conditions/physiothe...

3. Weight loss

Try to eat more food, more often with less meal spacing. Ordinarily I would recommend spacing out meals to help the MMC (migratory motor complex) to run. This sweeps food from the small intestine to the large intestine during fasting. However, this could be counter productive if you are trying to gain weight.

Eat carbohydrates that you are more able to tolerate such as:

White jasmine rice. This is pure calories and very easily digested. It gets completely digested in the small intestine leaving no residue for the colon. Note that some types of rice (such as Basmati) contain resistant starch some of which would be undigested and end up in your colon.

Low FODMAP and/or gluten free grains (if you are intolerant to wheat). This can include buckwheat pasta, gluten free pastas, quinoa and buckwheat flakes. Some of these are more fibrous than others, so you will need to test for your own tolerance. Some sufferers are more tolerant to oats than wheat, so porridge made with full fat or dairy free milks are good for breakfast and even as extra snack meals. Oat amazake is a form of highly digestible fermented oats. I mix this with buckwheat flakes and add in tolerated fruits as a snack.

Squash and pumpkin. There are different types of squash and pumpkin products listed on the Monash University FODMAP app with their various low FODMAP serving sizes.

Beans and pulses (thoroughly rinsed when canned) – see Monash University FODMAP app for low FODMAP quantities if necessary.

High fat varieties of dairy (e.g. hard cheeses) or lactose free dairy if necessary. Note that some sufferers will be intolerant to cheese due to the whey or casein protein content rather than lactose.

Semi-skimmed or whole milk or lactose free varieties.

Nuts. These can be ground in a coffee grinder to make them more digestible. Nuts add fibre, so gradually increase the amount.

Eggs.

Protein shakes as snacks.

Berry fruits (strawberries, blueberries and raspberries).

Healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil. This could make you more loose, so start with 1 teaspoon working up to 3 tablespoons (1 tablespoon with each meal) per day depending on tolerance. Note there are 3 teaspoons in 1 tablespoon.

[curiousgenxer in reply to xjrs]

That’s great, thanks for all the detailed advice, it’s much more than my doctor gave me. I’ll have a look into everything. I’ve started the low fodmap diet hopefully it will start helping soon. Thanks again

[xjrs in reply to curiousgenxer]

You might want to give the probiotics a go prior to continuing with the FODMAP elimination and reintroduction, since they may make you more tolerant to certain foods, which means you won't eliminate some unnecessarily. I've become much more tolerant to fibre and some fruits and veg since being on Alflorex. Plus being low FODMAP for too long and eliminating too many foods can be counterproductive since it reduces feed for the microbiome and your good bugs need feeding to keep on top of the bad ones, with the help of a probiotic during the transition. You need a diverse microbiome for it to be healthy which means eating as wide a diet as you can manage. Good luck.

[curiousgenxer in reply to xjrs]

Great advice, thanks. Give it a go