Q: What are the symptoms of colitis?
I have sharp pain my lower right side of my abdomen. Is that colitis? It happened after I ate Little Caesars pizza, could it be that cheap food that caused it?

A: The sharp pain in your lower right side could just be gas, but if it continues or gets worse, you may have an appendicitis attack. The symptoms of colitis are usually constipation or diarrhea that alternate, and bloating and gas. I doubt whether Caesars pizza is causing your discomfort. If it keeps up, see your doctor.

Q: what are the symptoms of colitis?
can somebody tell me the symtoms of colitis, my sister has been dignose with it, is it bad

A: Colitis is inflammation of the colon. It can be due to a number of causes including infections, poor blood supply (ischemic colitis), medications (Adderall and even NSAIDs), and immunologic diseases (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s colitis). People used to call irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) spastic colitis, which is misleading.

The chief symptom is diarrhea. When the rectum is involved, there can also be a sensation of incomplete evacuation after bowel movements called tenesmus. The diarrhea can be bloody or non-bloody. Typically, diarrhea persists during both day and night.

For diagnosis, stool studies and usually a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy with biopsies are necessary. Occasionally, people who are really sick may also need abdominal X-rays and CT scans of the abdomen and pelvis.

Q: What were your (early) symptoms for ulcerative colitis?
I’ve already done web searches. But I’m looking for personal stories.

A: My dad was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and he now wears a colostomy bag. His early symptoms were; he couldn’t eat anything, i mean anything, without it giving him diarrhea. He also mentioned the fact that it expelled with incredible force. As a result he was constantly tired and dehydrated.

Q: would these symptoms be ulcerative colitis ?
16 years old male.
blood in stool here and there. bright red or maroon sometimes.
fatigue, yawning a lot.
harder to get up due to lack of energy and back pain.
no diarrhea, no abdominal pain, no weight loss.
would it be ulcerative colitis ?

A: Everyone is different but these do not sound like typical symptoms. That said, plenty of people present with very atypical symptoms and, rarely, non at all. If your fatigue is due to vitamin deficiencies there’s a chance. Bright red blood means it was pretty low in your GI tract, so it may just be a hemorrhoid. Either way, bleeding like this is certainly abnormal and should be discussed with a medical professional. If some more conventional solutions do not solve your problem you may need a colonoscopy to rule out more serious diseases like ulcerative colitis.

Q: What is the symptoms of colitis?
I have had my gall bladder removed and been tested for lactose and tolerant i’m not though i still have gas after eating alot of things.

A: Frequent loose bowel movements with or without blood
Urgency to have a bowel movement and bowel incontinence
Lower abdominal discomfort or cramps
Fever, lethargy, and loss of appetite
Weight loss with continuing diarrhea

Q: Do antacids help lessen symptoms of gastritis or colitis?
I was diagnosed with haemorrhagic gastritis and I sometimes wonder if it was caused by too much acid in the stomach. Does taking antacid solve the problem?

A: Since you are having bleeding, it seems like you may have a bacteria called H. Pylori that can cause bleeding ulcers.

If you have mild gastritis, antacids might provide fast pain relief.
If your gastritis is more severe, you might need an acid inhibitor like Pepcid, Zantac, Axid.
If those don’t work , MDs provide Proton pump inhibitors like Prilosec, Achiphex, Protonix, Prevacid, Nexium.

Also avoid fried, fatty foods; alcohol; smoking; get exercise; try to manage stress.
Get blood test for H. Pylori & get retested after treatment to make sure it’s gone.

Google: mayo clinic>>diseases>>gastritis

Feel better.

Q: What are the symptoms of Chrons disease and Ulcerative Colitis?
Something isnt right with me lately, (this is my symptoms) I have abdominal pain for 1 month now in the same area (lower right side) and pale yellow diarreah that is sometimes once a day to ten times a day…I am constantly tired and in pain.. they ruled out appendicitis, cysts, a hernia, and bowel obstruction….they think i might have one of these disorders listed above, I have a young baby to take care of and I feel like crap, any information would be greatly appreciated thank you!

A: I would look up either Celiac Disease or since you have a baby: Endometriosis. Look those up. They sound like your symptoms. But don’t worry, these are treatable!

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Q: In Chrons or Colitis, are these the kind of symptoms you get at first?
Occasional Bloody diarrhea, then loose stools with blood, sometimes no blood in the stool, stomach cramps, urge to empty but still get cramps and have to go again? (someone who is only in their late 30’s). No other symptoms (not tired, not weak, not nauseous). I am lactose intolerant and sometimes I would have dairy products anyway, this last time I ended up getting lots of bloody diarrhea (sorry gross).

Thank you for helping!

A: If you get the symptoms only when you eat dairy, then it is your lactose intolerance that is causing the problems. You should stop eating dairy or get some medication that treats it.

Q: I am suffering from Ulcerative Colitis. What kind of Diet should I go on to alleviate my symptoms?
I have gone to many doctors, and the best solutions they offered were surgery and taking a bunch of pills and suppositories that don’t really work. I don’t know what to do and the symptoms havent gotten better after a month. What should I do?

A: The most important thing to do is to reduce the incidence of diarrhea and blood. Probiotics, especially the sacchromyces boulardii yeast are known to reduce and even eliminate the diarrhea. Research has shown that boulardii up to 6 times a day is important for UC patients. Below are a list of not too many bacteria that are readily available on various websites or a place like Whole Foods.

As far as diet goes you want to minimize the ingestion of sulfur containing foods, especially if you are experiencing rotten egg smelling farts as those kind of farts are indicating that you have a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which is a toxic byproduct of protein digestion. Those stinky farts also mean that your body is not properly detoxifying the H2S and will weaken the colon cells. Less meat, less onions and garlic, are important ways of reducing the sulfide precursors.

As far as things to add, make sure that you are ingesting the bifidobacteria listed below and get some Metamucil, which is essentially repackaged Psyllium husks, or Plantago Ovata fiber. The combination of Psyllium and bifidobacteria has been shown to be as effective as the standard pharmaceutical 5-ASA type drugs such as Pentasa or Mensalamine in clinical testing. Go figure $500/month vs. less than $60/month. The combination of 5-ASA, psyllium husk, and bifidobacteria is also beneficial.

As long as you are getting the bifidobacteria, try some oat bran, wheat bran, or brown rice. In in many patients the bran products help reduce inflammation.

There are many things you can to to ease colitis. Review the following list of KEYWORDs and go to http://www.pubmed.gov and type in: “ulcerative colitis” KEYWORD
to see the results of the peer reviewed journals. Here is the list…

lactobacillus and bifidobacteria: Kyodophilus by Wakanuga
lactoabacillus GG: Lactobacillus GG by Culturelle
sacchromyces boulardii: a gut friendly yeast by Jarrow
Pepto Bismol
Fish oil
bromelain
papain
quercetin
boswellia
vitamin C
vitamin E
magnesium in citrate or ionic form: traceminerals.com

The best but unpleasant treatment is a human fecal transplant. In pubmed type in: fecal Borody TJ
and you will see the articles. Download and review and you will learn that some people can be cured of ulcerative colitis. According to Borody, about 1/6 colitis patients get cured. You could be one of the lucky ones. I know folks who are doing well with this treatment.

Secondary possibilities
capric acid (not much research here but shown to be good against a Candida infection)
caprylic acid (not much research here but shown to be good against a Candida infection)

Q: What symptoms do Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis share?

A: Diarrhea (bloody diarrhea is more common in UC but can appear in CD)
Stomach pain & cramps
Fatigue, dehydration and weight loss

Q: If you have colitis and have other symptoms like arthritis caused by colitis,?
Can you therefore claim for a disability blue badge,because of the amount of times you may need to stop for a toilet

A: (sung to the tune of “the Pina Colada song”)

If you think you have colitis
And you have half a brain
Or if you have arthritis
And to walk is a pain

If you can’t make it to the bathroom
Without cracking a sweat
Then a blue “handicapped” sign
Is just what you should get

If you have diabetes
And weigh 300 pounds
And your poor little feeties
Can’t stand making the rounds

If you have fibromyalgia
If you have irritable bowels
Then go get you a badge now
And go purchase some towels

If you are lactose intolerant
And allergic to wheat
Then a blue handicapped badge
Would seem kind of neat!

Hey, we all suffer somehow
so it’s “who suffers worst”
Paralyzed from the waist down?
Then you get to go first.

Q: Help with colitis – showing symptoms after 6 years of none..what should I do?
I was diagnosed with colitis when I was 11, and now I am 17. I haven’t really had symptoms that I can remember since I was that age.

However, in the past month, I’ve had about 5 bloody stools, and when I spoke a few weeks ago (at that point I had 3) to my doctor, he said it prob. wasn’t related to colitis but something blocking that area that was irritating it.

However, I went on vacation, and on Wednesday, I got a bad stomach ache. I assumed it was cramps, but it continued the next day and the next. On Friday, I wasn’t able to pass a bowel movement (after thinking I had to) and when I wiped I came away with dark red blood.

I feel completely bloated now (and look it – I look pregnant or something), my stomach hurts, and I wish I could pass a bowel movement but can’t.

I read that drinking carrot juice would help, so about an hour ago I drank a glass and a half, but nothing has happened.

I ate very lightly today – some pieces of fruit, a few raisins, airplane pretzels, airplane Wheat Thins, and now carrot juice.

Last few days before that I was eating normally (a few junk food items), though.

What can I do and how long will this last?? I’ll be meeting with a doctor next week.

Extra info: I take 8 pills of Asacol a day.

I’m starting a new school on Tuesday, so I hate the fact that this came at a horrible time. How long does this last, and do you think it’s related to colitis?
Also — just tonight I was finally able to pass a bowel movement, and the thing itself was dark brown/black and when I wiped it came away as basically black. I’ve heard that black stools are bad, too. Anyone else here have colitis and could help??

A: Immediately stop any wheat intake. Wheat gluten can cause or aggravate colitis.

Additional: ” Meg” may or may not be sensitive to wheat gluten, but there is a large body of evidence that wheat gluten can cause and or aggravate colitis. For two weeks eliminate all wheat produces and see if your symptoms subside. What do you have to loose? Google it for more information. Good luck!

Q: What are some symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis?

A: The most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis are abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Patients also may experience

* anemia
* fatigue
* weight loss
* loss of appetite
* rectal bleeding
* loss of body fluids and nutrients
* skin lesions
* joint pain
* growth failure (specifically in children)

About half of the people diagnosed with ulcerative colitis have mild symptoms. Others suffer frequent fevers, bloody diarrhea, nausea, and severe abdominal cramps. Ulcerative colitis may also cause problems such as arthritis, inflammation of the eye, liver disease, and osteoporosis. It is not known why these problems occur outside the colon. Scientists think these complications may be the result of inflammation triggered by the immune system. Some of these problems go away when the colitis is treated.

Hope this helps.

Q: Is ulcerative colitis link with depression?
I want to know if depression can make ulcerative colitis symptoms worse or cause the person to get out of remission of this terrible disease?

A: Anything that causes pain can cause depression. If your hurting physically your going to feel depressed. Now if your depressed and having anxiety, then it can cause the acid in your stomach to build up and thus give you an ulcer. My best friend is suffering from a bleeding ulcer, and her’s flares up whenever she gets upset. She usually ends up throwing up. She also suffers from depression.

Q: Is it possible that these are symptoms of colitis ?
Is it possible that the symptoms of colitis can only be sharp persistent pain in your abdomen especially left side, and tenderness when you press on your left area near the navel? cause I don’t seem to have more than those and it’s been 4 month now…but the pain is so bad I go to hospital mostly, and usually I can’t describe it, it’s like very strong sharp colic in my left side of the abdomen-the colon area- just like if someone-and I’m not exaggerating – was stabbing me constantly with a sharp knife…
Can some one plz help…I’m miserable…

A: If this is your only symptom then no it doesn’t sound like colitis. After 4 months your doctor should have been able to diagnosis this.

Q: would these symptoms be ulcerative colitis ?
16 years old male.
blood in stool here and there. bright red or maroon sometimes.
fatigue, yawning a lot.
harder to get up due to lack of energy and back pain.
no diarrhea, no abdominal pain, no weight loss.
would it be ulcerative colitis ?

A: Everyone is different but these do not sound like typical symptoms. That said, plenty of people present with very atypical symptoms and, rarely, non at all. If your fatigue is due to vitamin deficiencies there’s a chance. Bright red blood means it was pretty low in your GI tract, so it may just be a hemorrhoid. Either way, bleeding like this is certainly abnormal and should be discussed with a medical professional. If some more conventional solutions do not solve your problem you may need a colonoscopy to rule out more serious diseases like ulcerative colitis.

Q: What were your (early) symptoms for ulcerative colitis?
I’ve already done web searches. But I’m looking for personal stories.

A: My dad was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and he now wears a colostomy bag. His early symptoms were; he couldn’t eat anything, i mean anything, without it giving him diarrhea. He also mentioned the fact that it expelled with incredible force. As a result he was constantly tired and dehydrated.

Q: Is ulcerative colitis link with depression?
I want to know if depression can make ulcerative colitis symptoms worse or cause the person to get out of remission of this terrible disease?

A: Anything that causes pain can cause depression. If your hurting physically your going to feel depressed. Now if your depressed and having anxiety, then it can cause the acid in your stomach to build up and thus give you an ulcer. My best friend is suffering from a bleeding ulcer, and her’s flares up whenever she gets upset. She usually ends up throwing up. She also suffers from depression.

Q: How long before Ulcerative Colitis symptoms relieve?
Ok so ive been put on this drug called Salofalk. I was initially prescribed 8 tablets per day. Unfortunatly that did next to nothing. My doctor then prescribed the same drug to be administered rectally with an enema. That was 2 mondays ago so ive used about 11 (1 per day) so far and i havent really seen any improvement. Is there a problem? Should i be seeing results already or should it take some more time?

BTW i apparently have a moderate case of ulcerative colitic and have had it since september of this year.

Thanks

A: 6 months

Q: What are some symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis?

A: The most common symptoms of ulcerative colitis are abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. Patients also may experience

* anemia
* fatigue
* weight loss
* loss of appetite
* rectal bleeding
* loss of body fluids and nutrients
* skin lesions
* joint pain
* growth failure (specifically in children)

About half of the people diagnosed with ulcerative colitis have mild symptoms. Others suffer frequent fevers, bloody diarrhea, nausea, and severe abdominal cramps. Ulcerative colitis may also cause problems such as arthritis, inflammation of the eye, liver disease, and osteoporosis. It is not known why these problems occur outside the colon. Scientists think these complications may be the result of inflammation triggered by the immune system. Some of these problems go away when the colitis is treated.

Hope this helps.

Q: What are the symptoms of Chrons disease and Ulcerative Colitis?
Something isnt right with me lately, (this is my symptoms) I have abdominal pain for 1 month now in the same area (lower right side) and pale yellow diarreah that is sometimes once a day to ten times a day…I am constantly tired and in pain.. they ruled out appendicitis, cysts, a hernia, and bowel obstruction….they think i might have one of these disorders listed above, I have a young baby to take care of and I feel like crap, any information would be greatly appreciated thank you!

A: I would look up either Celiac Disease or since you have a baby: Endometriosis. Look those up. They sound like your symptoms. But don’t worry, these are treatable!

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Q: What symptoms do Crohns disease and ulcerative colitis share?

A: Diarrhea (bloody diarrhea is more common in UC but can appear in CD)
Stomach pain & cramps
Fatigue, dehydration and weight loss

Q: I am suffering from Ulcerative Colitis. What kind of Diet should I go on to alleviate my symptoms?
I have gone to many doctors, and the best solutions they offered were surgery and taking a bunch of pills and suppositories that don’t really work. I don’t know what to do and the symptoms havent gotten better after a month. What should I do?

A: The most important thing to do is to reduce the incidence of diarrhea and blood. Probiotics, especially the sacchromyces boulardii yeast are known to reduce and even eliminate the diarrhea. Research has shown that boulardii up to 6 times a day is important for UC patients. Below are a list of not too many bacteria that are readily available on various websites or a place like Whole Foods.

As far as diet goes you want to minimize the ingestion of sulfur containing foods, especially if you are experiencing rotten egg smelling farts as those kind of farts are indicating that you have a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which is a toxic byproduct of protein digestion. Those stinky farts also mean that your body is not properly detoxifying the H2S and will weaken the colon cells. Less meat, less onions and garlic, are important ways of reducing the sulfide precursors.

As far as things to add, make sure that you are ingesting the bifidobacteria listed below and get some Metamucil, which is essentially repackaged Psyllium husks, or Plantago Ovata fiber. The combination of Psyllium and bifidobacteria has been shown to be as effective as the standard pharmaceutical 5-ASA type drugs such as Pentasa or Mensalamine in clinical testing. Go figure $500/month vs. less than $60/month. The combination of 5-ASA, psyllium husk, and bifidobacteria is also beneficial.

As long as you are getting the bifidobacteria, try some oat bran, wheat bran, or brown rice. In in many patients the bran products help reduce inflammation.

There are many things you can to to ease colitis. Review the following list of KEYWORDs and go to http://www.pubmed.gov and type in: “ulcerative colitis” KEYWORD
to see the results of the peer reviewed journals. Here is the list…

lactobacillus and bifidobacteria: Kyodophilus by Wakanuga
lactoabacillus GG: Lactobacillus GG by Culturelle
sacchromyces boulardii: a gut friendly yeast by Jarrow
Pepto Bismol
Fish oil
bromelain
papain
quercetin
boswellia
vitamin C
vitamin E
magnesium in citrate or ionic form: traceminerals.com

The best but unpleasant treatment is a human fecal transplant. In pubmed type in: fecal Borody TJ
and you will see the articles. Download and review and you will learn that some people can be cured of ulcerative colitis. According to Borody, about 1/6 colitis patients get cured. You could be one of the lucky ones. I know folks who are doing well with this treatment.

Secondary possibilities
capric acid (not much research here but shown to be good against a Candida infection)
caprylic acid (not much research here but shown to be good against a Candida infection)

Q: what are the symptoms of ulcerative colitis?

A: Check out this site.

http://colitis.emedtv.com/ulcerative-colitis/symptoms-of-ulcerative-colitis.html

Q: Can you get ulcerative colitis after having colostomy reversal surgery?
I had my surgery about two months ago now, i keep having periods of time with blood in stool and all of the other symptoms for ulcerative colitis but sometimes it will just go away for like a week or few days and then come back again.

A: NO.

My answer assumes that your real question is “can colostomy reversal CAUSE ulcerative colitis?” – the answer is no.

But findin blood in the stool is always serious — you probably do not have ulcerative colitis unless you were previously diagnosed with this condition – it would not suddenly start after surgery. Do not make your own diagnosis like this — this is dangerous, and you may be missing something serious or deadly.

See your doctor right away!

Q: how do you know/what are the symptoms of ulcerative colitis?

A: Stomach pain & diarrhea maybe with blood.

Q: what were some of your symptoms of ulcerative colitis?

A: sudden or gradual attacks- urgency to defecate, mild cramps in the lower abdomen, and blood and/or mucus in the stool
If the disease is more advanced, you may have 10-20 attacks a day, rectal spasms, fever, and poor appetite.

Q: symptoms of ulcerative colitis

A: what he said

Q: i want to ask about ulcerative colitis what is it,symptoms,treatment?

A: I have it and let me tell you you don’t want it! :/

Q: Symptoms of Crone’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis?
What are the usual syptoms of these illnesses, how similar are they to each other and how can they be treated? Is ‘bowel removal’ always necessary or can it be managed without having to have this drastic operation? I need as much advice as possible please. Thank you in advance.

A: Crohn’s disease is a chronic transmural inflammatory disease that usually affects the distal ileum and colon but may occur in any part of the GI tract. Symptoms include diarrhea and abdominal pain. Abscesses, internal and external fistulas, and bowel obstruction may arise. Extraintestinal symptoms, particularly arthritis, may occur. Diagnosis is by colonoscopy and barium contrast studies. Treatment is with 5-aminosalicylic acid, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, anticytokines, antibiotics, and often surgery.
Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory and ulcerative disease arising in the colonic mucosa, characterized most often by bloody diarrhea. Extraintestinal symptoms, particularly arthritis, may occur. Long-term risk of colon cancer is high. Diagnosis is by colonoscopy. Treatment is with 5-aminosalicylic acid, corticosteroids, immunomodulators, anticytokines, antibiotics, and occasionally surgery.

Q: Does penicillin induced pseudomembranous colitis go away by itself ?
I am a week past finishing my 12 days course of penicillin and I have major symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis. I read that penicillin can induce this during and after therapy. I’m wondering if it will subside my itself or if I need to do anything. I dont really want to go back to my GP and she is a dunderhead and only gave me penicillin because she didnt know what else to give.

A: I doubt you have pseudo membranous colitis, more likely is the penicillin simply wiped out your internal digestive bacteria, so you have similar symptoms. Try eating yogurt or taking probiotics to replace the bacteria the penicillin wiped out.

Q: Pseudomembranous Colitis?
Has anyone ever been diagnosed with this? When should I go to the Dr.? I have had these symptoms for about a week. Feel like crap. Any chance of this just passing. I am a Medical field worker, bad patient!
Started taking clindamyacin-h about 2 weeks ago for abcessed tooth. Started with symptoms about a week ago. Have since quit taking. I thought it may clear up, but it seems to be getting worse.

A: Pseudomembranous colitis is usually caused by the bacteria Clostridium difficile, and it usually occurs after the use of broad spectrum antibiotics (especially clindamycin). The antibiotics wipe out most of the endogenous flora in your large intestine, and C. difficile kind of takes over without the competition for resources. This causes inflammation and bleeding in the colon, which can be extremely uncomfortable.

If you’re showing signs of pseudomembranous colitis and are at high risk, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. He or she will either do a test for the C. difficile toxin or a colonoscopy to confirm the diagnosis, and then he or she will prescribe an antibiotic such as Metronidazole to get rid of the bacteria.

