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A letter to my GI

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/4/2007 12:31 PM (GMT -6)

I was recently diagnosed with mild but patchy Colitis throughout my Colon. I don't know whether it is Colitis, UC or Chrohn's. The GI (one of the best in London) says it is all inconslusive as I keep testing negative for the many markers. I recently had further blood and stool tests done and they came back fine too. So for the moment I am assuming I have Non Specific Colitis.

 

My symptoms - Fresh red blood in toilet, tissue and outside of stool, nothing else. No pain or diarrhea

Also found - Two small hemmorhoids (which I think could bleed but he keeps ignoring them)

 

I was put on Asacol 800mg x 3 a day, and a bout of 400mg Metronidazol x 3 a day.

 

I sent my GI an email today - which is copied below together with his response - can anyone make head or tail of it? I always feel in the dark when speaking to docs - they never seem to say anything I understand.

 

It would be interesting to see how you would all react to it.

 

______________________

I am wrting for a couple things and to update you on my condition.

1. As ever I feel totally fine and well. I think the medicine is working very well as my bleeding is also more or less totally gone now.

2. My bowel movements have gone down from 3 times a day to twice a day and the stools are well formed and look normal. The stools are also without any streaks of blood, and I no longer bleed into the toilet at all even if I strain.

3. However I still notice some very small specs of bright blood on the tissue when I wipe. Is the inflammation still not gone away or could
that be the hemmorhoids? I guess I have only been on medication a week so maybe it is too early to tell.

 

4. I had blood and stool tests last Monday and I understand from your secretary that they look okay but she said you would confirm.

Thanks
______________________

 

Hi 

 

Many thanks for your email. I am very encouraged with your response. Specks of blood on vigorous wiping usually come from the anoderm( skin around the back passage ) and will not mean much. Your blood test results were fine.I do not have the exact details in front of me at home but recollect having seen them.

 

Keep up the good progress.

 

Warm regards

 

 

Posted 11/4/2007 9:43 PM (GMT -6)
well to me, sounds like the blood is from irritation, that is not uncommon, but if it persists i say go back.
hope all goes well
Posted 11/5/2007 1:47 AM (GMT -6)
What signal does that give though? How are ordinary people supposed to take doctors speak. The only symptom I have is some mild rectal bleeding and nothing else. The bleeding has now subsised a lot - I don't whether it's from the meds or the Tapioca Flour which seems to work like a miracle.

But all that said, how am I to know where the blood is coming from? Inflammation? Hemmoroids? Anoderm?

confused
Posted 11/5/2007 2:36 AM (GMT -6)
Can't you just give him a ring and ask him?

My doc is also based in a London hospital and when I need anything that I don't think is important enough to book an appointment I call up his secretary and leave a message for him to call back. He calls back with 24 hours.
Posted 11/5/2007 3:21 AM (GMT -6)

I guess I am trying to do my best not to hassle him, I could call him on his mobile even if I wanted to. Him and his secretary are great at calling back, usually the same day, I just don't want to sound like I am hassling.

I am just asking on here to get some advice - this episode is doing my head in. Painless mild bleeding is usually from hemmoroids but here I am on strong medication not knowing that if I do bleed a little on the tissue it could be from anywhere.

Posted 11/5/2007 3:23 AM (GMT -6)
Hi..you're not on a high dosage of mesalazine....you could, however, ask if he could put you on a rectal med to help with the bleeding.

quincy
Posted 11/5/2007 3:28 AM (GMT -6)

quincy said...
Hi..you're not on a high dosage of mesalazine....you could, however, ask if he could put you on a rectal med to help with the bleeding.

quincy

I take 2 tablets a day, 3 times a day - I thought that was a lot.

Maybe I should get my hemmorhoids injected as a process of elimination. I am sick of GI's!

Thanks Quincy.

Posted 11/5/2007 3:33 AM (GMT -6)
That's an option at least. I think we all get to the point where we get sick of seeing doctors.....did he offer you to inject the hemmies in the past?

