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Is it UC or not?

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Ulcerative Colitis
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tarsy
New Member
Joined : Nov 2016
Posts : 4
Posted 11/7/2016 7:16 AM (GMT -8)
History: gallbladder removed 2016, gut issues off and on, ERCP in 2015.
Since 2014 I have lost 20lbs which is a lot for someone who was only 130 to begin with.

For the past 6 months, I have been struggling with very severe, watery diarrhea every day which has caused even more weight loss and keeps me home bound every morning.

Endoscopy in April showed nothing, colonoscopy in August showed very minimal inflammation in my lower intestine.

GI put me on Apriso for a week which did not do much of anything. I've gone to a homeopath for diet help, probiotics etc all to no avail. This week the GI wants me to try a course of prednisone even though he still has not given me a diagnosis and stated 'I don't know what's causing the diarrhea'.

I tend to not tolerate western drugs very well and am concerned about going on steroids but am at such a loss as to what to do.

Any comments about steroid use greatly appreciated.
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16404
Posted 11/7/2016 7:26 AM (GMT -8)
Hi and welcome to the forum. Usually IBD complaints leading to a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis involve bloody bowel movements, blood in toilet water, and blood on toilet paper after wiping. Have you seen any blood?
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tarsy
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Joined : Nov 2016
Posts : 4
Posted 11/7/2016 7:27 AM (GMT -8)
No bloody bowl movements to date.
So maybe the catchall of IBD?
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iPoop
Forum Moderator
Joined : Aug 2012
Posts : 16404
Posted 11/7/2016 7:31 AM (GMT -8)
Without blood, it's often considered to be an IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) diagnosis. IBS is often considered the catch-all, when notjing specifically wrong can be found.

IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disorder) encompasses Ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and others) and blood is often key for these.
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tarsy
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Joined : Nov 2016
Posts : 4
Posted 11/7/2016 7:32 AM (GMT -8)
Thanks, I'll research IBS more.
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beave
Veteran Member
Joined : Mar 2007
Posts : 2314
Posted 11/7/2016 11:37 AM (GMT -8)
While it's true that UC usually involves bleeding, it's not always the case with Crohn's. In Crohn's, sometimes there is no bleeding; and even when there is, it's often from higher up in the GI tract, in which case it's not always noticeable/visible in a bowel movement.

Tarsy, what did the biopsies from the August colonoscopy show? That should be key. Find out exactly what the biopsy report says.

I see two possibilities:
1) It's not uncommon to have diarrhea after gall bladder removal. The gall bladder controls the amount and rate of bile going into the small bowel. Without it, bile can go into the small intestine too often and can lead to bile-salt diarrhea, where the bile irritates the colon. Many people who have had their gall bladder removed need to take bile-binding agents to control their diarrhea. Did your GI mention this? Have you tried such medication?

2) You may have microscopic colitis. It is a less-common form of IBD (less common than UC or Crohn's). It can lead to watery diarrhea without blood, and with little or no visible inflammation seen on a colonoscopy. But biopsies will show specific types of inflammaton. It's most common in older women.
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NiceCupOfTea
Elite Member
Joined : Jan 2010
Posts : 11145
Posted 11/7/2016 3:01 PM (GMT -8)

tarsy said...
Thanks, I'll research IBS more.

I wouldn't accept it as IBS just yet. For a start, IBS doesn't result in weight loss. So, unless your weight loss was simply caused by eating less, something else is going on with you. Beave's suggestions are good - both the things he mentioned will result in the watery diarrhoea that you described.
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tarsy
New Member
Joined : Nov 2016
Posts : 4
Posted 11/7/2016 3:22 PM (GMT -8)
Thank you for your thoughts.

The colonoscopy biopsies showed a very minimal amount of inflammation, nothing more and I mentioned microscopic colitis but it was dismissed.

I have wondered if bile was the culprit.
During the ERCP the GI cleaned out the duct to make sure there were no stones and I believe the week prior I passed a small stone when I spent the morning in extreme pain.
After the ERCP when in recovery I repeatedly threw up what the nurse described as bile that had been in stomach for a long time.

And I could see some diarrhea from the bile, but what I go through every morning is crazy, with 4-5 trips to the loo. When things were really bad in June/July, is was 10-12 trips all through out the day.

And I don't know if it's possible, but something is going on with my mid back and it takes very little for it to really hurt. Twice in the past after a week or so of bad back pain when I was working on the house, the diarrhea started.

I have to call the GI this week and will ask about bile binding agents before I end up with a steroid.
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jujub
Elite Member
Joined : Mar 2003
Posts : 10424
Posted 11/7/2016 4:04 PM (GMT -8)
Please be sure to be tested for C.diff before you take steroids. This nasty little bacterium can make us very sick, and steroids would only make it worse.
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