Hope this information is helpful, and I hope you feel better soon!

Q: Donating Blood While Diagnosed with C. Difficile/Pseudomembranous Colitis?
My husband has been diagnosed with pseudomembranous colitis caused by C. difficile. He has been showing symptoms for about three weeks but was not diagnosed until today.

He is having surgery on November 13th, and it has been suggested that he donate blood at the Red Cross which will be saved for him in case of excessive surgical blood loss.

He gave his first pint today before taking the first dose of Flagyl the doctor prescribed (to be taken for ten days) and is supposed to give the second pint next Monday.

My questions are 1) Is it safe for him to be given blood that was collected while he had this condition during surgery (hopefully after he’s recovered the colitis)? And 2) is it safe for him to give blood again in a week while he’s still taking the Flagyl?

A: I would think the Surgery center that is conducting his surgery would be the best place to ask this question. I would trust their knowledge instead of some random mystery person’s answer here.
I am sure the Hospital has a advice line. I would call it.

Q: details sign symptoms of pseudo membranous colitis&ischemic colitis.?
i want to know details about ischemic colitis&clinical features of Pseudomembranous colitis.

A: ischemic colitis-
Symptoms -
Abdominal pain
Fever
Vomiting
Bright red blood in the stool
Diarrhea

Investigations-
Colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy showing inflamed mucosa or ulcers in the colon
Angiography showing a vascular (blood vessel) lesion

pseudo membranous colitis-

Pseudomembranous colitis has been reported with nearly all antibacterial agents, and may range in severity from mild to life-threatening.
Therefore, it is important to consider this diagnosis in patients who present with diarrhea subsequent to the administration of antibacterial agents.
Treatment with antibacterial agents alters the normal flora ofthe colon and may permit overgrowth of clostridia. Studies indicate that a toxin produced by Clostridium difficile is one primary cause of ‘‘antibiotic-associated colitis.”

Q: i want to ask about ulcerative colitis what is it,symptoms,treatment?

A: I have it and let me tell you you don’t want it! :/

Q: My 14 yrs nephew has ulcerative colitis.Been taking treatment since more then 10 months.Still not improving?
My 14 yrs nephew has ulcerative colitis.Been taking treatment since more then 10 months.Still not improving his symptoms and have mild to severe flareup.Doctors says he can eat anything he want but since I found some information on internet that he should stay away from some certain food.mostly dairy products and may be other too.Any one can give me good suggestion for him in order to control his flare up?Since he is having diaread often all the time he is becoming very weak.I love him very much as he is good kid and I want to help him out.

A: hi web, I have Crohn’s disease, a form of IBD– inflammatory bowel disease, like your nephew. I was dxed at the age of 12 so I can truly understand what he is going through.

Diet varies in each person. What one can tolerate, another may not. Go to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America site and there you will find information regarding IBD in children, diet, surgery, coping skills, the newest treatments, as well as locating a support group where he lives. CCFA also has a camp in the summer time for kids under 18 with IBD.

CCFA also has implemented a hotline that is run by healthcare professionals who are well versed in IBD as well as a live chat M-F 9 am – 5 pm (EST). You or his parents can call/chat to educate yourselves about UC & assist your nephew in coping with it.

Ask the MD if he can recommend a good dietician at a local hospital. The Registered Dieticians are trained in dealing with different dietary needs in people with all sorts of different illnesses. You can also check out the site below and locate an RN near you if the hospital is too far to travel.

My heart goes out to your nephew. I have been where he is…..not being able to be with friends, missing school, being poked and prodded at every angle, and the constant pain. It really helped me when I met others like myself. I didn’t feel so alone plus I made some new friends that I could contact whenever I needed someone who’s actually “been there”.

Some CCFA chapters even have meetings that are geared for teens only. Their educational meetings are really good because you get to meet dieticians, GIs, colorectal surgeons, drug reps, etc. and ask them questions.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions. I wish your nephew the best.

Q: Colitis: Use of steroids: Moon face?!?
I was recently diagnosed as having Colitis, the symptoms came on suddenly about 5 months ago and ive been quite badly ill ever since, experiencing severe diarreah, weight loss and tiredness. I’ve tried pentasa tablets, but they didnt have much of an effect. Im currently trying foam enemas (which im having abit of a problem keep ing in!!!) and ive been put on steroids, six week treatment which so far (2 weeks in) also hasnt had much of an effect.

What id like to know is other people experiences of colitis and use of steroids???
The side effects look pretty scary, such as moon face etc????!!!

A: hi chocolate, i am a crohh’s survivor, similar to UC, otherwise known as IBD (inflammatory bowel disease for both).

I was on steroids for 13 yrs. until they failed and I needed a total colectomy permanent ileostomy.

I had the side effects you mentioned, moon face, weight gain, severe mood swings, had to have my eyes checked and a dexa scan to make sure my eyes and bones weren’t affected. Short term therapy isn’t a problem. It’s only when you are on them for over a yr.

Are you a candidate for Remicade or Lialda for your UC?
Ask your GI about it since they don’t have the reactions like prednisone.

Check out the crohn’s and colitis of america website. they have information regarding the latest treatments, medications and side effects, surgery, diet, and you can locate a local support group near you to meet others like yourself. They also have a hotline and live chat that is run y health care professionals well versed in IBD M-F 9 am – 5pm.

I truly understand your concerns and questions. I have been there myself. Feel free to email me if you have questions. I have had this since I was 12 & have been through the foam enemas, scopes, blood work, surgeries, etc. best of luck to you.

Q: I am diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but i’m not satisfied with my doctor’s treatment. what 2 do?
I was having lots of gastro-intestinal (GI) problems like having bowel movements 7 to 8 times a day and immediately after eating anything. I felt bloated a lot and little bit of internal burning.

I was referred to a gastro-enterologist. The gastro-enterologist suggested i get a colonoscopy test done. The colonsocopy appeared normal and the gastro-enterologist said i don’t have any colon cancer, crohn’s, colitis or any disease of that nature.

He gave me a medication which did not do much other than provide a very dry mouth. He asked me to follow up after 3 weeks and a make a list of all the foods i eat, when i eat and how many times i have bowel movements or uncomfortable symptoms.

I spent 3 weeks making such list. Then today he told me i have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). He said i have too much stress and tension and prescribed some more meds and asked me to see after 3 weeks for followup.

However, i’m very unsatisfied with the doctor’s treatment. I continue having terrible symptoms and the meds don’t provide much relief. I do not believe its stress or tension.

The doctor is clearly failing to provide relief.

A: You should make friend ship with many medical students since this disease is simple but takes long time to cure
-what is the qualification of that doctor-You can write e mails to me through this section

Q: Treatments for Ulcerative Colitis?
I am on Prednisone, Remicade, Asacol, and Imuran and they are not helping my symptoms. I have also tried acupuncture and natural supplements to no avail. I have seen two specialists that have both suggested surgery, but I am not ready to give up. Are there any other treatments that I have missed?

A: What Are the Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis?
Symptoms may include:

Blood or pus in diarrhea
Dehydration
Abdominal pain
Fever
Painful, urgent bowel movements
In addition, ulcerative colitis may be associated with weight loss, skin disorders, joint pain or soreness, eye problems, anemia (a deficiency in red blood cells), blood clots and an increased risk for colon cancer.

What Causes Ulcerative Colitis?
The cause of ulcerative colitis remains unknown, but it is likely caused by an abnormal response of the immune system. Food or bacteria in the intestines, or even the lining of the bowel may cause the uncontrolled inflammation associated with ulcerative colitis.

Who Gets Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis can be inherited. Up to 20% of people with inflammatory bowel disease have a first-degree relative (mother, father, brother, sister) with the disease.

In addition, the disease is most common in the US and northern Europe and people of Jewish descent.

How Is Ulcerative Colitis Diagnosed?
A variety of diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests are used to distinguish ulcerative colitis from other conditions. First, your doctor will review your medical history and perform a complete physical examination. One or more of the following tests may be ordered:

Endoscopy, such as colonoscopy or proctosigmoidoscopy
Blood tests
Stool samples
X-rays
How Is Ulcerative Colitis Treated?
Treatment can include drug therapy, dietary modifications and/or surgery. Though treatments cannot cure ulcerative colitis, they can help most people lead normal lives.

It is important for you to seek treatment as soon as you start having symptoms. If you have severe diarrhea and bleeding, hospitalization may be necessary to prevent or treat dehydration, reduce your symptoms and ensure that you receive proper nutrition.

Medications
Several medications, including sulfa drugs, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents and antibiotics, are used to reduce inflammation of the bowel tissue, allowing it to heal and relieve symptoms.

5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). Mesalamine and sulfasalazine are principal medications in the treatment for ulcerative colitis. Let your doctor know if you are allergic to sulfa before taking this medication. He or she can prescribe a sulfa-free 5-ASA.
Corticosteroids. These anti-inflammatory medications can be used when 5-ASA is ineffective. Corticosteroids are also used to treat people who have more severe disease. The use of corticosteroids is limited by side effects and the potential of long-term complications. In general, corticosteroids are used for short periods of time to cause remission. Remission is maintained with a 5-ASA medication.
Immunosuppressants. If corticosteroids or 5-ASA are not effective, immunosupressants, such as 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), azathioprine (Imuran) or cyclosporine-A may be prescribed.
Nutrition
While foods appear to play no role in causing the disease, certain foods may cause more symptoms when the disease is active. Your doctor may suggest dietary recommendations depending on your symptoms. Vitamins or nutritional supplementation may also be deemed appropriate by your doctor.
Surgery
Surgery, in which the diseased section or entire colon is removed, may be necessary when medications are not effective or if you have significant progression of symptoms or severe complications of the disease.

If the entire colon is removed, the operation most often creates an opening, or stoma, in the abdominal wall, to which a bag is attached (called a permanent ileostomy or Brooke ileostomy). The tip of the lower small intestine is brought through the stoma. Wastes pass through this opening and collect in an external pouch, which is attached to the stoma and must be worn at all times.

The pelvic pouch, or ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA), is a newer procedure that does not require a permanent stoma. In this procedure, the colon and rectum are removed, and the small intestine is used to form an internal pouch or reservoir that will serve as a new rectum. This pouch is connected to the anus. The reservoir is called a J-pouch. This procedure is frequently done in two operations and requires a temporary ileostomy in between.

The continent ileostomy (Kock pouch) is an option for people who would like their old-style ileostomy converted to an internal pouch and for people who don’t qualify for the IPAA procedures. In this procedure, there is a stoma but no bag. The colon and rectum are removed, and an internal reservoir is created from the small intestine. An opening is made in the abdominal wall, and the reservoir is then joined to the skin with a nipple valve. To drain the pouch, you insert a catheter through the valve into the internal reservoir.

There are also other techniques that are available. All surgeries carry some degree of operative risk and post-operative complications. If you have been told you need surgery to treat ulcerative colitis, you may want to seek a second opinion to ensure the treatment prescribed is the most appropriate option. Make sure your diagnosis is confirmed by experts at an institution experienced in identifying and treating digestive disorders.

When Should I Call My Doctor?
Call your doctor immediately if:

You are having heavy, persistent diarrhea.
You have rectal bleeding, with clots of blood in your stool.
You have constant pain and a high fever.

Q: not satisfied with er treatment. what to do?
yesterday i kept pooping all day long. i pooped like 12 times in less than 16 hours. Every hour i found myself visiting the toilet and it made me go crazy. I could not do anything else at all because my stomach was in such poor shape.

Soon i became dehydrated and nauseous. I totally lost control of my bowels. And i could not even sleep, because even in sleep i had to wake up every hour to poop.

It was like my intestines had become poop generating factory. i was almost blacking out and i went to er.

at er they put me on IV saying i’m dehydrated. Even in ER i pooped twice. The doctor then said, “well its a good thing that you are emptying your bowels. eventually all the stool will clear out and then you’ll have a clean system”

And after that i get discharged. As i reached home i immediately had explosive diarrhea.

Now i fear eating food and only take liquid foods. i will have to take gastroenterologist appointment and that is 3 weeks away.

On internet i found such symptoms could be colitis, crohns or various intestinal disorders.

But the er did NOTHING and just send me home. Why? Is it fair that i should pay a massive amount for such ER visit where basically nothing was done except for hydrating me?

A: I hope you have insurance for this. Unfortunately, fair is not ours to decide. An urgent care clinic might be better in the future. They still do IVs and tests, but don’t charge near as much. They will send you to an ER if they feel you need it.

ER means Emergency Room. An old term for the Emergency Department of a Medical Center.

You are ok going the first time, especially if no urgent care centers are in your area. They can make sure you are not gravely ill. They probably did blood tests, and possibly x-rays or other imaging.

These would have shown infection, obstruction, or other life threatening things.

It is not ER’s job to diagnosis you, just to save you. They give referrals, because many illnesses can present with your symptoms, including food poisonings, e-coli, (which they probably ruled out the worst), or just plain old gastroenteritis (stomach flu).

Crohn’s would take more of a workup, by a gastroenterologist, as would several other diseases.

I am not saying you were wrong to go to ER, on the contrary, dehydration is a life threatening situation. (Try to keep some fluids down)

But, too many people use the ER for a general practitioner/family doctor. Many reasons:

1) they want service now, not next week
2) they have no insurance
3) they never intend on paying for what the receive
4) they have a stupid insurance plan that pays more for an ER visit than an office visit
5) they don’t care that they are taking up a space that a real sick person may need
6) Medicaid doesn’t care if you aren’t dying

These people are why insurance rates are so high, states are going broke, as well as ER visits being sky high.

People want universal coverage, but they will not like the results. In Canada, they may not have even seen you. Of course the people that don’t work, have insurance, pay for medical care, etc. are the ones that holler the loudest about universal coverage, and also the ones it will hurt the most.

There are even longer waits to ge into specialists. ERs can turn you away. It is like a giant HMO, but worse.

I hope you feel better soon, and can cancel you G I visit. Keep hydrated. (Did they suggest imodium?)

Sorry to sound blunt, but millions of other people have screwed things up for you and the rest of us.

Q: Questions about blood in kitten stool?
I have an 8 week old kitten. Today, we found a small amount of blood in his stool. We have a vet appointment, but because it is saturday, he doesn’t go in until monday. DO NOT yell at me to take him to an ER, because I just can’t afford that. And do not tell me that if I can’t afford that, I shouldn’t own pets. ER visits in my area are over 100$, just for the office visit! Not counting any testing or medications. Monday visits are 15$.

Anyways, I’ve been doing some research. There are a few things it sounded like it could be, but I couldn’t really find any symptoms for them, or real descriptions.

The first was Colitis I think? Im not sure of the spelling. The other thing was something that young kittens can get because of stress.

The kitten is 8 weeks. We just got him Tuesday. The stool was loose but not completely diarhea. It was a tan color. The blood was red, not black, but it looked a little slimy. Like mucus almost.

So, any ideas? Also, if you do know of some things it could be, any other symptoms? Treatments? Probabilities of clearing up with or without treatment? Im not planning on skipping out on the vet visit, but I’ve read there are several things that can strees kittens, and its bowel irritation that clears up in a few days. I just want to know things to ask my vet about.

Thank you for any help!

Oh, BTW, he is acting fine otherwise. Eating and drinking perfectly, playing and jumpin around, and he has not had a fever
Thank you mojos. I kinda ruled out distemper myself, because for one, he isn’t lethargic or refusing food, and two, the blood was more like a mucus, and not runny and more liquid like. But I will keep a super close eye on him (and on his sister. My sister has her, so we will see if she shows any negative signs)
HAHA Mumford, yep, that was my question. You know, Its not a finnish spitz, in fact, one of our friends has one.

I thought it was the new guinnea singing dog, and was so excited when I showed her the picture, but she said no to that too! I hate to say it, becuase I know she is super smart when it comes to dog breeds, but I think she is just crazy when it comes to this one, lol

A: When the blood is red and slimy it is colitis. The problem of having internal bleeding or sth. manifests itself with black blood within the stools. Your kitten’s intestine is probably having a hard time adjusting to food. Mine had it too. Feed her boiled skinless chicken breast for a few days, and if it doesn’t get better go to the vet. Also de-worm the kitty properly. Use milbemax pink pills, for kittens.

Q: lymphocytic colitis?
I was diagnosed last August. Am seeing three specialities (GI, Rheum, Derm) Have failed Asacol and currently taking highest Entercort available. Relief from some GI symtpoms but disabiling fatigue and joint pain continue unchecked. Are these normal symptoms for LC. Should I be looking at other treatment? Rheum wants to start TNF and GI does who’s managing wants to move to Questran. I need relief so I can keep working and care for my family.

A: Have you been tested for Celiac Disease? Your symptoms sound very muchl ike those and sometimes colitis is misdiagnosed and really is CD. Im not a doc, so I’d ask your GI doc for the blood test. YOu must be consumign gluten for the test to be accurate tho–wheat, rye, and barley.
Please see the links below for more information. (I’d post it all but apparently some ppl think I am posting TOO Much information so I will just provide the links!!
THe tests you need to ask for is to check the levels of
IGG, IGA and TTG antibodies.
Best of luck,
Amy, CHairperson Louisiana NOrth SHore Celiac Sprue Association

Q: Cushing’s syndrome treatment?
I’m 21 this year. I started taking prednisone in late 2006 to treat ulcerative colitis. During this time I had developed a lot of disorders caused by prednisone side effects. these include joint pain, hair loss, facial hair growth, fattening of face and neck, mood swing, and bruising on the legs that would not cure for long time.

I stopped taking prednisone in late 2007 and had not taken it again since then. now it’s been nearly 2 years since i got off prednisone but some of those synptoms still exist on me. i still frequently have joint pain, and there are still a few bruises on my legs that i got from those days and still hadn’t cured.. and my face is still slightly bloated around the lower cheek, even though the neck had slimmed down.. and my facial hair still grows at a very rapid rate. but my ulcerative colitis has flared up a few times since i stopped prednisone.

i recently learnt about Cushing’s syndrome and realised that my symptoms seem to remsemble the disorder. but I don’t know what I can do to treat it. most of the websites out there emphasise on stopping prednisone intake, but i’ve already stopped taking it. what else should i do? any ideas?

A: This will sound really stupid but you should go to a doctor to make sure of the diagnoses, though I’m not in any way in depth in medical detail but to see a doctor to confirm rather it is or not is the next step. You don’t want to start any kind of treatment rather practical medicine or alternative medicine without knowing it is or not because it could cause more harm to your body. I would have seen a doctor sooner about the side effects of using Prednisone.

Q: Do you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome? If so, what do you do to combat it?
About fifteen years ago a doctor told me that I have IBS. It was never really confirmed by eliminating other diseases by having a colonoscopy. Recently, after fifteen years, I have IBS symptoms again. I did have a colonoscopy and it is now confirmed that I don’t have either colitis or Chrons disease. Someone told me that peppermint oil helps. What sorts of treatments to you employ if you have IBS?

A: I have IBS, and have tried taking peppermint oil. It seemed to ease my symptoms pretty well, but I couldn’t handle burping peppermint all of the time! I would take 1 peppermint oil gelcap, and within minutes, I was burping ALOT and it tasted like I had just eaten like 10 candy canes, lol. It also gave me terrible heartburn, as I have acid reflux as well. It does give you minty fresh breath, though! I stopped taking it, and went to my family doctor and flat out asked for IBS medication to try because I had tried EVERY natural and over the counter remedy imaginable with no luck. He prescribed Hyoscamine (which has since been recalled, now I’m on Bentyl, it works just as well), and within about 2 weeks after I started taking it, ALL of my symptoms disappeared! Try asking your primary physician if you can try some sort of IBS medication to see if it helps you, unless you can handle burping peppermint constantly!

Q: How does sulfasalazine measure up to other 5-ASA drugs such as Asacol and Colazal for Ulcerative Colitis?
I am a 23 year old male who was diagnosed with UC 8 years ago and have gone through a variety of treatments. Originally I was prescribed Asacol as well as a large dose of prednisone. I eventually went into remission and came off the steroid, but continued to take Asacol as my maintenance drug. Remission lasted for 3 or 4 years.

My symptoms started reoccurring and progressively worsened for a while, and I found that while on Asacol they were actually worse. I also know that some common side effects of Asacol are similar to the actually symptoms of UC. I had more frequent stools, increased urgency and increased bleeding.

I tried Colazal as well, but I experienced nausea and again, increased urgency. At this point I was frequently having embarrasing accidents. When I was not on medication, but kept to some natural remedies that I also take, I did not experience this as badly.

My GI doc, however, wants me to try sulfasalazine rather than stay off everything… any advice / input?

A: hi jacob, I have crohn’s disease, a type of IBD like UC. I have had it since the age of 12.

Ask your GI about the newer treatments for UC b/c the 5ASA meds don’t seem to last long on some patients plus they tend to cause nausea as well.

If he doesn’t listen to you, then get another opinion. You the ability to hire/fire your doctors at any time so don’t feel guilty. A pt. should feel comfortable discussing their concerns during their appt. and be able to work as a team w/his physician to get the UC in remission.

Remicade has been approved for colitis as well as a few others. Can’t remember the names but if you go to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America website, they have all the latest treatments listed. You can call their hotline or chat online w/a medical professional M-F 9 am – 5pm (EST) 1-888-my-gut-pain.

I hope this helps. I can totally relate to what you are going through. I went through symptoms when I was in my 20s so I talked w/my GI and he worked w/me to find a treatment that agreed w/me, thus, fewer side effects & I was able to be on it for a long time until my white cell count dropped. Then he found another medication and I haven’t had any trouble since.

Happy New Year.

Q: Mold and Health?
For 8 years members of our family, one in particular, has been experiencing symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis and ever-increasing food allergies. We discovered mold under the bathtub, which was installed a little over 8 years ago, and since the treatment and replacing of all items effected, ALL the symptoms have gone away.
Our doctor says he knows of no solid research to support such a link, so I am asking for help in locating research to support mold causing gastrointestinal disorders and food allergies.

