Hi, I am about to have a colonoscopy because the consultants think that the final portion of my Bowel is no longer functioning as far as motility is concerned. I have to take huge amounts of laxatives to go to the toilet and this means I can only go once every five days.....
has anyone had a colonoscopy and if so, what should I expect and finally, has anyone else been diagnosed with a section of bowel that no longer works and if so, what is the treatment. I am petrified of having bowel surgery....
Many thanks
Me
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Ieuann133
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Sorry I know nothing about lupus. If your hypothyroid is also auto-immune, then the association with the gut is the other way round. It doesn't cause gut problems, rather it is linked to food intolerance and associated leaky gut, which is where food particles pass through into the blood stream, alerting and causing misfiring of the immune system. The immune system then mistakenly attacks the thyroid. I haven't of it actually damaging the gut to the extent it becomes paralysed, though constipation is common due to slow metabolism.
Do you have any recent thyroid test results you can share so we could advise whether your difficulties are likely to be linked to this?
Sadly not as I have been in Italy for 4 months but all I can say is my thyroid is not stable, the tsh moves from test to test, anyone from 0.02 up to 10! I also have low cortisol and low ferritin issues so it is very hard to distinguish what is causing my fatigue.
Many thanks, I am going for a blood test on Monday, I will post the results when I get them
Make sure you have the FT4 and FT3 tested as well as the TSH - also of course the anti-bodies TPO & Tg. VitD - Folate - B12 are also important tests to have and to know the results. The brain has first call on the T3 with most T3 receptors - after that the gut/immune system. So I am suspecting LOW T3 affecting gut motility ....
Am almost certain the laxatives are involved in the bowel issue. Have you tried large doses of VitC and also Magnesium is known to help.
I have had endless bowel surgeries for Ileo-caecal TB and then Crohns over the years - so know a bit about guts.
How are you treating the low Ferritin ? Is that contributing to the constipation ?
I have Hashimotos - Crohns and a B12 issue - so not a medic
Ooooops ! - sorry - forgot to mention that colonoscopies are just fine these days - especially here in Crete ! Was completely out for the duration
Thank you for that, very interesting. The reason that I am having a colonoscopy is that my haematologist is trying to work out why I lose ferritin, I have infusions but then we just watch it month by month disappear so they were thinking absorption issues.
I will try vit c and magnesium. What sort of dosage do I need?
Crete sounds like a very exotic place to travel to for a colonoscopy, I am sorely tempted!!
VitC to bowel tolerance ! - now there's a novel thing Magnesium varies in dose - there are many types of magnesium and some are better than others for constipation - have a google ....
Most people with Hashimotos have absorption issues. Do you like liver - as I have read that eating that once a week can keep iron levels up. I am lucky to love it !
No problem organising colonoscopies in Crete - done privately and oh so reasonable cost-wise.
Not had it checked for some time... will ask the gp to run a comprehensive panel ... yiu just get weary with the medical appts, sometimes I feel as though they think that I am just pestering them....
To be fair though, they always listen to me and run the tests that I ask for...
As you have Hashimoto's, are you on gluten free diet? The majority find it helps significantly. A small percentage are actually coeliac, but most of us it's due to leaky gut and gluten crossing into blood stream.
Thank you, I will ring the doctors this morning and add the tests. I also have a Heamatolgy appt next week and will discuss it with them
What annoys me is that my endocrinologist does not point these things out to me. I have a complicated medical background and need someone to oversee all my results rather than them being viewed from a single specialist point of view...
Endos are mostly diabetes specialists and seem to have their hands tied with regards to appropriate thyroid treatment. We have to read and learn in order to find wellness.
I'll leave those more informed to comment on the thyroid issues - but as someone who has had a colonoscopy-the procedure is fine (I don't remember anything as was sedated). The bowel prep is probably the most unpleasant part.
Hi there, please don't panic about a colonoscopy, the worst bit is drinking the preparation beforehand.... I was partially sedated, didn't think I was as I was wide awake and watching the screen as they went through the examination..
view it as a good opportunity to get rid of all the detritus from your bowel for free... some people pay thousands to have this done in health farms!
One helpful hint someone gave me was refrigerate the preparation so that it is cold when you drink it and preferably drink it through a straw... it really helped me! Let me know how you get on, I am sure you will be fine, didn't hurt a bit and I was fine afterwards too!
Thank you so much for reassurance. I will post when ive had it. Another thing which im concerned about is ive had a hysterectomy and believe its more uncomfortable having colonoscopy if youve had hysterectomy. Hope not. Thanks again.
Oh you poor girl.... such a worry, I can't comment on the post hysterectomy experience but what I can say is that 99.9% of nhs staff do not want you to have pain or angst. Tell them of your worries, I bet your bottom dollar that they will take it into account and make sure you are ok.... I have had many procedures and can honestly say they were all far less worrying than I expected. And the original reason for this thread was that I was about to have a colonoscopy and was fretting!
Thankyou for your messages. I've had the colonoscopy Was bit uncomfortable and sore today. Nothing serious found, just inflammation, theyve taken biopsy. Glad its over.!
In my hospital, you don't get a sedative unless you have someone to collect you by car and stay with you for 24 hours - make sure you can fulfil this (or lie). The alternative is gas and air - don't try it - it's like being $&£*ed up the behind with a broom handle (sorry TMI). The prep is difficult for some people - wear easy to remove clothing and be prepared not to leave the loo (take a book and some CDs/MP3s) on the final day. If you are non-sweet-eating vegan, you'll need to live on boiled white rice for 3 days - yeeew! Much easier for meat eaters.
When you have the bowel clear out in preparation for the colonoscopy your bottom will get sore. To avoid this as much as possible buy yourself some Metanium everyday barrier ointment. It's for heavy-duty nappy rash, so I found it in the baby section in Boots. Use it liberally every single time you poo. It's very thick but it protects your skin really well.
Oh, and when you start the clear out, stay at home wearing nothing but a dressing gown, and stay near a toilet.
Keep trying if you can... you don't want them to tell you that you aren't ready for the procedure as you will have to do it all again but as bantam says, if you can't, you can't. If you could have seen me, I was in bed, hoodie on with hood up and I had to get my husband to hand me the drink and drink as fast as I could whilst holding my nose, closely followed by a toothpaste chaser!!!
I am still in pain after my colonoscopy on monday. Thought it would have eased by now? I had 8 biopsies taken, would this be cause of the pain do you think?
Probably. I had biopsies taken when I had an endoscopy and I was in pain for about 10 - 14 days afterwards. But it got better without needing any treatment.
I am really sorry about that, I am afraid that I can't comment as I didn't have any biopsies, maybe someone else can offer some information but I think you should ring the ward helpline and ask them or possibly your GP just to put your mind at rest or get some help...
Thank you. I phoned the hospital and they said take paracetomol 4 hourly, i am doing that ( only for a couple of days), and pains are less. Feel more comfortable.
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