Seeking Advice

Maybe you should ask about getting your gall bladder checked.  I had a friend that had right side pain and she had to get her gal bladder removed.  It also hurt her stomach when she ate. 

I really Had a bad history with acid reflux . I n fact, these days I can't eat to much food. also, I have a mild fever with the abd. pain. Also, I went to the ER yesterday and they told me all the blood an X ray shows u are OK. but they told me we see POPs (sorry) in u Colon. I don't really understand what does they mean. Do they mean IBS (as the Doc. think?). But I have another Q, does IBS cause a mild fever. Thans, both shelly1979 and Keriamon.

No, IBS does not cause a fever. Inflammatory Bowel Disease can cause a fever and so can an infection in your gall bladder. You need to get your esophagus scoped (endoscopy) to check for damage due to years of acid reflux (that won't show up on an x-ray that I'm aware of since it's soft tissue damage), you need to have a hida scan to check your gall bladder and you need a colonoscopy to check on the polyps in your intestines and to see if you have inflammation. It's possible you have more than one thing going on at a time, so they need to do all three to make sure they have found all the possible problems. You will have to see a G.I. in order to get those tests ordered. They are all pretty standard for someone with your symptoms. I've had all of them and a most of the people on this board have had at least the colonoscopy, and usually the hida scan and endoscopy too if they are complaining of upper-quadrant and stomach pains/problems. If you have been to a second or third world country anytime before your symptoms started, or if you work on a farm or in a zoo or otherwise are around animals outdoors, or if you have drank water from a natural source without filtration (lake or spring water) you need to have your stool checked for parasites because they can also cause you to have a low-grade fever and cramping (and almost always diarrhea, but sometimes not).

A polyp is a little abnormal growth. I think of them as being like warts in the colon. Some people have them and some people don't. But it's in no ways unsual to have them. The vast majority of them are completely benign, but some are pre-cancerous, which is why it's important to have them looked at with a colonoscopy. Most G.I. doctors will snip all of them out and send them for tests to see what kind of polyp they are. If they are pre-cancerous, then they will schedule you for a colonoscopy every year or two to keep an eye on them, see if they grow back and take them out if they do grow back. As long as they keep snipping them out, your chances of getting colon cancer are very, very low. Probably about as low as a person who doesn't have polyps to begin with. If they are benign--as the vast majority of them are--then they will just schedule you for a scope every 5 years or so to go back and check them and make sure they aren't turning pre-cancerous. The older you get, the more likely you are to develop polyps and the more likely they are to get pre-cancerous--but that's usually not something that happens until middle age or later. That's why they suggest a colonoscopy for people over 40 or 50 (depending on who you ask); if they catch those little polyps while they are still pre-cancerous, they can take them out and you'll be safe. Colon cancer is actually considered easy to prevent because of this. It's very hard to treat afterwards, though, so thus the empahsis on getting checked out. It's kind of like skin cancer that way: it's very easy to catch and treat the little spot, but if it ever neglected and allowed to spread, it becomes very dangerous. So if the ER suspects you have polyps, you definitely need to get those checked out. They can cause some intestinal problems, but I think usually they don't; a lot of people never know they have them until they get scoped. They are likely not the cause of your pains, especially so high up, nor of your nausea. So you probably have those in addition to something else.

Hi
Yes I mention the fever but b/c its vary from 96 to 98 they told me it is a stresss???

For those docs that say "it is all in your head" I just want to take their stethoscopes and ram it where the sun don't shine. Where do they get off!?! I'm glad you're going to see a GI... Don't settle for 1 that doesn't help you. I suggest writing down all your symptoms and all your questions and taking it with you. Consult your list while visiting with the doc so you don't forget anything. Remember, be as open and honest as possible. Do not leave until every concern/issue/question has been covered.
Good luck and please report back!

Hi guys again...I went to other two doc. The first told me "to feel comfortable, u need to do colonescopy". And he told me u need to wait tell Oct to do this test?????. The other doctor told me just relax and take Xannax for 3 times a day bescause he think that my problem is in my throat?????. I really have another fever from these docs. Anyway, I decided to ask GOD to help me. Really, I have been at least 5 times ER for the last 2 months. I really, want to ask GOD to help me and cure my pain. I really cannot do anything more. in fact, till Oct is really very long time t. Anyway, I ask GOD to help me and you from all these pains. And I wish that he give us the health. So we don't go to these doc. In fact, I am planning to change all my life style. Also, I will wait till I have more syptomes. however, I ask God to cure all these pains and forgive me.

(((hugs mashary)))

Oct seems like a long time, did he tell you why you have to wait so long? I would push the doc to do both upper and lower scopes if I were you to rule out any "throat" issues as well and they need to look into your stomach to make sure that nothing there is causing the problem. With your vomiting, that should really be considered.

I truly believe that we are not given more than we can handle. It took me a long time to realize that after what I have been through in my life but there are reasons for these things. That is my just my belief though, others might think differently. Regardless what your spiritual beliefs are, it helps to have them if just to get through the days and to find happiness in everything (without IBS and my other disorders, I would never have had the chance to be here and meet so many great people).

When I saw a G.I. the first time, I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy run the end of that same week.  The last time I went to a G.I. (a different one), she had me scheduled for a colonoscopy one a week later. 

I'm highly suspicious of why they would want to wait three months, especially if another doctor thinks you have polyps.  I think you are getting inadequate health care.  I notice no one said anything about testing your gall bladder.  If you have a stone lodged in there, that can be the cause of your pain, bowel problems and fever.  And that can set up a dangerous infection if left untreated.  If your problem is from erosion of the esophagus, then three more months of acid reflux is only going to damage it worse.  And we've already discussed the importance of having polyps checked. 

No, you should not have to wait three months to have a colonoscopy.  While the best G.I.'s are booked well in advance for appointments, they usually have no trouble getting your tests done in a reasonable amount of time because once you're in, you get first priority.  And less popular G.I.'s have even less waiting time.  I think you need to find someone else who is willing to get this stuff done and not leave you to suffer needlessly for months on end.  I'm wondering if this doctor hasn't put you off because he thinks you're somehow faking your symptoms or are crazy and his plan is to put this off so long you'll lose interest. 

What did they say to u tigerpawn?

why?????????

There would be no way to know if there were polyps in the colon unless a colonscopy was done so I am not sure what Mashary meant when they said POP's. I don't understand the fever as 96 - 98 is not considered a fever so should be discounted as far as symptoms go. A blood test with a above normal white cell count would indicate an infection. I would not wait till Oct if your pain is that great. There is no way that a Dr. cannot get you in someway. Mine does about 10 endo's and colonscopies three days a week from 1 -6. Production line and he was booked for a few weeks but I was in so much distress he worked me in. Since yours in mainly on the right side I would really think seriously about a gall bladder test. it really sounds more like gall bladder.