A: A lot of people have severe allergies to mold in and of itself, which can cause these problems. Being around mold can also heighten your reaction to other allergies. Are you talking to a reg doc or an allergist?

Mold can also cause a host of other issues from illnesses like phenomia to asthma attacks.

Q: i’ve diarrhea ,since 2 months..no pain or abdominal cramps,rare bleeding with the diarrhea,somtimes tenesmus?
Am 22 years old.
My surgeon told me that i don’t have piles nor external nor internal & no fissures& on rectal examination he found bleeding inflamed rectal muscosa.
.but in a stool analysis i had amebiasis..but i recieved ttt (50 days after start of symptoms)for 10 days(500 mg metronidazole t.i.d)&there was an improvement after temination of therapy..
but conditions returened again
& now stool analysis show pus although being negative for any parasitic infection & culture is negative for bacillary dysentry..
provided that i have no fever,no pain ,no abdominal cramps..maximum defacation times per day was 8(which happened only 5 times during the 2 months but including the tenesmus),intemittent minimal bleeding obseved only on sweeping my anus(sorry)by the end of defecation,no anemia (except microcytosis).can it be ulcerative colitis? or can it be a sequele of late treatment of amebiasis..(please don’t answer colonoscopy coz i know that answer) thanx

A: why do you consider it to be ulcerative colitis? do you have a family history of it?
it may be a late sequele of amebiasis, this usually turns as they left your intestines and started invading your liver, so have your liver checked if you suspect this. but with the meds your MD gave you, the chances of your body developing a late sequele is doubtful, unless you skipped a dose or the amebiasis was a wrong diagnosis.
check your diet, have you ingested anything raw, partially cooked food? have you considered having helicobacter pylori checked in your system? have you eaten goat or any exotic food lately? travel? stress? other than bowel problems, do you have other symptoms?

Q: THIS IS MY COLLEGE ESSAY, IS IT READY TO BE SENT TO COLLEGES?
I would like to share with you something about my current medical situation. Ordinarily I would not do so, as I am an intensely private person, but I now accept that my physical limitations have quite possibly impacted my high school performance in a negative manner, and I feel that it is only fair that you have this information. Therefore, I am reluctantly going to allow access to information that I would never, otherwise, speak of.

For the past several years, I have been afflicted by a physical situation that has sometimes interfered with my ability to focus, both in the classroom and out. I do not wish to be too specific about the symptoms of my disease, except to say that they are digestive in nature and sometimes require me to spend long periods of time in the Ladies’ Room. Despite my terrible discomfort, I refused to accept that there might be something wrong with me, and would not seek treatment. I know now that I should have been less determined to suffer in silence and more willing to accept help. Finally, my parents insisted on bringing the matter to the attention of a physician. I was tested, over a period of several weeks, for colon cancer, Crohn’s Disease, intestinal obstructions, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus, Heliocobacter pylori (commonly known as ulcer), celiac sprue (commonly known as wheat allergy), lactose intolerance, gallstones, bile duct stones, sclerosing cholangitis (the narrowing of the bile ducts), “Sphincter of Oddi” dysfunction and pancreatitis. You can imagine how relieved I was to learn that I had none of these terrible diseases.

Finally, I received the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS is sometimes known as spastic colon, nervous colon, nervous stomach, mucous colitis and spastic colitis, and is distinguished by abnormal bowel habits, such as diarrhea (loose stools), constipation or sometimes, as in my own case, both. It is well known to experts in this field that periods of stress can intensify the severity of IBS. I have certainly found my busy schedule of six honors/AP classes, Varsity field hockey, swimming and track teams, performing lead roles in three consecutive Spring Musicals, volunteering at the local animal shelter, tutoring at-risk children, and working three evenings a week plus all day Saturday at The Gap to be, at times, stressful, but of course it is impossible to say what has caused me to be afflicted with this very horrible syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS or spastic colon) is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause.[1] In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements.[2] Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity without any other medical indicators.
Although there is no cure for IBS, there are treatments that attempt to relieve symptoms, including dietary adjustments, medication and psychological interventions. Patient education and a good doctor-patient relationship are also important.

In fact, doctors do not know what causes IBS, or why people who share my disease feel the need to have a bowel movement soon after eating, causing diarrhea, or why the prolonged spasm of the large intestine causes stool to stay in one area for too long and get dried out, resulting in small hard stools (constipation). As of today, palliative treatments are only in the experimental stage, and the hard truth is that there is no cure for IBS.

It has been very difficult for me to accept this diagnosis at my young age. I do not know what the future will hold for me and other IBS patients, and I understand that I may be facing a long battle, but I am committed to facing this challenge with the same determination I have faced every other challenge in my life. I am not a quitter, and I am not a complainer, and you should know that, if I am admitted, I will never allow my illness to have a negative impact on my academic, athletic, charitable, creative and social activities in college.

A: It seems like all you really did was explain IBS. You threw in some nice details about yourself and your extracurriculars, but I think that you could have highlighted yourself much more.

I have IBS too, and everything you said was correct, but I just think it wasn’t focused enough on what you could add to the college.

Q: THIS IS MY COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY, IS IT READY TO BE SENT TO COLLEGES?
I would like to share with you something about my current medical situation. Ordinarily I would not do so, as I am an intensely private person, but I now accept that my physical limitations have quite possibly impacted my high school performance in a negative manner, and I feel that it is only fair that you have this information. Therefore, I am reluctantly going to allow access to information that I would never, otherwise, speak of.For the past several years, I have been afflicted by a physical situation that has sometimes interfered with my ability to focus, both in the classroom and out. I do not wish to be too specific about the symptoms of my disease, except to say that they are digestive in nature and sometimes require me to spend long periods of time in the Ladies’ Room. Despite my terrible discomfort, I refused to accept that there might be something wrong with me, and would not seek treatment. I know now that I should have been less determined to suffer in silence and more willing to accept help. Finally, my parents insisted on bringing the matter to the attention of a physician. I was tested, over a period of several weeks, for colon cancer, Crohn’s Disease, intestinal obstructions, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus, Heliocobacter pylori (commonly known as ulcer), celiac sprue (commonly known as wheat allergy), lactose intolerance, gallstones, bile duct stones, sclerosing cholangitis (the narrowing of the bile ducts), “Sphincter of Oddi” dysfunction and pancreatitis. You can imagine how relieved I was to learn that I had none of these terrible diseases.Finally, I received the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS is sometimes known as spastic colon, nervous colon, nervous stomach, mucous colitis and spastic colitis, and is distinguished by abnormal bowel habits, such as diarrhea (loose stools), constipation or sometimes, as in my own case, both. It is well known to experts in this field that periods of stress can intensify the severity of IBS. I have certainly found my busy schedule of six honors/AP classes, Varsity field hockey, swimming and track teams, performing lead roles in three consecutive Spring Musicals, volunteering at the local animal shelter, tutoring at-risk children, and working three evenings a week plus all day Saturday at The Gap to be, at times, stressful, but of course it is impossible to say what has caused me to be afflicted with this very horrible syndrome.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS or spastic colon) is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause.[1] In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements.[2] Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity without any other medical indicators.
Although there is no cure for IBS, there are treatments that attempt to relieve symptoms, including dietary adjustments, medication and psychological interventions. Patient education and a good doctor-patient relationship are also important. Several conditions may present as IBS including celiac disease, Fructose malabsorption,[3] mild infections, parasitic infections like giardiasis, several inflammatory bowel diseases, functional chronic constipation, and chronic functional abdominal pain. In IBS, routine clinical tests yield no abnormalities, though the bowels may be more sensitive to certain stimuli, such as balloon insufflation testing. The exact cause of IBS is unknown. The most common theory is that IBS is a disorder of the interaction between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract, although there may also be abnormalities in the gut flora or the immune system. IBS does not lead to more serious conditions in most patients. But it is a source of chronic pain, fatigue, and other symptoms, and it increases a patient’s medical costs, and contributes to work absenteeism. Researchers have reported that the high prevalence of IBS, in conjunction with increased costs produces a disease with a high societal cost. It is also regarded as a chronic illness and can dramatically affect the quality of a sufferer’s life. In fact, doctors do not know what causes IBS, or why people who share my disease feel the need to have a bowel movement soon after eating, causing diarrhea, or why the prolonged spasm of the large intestine causes stool to stay in one area for too long and get dried out, resulting in small hard stools (constipation). As of today, palliative treatments are only in the experimental stage, and the hard truth is that there is no cure for IBS. It has been very difficult for me to accept this diagnosis at my young age. I do not know what the future will hold for me and other I

A: The best college finder is http://FindYourUniversity.info

You should try them.It’s 100% free , and it is the most trusted online site for finding education.

I think that will help

Q: details sign symptoms of pseudo membranous colitis&ischemic colitis.?
i want to know details about ischemic colitis&clinical features of Pseudomembranous colitis.

A: ischemic colitis-
Symptoms -
Abdominal pain
Fever
Vomiting
Bright red blood in the stool
Diarrhea

Investigations-
Colonoscopy or flexible sigmoidoscopy showing inflamed mucosa or ulcers in the colon
Angiography showing a vascular (blood vessel) lesion

pseudo membranous colitis-

Pseudomembranous colitis has been reported with nearly all antibacterial agents, and may range in severity from mild to life-threatening.
Therefore, it is important to consider this diagnosis in patients who present with diarrhea subsequent to the administration of antibacterial agents.
Treatment with antibacterial agents alters the normal flora ofthe colon and may permit overgrowth of clostridia. Studies indicate that a toxin produced by Clostridium difficile is one primary cause of ‘‘antibiotic-associated colitis.”

Q: Can Salmonella lead to Sepsis ?
Can it also cause Ischemic Colitis and Renal Dysfunction? Do you know of a website that explains how Salmonella can cause these symptoms?

A: “Bacteremia. This condition results when salmonella bacteria enter and circulate throughout your bloodstream. Infants and people with compromised immune systems are at special risk of developing serious complications, including infection of tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis) and infection within the bloodstream (sepsis).”

Q: Questions about blood in kitten stool?
I have an 8 week old kitten. Today, we found a small amount of blood in his stool. We have a vet appointment, but because it is saturday, he doesn’t go in until monday. DO NOT yell at me to take him to an ER, because I just can’t afford that. And do not tell me that if I can’t afford that, I shouldn’t own pets. ER visits in my area are over 100$, just for the office visit! Not counting any testing or medications. Monday visits are 15$.

Anyways, I’ve been doing some research. There are a few things it sounded like it could be, but I couldn’t really find any symptoms for them, or real descriptions.

The first was Colitis I think? Im not sure of the spelling. The other thing was something that young kittens can get because of stress.

The kitten is 8 weeks. We just got him Tuesday. The stool was loose but not completely diarhea. It was a tan color. The blood was red, not black, but it looked a little slimy. Like mucus almost.

So, any ideas? Also, if you do know of some things it could be, any other symptoms? Treatments? Probabilities of clearing up with or without treatment? Im not planning on skipping out on the vet visit, but I’ve read there are several things that can strees kittens, and its bowel irritation that clears up in a few days. I just want to know things to ask my vet about.

Thank you for any help!

Oh, BTW, he is acting fine otherwise. Eating and drinking perfectly, playing and jumpin around, and he has not had a fever
Thank you mojos. I kinda ruled out distemper myself, because for one, he isn’t lethargic or refusing food, and two, the blood was more like a mucus, and not runny and more liquid like. But I will keep a super close eye on him (and on his sister. My sister has her, so we will see if she shows any negative signs)
HAHA Mumford, yep, that was my question. You know, Its not a finnish spitz, in fact, one of our friends has one.

I thought it was the new guinnea singing dog, and was so excited when I showed her the picture, but she said no to that too! I hate to say it, becuase I know she is super smart when it comes to dog breeds, but I think she is just crazy when it comes to this one, lol

A: When the blood is red and slimy it is colitis. The problem of having internal bleeding or sth. manifests itself with black blood within the stools. Your kitten’s intestine is probably having a hard time adjusting to food. Mine had it too. Feed her boiled skinless chicken breast for a few days, and if it doesn’t get better go to the vet. Also de-worm the kitty properly. Use milbemax pink pills, for kittens.

Q: My 14 yrs nephew has ulcerative colitis.Been taking treatment since more then 10 months.Still not improving?
My 14 yrs nephew has ulcerative colitis.Been taking treatment since more then 10 months.Still not improving his symptoms and have mild to severe flareup.Doctors says he can eat anything he want but since I found some information on internet that he should stay away from some certain food.mostly dairy products and may be other too.Any one can give me good suggestion for him in order to control his flare up?Since he is having diaread often all the time he is becoming very weak.I love him very much as he is good kid and I want to help him out.

A: hi web, I have Crohn’s disease, a form of IBD– inflammatory bowel disease, like your nephew. I was dxed at the age of 12 so I can truly understand what he is going through.

Diet varies in each person. What one can tolerate, another may not. Go to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America site and there you will find information regarding IBD in children, diet, surgery, coping skills, the newest treatments, as well as locating a support group where he lives. CCFA also has a camp in the summer time for kids under 18 with IBD.

CCFA also has implemented a hotline that is run by healthcare professionals who are well versed in IBD as well as a live chat M-F 9 am – 5 pm (EST). You or his parents can call/chat to educate yourselves about UC & assist your nephew in coping with it.

Ask the MD if he can recommend a good dietician at a local hospital. The Registered Dieticians are trained in dealing with different dietary needs in people with all sorts of different illnesses. You can also check out the site below and locate an RN near you if the hospital is too far to travel.

My heart goes out to your nephew. I have been where he is…..not being able to be with friends, missing school, being poked and prodded at every angle, and the constant pain. It really helped me when I met others like myself. I didn’t feel so alone plus I made some new friends that I could contact whenever I needed someone who’s actually “been there”.

Some CCFA chapters even have meetings that are geared for teens only. Their educational meetings are really good because you get to meet dieticians, GIs, colorectal surgeons, drug reps, etc. and ask them questions.

Feel free to contact me if you have questions. I wish your nephew the best.

Q: Colitis: Use of steroids: Moon face?!?
I was recently diagnosed as having Colitis, the symptoms came on suddenly about 5 months ago and ive been quite badly ill ever since, experiencing severe diarreah, weight loss and tiredness. I’ve tried pentasa tablets, but they didnt have much of an effect. Im currently trying foam enemas (which im having abit of a problem keep ing in!!!) and ive been put on steroids, six week treatment which so far (2 weeks in) also hasnt had much of an effect.

What id like to know is other people experiences of colitis and use of steroids???
The side effects look pretty scary, such as moon face etc????!!!

A: hi chocolate, i am a crohh’s survivor, similar to UC, otherwise known as IBD (inflammatory bowel disease for both).

I was on steroids for 13 yrs. until they failed and I needed a total colectomy permanent ileostomy.

I had the side effects you mentioned, moon face, weight gain, severe mood swings, had to have my eyes checked and a dexa scan to make sure my eyes and bones weren’t affected. Short term therapy isn’t a problem. It’s only when you are on them for over a yr.

Are you a candidate for Remicade or Lialda for your UC?
Ask your GI about it since they don’t have the reactions like prednisone.

Check out the crohn’s and colitis of america website. they have information regarding the latest treatments, medications and side effects, surgery, diet, and you can locate a local support group near you to meet others like yourself. They also have a hotline and live chat that is run y health care professionals well versed in IBD M-F 9 am – 5pm.

I truly understand your concerns and questions. I have been there myself. Feel free to email me if you have questions. I have had this since I was 12 & have been through the foam enemas, scopes, blood work, surgeries, etc. best of luck to you.

Q: not satisfied with er treatment. what to do?
yesterday i kept pooping all day long. i pooped like 12 times in less than 16 hours. Every hour i found myself visiting the toilet and it made me go crazy. I could not do anything else at all because my stomach was in such poor shape.

Soon i became dehydrated and nauseous. I totally lost control of my bowels. And i could not even sleep, because even in sleep i had to wake up every hour to poop.

It was like my intestines had become poop generating factory. i was almost blacking out and i went to er.

at er they put me on IV saying i’m dehydrated. Even in ER i pooped twice. The doctor then said, “well its a good thing that you are emptying your bowels. eventually all the stool will clear out and then you’ll have a clean system”

And after that i get discharged. As i reached home i immediately had explosive diarrhea.

Now i fear eating food and only take liquid foods. i will have to take gastroenterologist appointment and that is 3 weeks away.

On internet i found such symptoms could be colitis, crohns or various intestinal disorders.

But the er did NOTHING and just send me home. Why? Is it fair that i should pay a massive amount for such ER visit where basically nothing was done except for hydrating me?

A: I hope you have insurance for this. Unfortunately, fair is not ours to decide. An urgent care clinic might be better in the future. They still do IVs and tests, but don’t charge near as much. They will send you to an ER if they feel you need it.

ER means Emergency Room. An old term for the Emergency Department of a Medical Center.

You are ok going the first time, especially if no urgent care centers are in your area. They can make sure you are not gravely ill. They probably did blood tests, and possibly x-rays or other imaging.

These would have shown infection, obstruction, or other life threatening things.

It is not ER’s job to diagnosis you, just to save you. They give referrals, because many illnesses can present with your symptoms, including food poisonings, e-coli, (which they probably ruled out the worst), or just plain old gastroenteritis (stomach flu).

Crohn’s would take more of a workup, by a gastroenterologist, as would several other diseases.

I am not saying you were wrong to go to ER, on the contrary, dehydration is a life threatening situation. (Try to keep some fluids down)

But, too many people use the ER for a general practitioner/family doctor. Many reasons:

1) they want service now, not next week
2) they have no insurance
3) they never intend on paying for what the receive
4) they have a stupid insurance plan that pays more for an ER visit than an office visit
5) they don’t care that they are taking up a space that a real sick person may need
6) Medicaid doesn’t care if you aren’t dying

These people are why insurance rates are so high, states are going broke, as well as ER visits being sky high.

People want universal coverage, but they will not like the results. In Canada, they may not have even seen you. Of course the people that don’t work, have insurance, pay for medical care, etc. are the ones that holler the loudest about universal coverage, and also the ones it will hurt the most.

There are even longer waits to ge into specialists. ERs can turn you away. It is like a giant HMO, but worse.

I hope you feel better soon, and can cancel you G I visit. Keep hydrated. (Did they suggest imodium?)

Sorry to sound blunt, but millions of other people have screwed things up for you and the rest of us.

Q: I am diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) but i’m not satisfied with my doctor’s treatment. what 2 do?
I was having lots of gastro-intestinal (GI) problems like having bowel movements 7 to 8 times a day and immediately after eating anything. I felt bloated a lot and little bit of internal burning.

I was referred to a gastro-enterologist. The gastro-enterologist suggested i get a colonoscopy test done. The colonsocopy appeared normal and the gastro-enterologist said i don’t have any colon cancer, crohn’s, colitis or any disease of that nature.

He gave me a medication which did not do much other than provide a very dry mouth. He asked me to follow up after 3 weeks and a make a list of all the foods i eat, when i eat and how many times i have bowel movements or uncomfortable symptoms.

I spent 3 weeks making such list. Then today he told me i have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). He said i have too much stress and tension and prescribed some more meds and asked me to see after 3 weeks for followup.

However, i’m very unsatisfied with the doctor’s treatment. I continue having terrible symptoms and the meds don’t provide much relief. I do not believe its stress or tension.

The doctor is clearly failing to provide relief.

A: You should make friend ship with many medical students since this disease is simple but takes long time to cure
-what is the qualification of that doctor-You can write e mails to me through this section

Q: Treatments for Ulcerative Colitis?
I am on Prednisone, Remicade, Asacol, and Imuran and they are not helping my symptoms. I have also tried acupuncture and natural supplements to no avail. I have seen two specialists that have both suggested surgery, but I am not ready to give up. Are there any other treatments that I have missed?

A: What Are the Symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis?
Symptoms may include:

Blood or pus in diarrhea
Dehydration
Abdominal pain
Fever
Painful, urgent bowel movements
In addition, ulcerative colitis may be associated with weight loss, skin disorders, joint pain or soreness, eye problems, anemia (a deficiency in red blood cells), blood clots and an increased risk for colon cancer.

What Causes Ulcerative Colitis?
The cause of ulcerative colitis remains unknown, but it is likely caused by an abnormal response of the immune system. Food or bacteria in the intestines, or even the lining of the bowel may cause the uncontrolled inflammation associated with ulcerative colitis.

Who Gets Ulcerative Colitis?
Ulcerative colitis can be inherited. Up to 20% of people with inflammatory bowel disease have a first-degree relative (mother, father, brother, sister) with the disease.

In addition, the disease is most common in the US and northern Europe and people of Jewish descent.

How Is Ulcerative Colitis Diagnosed?
A variety of diagnostic procedures and laboratory tests are used to distinguish ulcerative colitis from other conditions. First, your doctor will review your medical history and perform a complete physical examination. One or more of the following tests may be ordered:

Endoscopy, such as colonoscopy or proctosigmoidoscopy
Blood tests
Stool samples
X-rays
How Is Ulcerative Colitis Treated?
Treatment can include drug therapy, dietary modifications and/or surgery. Though treatments cannot cure ulcerative colitis, they can help most people lead normal lives.

It is important for you to seek treatment as soon as you start having symptoms. If you have severe diarrhea and bleeding, hospitalization may be necessary to prevent or treat dehydration, reduce your symptoms and ensure that you receive proper nutrition.

Medications
Several medications, including sulfa drugs, corticosteroids, immunosuppressive agents and antibiotics, are used to reduce inflammation of the bowel tissue, allowing it to heal and relieve symptoms.