2400mg 5ASA is what I'm using..not a high dosage. If you're not having any diarrhea, that's good.

q
Posted 11/5/2007 3:58 AM (GMT -6)

quincy said...
That's an option at least. I think we all get to the point where we get sick of seeing doctors.....did he offer you to inject the hemmies in the past?

2400mg 5ASA is what I'm using..not a high dosage. If you're not having any diarrhea, that's good.

q

I am sick of hospitals, sick of people (and GI's) telling me "you're fine" but then doing several tests. Sick of GI's being totally "relaxed" and "pleased" and then telling me I need to visit them every few weeks.

I don't have any diarrhea, my stools are formed, and I have a BM twice a day (TMI, sorry).

In fact seeing all these wonderful people suffering makes me feel guilty for being totally pain free.

Posted 11/5/2007 5:33 AM (GMT -6)
Never feel bad about being pain free! I use to think that my problems were never big enough to bother anyone about and i would grin and bare it. All that has done is caused me to get sicker. It's best to stop any symptom right away. If you don't get the rectal bleeding under control it could turn a lot worse. My GI wants me to call him at the slightest hint of blood.

Right now my UC is what I consider livable but not in remission. I rarely see blood but have 10 not so formed bm's a day and a little pain. I know how much worse it can be and I feel a little dumb complaining but my symptoms mean that something is still going on in there...

Being sick of docs, drugs, and all that come with this disease is normal. I think healthy even. As sick as we are of them though it's more important to get healthy.
Posted 11/5/2007 5:46 AM (GMT -6)
Thanks Kelly - the point of this post is I want to get the bleeding totally gone but I need to know the bleeding is from Colitis and not Hemms.

I have no problems with my 2 BM's a day that are well formed. Otherwise I am totally fine.
Posted 11/5/2007 8:43 AM (GMT -6)
london red, just so you know (for future reference) you and i are in the same baot--colitis with hemms. if you ever want to share experiences/talk, just let me know.
Posted 11/5/2007 10:56 AM (GMT -6)

birdiem said...
london red, just so you know (for future reference) you and i are in the same baot--colitis with hemms. if you ever want to share experiences/talk, just let me know.

That would be great, maybe exchange emails if it is allowed on here? Be nice to talk to someone.  Are you in England?

I do think our symptoms are massively different though.

Posted 11/8/2007 5:11 AM (GMT -6)
Spoke to the GI today.

I told him my bleeding had stopped but I was feeling a little horrible from the Metronidazol (which I am taking for only for 2 more days). My bowel movements had regulated to about twice a day although the mornings can be a couple of times. Basically things were very much back to normal except for the anxiety induced IBS. The problem now is that my BM's are less solid than before since taking the Metronidazol - is this normal for this drug?

I asked if I had ulcers - he said he didn't see any and only saw redness.

I asked him about the inflammation - he said it was mild but patchy.

I asked him about all my several blood tests - he said none of them indicated desease.

Then he goes on to say that nothing is confirmed it could be plain Colitis (which he thinks will get better soon) but he hasn't ruled out UC and Chrohn's yet despite doing every test possible! He did seem confident that I was well... but I have Colitis so how can that be?

I am so confused, I feel well but feel unwell not knowing what is going on.
Posted 11/8/2007 10:56 AM (GMT -6)
Ok , can anyone tell me the difference between Colitis and Ulcerative Colitis i didnt know there were two seperate conditions, i went from Proctitis to Pancolitis , seems i missed out the Colitis bit ! Now im confused.

Londonred perhaps you feel well cos you are ok !! Sounds like everything is going ok with you to me . Fingers crossed it continues .

Tab
Posted 11/8/2007 2:21 PM (GMT -6)

tabitha m said...
Ok , can anyone tell me the difference between Colitis and Ulcerative Colitis i didnt know there were two seperate conditions, i went from Proctitis to Pancolitis , seems i missed out the Colitis bit ! Now im confused.

Londonred perhaps you feel well cos you are ok !! Sounds like everything is going ok with you to me . Fingers crossed it continues .

Tab

As far as i know there are three...

1. Colitis - inflammation of the colon

2. UC - inflammation and ulcers in the colon

3. Chrohn's - patchy inflammation which can be anywhere in the digestveve tract

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