5-aminosalicylic acid (5-ASA). Mesalamine and sulfasalazine are principal medications in the treatment for ulcerative colitis. Let your doctor know if you are allergic to sulfa before taking this medication. He or she can prescribe a sulfa-free 5-ASA.
Corticosteroids. These anti-inflammatory medications can be used when 5-ASA is ineffective. Corticosteroids are also used to treat people who have more severe disease. The use of corticosteroids is limited by side effects and the potential of long-term complications. In general, corticosteroids are used for short periods of time to cause remission. Remission is maintained with a 5-ASA medication.
Immunosuppressants. If corticosteroids or 5-ASA are not effective, immunosupressants, such as 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP), azathioprine (Imuran) or cyclosporine-A may be prescribed.
Nutrition
While foods appear to play no role in causing the disease, certain foods may cause more symptoms when the disease is active. Your doctor may suggest dietary recommendations depending on your symptoms. Vitamins or nutritional supplementation may also be deemed appropriate by your doctor.
Surgery
Surgery, in which the diseased section or entire colon is removed, may be necessary when medications are not effective or if you have significant progression of symptoms or severe complications of the disease.

If the entire colon is removed, the operation most often creates an opening, or stoma, in the abdominal wall, to which a bag is attached (called a permanent ileostomy or Brooke ileostomy). The tip of the lower small intestine is brought through the stoma. Wastes pass through this opening and collect in an external pouch, which is attached to the stoma and must be worn at all times.

The pelvic pouch, or ileal pouch anal anastomosis (IPAA), is a newer procedure that does not require a permanent stoma. In this procedure, the colon and rectum are removed, and the small intestine is used to form an internal pouch or reservoir that will serve as a new rectum. This pouch is connected to the anus. The reservoir is called a J-pouch. This procedure is frequently done in two operations and requires a temporary ileostomy in between.

The continent ileostomy (Kock pouch) is an option for people who would like their old-style ileostomy converted to an internal pouch and for people who don’t qualify for the IPAA procedures. In this procedure, there is a stoma but no bag. The colon and rectum are removed, and an internal reservoir is created from the small intestine. An opening is made in the abdominal wall, and the reservoir is then joined to the skin with a nipple valve. To drain the pouch, you insert a catheter through the valve into the internal reservoir.

There are also other techniques that are available. All surgeries carry some degree of operative risk and post-operative complications. If you have been told you need surgery to treat ulcerative colitis, you may want to seek a second opinion to ensure the treatment prescribed is the most appropriate option. Make sure your diagnosis is confirmed by experts at an institution experienced in identifying and treating digestive disorders.

When Should I Call My Doctor?
Call your doctor immediately if:

You are having heavy, persistent diarrhea.
You have rectal bleeding, with clots of blood in your stool.
You have constant pain and a high fever.

Q: lymphocytic colitis?
I was diagnosed last August. Am seeing three specialities (GI, Rheum, Derm) Have failed Asacol and currently taking highest Entercort available. Relief from some GI symtpoms but disabiling fatigue and joint pain continue unchecked. Are these normal symptoms for LC. Should I be looking at other treatment? Rheum wants to start TNF and GI does who’s managing wants to move to Questran. I need relief so I can keep working and care for my family.

A: Have you been tested for Celiac Disease? Your symptoms sound very muchl ike those and sometimes colitis is misdiagnosed and really is CD. Im not a doc, so I’d ask your GI doc for the blood test. YOu must be consumign gluten for the test to be accurate tho–wheat, rye, and barley.
Please see the links below for more information. (I’d post it all but apparently some ppl think I am posting TOO Much information so I will just provide the links!!
THe tests you need to ask for is to check the levels of
IGG, IGA and TTG antibodies.
Best of luck,
Amy, CHairperson Louisiana NOrth SHore Celiac Sprue Association

Q: Cushing’s syndrome treatment?
I’m 21 this year. I started taking prednisone in late 2006 to treat ulcerative colitis. During this time I had developed a lot of disorders caused by prednisone side effects. these include joint pain, hair loss, facial hair growth, fattening of face and neck, mood swing, and bruising on the legs that would not cure for long time.

I stopped taking prednisone in late 2007 and had not taken it again since then. now it’s been nearly 2 years since i got off prednisone but some of those synptoms still exist on me. i still frequently have joint pain, and there are still a few bruises on my legs that i got from those days and still hadn’t cured.. and my face is still slightly bloated around the lower cheek, even though the neck had slimmed down.. and my facial hair still grows at a very rapid rate. but my ulcerative colitis has flared up a few times since i stopped prednisone.

i recently learnt about Cushing’s syndrome and realised that my symptoms seem to remsemble the disorder. but I don’t know what I can do to treat it. most of the websites out there emphasise on stopping prednisone intake, but i’ve already stopped taking it. what else should i do? any ideas?

A: This will sound really stupid but you should go to a doctor to make sure of the diagnoses, though I’m not in any way in depth in medical detail but to see a doctor to confirm rather it is or not is the next step. You don’t want to start any kind of treatment rather practical medicine or alternative medicine without knowing it is or not because it could cause more harm to your body. I would have seen a doctor sooner about the side effects of using Prednisone.

Q: Mold and Health?
For 8 years members of our family, one in particular, has been experiencing symptoms of Ulcerative Colitis and ever-increasing food allergies. We discovered mold under the bathtub, which was installed a little over 8 years ago, and since the treatment and replacing of all items effected, ALL the symptoms have gone away.
Our doctor says he knows of no solid research to support such a link, so I am asking for help in locating research to support mold causing gastrointestinal disorders and food allergies.

A: A lot of people have severe allergies to mold in and of itself, which can cause these problems. Being around mold can also heighten your reaction to other allergies. Are you talking to a reg doc or an allergist?

Mold can also cause a host of other issues from illnesses like phenomia to asthma attacks.

Q: How does sulfasalazine measure up to other 5-ASA drugs such as Asacol and Colazal for Ulcerative Colitis?
I am a 23 year old male who was diagnosed with UC 8 years ago and have gone through a variety of treatments. Originally I was prescribed Asacol as well as a large dose of prednisone. I eventually went into remission and came off the steroid, but continued to take Asacol as my maintenance drug. Remission lasted for 3 or 4 years.

My symptoms started reoccurring and progressively worsened for a while, and I found that while on Asacol they were actually worse. I also know that some common side effects of Asacol are similar to the actually symptoms of UC. I had more frequent stools, increased urgency and increased bleeding.

I tried Colazal as well, but I experienced nausea and again, increased urgency. At this point I was frequently having embarrasing accidents. When I was not on medication, but kept to some natural remedies that I also take, I did not experience this as badly.

My GI doc, however, wants me to try sulfasalazine rather than stay off everything… any advice / input?

A: hi jacob, I have crohn’s disease, a type of IBD like UC. I have had it since the age of 12.

Ask your GI about the newer treatments for UC b/c the 5ASA meds don’t seem to last long on some patients plus they tend to cause nausea as well.

If he doesn’t listen to you, then get another opinion. You the ability to hire/fire your doctors at any time so don’t feel guilty. A pt. should feel comfortable discussing their concerns during their appt. and be able to work as a team w/his physician to get the UC in remission.

Remicade has been approved for colitis as well as a few others. Can’t remember the names but if you go to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America website, they have all the latest treatments listed. You can call their hotline or chat online w/a medical professional M-F 9 am – 5pm (EST) 1-888-my-gut-pain.

I hope this helps. I can totally relate to what you are going through. I went through symptoms when I was in my 20s so I talked w/my GI and he worked w/me to find a treatment that agreed w/me, thus, fewer side effects & I was able to be on it for a long time until my white cell count dropped. Then he found another medication and I haven’t had any trouble since.

Happy New Year.

Q: Do you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome? If so, what do you do to combat it?
About fifteen years ago a doctor told me that I have IBS. It was never really confirmed by eliminating other diseases by having a colonoscopy. Recently, after fifteen years, I have IBS symptoms again. I did have a colonoscopy and it is now confirmed that I don’t have either colitis or Chrons disease. Someone told me that peppermint oil helps. What sorts of treatments to you employ if you have IBS?

A: I have IBS, and have tried taking peppermint oil. It seemed to ease my symptoms pretty well, but I couldn’t handle burping peppermint all of the time! I would take 1 peppermint oil gelcap, and within minutes, I was burping ALOT and it tasted like I had just eaten like 10 candy canes, lol. It also gave me terrible heartburn, as I have acid reflux as well. It does give you minty fresh breath, though! I stopped taking it, and went to my family doctor and flat out asked for IBS medication to try because I had tried EVERY natural and over the counter remedy imaginable with no luck. He prescribed Hyoscamine (which has since been recalled, now I’m on Bentyl, it works just as well), and within about 2 weeks after I started taking it, ALL of my symptoms disappeared! Try asking your primary physician if you can try some sort of IBS medication to see if it helps you, unless you can handle burping peppermint constantly!

Q: THIS IS MY COLLEGE ESSAY, IS IT READY TO BE SENT TO COLLEGES?
I would like to share with you something about my current medical situation. Ordinarily I would not do so, as I am an intensely private person, but I now accept that my physical limitations have quite possibly impacted my high school performance in a negative manner, and I feel that it is only fair that you have this information. Therefore, I am reluctantly going to allow access to information that I would never, otherwise, speak of.

For the past several years, I have been afflicted by a physical situation that has sometimes interfered with my ability to focus, both in the classroom and out. I do not wish to be too specific about the symptoms of my disease, except to say that they are digestive in nature and sometimes require me to spend long periods of time in the Ladies’ Room. Despite my terrible discomfort, I refused to accept that there might be something wrong with me, and would not seek treatment. I know now that I should have been less determined to suffer in silence and more willing to accept help. Finally, my parents insisted on bringing the matter to the attention of a physician. I was tested, over a period of several weeks, for colon cancer, Crohn’s Disease, intestinal obstructions, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus, Heliocobacter pylori (commonly known as ulcer), celiac sprue (commonly known as wheat allergy), lactose intolerance, gallstones, bile duct stones, sclerosing cholangitis (the narrowing of the bile ducts), “Sphincter of Oddi” dysfunction and pancreatitis. You can imagine how relieved I was to learn that I had none of these terrible diseases.

Finally, I received the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS is sometimes known as spastic colon, nervous colon, nervous stomach, mucous colitis and spastic colitis, and is distinguished by abnormal bowel habits, such as diarrhea (loose stools), constipation or sometimes, as in my own case, both. It is well known to experts in this field that periods of stress can intensify the severity of IBS. I have certainly found my busy schedule of six honors/AP classes, Varsity field hockey, swimming and track teams, performing lead roles in three consecutive Spring Musicals, volunteering at the local animal shelter, tutoring at-risk children, and working three evenings a week plus all day Saturday at The Gap to be, at times, stressful, but of course it is impossible to say what has caused me to be afflicted with this very horrible syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS or spastic colon) is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause.[1] In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements.[2] Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity without any other medical indicators.
Although there is no cure for IBS, there are treatments that attempt to relieve symptoms, including dietary adjustments, medication and psychological interventions. Patient education and a good doctor-patient relationship are also important.

In fact, doctors do not know what causes IBS, or why people who share my disease feel the need to have a bowel movement soon after eating, causing diarrhea, or why the prolonged spasm of the large intestine causes stool to stay in one area for too long and get dried out, resulting in small hard stools (constipation). As of today, palliative treatments are only in the experimental stage, and the hard truth is that there is no cure for IBS.

It has been very difficult for me to accept this diagnosis at my young age. I do not know what the future will hold for me and other IBS patients, and I understand that I may be facing a long battle, but I am committed to facing this challenge with the same determination I have faced every other challenge in my life. I am not a quitter, and I am not a complainer, and you should know that, if I am admitted, I will never allow my illness to have a negative impact on my academic, athletic, charitable, creative and social activities in college.

A: It seems like all you really did was explain IBS. You threw in some nice details about yourself and your extracurriculars, but I think that you could have highlighted yourself much more.

I have IBS too, and everything you said was correct, but I just think it wasn’t focused enough on what you could add to the college.

Q: THIS IS MY COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY, IS IT READY TO BE SENT TO COLLEGES?
I would like to share with you something about my current medical situation. Ordinarily I would not do so, as I am an intensely private person, but I now accept that my physical limitations have quite possibly impacted my high school performance in a negative manner, and I feel that it is only fair that you have this information. Therefore, I am reluctantly going to allow access to information that I would never, otherwise, speak of.For the past several years, I have been afflicted by a physical situation that has sometimes interfered with my ability to focus, both in the classroom and out. I do not wish to be too specific about the symptoms of my disease, except to say that they are digestive in nature and sometimes require me to spend long periods of time in the Ladies’ Room. Despite my terrible discomfort, I refused to accept that there might be something wrong with me, and would not seek treatment. I know now that I should have been less determined to suffer in silence and more willing to accept help. Finally, my parents insisted on bringing the matter to the attention of a physician. I was tested, over a period of several weeks, for colon cancer, Crohn’s Disease, intestinal obstructions, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus, Heliocobacter pylori (commonly known as ulcer), celiac sprue (commonly known as wheat allergy), lactose intolerance, gallstones, bile duct stones, sclerosing cholangitis (the narrowing of the bile ducts), “Sphincter of Oddi” dysfunction and pancreatitis. You can imagine how relieved I was to learn that I had none of these terrible diseases.Finally, I received the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS is sometimes known as spastic colon, nervous colon, nervous stomach, mucous colitis and spastic colitis, and is distinguished by abnormal bowel habits, such as diarrhea (loose stools), constipation or sometimes, as in my own case, both. It is well known to experts in this field that periods of stress can intensify the severity of IBS. I have certainly found my busy schedule of six honors/AP classes, Varsity field hockey, swimming and track teams, performing lead roles in three consecutive Spring Musicals, volunteering at the local animal shelter, tutoring at-risk children, and working three evenings a week plus all day Saturday at The Gap to be, at times, stressful, but of course it is impossible to say what has caused me to be afflicted with this very horrible syndrome.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS or spastic colon) is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause.[1] In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements.[2] Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity without any other medical indicators.
Although there is no cure for IBS, there are treatments that attempt to relieve symptoms, including dietary adjustments, medication and psychological interventions. Patient education and a good doctor-patient relationship are also important. Several conditions may present as IBS including celiac disease, Fructose malabsorption,[3] mild infections, parasitic infections like giardiasis, several inflammatory bowel diseases, functional chronic constipation, and chronic functional abdominal pain. In IBS, routine clinical tests yield no abnormalities, though the bowels may be more sensitive to certain stimuli, such as balloon insufflation testing. The exact cause of IBS is unknown. The most common theory is that IBS is a disorder of the interaction between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract, although there may also be abnormalities in the gut flora or the immune system. IBS does not lead to more serious conditions in most patients. But it is a source of chronic pain, fatigue, and other symptoms, and it increases a patient’s medical costs, and contributes to work absenteeism. Researchers have reported that the high prevalence of IBS, in conjunction with increased costs produces a disease with a high societal cost. It is also regarded as a chronic illness and can dramatically affect the quality of a sufferer’s life. In fact, doctors do not know what causes IBS, or why people who share my disease feel the need to have a bowel movement soon after eating, causing diarrhea, or why the prolonged spasm of the large intestine causes stool to stay in one area for too long and get dried out, resulting in small hard stools (constipation). As of today, palliative treatments are only in the experimental stage, and the hard truth is that there is no cure for IBS. It has been very difficult for me to accept this diagnosis at my young age. I do not know what the future will hold for me and other I

A: The best college finder is http://FindYourUniversity.info

You should try them.It’s 100% free , and it is the most trusted online site for finding education.

I think that will help

Q: Can homeopethic cure it?
I was recently diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and my doctor said there is no cure for this disease and the symptoms can only be relieved by good diet and medicines. I want to know if there is any treatment in homeopathich?? thnx for any info

A: http://www.phpure.com/nutrition_products/angstrom_minerals.htm
Go to that website and look thru the middle of the pages for the links that give you symptoms of your condition under each mineral.

Believe me there is help and medicine only makes other side effects later… but there is a pill for that as well. You also probably need to follow a gluten free diet for 6 months to clean up your system. (celiac diet )

Q: Please give me advice about choosing a health insurance plan?
I need to find an individual health insurance plan for myself. I am 27 and my previous coverage ended (which was through my college). As a young adult I had ulcerative colitis, but it has been a few years since I have had any issues (or doctors visits about it) and my last colonoscopy report (a few years ago) stated that there was not only no evidence of present colitis but no evidence of past colitis (which was great news). Well, recently I have been having symptoms, but refuse to go see a doctor about it until I have health insurance. I did have a physical exam this past month and was told that I needed to have an abdominal ultrasound for other symptoms. One, I am worried that somehow an insurance company could get ahold of these past records and deny any future treatment. I told this to the practitioner and told her I didn’t want her to make that referrals yet. Is it possible for an insurance company to find out about this last visit and its results and in effect deny future coverage? So, to get to the point of my inquiry, I do not understand which factors will aid me the most in a health insurance plan. It sounds as though a PPO is best, and one with a HSA is ideal, but I am confused about how it actually works and whether I would actually benefit from a higher or lower deductible in the end. Remember, I MUST have a colonoscopy as well as one or two procedures (such as ultrasounds) in the near future. I am worried that the results of these procedures might reveal something more serious and would require further treatment. THANK YOU SO MUCH for your answers, I really appreciate it!!!!

A: A plan that can turn you down because of preexisting conditions, or that bases its premiums on your health status, would probably require that you allow them to check your medical history. Check your state’s Blue Cross / Blue Shield plans, or whatever companies have the status of “insurer of last resort” (or are nonprofits) in your state. They would probably not be allowed to turn you down based on your health, although they might still be able to set your premiums based on your health. Check your state’s insurance commission for that state’s rules.

Based on experience, stay FAR away from HMOs. They’re horrible. Doctors are basically paid to not treat you (they’re paid a lump sum based on the number of their patients that are covered by the HMO, so it’s more profitable for them to not treat you, and to leave their slots open for patients from whom they’ll receive additional payment). Also, you’ll need referrals for treatment from any doctor other than your primary care physician to be covered – a total pain in the a**. I’ve found that the best doctors in my area don’t accept HMOs. The doctors who accepted my HMO were AWFUL – I left them as soon as I got rid of my HMO. I’ve had good experience with PPOs. Just make sure your doctors of choice are considered “in network” for any plan you choose. Otherwise, your costs for treatment from those doctors will be higher (higher copays, higher deductibles, some charges not covered in full, etc.).

To determine whether to choose a high-deductible vs low-deductible plan, you need to do the math to determine which will cost you more over the year. A lower deductible means higher premiums. Look at copays, what’s covered and what isn’t, etc., too, to determine what your potential costs will be.

Q: I can’t define, which one is right crohn disease or ulcer colitis because symptom r almost the same?
I have been discover to have it after the barium meal where dr is trying 2 diagnose it

A: Crohn’s disease.
is a chronic, episodic, inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by transmural inflammation (affecting the entire wall of the involved bowel) and skip lesions (areas of inflammation with areas of normal lining in between). Crohn’s disease is a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract from mouth to anus; as a result, the symptoms of Crohn’s disease can vary between affected individuals. The main gastrointestinal symptoms are abdominal pain, diarrhea, which may be bloody, and weight loss. Crohn’s disease can also cause complications outside of the gastrointestinal tract such as skin rashes, arthritis, and inflammation of the eye.

Ulcerative Colitis
colitis is a disease where inflammation develops in the large intestine (the colon and rectum). The most common symptom when the disease flares-up is bloody diarrhoea. You can usually prevent symptoms from flaring up by taking medication each day. When a flare-up does occur, treatment can usually ease symptoms. Surgery to remove the large intestine is needed in some cases. Colitis means ‘inflammation of the colon’.
Ulcerative means that ulcers tend to develop. An ulcer is a raw area on the lining of the intestine which may bleed.
The inflammation and ulcers in the large intestine cause the common symptoms of diarrhoea, and passing blood and mucus.

Symptoms are Diarrhoea. This varies from mild to severe. The diarrhoea may be mixed with mucus or pus. An urgency to get to the toilet is common. A feeling of wanting to go to the toilet but with nothing to pass is also common (tenesmus). Water is not absorbed so well in the inflamed colon, which makes the diarrhoea watery.
Blood mixed with diarrhoea is common (‘bloody diarrhoea’).
Crampy pains in the abdomen.
Pain when passing stools.
Proctitis. Symptoms may be different if a flare-up only affects the rectum, and not the colon. You may have fresh bleeding from the rectum, and you may form normal stools rather than have diarrhoea. You may even become constipated, but with a frequent feeling of wanting to go to the toilet.
Feeling generally unwell is typical if the flare-up affects a large amount of the large intestine, or lasts a long time. Fever, tiredness, feeling sick, weight loss, and anaemia may develop.

A doctor can look inside the colon using a special telescope (a short sigmoidoscope or a longer flexible colonoscope. Separate leaflets describe these tests in detail). The appearance of the inside lining of the colon may suggest UC. A small sample (biopsy) of the colon is taken and looked at under the microscope. The typical pattern of the cells seen with the microscope may confirm the diagnosis.

A special X-ray of the large intestine (barium enema) may also be advised. This can help to show how much of the colon is affected.

Q: Will they put you in the hospital for an ulcer?
Last Oct. I was diagnosed with gastritis, peptic ulcers, H.pylori, and colitis. I have been treated 3-4 times for the H.Pylori and it does not seem to want to go away. About 2 weeks ago I started getting the same symptoms I did last Oct. We also learned in April my gallbladder is not functioning . I am having the gnawing burning pain in my stomach. I think my ulcers are acting up. I have lost my appetite, nauseated, and my bowel movements have mucous in them. As well as my gallbladder is hurting. Will they put me in for an overnight stay because of my previous medical history? My Dr. stated he would take my gallbladder out if by Oct. I was still in pain. Should I wait till the morning to call the Dr? I feel so stupid going to the ER for something that can wait till morning. I am afraid they will admit me and possibly take my gallbladder out. I go on vacation in 7 days!! I dont know what I should do!?! SERIOUS ANSWERS ONLY PLEASE!!!!
I have no symptoms that would lead me to believe I have sepsis.

A: Depends on the extent of the ulcer and you status. If you have symptoms and show singns of sepsis you should be admitted to the hospital for a course of IV antibiotics. See your doctor.

Q: what is colitis? How to resolve?
horse was seen by vet this am.
4 yr old ottb.
yesterday aftn., was fine when i went out to groom and hand graze…although he did seem very, very calm…was bright eyed and munched grass for 15 minutes.
i left. 2 hours later he was down in the field , took 3 people to get him up.
brought in barn, and given banamine becasue he was circleing and exhibiting colic symptoms.
has green , runny manure.
no temp.
no change in feed or turnout in the past 5 weeks.
wormed regular 6-8 weeks.
stool sample and blood taken this am. more banamine this am. told to keep him in til tomorrow, with hay , no grain.
vet says possible colitis.
horse may have ulcers.
what is colitis, what is the casue and how do your resolve?
thanks for your advice, in advance!
current on these vaccines. encephylitis, tetnus, flu, rhino, strangles, rabies.

A: I’m posting a list of articles on equine colitis……………..Actually, you should read the last link I posted first……it is the best overall information….

http://www.thehorse.com/Search.aspx?cx=001813077443207757262%3A-qbps-ljkta&cof=FORID%3A9&ie=UTF-8&q=colitis&sa.x=43&sa.y=11#0

This is on Clostridium difficile….thought I’d isolate it out of the maze………………..

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=12261&nID=7&src=RA

C. Difficile lives in the horse’s gut, but can begin increasing populations and killing off the good bacteria, especially after a round of antibiotics. It may be something the vet should look at.

Here is a very good one on the overall causes….covers Salmonella and Pototmac, and others…………………

http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=2338

Resolving it will be determined by finding the cause and eliminating it, if possible. Managing his diet will be an important factor in his recovery as well. I think after you read the articles you’ll have at least some of your answers. I hope they help.

Q: do i have ulcerative colitis?
i have had stomach pain for a while now and was using WebMd to find out why. My symptoms are: sudden urge to use the restroom (quite frequently), sometimes constipation sometimes diarrhea (less frequently), sharp pain on right or left side, mainly right side.I can feel nauseous, but haven’t puked or tried to. i don’t know what to do, it is inconveniant but the pain isn’t all the time, but often. what could it be? Ulcer?

I know it isn’t cystic fibrosis, was tested.

A: Your best option is to have a doctor diagnose you. My dad was convinced he had UC after dealing with severe symptoms for four years and doctors kept telling him it was either UC, Chrohn’s disease, or IBS. But when he began taking medication for it he had to go to the emergency room because he got sick and the doctor took xray’s and an mri to find he had 2 hernias.

Q: I think I have Ulcerative colitis?
For years (since about when I was maybe 14,15) I have been having symptoms that I first thought was a stomach ulcer but the blood was too fresh. Then I get these periods of just intense enough cramping to not knock me out but making it difficult to do my daily tasks.

I bleed (about twice a year if that)
I get cramps all the time, I take gas pills and that usually works
It comes and goes
I have urges to go but usually I don’t have a bowel movement

I don’t usually get diarrhea, but it has happened along side the symptoms. Usually when I bleed I have a pretty good bowel movement, but the times before that were difficult with no results.

A: You need to have your doctor refer you to a gastroenterologist (sp?) and they will have to do a colonoscopy. This procedure will allow the specialist to determine if you have crohns, colitis, ibs/ibd or divrodiculitis (sp?).

Take it from someone who has been diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis for 5 years (and should have been diagnosed earlier) – you need to have a diagnosis!!!

All of your symptoms are common to those of ANY gastric-disease OR condition. It could be any of them and that is why you need to see a specialist and have a diagnosis. Gastric-diseases and conditions can range from extremes of constipation to diarrhea to a combination of both. You can have mild to severe symptoms as well.

Here is the important, REAL (and scary) thing. If you let these symptoms continue without having a proper diagnosis your likelihood of getting cancer increases. Just having Ulcerative Colitis gives me about an 8-10% higher chance of getting colon cancer than the average person. I take medication everyday that maintains my colitis and has no side effects (except good ones). These simple medications actually help to prevent people with gastric diseases from getting cancer. The more you allow your colon to bleed the higher your chance of it getting worse. You don’t want that!

Had I caught my symptoms earlier my colon would not be as diseased as it is. I regret not going to the doctor earlier. Please please please see a specialist!!

Q: Do you have Chron’s or colitis? If so can you tell if I do?
Here are my symptoms.

Well for years I noticed I was getting the “runs’ quite often, although not always but usually. This went on for years, but only recently have I been getting stomach problems. I thought I had an ulcer back in Feb. and it still might be that. I went to the ER and they said I had gastritis. I have a strong phobia concerning endoscopes and can’t bring myself to experience that, and I don’t care that I “won’t remember it” or “feel it”.

Im getting inflammation now, my stomach distends, even though I have lost weight (I had to make an effort to lose weight) my stomach should be flat, but it is not. Everytime I eat, I usually get pain and bloating if I eat too much, and I am having to cut my portions in half to be ok now. In Feb. I could only eat a few bites at a time, then I got better because I took antibiotics and watched what I eat. All this time I assumed I had IBS. Now Im wondering if I have an IBS related ulcer. I feel like I have more than one!
I am 42 and never started to have more serious and annoying problems until this age.

In Feb. I had a lot of acid and have been on acid reducers since. I don’t get gas much at all, just the distention of the stomach which is bad enough. It feels as though somethings pushing my stomach out, and it is kind of hard..but then it goes away. Food is aggravating it. Soft foods work better for me. I have had the classic “pain and heat behind the rib” of an ulcer, but I am getting pains in my lower left side like I have diverticulitis or something else. It scares me, but when it passes I forget about it. Its disturbing to feel so much going on in my core, because it feels like its the center of me.

I want to know if Chron’s and Colitis and these kinds of diseases are fatal, or manageable????? How can I avoid an endoscopy and get some other kind of test instead. I just can’t handle the endoscopy because of anxiety.

A: It sounds like either you have IBS or Crohn’s disease. However, I am not sure you need an endoscopic procedure but you do need to have a colonoscopy without question so that a proper diagnosis can be made. You are 42, get over the fear now b/c if you don’t and you leave these symptoms to florish untreated you can develop worse illnesses like colon cancer. Find a good gastroenterologist that will listen to and accomodate your needs and just get the test (or tests) done! IMO, why would you want to suffer through all the pain of crohn’s or IBS if you don’t have to??? Good luck!

Q: Chronic Indigestion? What’s wrong?
My sister in law has been having these weird symptoms recently, and we’re not sure what to do. She doesn’t have health insurance, so she can’t really go to a doctor and have a bunch of tests.

She’s 19.

Her symptoms:

Chronic indigestion. She says that she feels sick everytime she eats. The only things she can eat without getting really bad and persistent heart burn, bloating, and overall indigestion, is lettuce.

She said she’s been constipated and gets really bad abdominal cramps.

She also hasn’t had her period in 4 months, but all the hpt’s she’s taken have come up negative, so I don’t think she’s pregnant.

She frequently feels nauseous, especially in the morning, but it usually only lasts a few minutes.

I have no idea what it could be. We looked it up online, and it came up with things like gastrointestinal cancer, Chrohn’s disease, IBS, colitis ulcers…but they all have similar symptoms, so we don’t know where to go from here, especially since she can’t afford a doctor.

Could it just be general indigestion?
hmm…but wouldn’t an ectopic pregnancy rupture the fallopian tube by now?

A: she could be simply dehydrated you know………. your body needs water for every single cellular function it performs ….. to digest food, to breath, to think, to transport nutrients, to lubricate your joints…… get her to drink more water and ditch any sodas, alcohol and too much caffeinated drinks as they’ll all dehydrate her terribly.

food intolerances such as lactose intolerance can also produce nasty nasty acid reflux …… as well as excessive belching, gassiness, achy bones, insomnia, constipation, ribbony and stringy stools, wet f*arting (sorry, no other way to put it) ……. ditch the milk and dairy products for a few days and see if that improves her digestion …….. eat more wholegrains and cereals like brown rice too daily…….. a bowlfull of brown rice with extra virgin olive oil drizzled over it and a bit of rock salt and leafy greens like broccolli, celery, kale, chard, buk choy each day will nail her constipation for her i promise.

oh, leafy and green vegies and fresh fruit are all rich in calcium which is in a far easier form for your body to assimilate than milk and dairy products without the high levels of fat…….. much better for you…… particularly if you can’t digest the milk and dairy……. don’t eat the foods that make you soo very sick.

(((huggs)))

peace baby
♥

Q: I think I might have ulcerative colitis or colon cancer?
So for the past 2 days I’ve had to go to the bathroom like 3-5 times a day. And it’s different because it’s not really diarrhea it’s like small chunks like liquid almost. Every time, I have to go badly, and it’s almost like explosive diarrhea because it just comes out. Every time I feel like my bowels aren’t empty. And there is barely anything that comes out. I think there’s blood when i wipe but its really really light. Today there were some full pieces of poop, not diarrhea like at all, and it doesn’t smell.

I looked up symptoms for both and the only thing I see that apply to me are “A feeling that your bowel is not empty”, “Bloody diarrhea”. Except this isn’t really even diarrhea I don’t think. My appetite is normal, except I did notice one thing that was weird.

Symptoms for UC say you can have mouth ulcers, I have a canker sore forming, but I get them one every few months. I had my first canker sore like 6-7 years ago(and yes my poop was normal back then).

Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong?

A: Like everyone said, see a doctor. I didn’t see a doctor about my UC for a few months (i was 13 and truthfully didn’t know anything was wrong). I was going only about twice a day, but my stools were basically all blood. You want to get this treated now so you don’t suffer, because suffering from UC sucks balls.

Q: THIS IS MY COLLEGE ESSAY, IS IT READY TO BE SENT TO COLLEGES?
I would like to share with you something about my current medical situation. Ordinarily I would not do so, as I am an intensely private person, but I now accept that my physical limitations have quite possibly impacted my high school performance in a negative manner, and I feel that it is only fair that you have this information. Therefore, I am reluctantly going to allow access to information that I would never, otherwise, speak of.

For the past several years, I have been afflicted by a physical situation that has sometimes interfered with my ability to focus, both in the classroom and out. I do not wish to be too specific about the symptoms of my disease, except to say that they are digestive in nature and sometimes require me to spend long periods of time in the Ladies’ Room. Despite my terrible discomfort, I refused to accept that there might be something wrong with me, and would not seek treatment. I know now that I should have been less determined to suffer in silence and more willing to accept help. Finally, my parents insisted on bringing the matter to the attention of a physician. I was tested, over a period of several weeks, for colon cancer, Crohn’s Disease, intestinal obstructions, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus, Heliocobacter pylori (commonly known as ulcer), celiac sprue (commonly known as wheat allergy), lactose intolerance, gallstones, bile duct stones, sclerosing cholangitis (the narrowing of the bile ducts), “Sphincter of Oddi” dysfunction and pancreatitis. You can imagine how relieved I was to learn that I had none of these terrible diseases.

Finally, I received the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS is sometimes known as spastic colon, nervous colon, nervous stomach, mucous colitis and spastic colitis, and is distinguished by abnormal bowel habits, such as diarrhea (loose stools), constipation or sometimes, as in my own case, both. It is well known to experts in this field that periods of stress can intensify the severity of IBS. I have certainly found my busy schedule of six honors/AP classes, Varsity field hockey, swimming and track teams, performing lead roles in three consecutive Spring Musicals, volunteering at the local animal shelter, tutoring at-risk children, and working three evenings a week plus all day Saturday at The Gap to be, at times, stressful, but of course it is impossible to say what has caused me to be afflicted with this very horrible syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS or spastic colon) is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause.[1] In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements.[2] Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity without any other medical indicators.
Although there is no cure for IBS, there are treatments that attempt to relieve symptoms, including dietary adjustments, medication and psychological interventions. Patient education and a good doctor-patient relationship are also important.

In fact, doctors do not know what causes IBS, or why people who share my disease feel the need to have a bowel movement soon after eating, causing diarrhea, or why the prolonged spasm of the large intestine causes stool to stay in one area for too long and get dried out, resulting in small hard stools (constipation). As of today, palliative treatments are only in the experimental stage, and the hard truth is that there is no cure for IBS.

It has been very difficult for me to accept this diagnosis at my young age. I do not know what the future will hold for me and other IBS patients, and I understand that I may be facing a long battle, but I am committed to facing this challenge with the same determination I have faced every other challenge in my life. I am not a quitter, and I am not a complainer, and you should know that, if I am admitted, I will never allow my illness to have a negative impact on my academic, athletic, charitable, creative and social activities in college.

A: It seems like all you really did was explain IBS. You threw in some nice details about yourself and your extracurriculars, but I think that you could have highlighted yourself much more.

I have IBS too, and everything you said was correct, but I just think it wasn’t focused enough on what you could add to the college.

Q: THIS IS MY COLLEGE APPLICATION ESSAY, IS IT READY TO BE SENT TO COLLEGES?
I would like to share with you something about my current medical situation. Ordinarily I would not do so, as I am an intensely private person, but I now accept that my physical limitations have quite possibly impacted my high school performance in a negative manner, and I feel that it is only fair that you have this information. Therefore, I am reluctantly going to allow access to information that I would never, otherwise, speak of.For the past several years, I have been afflicted by a physical situation that has sometimes interfered with my ability to focus, both in the classroom and out. I do not wish to be too specific about the symptoms of my disease, except to say that they are digestive in nature and sometimes require me to spend long periods of time in the Ladies’ Room. Despite my terrible discomfort, I refused to accept that there might be something wrong with me, and would not seek treatment. I know now that I should have been less determined to suffer in silence and more willing to accept help. Finally, my parents insisted on bringing the matter to the attention of a physician. I was tested, over a period of several weeks, for colon cancer, Crohn’s Disease, intestinal obstructions, diverticulitis, ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, Barrett’s esophagus, Heliocobacter pylori (commonly known as ulcer), celiac sprue (commonly known as wheat allergy), lactose intolerance, gallstones, bile duct stones, sclerosing cholangitis (the narrowing of the bile ducts), “Sphincter of Oddi” dysfunction and pancreatitis. You can imagine how relieved I was to learn that I had none of these terrible diseases.Finally, I received the diagnosis of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). IBS is sometimes known as spastic colon, nervous colon, nervous stomach, mucous colitis and spastic colitis, and is distinguished by abnormal bowel habits, such as diarrhea (loose stools), constipation or sometimes, as in my own case, both. It is well known to experts in this field that periods of stress can intensify the severity of IBS. I have certainly found my busy schedule of six honors/AP classes, Varsity field hockey, swimming and track teams, performing lead roles in three consecutive Spring Musicals, volunteering at the local animal shelter, tutoring at-risk children, and working three evenings a week plus all day Saturday at The Gap to be, at times, stressful, but of course it is impossible to say what has caused me to be afflicted with this very horrible syndrome.Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS or spastic colon) is a diagnosis of exclusion. It is a functional bowel disorder characterized by chronic abdominal pain, discomfort, bloating, and alteration of bowel habits in the absence of any detectable organic cause.[1] In some cases, the symptoms are relieved by bowel movements.[2] Diarrhea or constipation may predominate, or they may alternate (classified as IBS-D, IBS-C or IBS-A, respectively). IBS may begin after an infection (post-infectious, IBS-PI), a stressful life event, or onset of maturity without any other medical indicators.
Although there is no cure for IBS, there are treatments that attempt to relieve symptoms, including dietary adjustments, medication and psychological interventions. Patient education and a good doctor-patient relationship are also important. Several conditions may present as IBS including celiac disease, Fructose malabsorption,[3] mild infections, parasitic infections like giardiasis, several inflammatory bowel diseases, functional chronic constipation, and chronic functional abdominal pain. In IBS, routine clinical tests yield no abnormalities, though the bowels may be more sensitive to certain stimuli, such as balloon insufflation testing. The exact cause of IBS is unknown. The most common theory is that IBS is a disorder of the interaction between the brain and the gastrointestinal tract, although there may also be abnormalities in the gut flora or the immune system. IBS does not lead to more serious conditions in most patients. But it is a source of chronic pain, fatigue, and other symptoms, and it increases a patient’s medical costs, and contributes to work absenteeism. Researchers have reported that the high prevalence of IBS, in conjunction with increased costs produces a disease with a high societal cost. It is also regarded as a chronic illness and can dramatically affect the quality of a sufferer’s life. In fact, doctors do not know what causes IBS, or why people who share my disease feel the need to have a bowel movement soon after eating, causing diarrhea, or why the prolonged spasm of the large intestine causes stool to stay in one area for too long and get dried out, resulting in small hard stools (constipation). As of today, palliative treatments are only in the experimental stage, and the hard truth is that there is no cure for IBS. It has been very difficult for me to accept this diagnosis at my young age. I do not know what the future will hold for me and other I

A: The best college finder is http://FindYourUniversity.info

You should try them.It’s 100% free , and it is the most trusted online site for finding education.

I think that will help

Q: Help with diagnosis of abdominal pain?
I am a fifteen-year-old female grade nine student. I don’t eat regularly, or eat healthily most of the time. Usually I skip lunch or breakfast, and sometimes supper. I’m 5′3 ½ and I’m about the right weight for my height and age. I have trouble falling asleep, and am usually up until midnight-2am. I get up at 7 am. So I usually get between 5-7 hours of sleep a night. I don’t exercise regularly, either.

Since about February (so for like 2 months), I’ve been feeling near-constant pain in my lower and left abdomen. I often get chills and cramps so bad that I have to double over. I also have to double over to muffle the gurgling sound coming from my stomach.

It’s not a gurgling from being hungry. It’s quite different, and it sounds like it comes from my left side. Also, I drink a substance to curve my appetite so my stomach won’t growl from hunger in class – therefore, it’s not growling from being hungry, as the drink makes me feel full.

My symptoms include: Dull pain near the navel, loss of appetite, nausea soon after abdominal pain begins, abdominal swelling, bloating, inability to pass gas – or too frequent gas, dull/sharp pain near my left/lower abdomen, severe cramps, constipation, weight loss, pain in the chest, behind breastbone (once or twice), coughing, hoarseness, indigestion, (I get secondhand smoke), weakness, pain/tenderness in the lower left side of the abdomen, chills, fever, stomach cramps, tiredness.

I get dull, gnawing stomach pain that comes and goes. The pain is often worse when my stomach is empty, and sometimes goes away after eating. I don’t think I digest properly, and sometimes feel nauseated. Often, I feel like I have to pas gas, but sometimes I can’t, or I have to hold it in.

Also – “Abdominal pain in IBS is often characterized as being intermittent or constant, tender upon palpation and can be relieved by passing gas or having a bowel movement. It has also been described along a range from mild to severe. The pain can become so severe that it can affect the sufferer’s quality of life and cause the person to miss school, work, and other social events.”

My pain on the left/lower side ranges from mild to severe, and sometimes can be relieved by passing gas, having a bowel movement, or eating. Recently, it’s been getting worse and worse and I keep missing school, and I fear that I may fail or something. But it’s not my fault – it’s so distracting that I can’t think or concentrate, and it’s hard to try and work when you can feel and hear your abdominal organs messing around.

My symptoms point to some of the following:
-Appendicitis
-Esophageal Cancer (I don’t think I have cancer)
-IBS; Irritable Bowel Syndrome
-Diverticulitis
-A stomach ulcer (peptic ulcer)
-Gastritis (inflammation of the stomach lining)
-Small or large bowel obstruction
-Ulcerative colitis (with pain in the left side)
-Dysentery
-A mass
-A hernia (both my mom and her brother have them)
-An obstruction
-Indigestion
-Constipation

I can’t go see a doctor right now because my mom has to fill out some forms. I would go to the walk-in clinic, but I’m not sure how much help they’ll be. What would I tell the doctors anyway? I couldn’t just give them the list of my symptoms, it would probably be shrugged off as indigestion or constipation. And I don’t think this can be shrugged off as constipation or indigestion if it happens so frequently unless there’s something wrong with my diet/body/lifestyle. But then – how would my diet cause fevers, chills, and so much pain?

The pain comes and goes so I can’t ever say when it will occur. The pain usually begins between 9:20am and 10:45am and continues to come and go throughout the day, and make gurgling sounds and cause cramps and pain.

When the pain starts early in the day, like today – it began when I woke up – then I know it will last a while. And it has – ever since it started this morning, it’s been acting up horribly, as usual – so I came home sick.

I don’t know how to describe the pain/symptoms/illness to my friends/family, because I don’t know what it is I have. All I know is that I experience pain, bloating, loss of appetite, fever, chills, inability to pass gas – or too frequent gas, constipation, coughing (sometimes), indigestion (sometimes), weakness (sometimes), tiredness and cramps the most – but mostly just horrible pain and gurgling sounds.

When it hurts my left side – it hurts my entire left side of my torso – it’s so bad that I have to literally clutch my side, and dig my fingers into my skin. Applying pressure helps sometimes, but I also experience lower abdomen pain, like around my waist.

So – what do you think it is? I don’t know if it is just constipation or indigestion, or what it is I have.
I don’t want to overreact, because I think I might be, but I’d rather be safe than sorry. And I haven’t gotten my booster shot since my first one – do you think that will make things worse for me?

A: See your health care provider as soon as possible. Abdominal pain can be a sign of a serious condition. Fortunately, minor causes are much more frequent. Location of the pain can help in suggesting the cause.

Appendix pain usually occurs in the right lower quarter of the abdomen.
Diverticulitis usually hurts in the left lower quarter of the abdomen.
Kidney pain, the back.
Gallbladder, the right upper quarter.
Stomach, the upper abdomen.
Bladder or female organs, the lower areas.

Exceptions to these rules do occur.
Pain from hollow organs-such as the bowel or gallbladder-tends to be intermittent and resembles gas pain or colic. Pain from solid organs-kidneys, spleen, liver tends to be more constant. Stomach ulcers tend to create burning pain in the upper abdomen which usually gets better after a meal or a dose of antacid. There are exceptions to these rules as well.

If the pain is very severe or if bleeding from the bowel occurs, see a doctor. Similarly, if there has been a significant recent abdominal injury, see the doctor-a ruptured spleen or other major problem is possible.
Pain during pregnancy is potentially serious and must be evaluated. An “ectopic pregnancy”-in the fallopian rather than in the uterus-can occur before a woman is even aware she is pregnant. Pain in only one area suggests a more serious problem than generalized pain; again, there are exceptions. And good luck.

Q: What stomach condition does this sound like?
For years, since I was a young teenager, I’ve had issues with my stomach. Soon after eating meals, I get a burning sensation in my stomach that comes in waves and radiates everywhere in the stomach area and causes me to sweat a little. It either is relieved by going to the bathroom once or twice, which usually consists of loose, acidic stool (so I guess diarrhea), or else I get a few waves of the burning and then my stomach will do this gurgly thing and it subsides, though the need to go to the bathroom still sort of persists (prairie-doggin’ it, to put it in grosser but plainer terms) though not with any real urgency. I sometimes feel just a little bit weak after but that goes away like that and nothing else comes of it. I normally ate bad foods before, but this can happen after having something as simple as a salad or bowl of cereal, it doesn’t seem to matter what it is i eat. I can eat something one day and be fine, then eat it another day and my stomach acts up.
Is this Crohn’s? Inflammatory bowel disease? Irritable bowel? Colitis? Food allergy? Some sort of blockage?
I ask this because it has recently become more persistent and urgent (though no more frequent as I can go days without any issues). I recently had a really bad bout of diarrhea and since then have had terrible reflux which i’m on prevacid for. also i havent been able to sleep, I eat okay but not as much as i was before this, and i have extreme fatigue coupled with weakness and muscle aches that has persisted for a few weeks now. I think the newer symptoms are unrelated, a virus that I made worse by not eating solids for like 10 days and losing 15 pounds and having horrible anxiety about it and also for the first few days, i tried to work (i commute 2 hours there and 2 hours back and i was doing overnights. I havent worked in roughly 4 weeks, been getting doctors notes).
But really, the bathroom issues, what does that sound like? I’m going to my doctors for the fifth time in several weeks to get this settled, so far hes been saying i basically ive worked myself up into the weakness and insomnia and that i need to relax, which i would believe if i hadnt had the symptoms BEFORE i started with the anxiety. and i had a barium swallow test done that revealed a small hiatus hernia but he said that didnt necessarily explain the severity of my reflux as the hernia is small and hes felt around my stomach numerous times and felt no lumps or swellings and said if i had an ulcer, it would hurt a great deal when he pressed on my stomach like that. and i had an ultrasound on my gall bladder, pancreas and liver which revealed no swelling or gall stones or anything.
i just want to hear theories i guess. Why does this keep happening and why does it seem to be worsening? also before the bad bout of diarrhea, id had a similar situation several weeks before where it started out with a sore throat and fatigue for a few days until one day i was struck with the burning pain which this time persisted until i HAD to get to a bathroom. I had two bouts of loose stools and that was that i figured it was just my usual issues exacerbated by the flu i thought i had.
The same thing happened with the recent bout, sore throat and much heavier fatigue this time around, then it seemed to be lifting and i was hit with really terrible dark oily diarrhea, again starting with intense burning and then i actually couldnt hold it in this time and it just kept coming. since then, i have been exhausted, have had terrible sleep, reflux, throat and sinus issues from the reflux, joint pain and weakness and i’m back to the burning until i go to the washroom and it seems to come even WHILE i’m eating now, as opposed to a short time after.
Any thoughts? (please don’t tell me to go to another doctor, my doctor had been my doctor since birth, knows my history and cares about my well-being, hes a good doctor).
also go through periods of mental clarity and periods of foggy-headedness
gas and bloating as well with the regular stomach issues, much more so since the bad diarrhea bout.
also with the recent bad diarrhea, felt like i might throw up but never did, which makes me think it was viral cause ive never had overwhelming nausea with my usual stomach issues.
no presence of h. pylori bacteria either
i’m 23 years old
my doc was going to make an appointment for a GI doc since the reflux started, i’ll have to ask about that again though its frustrating because it could take months to get in to see a specialist like that.
can back issues cause diarrhea? i find the more strain on my back, the more likely i am to get the burning…

A: I’m sure that your physician is educated and experienced in many things, but, clearly, he/she isn’t helping you very much.

You need to see and gastroenterologist. He/she has much more education and experience in conditions of the stomach and intestines.

I would have gone to a specialist long before this.

If all possible G.I. conditions are ruled out by specialist, consider a psychiatrist for therapy and anti-anxiety medication.

Q: Is this a gall bladder issue?
Thank you in advance for reading–this is going to be lengthy. So for 6 months now, I have been seeing a doctor for right abdominal pain. It all started with a trip to the ER because I thought my appendix was going to rupture (intense lower abdominal pain near my naval–classic symptoms). Long story short, my appendix was fine. So in many follow up’s with my Dr. he jumped from the conclusion of me having a hernia, a distended stomach, an ulcer, a pulled muscle, to IBS. Finally, after some good advice from my RN cousin, I decided to take up his offer of seeing a G.I. The G.I immediately ordered another CT scan and blood work to recheck the appendix and to test for Crohn’s and colitis. Everything came back A-OK; during my last visit while she was doing the physical examination she prodded around under my rib cage and asked if that hurt. My normal response to this question was “no” as it didn’t “hurt”, however it has always felt “tender” when prodded there. When I mentioned this to my previous doctor he shrugged it off, thus leaving me with the impression that it was normal for it to feel tender when being prodded under your ribs and in between. To my displeasure, my GI informed me that it it NOT normal to feel any sort of “tenderness” or “discomfort” when pushing under the ribs at all–it should, in reality, feel like nothing .I understood this immediately when she pushed under my right–tender, discomfort–and then under my left–felt like nothing. So now I have to undergo a endo and colonoscopy to determine the lower right abdominal pain as well as a HIDA and RUQ ultrasound to check gallbladder and pancreatic function. The reason I ask if there is a good possibility if it is my gallbladder is because my GI is still thrown off by the lower right abdominal pain; she said typically gallbladder pain attacks higher (although it could be a deferred pain). Since my examination and all the poking and prodding my rib area endured I have had non-stop throbbing in my lower right abdomen as well as intermittent pain spasaming through my back. Even now pushing there makes me feel like I could vomit. Also, we’ve realized that I can not eat any sort of greasy food without getting sick…the GI initially attributed this to IBS however, could this be because of a potential gall bladder problem? I would really appreciate any insight; I have had 6 months of unanswered questions and my tests aren’t for another 5 days. I am sitting home now, sent home from work because of the pain in my lower abdomen and just cant shake my worries from my mind. Again, thank you all who read and respond!

A: I’m so very sorry for you. Yes, it could be a gall bladder problem. The inability to tolerate fats points to the possibility of liver/gall bladder involvement, but without having the results of the tests you mention and being able to correlate one with another it’s not possible to diagnose. Your story sounds just like my mother’s and she ended up having her gall bladder removed, which fixed her problems. I do hope you get some definite diagnosis from the forthcoming tests and I’d be interested to hear what it is, as I’m sure others will too. Good luck.

Q: What do we do? Who can we contact about Gulf War Syndrome?
My husband is a USMC Gulf War veteran. He thankfully, did not suffer with extreme illness and symptoms of Gulf War Syndrome, but he does have some minor symptoms.
Here is the problem – our 15 yr old daughter was the first child we conceived after his return in 1991. Her older sister was born 2 weeks after his return home and she is symptom free. Mariah however has had odd things going on since birth. She has had yeast infections in her diaper rash (EVERY time she had a rash), she has had chronic UTI’s since age 3 (12-15 urinary tract infections per year to the point she no longer has pain with them). When she was an infant, I would find her with a ring of sweat around her head & body in her crib – in the winter. It reminded me of night sweats. Her siblings never had anything like this – all are very healthy.
Okay – so this year she has been having severe lower abdominal pain. They know it’s in her GI tract, near her appendix. She has been in constant pain since May 5th, 2008. It is at a 9 or 10 out of 10 on a pain scale. She is taking 1500 mgs of vicodin a day, along with other pain meds for intestinal cramping. She is seeing a pediatric gastroenterologist at a leading children’s hospital and just had full series of biopsies of her entire GI tract and enzyme check – food allergy, appendicitis, Meckels diverticulitis and all these other conditions have been ruled out – it’s not Crohn’s, colitis, gastritis, etc… no ulcers. He can’t find anything wrong.
We’re wondering if it’s not something related to Gulf War Syndrome – who do I contact if it is? My husband chose to enlist, my daughter did not ask for this. I can’t even begin to describe what it’s like to see her in this much pain. She is a jazz musician, an athlete, gorgeous and brilliant – she doesn’t deserve this. If you can suggest anything, please help us help her!

A: If you are close to a VA Hospital I would encourage you to go in and talk to their Patient Advocate. They will be able to either give you the information or direct you to the person(s) that can determine if your daughter has a ‘known’ Gulf War Syndrome. There is still a lot of illnesses that the VA does not know about, or just does not recognize, as Gulf War issues.

Please let the doctors know that are caring for her your suspicions and see if they can’t do some research within the American Medical Association to see if they have any other patients with these issues.

I wish your daughter the best.

Q: Nausea, weighloss, lump in throat feeling. What is wrong with me?
Okay, I have been sick for more than a year now, and my doctors have no idea why. It all started after four rounds of antibiotics for tonsillitis.

Here are my symptoms. I have no idea if any are connected.

Nausea, comes and goes, usually worse at night, and sometimes after I eat anything.

Loss of appetite, I cannot eat hardly anything.

Acid reflux that comes and goes.

Lump in throat feeling, usually worse at night and while lying down. Usually accompanied by nausea.

Weight loss, I’ve lost 60lbs in 14 months without doing anything. It seems to be getting worse.

Increased cold sensitivity, always cold.

Hear flutters, comes at random times, usually short of breath and dizzy after.

Bad sinus drainage, constant, worse at night.

Random lymph node swelling in neck/jaw. Sometimes accompanied by faint ear and/or throat pain. Usually goes away within a few days.

Abdominal pain, usually on the left side. A dull burning pain that comes and goes.

Joint pain, mostly in left knee, no injuries.

Hair loss.

Tooth decay.

Dizziness / near fainting when standing.

Ringing in ears, usually after a dizzy spell.

Vertigo that comes and goes.

Easy bruising / unexplained bruising. Usually on knees and thighs.

Eye pain, comes and goes.

Headaches.

Sinus pain.

Unexplained sores on skin.

Constipation and diarrhea. Comes and goes.

Okay, now for the tests I’ve had done.

Hida scan. – Normal.

Ultrasound of uterus and gallbladder. – Normal.

CT scan. – Showed what looked like inflammation of the large bowel. But was noted that it was probably due to the fact that I couldn’t drink all of the barium.

Blood work. – I am not sure what all they tested for, but it all was normal.

SED Rate. – Normal.

Stool sample. – Normal, no h. pylori or any other bacteria.

Tested for Celiac. – Negative.

Tested for syphilis. – Negative.

Endoscopy. – Normal, no signs of GERD, inflammation, ulcers or infection.

Small bowel and stomach biopsies. – Normal.

Okay, now the medication I’ve been on.

Prevacid [ for nausea. ] – No help.

Zantac [ for nausea. ] – Helped the nausea and acid reflux slightly.

Nexium [ for nausea. ] – Helped quite a bit with the nausea and acid reflux.

Flagyl [ for the suspected bowel inflammation. ] – Just made everything 20x worse. Stopped taking it after four days.

Cipro [ for the suspected bowel inflammation. ] – Noticed no difference or side effects.

Amitriptyline [ for a sleep aid. ] – Helped with sleeping, but left me dehydrated and produced a nasty taste in my mouth. I stopped taking it after 3 weeks.
Amoxicillin [ replacement for Flagyl. ] – Noticed no difference or side effects.

Zofran [ for nausea. ] – Helped tremendously, but I ran out.

And now the medication I have taken on my own.

Benadryl [ For sinus drainage and a sleep aid. ] – Works as a sleep aid, but doesn’t stop the drainage. I have become used to it, so now it has no affect what so ever.

Pepto [ for nausea, acid reflux and lump in throat feeling. ] – Works for a little while. Has no affect on the lump in throat feeling.

Multi vitamin [ for hair loss, joint pain and tooth decay. ] – No effect so far, but I’ve only been on it for 4 days.

Over the counter acid reducer [ for nausea, acid reflux and lump in throat feeling. ] – Works the same as Zantac. No effect on the lump on throat feeling.

Ginger [ for nausea. ] – Helps slightly.

Probiotics – Made everything worse. Stopped taking after 4 days.

Now for what I know I DON’T have.

Celiac.

Gluten allergy.

GERD.

Ulcers.

Gallbladder disease.

Gastritis.

Hiatal hernia.

H. pylori.

Colitis.

Medical history / conditions.

Asthma. I’ve had it since I was 4. I use an albuterol inhaler.

Allergies. I’m allergic to most animals, dust, certain metals, pollen and dander.

I used to have chronic ear infections when I was growing up.

I had my tongue clipped when I was 13.

I had groin hernia surgery when I was 2.

I’ve had pneumonia once.

I’ve had tonsillitis.

I used to be allergic to Eggs when I was 5. I am not anymore.

No known allergies to any medication.

I’ve had my right eardrum bust twice due to ear infections.
I have a history of breast cancer and other kinds of cancer in my family.

I have reoccurring ovarian cysts.

Okay, now here are some other helpful facts.

I smoke about half a pack to a pack a day.

I do not do drugs of any kind and never have.

I don’t drink.

I hardly exercise.

I drink about 3 cokes a day.

I do not drink water, whatsoever.

I have a poor sleep pattern. I go to sleep around 4 – 5AM and get up around noon.

I live in a house with 3 dogs, 3 birds, 1 caged mouse, 1 rabbit, 1 guinea pig and 7 outdoor cats.

I live in a house with a mouse and cockroach infestation.

I live in a dusty house.

My sister works at a horse barn.

I live directly behind a g

A: Oh dear you need a non fictional Dr. House!

And I do realize that is not going to help you at all (sorry) but what can you really expect from Yahoo answers when doctors are already trying…

Anyway Good Luck and I hope you feel better ASAP!

Q: I am suffering from Ulcerative Colitis. What kind of Diet should I go on to alleviate my symptoms?
I have gone to many doctors, and the best solutions they offered were surgery and taking a bunch of pills and suppositories that don’t really work. I don’t know what to do and the symptoms havent gotten better after a month. What should I do?

A: The most important thing to do is to reduce the incidence of diarrhea and blood. Probiotics, especially the sacchromyces boulardii yeast are known to reduce and even eliminate the diarrhea. Research has shown that boulardii up to 6 times a day is important for UC patients. Below are a list of not too many bacteria that are readily available on various websites or a place like Whole Foods.

As far as diet goes you want to minimize the ingestion of sulfur containing foods, especially if you are experiencing rotten egg smelling farts as those kind of farts are indicating that you have a high concentration of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) which is a toxic byproduct of protein digestion. Those stinky farts also mean that your body is not properly detoxifying the H2S and will weaken the colon cells. Less meat, less onions and garlic, are important ways of reducing the sulfide precursors.

As far as things to add, make sure that you are ingesting the bifidobacteria listed below and get some Metamucil, which is essentially repackaged Psyllium husks, or Plantago Ovata fiber. The combination of Psyllium and bifidobacteria has been shown to be as effective as the standard pharmaceutical 5-ASA type drugs such as Pentasa or Mensalamine in clinical testing. Go figure $500/month vs. less than $60/month. The combination of 5-ASA, psyllium husk, and bifidobacteria is also beneficial.

As long as you are getting the bifidobacteria, try some oat bran, wheat bran, or brown rice. In in many patients the bran products help reduce inflammation.

There are many things you can to to ease colitis. Review the following list of KEYWORDs and go to http://www.pubmed.gov and type in: “ulcerative colitis” KEYWORD
to see the results of the peer reviewed journals. Here is the list…

lactobacillus and bifidobacteria: Kyodophilus by Wakanuga
lactoabacillus GG: Lactobacillus GG by Culturelle
sacchromyces boulardii: a gut friendly yeast by Jarrow
Pepto Bismol
Fish oil
bromelain
papain
quercetin
boswellia
vitamin C
vitamin E
magnesium in citrate or ionic form: traceminerals.com

The best but unpleasant treatment is a human fecal transplant. In pubmed type in: fecal Borody TJ
and you will see the articles. Download and review and you will learn that some people can be cured of ulcerative colitis. According to Borody, about 1/6 colitis patients get cured. You could be one of the lucky ones. I know folks who are doing well with this treatment.

Secondary possibilities
capric acid (not much research here but shown to be good against a Candida infection)
caprylic acid (not much research here but shown to be good against a Candida infection)

Q: is there a special diet for colitis?
Last week I was diagnosed with colitis although they havent confomred what type yet. I am on a high dose of steriods and anti inflammitorys. They are helping alot and I have never felt better! But I was wondering if any other colitis sufferers out there had a special diet that prevented or reduced the symptoms of colitis.

A: Diet for Colitis
Eat a low-carbohydrate,high-vegetable-protein diet.Include alfalfa or barley in the diet. Baked or broiled fish, chicken, and turkey with out skin are acceptable sources of protein,Eat lots of vegetables.If you cannot tolerate raw vegetables, steam them.
Eat a high fiber diet.Oat bran, brown rice, barley and other whole grains, lentils,and related products such as rice cakes are good.Be sure grains are well cooked.
Keep fats and oils out of your diet, and stay away from high- fat milk and cheeses.Fats and oils exacerbate the diarrhea that comes with colitis.
Include garlic in the diet for it’s healing and antibiotic properties.
Eat cooked foods broiled or baked, not fried or sauteed avoid sauces made with butter.
Avoid carbonated soft drinks ,spicy foods, and anything containing caffine.These substances irritate the colon. Also avoid red meat,sugar, and processed foods.
Try soy- based cheese instead of dairy cheeses.try soymilk or rice milk instead of cows milk.If you do eat dairy foods use non fat types.If you have lactose intolerance, try lactose- free milk.Many lactose ontolerant people can tolerate low fat yogurt.
Drink plenty of liquids at least 8 8oz glasses of water daily to make up for the fluid lost with diarrhea.carrto and cabbage juices and green drinks are good.
Do not eat fruit on an empty stomach.Eat it at the end of a meal instead .Fruit juices should be diluted with water and taken during or after meals.

Q: Lymphatic Microscopic Colitis Mystery?
I’m going to a specialist in April, but i was wondering if anyone could figure this out. I DO have Lymphatic Microscopic Colitis and symptoms(gas,bloating, diarrhea), DO NOT have Any food allergies and Don’t have celiacs disease, but every time i eat anything w/ gluten i poop 7x a day for a week. When i am i on a gluten free diet symptoms (gas,bloating, pooping) are still there but not as bad. When i am on a gluten free diet while taking a pro biotic symptoms are 80% gone and my poop is regular poop not diarrhea . I have tried steroids and non steroidal anti- inflammatory but nothing helps except gluten free and pro biotic?

if u need more info ask please!

A: Gluten intolerance is not an allergy.

Tests for allergies won’t show a food intolerance, including gluten intolerance.

There is a “silent” form of celiac disease – it’s called silent because it doesn’t show up in tests.

If your body is reacting to gluten, no matter what some guy in a white coat tells you, you have a problem with gluten. Listen to your body.

Your health is under your own observation 24/7 (unconsciously), the doctor only sees you for a few minutes at a time. Follow what your body tells you in matters of health.

Q: What is the most effective way to treat ulcerative colitis?
Alternative or not I need to know. It seems as if there is a diet to treat the symptoms and a totally different and even stricter diet for a cure.

I’m on asechol but it only seems to be treating the symptoms. Is there a cure?

A: My daughter-in-law has ulcerative colitis. The main thing she has to stay away from diet wise is dairy products. What really helped her greatly by treating the cause rather than just the symptoms was all natural Optiflora. Her doctor was very pleased and started consistently cutting back her medication.

Hope this is helpful.

Q: once you get rid of Candida, how long to you need to continue the anti-candida diet?
I have colitis and have a sneaking suspicion that Candida might have something to do with it.
I had a case of where I was diagnosed with an excessive amount of Candida, not to mention I had the symptoms. So…my question is, that once its taken care of, through meds/ diet/ herbal remedy, how long must you continue the no carb diet? Is it a permanent thing?

A: You should slowly add carbs back into your diet. Just a little bit at a time. Pay attention along the way. If you notice any adverse reaction then revert to a strict candida diet.
http://hubpages.com/hub/Best-Candida-Cleanse
http://onebiteatatimeblog.com/

http://heavymetaldetoxinfo.blogspot.com/

Q: i have chrohn’s colitis and am experiencing severe flare ups at the moment, can change in diet help?
i am currently living with the condition and have heard a lot of reports recently suggest simple changes in your diet can ease or completely eliminate the symptoms like the stomach cramps and excessive trips to the bathroom. does anyone out there suffer from the same illness and have you tried dietary changes and have they worked? i am at my wits end and want to take control. is there any particular foods or supplements i can take to severely reduce my symptoms.
ANY HELP OR ADVISE REALLY APPRECIATED.
thanks.

A: I have heard from some people that experience relief from Aloe Vera gel and/or Probiotics for both IBS and Crohns. This may not work for everyone, and you should still maintain a proper and healthy diet to minimize any impact.
Aloe Vera literally soothes any tissues it touches, so when you swallow it, it will soothe and help to heal all the tissues between your mouth, stomach, intestines and your anus.
Probiotics help absorb nutrient in your intestinal tract and help to maintain a healthy internal ecology.

In any case, if you consult a doctor for this, I would definitely recommend telling your doctor what you’re taking (if nothing else, to make sure they won’t interfere with any treatments they may be looking at). If your doctor doesn’t believe in supplements or is negative towards you taking them, you may want to consult another doctor… but that’s your choice. Good luck!

Q: Can spaying a cat cause colitis? Or other complications?
I have a 5 month old female kitten who was spayed 2 weeks ago. She has developed colitis-like symptoms: semi-soft stool with blood and/or mucous. She strains to have a bowel movement several times a day, and if anything comes out, it’s usually bloody or has mucous.

She is otherwise healthy. Eating and drinking fine, playing and energetic. I am feeding her Science Diet – i/d which was prescribed by my vet for digestion issues.

I am taking her to the vet in a few hours, but am curious if anyone has experienced this with their cat after spaying.
Just to update… I took my kitten to the vet today and she prescribed the anti-biotic metronidazole for collitis which should clear up the blood/mucous.

She said the stress of the surgery sometimes causes collitis. She said to watch her for a few days, give her the meds (and catlax), and if it’s not cleared up in 5 days to take her back.

A: It does not sound like the spaying is the problem.She has some kind of intestinal problem. Believe it or not the doctors office may be very clean but his waiting room could be full of nasty germs and microbes. When I take my animals to the vet they are not allowed on the floor and I use an antibiotic hand cleaner before I get back in my car. I recently got a kitten who has this problem and found he could not have kitten chow. A few days on adult food and the six week kitten got better, Go figure..

Q: Dieticians – Internists – Is kwashiorkor a possible symptom of our poor diet – too much white flour / corn syr?
I think many Americans are starving themselves because of their daily reliance on white flour for sustenance, whether rich or poor. Does white flour inhibit good digestion of other more protein rich foods? (Look at all the protruding bellies.) I’m looking at something that indicated that in a report as follows:

“Conditions listing Kwashiorkor as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Kwashiorkor. Our database lists the following as having Kwashiorkor as a symptom of that condition:
Alcoholism
Amphetamine abuse
Amyloidosis AL
Anorexia Nervosa
Blind loop syndrome
Boyd-Stearns syndrome
Brinton disease
Classic galactosemia
Cocaine fetopathy
Congenital short bowel
Congenital sucrose-isomaltose malabsorption
Cutaneous photosensitivity colitis, lethal
Cystic Fibrosis
Epidermolysis bullosa, junctional
Finnish nephrosis syndrome
Follicular hamartoma – alopecia – cystic fibrosis
Gastrointestinal amyloidosis
Hereditary amyloidosis
Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Intestinal epithelial dysplasia
Intractable diarrhea with enterocytes assembly abnormalities, congenital, familial
Juvenile tropical pancreatitis syndrome
Microsporidiosis
Obal syndrome
Opisthorchiasis
Pancreatic insufficiency
Pancreatic Islet Cell Cancer
Patau syndrome
Sandifer syndrome
Self Harm
Short Bowel Syndrome
TopDrug interactions causing Kwashiorkor:
When combined, certain drugs, medications, substances or toxins may react causing Kwashiorkor as a symptom.
The list below is incomplete and various other drugs or substances may cause your symptoms. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.
Chloramphenicol and Acetaminophen interaction
more interactions…»
Read more about medication causes of Kwashiorkor
TopMedical news summaries relating to Kwashiorkor:
The following medical news items are relevant to causes of Kwashiorkor:
Celiac disease more common than thought
Commonly confused celiac disease
Hyperemesis symptoms similar to morning sickness
Operation options for obesity
Prevention of osteoporosis in cystic fibrosis
TopRelated information on causes of Kwashiorkor:
As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Kwashiorkor may be found in:
Risk factors for Kwashiorkor
Hidden causes of Kwashiorkor
TopCauses of Kwashiorkor: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Kwashiorkor.
Protein-calorie malnutrition: Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Both kwashiorkor (edematous PCM) and marasmus (nonedematous PCM) are common in underdeveloped countries and in areas in which dietary amino acid
content is insufficient to satisfy growth requirements. Kwashiorkor typically occurs at about age 1, after infants are weaned from breast milk to a protein-deficient diet of starchy gruels or sugar water, but it can develop at any time during the formative years. Marasmus affects infants ages 6 to 18 months as a result of breast-feeding failure, or a debilitating condition such as chronic diarrhea.
In industrialized countries, PCM may occur secondary to chronic metabolic disease that decreases protein and calorie intake or absorption, or trauma that increases protein and calorie requirements. In the United States, PCM is estimated to occur to some extent in 50% of elderly people in nursing homes. Those who aren’t allowed anything by mouth for an extended period are at high risk of developing PCM. Conditions that increase protein-calorie requirements include severe burns and injuries, systemic infections, and cancer (accounts for the largest group of hospitalized patients with PCM). Conditions that cause defective utilization of nutrients include malabsorption syndrome, short-bowel syndrome, and Crohn’s disease.
Protein-calorie malnutrition: Causes
(Handbook of Diseases)
Both marasmus (nonedematous protein-calorie malnutrition) and kwashiorkor (edematous protein-calorie malnutrition) are common in underdeveloped countries and in areas where dietary amino acid content is insufficient to satisfy growth requirements. Kwashiorkor typically occurs at about age 1, after infants are weaned from breast milk to a protein-deficient diet of starchy gruels or sugar water, but it can develop at any time during the formative years. Marasmus affects infants ages 6 to 18 months as a result of breast-feeding failure or a debilitating condition such as chronic diarrhea.
In industrialized countries, protein-calorie malnutrition may occur secondary to chronic metabolic disease that decreases protein and calorie intake or absorption or trauma that increases protein a

A: Interesting read and yes, you have a valid point there.
I believe when manufactures add or take products out to produce a longer shelf life, we become unwittingly victims.
I also will state that man’s desire to consume these products in large quantities also makes a statement to how well they care about their own bodies and therefore allowing them to become the blimps, encourage laziness and less outgoing as a person.
I find these chemicals are foreign to the human body and instead of helping ones digestion, actually does the opposite. It promotes build up and therefore a blockage to the body operating normally.
There is where the many problems of the body lies in wait for us. Some times quicker then we ever could realize.
It is sad that many of these traits are passed on during breast feeding and actual Development inside a mother’s womb. However i wonder if this wasn’t all a design by human engineering to cause a decrease in the human population or is it just a consequence of a “on Demand” society.
I learned a lot about nutritional values when i searched out about diets for myself. There are some products now that i will never eat again
Great question and deserving my further attention as well as others.

Q: Has anyone out there who breast feeds their children had children (plural) with allergic colitis?
PLEASE READ THIS, TOO! All three of my children were born with allergic colitis that two have successfully outgrown by 7 mos. My third child is almost 9 mos and still has problems, because she refuses to eat solid foods. Starting on rice cereal etc. clears up the symptoms. I wonder if there are mothers out there that have had this similiar issue and had a fair amount of tofu and soy related products in diets prior to birth. Allergic colitis is found no where in my families history, so I’ve concluded that it’s my issue and has to do with what I’v eatn before birth and how I break down proteins. There’s evidence that shows that unfermented soy and products of the like block an enzyme that breaks down protein. This is further backed by me taking enzyme pills and calming the symptoms in my child if I mess up diet. The protein sensitivities are dairy & soy & I have elimination diet. I believe that unfermented soy in my prenatal diet may be the culprit. Does anyone share this problem.

A: No, but I’ve heard of it. I think you’re on the right track.

Q: I am 23 years wondering whether I have colitis or ciliac disease?
I had bloody stool and diarah. My favorite food was cheese pizza.
I did not have any flare ups or any of the above symptoms for the past 2 1/12 years.
Once I have adpated gluten free / diary free diet all the above symptomps subsided, and I am feeling fine. Is it possible that I was misdiagnosted??. My only present symptomps are:
feel tired at times, I still have loss of hair , dandruff , I have checked my iron; it is normal on the low side. At times i get skin rashes.
2 1/2 years ago when the Md. did a colonoscopy, he was amazed how clear my colon was. I have been prescribed to take 8 Salofalk per day, however I have been taking only 4.
At this stage should I pursue testing for Celiac. I know of Colitis sufferers, who follow my diet, however continue to have the bloody stool, bloating and diareha. I am wondering whether I have been lucky not having any symptoms or misdiagnosed

A: Yes, if you have Celiac you need to know it so you can continue on a gluten free diet. It’s possible that you only have lactose intolerance. But do go for testing. It’s very important. Even if you are not having problems right now, your doctor needs to determine what your problem is if it is not Celiac. Your food is so important in your life and for your health. You need all the nutrition your food gives you to be absorbed into your bloodstream for nutrition, so be serious about your health. It is important. Once your health is gone, your life isn’t valuable anymore, so do what your doctor tells you. Good luck to you!!!

Q: what is a good alternative to corn wheat?
I have been living with ulcerative colitis for 6 years, and I just went to a doctor who put me on a very restricted diet which he ways will cure my symptoms if followed, but I have been eating the same thing for every meal since i started (grilled chicken breast and baked potato). THe biggest thing was no more corn wheat, so I can’t eat any sort of chips, crackers, noodles, cereals, or pretzels.
Is there any sort of wheat that bread and noodles are made of that isn’t this?
Help!

A: You could try some of the gluten free breads-they wont contain wheat but you should check them for corn.
Is your “:Dr” qualified?? Sounds very restrictive for ulcerative colitis. If you are on a very restrictive diet you may need to talk to a dietian for advice. Is this diet backed up by medical research(ie research done with many subjects under quality controlled conditions) as a recognized treatment for UC??
Good luck
I hope you find some sucess with your symptoms
cheers caz

Q: Anyone have experience with Colitis in dogs?
I have a one year old Great Dane that has had chronic stomach issues for months now. Nothing I’ve tried has eliminated the problem and I’ve spent almost $1000 at the vet’s and haven’t found a solution that will work yet. His symptoms are intermittent loose stools, lack of appetite and weight loss. Some days he eats and poops normally and then he goes through phases for a few days where he doesn’t want to eat much and wakes me up in the night to go out.

I have wormed him (with Pyrantel pamoate) and treated him for whip worms (with Ivermectin) just in case, but he’s had 3 negative fecal samples done at the vet’s advice so I really don’t think there is any chance that it is parasites. He had a blood work up that came back normal. Then the vet did another blood panel to test for Pancreatitis which also came back normal. The vet then said he thought it was Colitis and sold me Hill’s WD prescription dog food. The first ingredient in this food is corn and it just made my dog poop 5 x more than he normally does and he seemed to lose more weight. I hate to act like I know better than a vet, but the WD formula is used for dogs that need to lose weight. My dog is already extremely skinny and not eating well. That doesn’t make sense to me to give a skinny dog a diet formula. The vet said he was prescribing it because Colitis can be helped by a high fiber diet. Does anyone know of a good way to add fiber to the diet other than the prescription food? I have my dog on Blue Buffalo Salmon and Potato formula right now. He seems to have gained a pound or two back, but he’s still having stomach issues. He’s developing bumps on his muzzle also so now I’m wondering if he’s having a reaction to something in that food. Does anyone have experience with Colitis or anything like this with their dogs? I’m open to any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks!
@Shelter Puppies Rule – I did have him on a raw diet for 3-4 months. My other dogs did wonderfully on it, but my Dane still had stomach issues and it was difficult to get him to eat enough so he did not gain any weight.

A: Oh yeah. You are worried sick youself, ready to pull your hair out…confused and overwhelmed….

My dog had loose, cow patty stools with a lot of mucous. She ate fine. It took us almost a year to get it under control.

Started with womings, rice and chicken diet to rest bowels, other meds, weight loss, different foods…

My vet put her on Flagyl and it helped. But when we tried to decrease dosage, yucky mucky stools again. She said she thought a RX diet, but when I read the ingredients I just didn’t want to do it….most had ethoxyquin.

I finally decided to try to find a dog food that had “novel protein, novel carb” and the fewest ingredients. I chose Natural Balance Duck and Potato kibble.

Kept her on Flagyl at the same time. About every three weeks would ever so slightly decrease dosage. I don’t have my notes handy, but my dog was probably on Flagyl about 6 months or so.

Here, two years later she is fine. She gets NOTHING but Natural Balance.

She has only had one day of flare up, and that was the day after she was playing fetch with a stick and had chewed it and ingested some of the wood.

But I can not say this would work for you.

Q: Recurring Colitis in otherwise healthy dog?
Have any other owners had experience of dealing with recurring colitis in their dogs.

For the last couple of months one of our lads has started to suffer frequent bouts. He is five and a half years old and the symptoms are the usual gurgling tummy, discomfort, diahrea, mucus and blood in his stools.

He has been to the vet frequently and we deal with it by starving for 24 hours, then a bland diet (chicken and rice) then gradually back to his normal food over a few days. It clears up and then he has another bout after a week or so (sometimes a bit longer).

We are wondering if he has developed an intolerance to his regular diet – Nutro Lamb and Rice, natural low fat yogurt (he has had this since he was a puppy) and treats like Dentachews and Smackos.

Has any one experienced this and had any success with foods for sensitive stomachs or any natural supplements etc. We do not want him to keep on having courses of antibiotics.

Any recommendations gratefully recieved
I’ve just been trying to find a Canidae stockist here in the UK but unfortunatley it looks like you can only get it in the US
The Vet just says it needs to be a process of elimination but doesn’t really have any recommendations.

The lad is a high energy 32kg English Pointer by the way.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far!

A: What is his regular diet? Wheat is not well tolerated by many dogs so it may be worth changing him to a gluten free diet.

Many people have recommended Burns dog food to me but I didn’t give it to our dog because she was underweight and the pet shop said that James Well Beloved would be better for her:
http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk/

http://www.wellbeloved.com/

I also used to feed our dog Autarky:

http://www.autarky-foods.com/dog.htm

I could not feed her any “treats” (except a bit of meat off our roast dinner) without upsetting her stomach.

EDIT – just checked out your dog food and it has no wheat. You could try the Burns dog food though – loads of people swear it’s good. What has your vet said?
Good luck!

Q: How would you quell an ulcerative colitis flare besides steroids?
I have had colitis for a little over 2 years and have tried a few different drugs and im currently on remicade. I take Digesticure as a supplement as well as take some fish oil/probiotics stuff. I’ve also tried Aloe Elite in the past. Although I think the digesticure will work in the long run, I’m in the middle of a flare so it’s hard for anything to get absorbed. I’ve been using immodium too to try to stop the diarrhea. I Just started 40mg prednizone but it only masks the symptoms for a while. Any advice to stop the immediate flare? Any diet suggestions while in the flare?

A: For remedies:

One or two ripe bananas taken every day are one of the most effective home remedies for ulcerative colitis. Being bland, smooth, easily-digestible and slightly laxative, they relieve the acute symptoms and promote the healing process.

A glass of buttermilk taken daily is another effective remedy for colitis. It is the residual liquid left over after the fat has been removed from curd by churning

Drinking the water of one tender coconut daily has been found valuable in colitis. It is soothing to the soft mucosa of the colon.

Steamed apples also aid the healing of ulcerative lesions because of their ample concentration of iron and phosphorus.

Drumstick leaves are also useful in colitis. A teaspoon of fresh leaf juice, mixed with an equal quantity of honey and a glass of tender coconut water, is given two or three times daily as a herbal medicine for the treatment of this disease.

Rice has a very low fibre content, and is, therefore, extremely soothing in colitis. A thick gruel of rice mixed with a glass of buttermilk and a ripe banana, given twice a day, forms a very nutritious, well-balanced diet in this disease.

The juice of wheat-grass (a grass which grows after sowing wheat grains in the earth) used as an enema, helps detoxify the walls of the colon. The general procedure is to first give an enema with lukewarm water. After waiting for twenty minutes, 90-120 ml of wheat-grass juice enema is given. This should be retained for fifteen minutes. This enema is very helpful in disorders associated with colitis. Wheat-grass can be grown at home in earthen pots if it is not available through dealers.

Diet for Colitis:

Papaya juice, raw cabbage juice and carrot juice. Diet plays an important part in the treatment of colitis. It is advisable to observe a juice fast for five days or so, in most cases of ulcerative colitis. Papaya juice, raw cabbage juice, and carrot juice are especially beneficial.

Avoid Citrus juice

Have steamed vegetables, rice, home-made cottage cheese etc
After the juice fast, the patient should gradually adopt a diet of small, frequent meals of soft cooked or steamed vegetables, rice, porridge, broken wheat, and well-ripened fruits like banana and papaya, yoghurt, and home-made cottage cheese. Sprouted seeds and grains, wholemeal bread, and raw vegetables may be added gradually to this diet after about ten days. All food must be eaten slowly and chewed thoroughly.

Avoid white sugar, highly seasoned foods, alcoholic beverages
Foods which should be excluded from the diet are white sugar, white bread, and white flour products; highly seasoned foods; highly salted foods; strong tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages; and foods cooked in aluminum pans.

Other Colitis treatments:

Warm-water enema. During the first five days of the juice fast, the bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm-water enema

Buttermilk enema. A buttermilk enema taken twice a week is also soothing and helps in re-installing useful bacterial flora in the colon.

Complete bedrest and avoid stress. Complete bedrest is very important. The patient should eliminate all causes of tension and face his discomfort with patience.

Q: Help, anyone familiar with ulcerative colitis.?
I recently underwent a colonoscopy (not fun) and the biopsy indicates I propably have ulcerative colitis. The Dr. refered me to specialist, but the earliest he can see me is 3 wks. What can I do to reduce the symptoms for now until he can further diagnose my problem and put me on meds. The bleeding has slowed down, but most food runs right through me, and I still get cramps. Is there any diet, vitamin supplement, or natural remedy I can try that may help put me into remission? I can’t stand to wait for 3 wks or more and not try something.
Thank you all for your help. I’ve been praying about this ever since the symptoms started and I am truly blessed that God has given me the ability to read each of your helpful suggestions. I am thankful this has happened to me and not my family (at least as of yet) and am looking at it as a wake-up call to bring attention to my and my family’s eating habits as our diet is not exactly the healthiest here in southwest Louisiana. Again, thanks, may God bless all of you and your families.

A: My son was diagnosis with Crohn’s disease over 2 years ago. the doctor wanted to put him on Humira (after experimenting with several other drugs) which is anexpensive drug with life threating serious side affects. We did some research and wanted to take a new approach to combat His problem. This is what we found out. The liver is producing too much bile that is toxic to the digestive tract. The types of foods you need to eat are those that DO NOT create excessive acid or bile that help in digestion (simply put). The bile is normal unless it is in large quanity or toxic, the acid attacks the food as well as intestinal linings of your stomach
Your body is high in toxins that you need to remove and stop feeding into the problem by the foods you consume and an overactive liver.

1.) “Foods to eat” : water purified, fish, eggs, potatoes,rice, white bread,meat ground up fine or chewed well, skinless chicken cut fine, tortillas, broth, noodles plain with a little butter, plain yogurt with no extra ingredients, Goats milk or rice milk(rice dreams-Walmart) cherrios rice crispies or chex, plain oatmeal and ‘most important’ 5x/day at each meal and as a snack, legume’s black beans, kidney, pinto, buttered,refried, with no lard or spices except salt to start. Sunshine calcium and D’3, Iron supplements(in moderation)
if you are anemic.
2.) “Foods to avoid!”: fruit juice,dairy!,milk (hardest to digest, a cow use 4 stomachs!) chips!,processed foods of any kind, fast food of any kind, soda ,msg,sugar,corn, corn syrup,corn sweeteners,wheat products,sweeteners of any kind, coffee, teas,sauces, read the back labels (you are going to be surprised) for added ingredients any thing thats added, adds to your body’s toxic level. NO artificial sweeteners. foods that produce too much acid to break down the foods you eat. No alcohol of any kind NO Tabacco. pork, fatty foods.
3.) ‘Foods to eat’: in moderation after you stop bleeding and start gaining weight or are having no discomfort : certain fruits,steak,venison, peanut butter or almond butter, more plain oatmeal A multi-vitamin with minerals with 100% RDA (not large dose’s of any vitamins and 2x daily ,use shaklee as the bench mark for comparison ) of all of the B’s, hard cheese, soy milk,well cooked vegetables” Psyillium powder”.
4.)The beans,psyillium powder and oatmeal are a soluble fiber that absorb bile and remove the toxins in your body,then the liver will produce more bile but less toxic(simplified for lack of space).
5.)This is not an all inclusive list and your Doctor will disagree with the elimination of drugs, all removal of drugs should be done slowly if you decide to stop taking them, but they will add to your body’s toxic level as you continue take them. which will make your Crohn’s worse and make you susceptible to other more serious disease’s. I am not a specialist in any field or giving medical advice. I also hired KarenHurd.com at a fraction of the cost to teach my son to diet properly but you can go to her web site and get free information, but I recommend you pay her for a short time to get you healthy and on a routine faster. She has a very high success rate. Stress will make it worst so exercise and relax. Most importantly Faith, Hope, and Prayer, you will get better. God is faithful what ever the results. E-mail me if you have any questions and I can help. I don’t know if you have crohn’s but changing your diet could help you and most of us in America because of the poor nutrition we unknowingly subject ourselves too. Ibs and colitis is similar but the diet still apply’s. Routine and a little bit of self disipline and you will be drug free and have more money in the pocket. You may have other complications with the Crohn’s because you are now susceptible to all kind of complication’s and other disease’s because of the medicine you take!

Q: ibs or chrons or ulcerated colitis?
symptoms -
feeling sick (especially early morning ,and when eating food)
boaking
being sick
diarrhea
bloating stomach
loads of wind
noisy stomach
lots of mucous in stool
weigth loss
not being able to put weight on
no energy
started to notice sore kness

extreme fatigue aswell

A: I’m sorry you’re having those symptoms. Since I just went through trying to figure out what was causing my severe gut pain, I wrote a Squidoo Lens about diagnosing gut pain: http://www.squidoo.com/DiagnosingGutPain — I still need to add signs/symptoms for some of the diagnoses, and more possible diagnoses though. I had an arthritis attack after one of my gut attacks (guessing your sore knees might be arthritis).

- Do your symptoms ease up when you go without food?
- Have you,or someone close to you, traveled recently?
- Have you started a food journal, writing what you eat and marking the time, then writing in your symptoms, and the times they started?

I checked the Ulcerative Colitis page, and bloody stools seem common with all the various ulcerative colitis variations — depending on where it occurs: “Common symptoms of ulcerative colitis include rectal bleeding and diarrhea, but there is a wide range of symptoms among patients with this disease.”
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=509&pf=3&page=1#tocc
(the link goes into the symptoms for the different areas where ulcerative colitis can occur.)

Crohn’s Disease symptoms sounds similar to yours (but so do some others, so definitely get with a GP, or gastroenterologist to get the correct diagnosis):

http://www.medhelp.org/adam_pages/show_section/1118

—
Q: What is the difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease?

A: In both conditions there is inflammation of the intestine. But ulcerative colitis affects just the colon, while Crohn’s can affect any portion of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, ulcerative colitis affects the inner lining only, while Crohn’s can affect the full thickness of the bowel wall.
http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/ulcerativecolitis/UC_whatis.html
—

Celiac Disease might need ruling out too (there’s a blood test for Celiac, but it’s not as accurate if you’ve already cut wheat gluten from your diet, so try to get it done as soon as you can):

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/#2

IBS is more of a “rule out” condition, meaning that once the other stuff’s been ruled out, then it’s probably IBS. There’s three forms of IBS: diarrhea (IBS-D), constipation (IBS-C), and alternating between constipation and diarrhea (IBS-A). There’s food “triggers” that cause attacks, and they seem to differ between the kind of IBS a person has, which makes it really difficult for new IBS sufferers to figure things out. The best site I’ve found that educates us for each kind is HelpForIBS.com — skip directly to the triggers area of her site if you want to jump ahead: http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/trigger1.asp

And here’s a good source on food allergy testing, just in case (not mine, someone that suffered anaphylactic shock from food):
http://www.squidoo.com/foodallergytesting — this page is a good reason for people doing an elimination diet with their doctor, rather than on their own. Imagine going off whatever food someone might be allergic too for a few weeks, then re-exposing themselves to it; it’s scary how some people can be so allergic to food, and not know about it.

The food/symptoms journal I mentioned would be helpful for your doctor to start narrowing down the possible diseases/conditions. My Squidoo Lens page also has some other questions your doctors and nurses might ask, if you’d like to go in prepared.

I wish you all the best in figuring out what’s causing your symptoms, so you can learn about treatment, or at least what to avoid.

Q: Ladies, Do you ever feel like when you go to the doctor?
they just do not listen to you and make it seem like it is all in your head? My sister (17) went to doctors for over two years for horrible stomach pains and the doctors kept telling my mom “She is just depressed” “she is being a hypochondriac” “She just wants attention” ect. The funny thing is my parents knew all along what it was! My dad has ulcerated colitis and my sisters symptoms matched his almost to a T but no doctor would listen when they said they wanted her to have a colonoscopy. Finally after 2 years and seeing just about every doctor in south Texas they found a FEMALE doctor who would do the test. Come to find out sure enough she has it. Has anyone else experienced this? Did it feel like the doctors treated you worse because you were female? It just seems like if a guy complains of pain they take it seriously but if a girl does it is all in her head.

A: I always see a lady doc these days – I totally lost patience with the “boys” when I went to our new doc with what I knew was a chest infection (I’ve been having them most Winters over the past seven decades, for goodness sake) – he was very dismissive and gave me the impression that I was wasting his time. Was it because I was a septuagenarian? Was it because I was a woman?
So I made an appointment to see the Nurse Practitioner in the Practice – she checked the swollen glands in my neck, listened to the wheezing in my chest, asked about my symptoms and immediately wrote a prescription for one of the docs to sign. Then gave me a follow up appointment to see her a week later.
My advice is always see a woman – they appear to be better trained, have more inter-personal skills, and actually listen to what you are telling them!

Q: How do you know the difference between antibiotic side effects and colitis?
So antibiotics can cause stomach cramps and loose stool which are also the symptoms of antibiotic induced colitis.

I have been having these symptoms for about three days now and have been off my antibiotic for three days now. How do I know when it could be a sign of something much worse like colitis?

A: There’s an old hippie cure for this, I’ve actually used it and it seems to work. Try taking probiotic yogurt (yogurt with active cultures in it) or going to a health food store and taking some of these probiotic pills with bacteria in them. That will help replace some of the bacteria that was lost while you were on antibiotics.

What’s happening is that antibiotics did their job so well, they killed the bacteria in your intestinal tract that your body needs to digest food (which is why you’re having nasty diarrhea).

Q: Any good cat food out there for my kitty with colitis?
My cat of one year was recently diagnosed with colitis – no symptoms except for blood at the end of each and every stool. Vet gave him one-week dose of antibiotic/anti-inflammatory but stools are still bloody. Now mixing good-bacteria-powder for cats in his food for one month. Does anyone know of any good cat food for colitis? (besides Iams/Eukanuba – I boycott the company) Thanks!!
www.iamscruelty.com

A: I would recommend asking your vet. My cat has inflammed bowel disease and the only food I can give her is a prescription food that contains only venison and peas.

Q: Cure for Pancreatitis and colitis?
My brother has pancreatitis, ulcerative colitis, along with H. Pylori virus? I read “Ulcerative colitis is not caused by emotional distress or sensitivity to certain foods or food products, but these factors may trigger symptoms in some people. The stress of living with ulcerative colitis may also contribute to a worsening of symptoms.” He’s taking antibiotics, but what else would he need to do for prevention for Pancreatitis and colitis?

A: H. pylori is a bacteria that contributes to the development of stomach and duodenal (intestinal) ulcers. The antibiotics should get rid of it.

Ulcerative colitis is tough to treat, it mostly involves immuno-suppressive therapy. After he’s had the disease for 6 or 7 years, he should begin screening for colon cancer and eventually should have his colon removed, because virtually all UC patients would otherwise go on to develop colon cancer.

As for the pancreatitis, it depends on whether it’s acute or chronic. Either way he shouldn’t drink, but acute pancreatitis can be caused by gallstones, so he should have that checked out. Unfortunately, for non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis most of the time it’s genetic or we have no idea what the cause is, and we can’t do much about it.

Q: Does any one knows how to cure colitis, or what sort of medication should i take?
Does any one know how to cure colitis?
And what are the symptoms?
Mine are inability to pas gas and stool, but eventually they pass but with sharp pain…
Because I was food poisoned 2 weeks ago and was Diagnosis by 2 doctors that I have it (colitis) and both described antibiotics and metronidazole..
And they worked at the beginning
But does not seem to work much now, and I stopped taking them, should I continue taking them?
Or what sort of medication should I take? Cause the pain is hideous….
And what sort of foods to avoid and what’s to eat..?
Plz help, any info would be great…

A: You should take the full course of medication prescribed by the doctor. Its OK that you are taking metronidazole and other antibiotic (complete the course). Colitis: Inflammation of the colon (large intestine). Colitis is an inflammatory disease of the large intestine that results in diarrhea, discharge of mucus and blood, cramping. SYMPTOMS : Diarrhea, Abdominal pain, Mucus in stool, Blood in stool, etc.
1.Certain medications or substances may cause colitis ( A-Cillin, Acebutolol, Acimox, AK Beta, Akne-mycin, Alfotax, Alphamox, Amohexal, Amoxicillin, Clavulanic Acid, Amoxifur, Amoxil, Amoxil Duo, Amoxisol, Ampexin, Anspor, Apo-Amoxi, Apo-Atenol, Apo-Erythro, Atenolol, Augmentin, Ausclav, Ausclav Duo, Azithromycin, Bacampicillin Hydrochloride, Bactocil and so on).
2.Complications possibly associated with colitis: Dehydration – from diarrhea, risk of bowel cancer.
3.Diagnostic testing of medical conditions related to colitis: Blood tests, Stool tests, X-rays, Barium x-ray and Colonoscopy.
4.Underlying conditions in various sources for colitis includes: Bowel infection, Amebic dysentery, Bacillary dysentery, Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, Campylobacter laridis infection.

With a diagnosis of Colitis, it is important to consider whether there is an underlying condition causing Colitis. These are other medical conditions that may possibly cause Colitis. For general information on this form of misdiagnosis, please follow the following link : http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/c/colitis/underly.htm

Q: Husband has been told he has ulcerative colitis, any advice or help?
In June my husband was told by the family doc that she wanted him on crestor because his cholesterol was mildly elevated and compound with his family history that it was the right decision. About 2 weeks after that he started have diarrhoea, we tried to get a hold of the doc but ended up having the pharmacist tell us to stop the meds immediately, and the symptoms should go. Not the case this has been going on since the end of July, he is to the point he can not leave the house, at this point he has seen a Specialist and had a flex scope done. The specialist is saying ulcerative colitis and has prescribed antibiotics, and a enema nightly containing a steroid to help reduce the swelling. We have not been advised of a diet plan, how to manage the situation or any thing else. At this point my husband is running to the washroom 25 to 30 times a day. Not to mention he is becoming depressed and very frustrated. Any one dealing with this themselves or can direct me how to handle this situation. At this point I have to say the docs have not been alot of help. Any one?

A: I absolutely feel his pain. Gastros have been absolutely no help to me here, other than diagnosis. Most gastros don’t have a clue when it comes to diet/gut reaction.

Check out the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or SCD. The book is called Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall. The book is written specifically for those of us with gut trouble.

I was on it a few years ago when I was in the bathroom up to 70 times per day – absolutely miserable way to live. I went on the diet and got it under control. (it took me many months) Then I was so dumb to think that I could eat whatever I wanted. It was great for about 1 year then it came back, but luckily I knew what it was and began the diet again. This time I’ll stay on it until the flare eases and I go back in to remission. Then I will only cheat from time to time, but stick to the diet. It works for many, but that doesn’t mean it will your perfect remedy.

I’ve learned to cope with colitis by putting a porta potty in my Suburban – (removed a second row bucket seat in case you are wondering!) just because I can’t always make it to where ever. My friends all know if they see me parked in a parking lot somewhere – do not approach the vehicle! I know every bathroom in the town it seems. I have to have a little humor about it or I would go crazy. I seem to have more anxiety when in a flare and that also can cause me to go more often. Like just before leaving the house, I get nervous – afraid I might have to go – and usually will have to go 3 times before I get out the door. Sometimes it subsides, sometimes not. You can’t stop living.

I took my food with me last night to a restaurant and nobody seemed to mind. And I got to be with my friends and they didn’t feel like they had to miss out because of me. I’m ok with it because I know the food will make me sick. My husband and daughter (9) have been great supporters and very understanding when things get embarrassing for me.

It is a very hard diet especially at first, but many have had success with it. The first part is hard because you have to basically go on an elimination diet of sorts. Then slowly add foods seeing how you tolerate them. It’s hard, but somehow it is easier when all you want is to get better. Best of luck to you. Contact me if you would like to discuss further.

Q: Is it possible that I have colitis?
I have had a severe sinus infection since April due to my bad allergies (even though i’m on every possible allergy medicine and get allergy shots). I’ve been on various antibiotics since then in an attempt to cure the sinus infection. I’ve taken Levaquin, a Z-pack, and Clindamycin. I’ve been on the clindamycin for about the last three weeks. For the past five days, i’ve been have loose watery stools over 10 times a day and bloating. I know that clindamycin can cause colitis. Do you think I have it based on my symptoms and what should I do about it?
sorry for the typo.
*been having

A: Clindamycin can cause diarrhea, but I would notify your doctor if it’s gone on this long. That can’t be comfortable and there is probably something they can do about it.

Q: Recurring Colitis in otherwise healthy dog?
Have any other owners had experience of dealing with recurring colitis in their dogs.

For the last couple of months one of our lads has started to suffer frequent bouts. He is five and a half years old and the symptoms are the usual gurgling tummy, discomfort, diahrea, mucus and blood in his stools.

He has been to the vet frequently and we deal with it by starving for 24 hours, then a bland diet (chicken and rice) then gradually back to his normal food over a few days. It clears up and then he has another bout after a week or so (sometimes a bit longer).

We are wondering if he has developed an intolerance to his regular diet – Nutro Lamb and Rice, natural low fat yogurt (he has had this since he was a puppy) and treats like Dentachews and Smackos.

Has any one experienced this and had any success with foods for sensitive stomachs or any natural supplements etc. We do not want him to keep on having courses of antibiotics.

Any recommendations gratefully recieved
I’ve just been trying to find a Canidae stockist here in the UK but unfortunatley it looks like you can only get it in the US
The Vet just says it needs to be a process of elimination but doesn’t really have any recommendations.

The lad is a high energy 32kg English Pointer by the way.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far!

A: What is his regular diet? Wheat is not well tolerated by many dogs so it may be worth changing him to a gluten free diet.

Many people have recommended Burns dog food to me but I didn’t give it to our dog because she was underweight and the pet shop said that James Well Beloved would be better for her:
http://www.burns-pet-nutrition.co.uk/

http://www.wellbeloved.com/

I also used to feed our dog Autarky:

http://www.autarky-foods.com/dog.htm

I could not feed her any “treats” (except a bit of meat off our roast dinner) without upsetting her stomach.

EDIT – just checked out your dog food and it has no wheat. You could try the Burns dog food though – loads of people swear it’s good. What has your vet said?
Good luck!

Q: What types of antibiotics to clear all harmful gastrointestinal bacteria?
Seems that I have some gastrointestinal bacterial infection that got me losing weight very rapidly with colitis symptoms and stomach spasms and vibration. Also dehydration. Getting colitis symptoms after eating sweets.

The docs that I saw couldn’t find anything though I haven’t seen a gastroenterologist. I am pretty sure it’s some kind of bacteria. I can’t afford to see a doctor.

I am taking amoxicillin and clarithromycin. I understand these target only certain types of bacteria. What other antibiotics should I take to target the other types? Thanks!
no, I didn’t have a stool test. I didn’t have blood in stool.

A: Did they do a stool test? Sometimes, GI infections that cause weight loss may not even be due to bacteria, but rather parasite. Get a stool test to check for presence of parasitic cysts. Also, is there any blood in the stool?

Q: issue with colon????please answer?
I recently had a colonoscopy and the doctor told me after the test that I have ulcerative colitis. I had been having symptoms such as (bloody stool) and diarrhea/constipation/some cramping for about four months before going to see this doctor for an answer to my problem. The one thing that I didn’t mention to her was that 4 months ago, as soon as I began taking 500 mg of the antibiotic cephalexin, these symptoms started, as mentioned above, which I had never had any issue with before. This antibiotic was prescribed for my dog but I started taking 2 a day for 2 weeks in order to lessen my severe acne at the time (bad decision, I know). After those two weeks the Cephalexin was done and I went to a dermatologist who prescribed me 100mg of minocycline. I took this for a few weeks but I eventually decided to stop because my symptoms that had started when I began taking the cephalexin had not gone away. I am supposed to call the physician who told me I have ulcerative colitis soon, should I tell her about this. I find it quite coincidental that these symptoms I never had before started as soon as i began taking cephalexin, perhaps this caused the colitis. I am very concerned about this, so I would greatly appreciate any one who could give me some advice about this. THANK YOU

A: Have a look at the links below, chances are the meds are what has caused your problem. You need to also take a look at your diet. Whole foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables would be a good idea for you right now. You also need to drink plenty of filtered water. Aloe vera gel taken internally can help to repair and heal your intestines. This may be worth looking into. Make sure the gel has the IASC seal of approval and that the shelf life is less than 12months. Be wary of gels that state they have over 95% aloe vera as these usually have lots of preservatives in them. Try to limit your intake of processed foods and meats as these add to the toxins and plaques in your body.
I hope this has helped you.

PS I have added another site for you look at, it has info in there about colitis.

Q: What could cause lower left abdominal pain?
I can definitely feel a sore spot and this pain is a pinching type of pain. I’ve had this for 6 months and have been to the doc once and she diagnosed as colitis–didn’t seem concerned. Gave me antibiotics and it seemed to go away or get better. Shortly thereafter, our adopted daughter was born and it has come back, but I have been ignoring it. It’s not SEVERE, but it is pinching. I notice when I bend over sometimes and when I’m holding her and she steps in a certain place on my abdomen. I have an appt. this week, but just wanted some possibilities. No other real symptoms…no change in bowel habits…nausea. Otherwise, I feel healthy, but am now getting worried about a mass or something horrible. Thanks so much!

A: This can be caused by numerous things. Try this site for more info:

http://www.fpnotebook.com/SUR71.htm

Q: Question about antibiotics?
I have been on a few courses of antibiotics now for tonsillitis/strep throat and the last one, Clindamycin, seemed to be finally working…

Of course I started to get diahreea then. This particular antibiotic can cause a problem called Psuedomembranous Colitis and so the doctor took me off of the med once I started having diahreea. I’m supposed to watch it for two days and if I dont get better return to the doctor.

The problem is that he hasnt put me on another antibiotic. My throat was begining to feel better, but still isnt even 100% and as I understand you should still be taking antibiotics days after the symptoms go away because the bacteria is still around and not killing them all will probably allow them to become more resistant to antibiotics.

My doctor wants me to just stay off antibodies now and see if the sore throat goes away on its own. How likely is it that its just goign to go away and if it comes back wont it be much more dangerous and harder to treat?

A: We use Grapefruit Seed Extract as an alternative to antibiotics for sore throat/throat infection. Dilute 10 drops in 6 oz of water and gargle. You can repeat 4-6 hours until you feel better. You can swallow, and it is okay to chase with a strongly flavored juice since it doesn’t taste so great. It works quite quickly. You shouldn’t need to go back to the doctor. We’ve never experienced a throat infection this didn’t help. Have also used it for ear infections at the same dilution.

Since you have been on antibiotics, I also suggest you repair the gut damage by adding a probiotic daily (2 hours away from the GSE or any antibiotic) to replenish the good bacteria in your gut. This should help with the diarhea. If you don’t want to take a probiotic pill, then kefir is the best probiotic containing food option. Yogurt is okay, but not as potent.

Q: Do you have Chron’s or colitis? If so can you tell if I do?
Here are my symptoms.

Well for years I noticed I was getting the “runs’ quite often, although not always but usually. This went on for years, but only recently have I been getting stomach problems. I thought I had an ulcer back in Feb. and it still might be that. I went to the ER and they said I had gastritis. I have a strong phobia concerning endoscopes and can’t bring myself to experience that, and I don’t care that I “won’t remember it” or “feel it”.

Im getting inflammation now, my stomach distends, even though I have lost weight (I had to make an effort to lose weight) my stomach should be flat, but it is not. Everytime I eat, I usually get pain and bloating if I eat too much, and I am having to cut my portions in half to be ok now. In Feb. I could only eat a few bites at a time, then I got better because I took antibiotics and watched what I eat. All this time I assumed I had IBS. Now Im wondering if I have an IBS related ulcer. I feel like I have more than one!
I am 42 and never started to have more serious and annoying problems until this age.

In Feb. I had a lot of acid and have been on acid reducers since. I don’t get gas much at all, just the distention of the stomach which is bad enough. It feels as though somethings pushing my stomach out, and it is kind of hard..but then it goes away. Food is aggravating it. Soft foods work better for me. I have had the classic “pain and heat behind the rib” of an ulcer, but I am getting pains in my lower left side like I have diverticulitis or something else. It scares me, but when it passes I forget about it. Its disturbing to feel so much going on in my core, because it feels like its the center of me.

I want to know if Chron’s and Colitis and these kinds of diseases are fatal, or manageable????? How can I avoid an endoscopy and get some other kind of test instead. I just can’t handle the endoscopy because of anxiety.

A: It sounds like either you have IBS or Crohn’s disease. However, I am not sure you need an endoscopic procedure but you do need to have a colonoscopy without question so that a proper diagnosis can be made. You are 42, get over the fear now b/c if you don’t and you leave these symptoms to florish untreated you can develop worse illnesses like colon cancer. Find a good gastroenterologist that will listen to and accomodate your needs and just get the test (or tests) done! IMO, why would you want to suffer through all the pain of crohn’s or IBS if you don’t have to??? Good luck!

Q: CT chest scan results show 8mm nodule and branching opacities. What does this mean?
I had the CT scan done on my lungs because of chronic chest infections. I have IgG subclass 2 and 4 deficiency and ulcerative colitis. My symptoms are that I am easily overexerted when exercising (even when I was extremely atheletic), chronic cough, wheezing, fatigue and headaches. My colitis is in remission. I am not taking any medications but took prednisone and some antibiotics to kick the 3 month chest infection. The scans were done about 2 weeks after the chest infection went away. I have had wheesing in my lungs for over 10 years and I am not a smoker.
It is not likely to be TB, been tested and x-rayed for it before. The scarring answer is highly possible. The talk to my doctor answer is lame and goes without saying. I have an appt to see a pulmonologist next week and to go to a cardiologist for an echocardiogram. I just wanted to know more about opacities and nodules. It that really bad, is it common, more details on what anyone thinks is great. No more go see your doctor responses please. I have quite a few of those I will be seeing soon enough.

A: there is a lump (nodule) in there and there are areas branching from it that are opaque. Prednisone is a steroid – that can lower your ability to fight infection. You probably have lung scarring from having pneumonia or something.

Q: Chronic lower abdominal pain (I’m scared to go to school)? Help?!?
I am a 17 year old female and I have been having chronic lower abdominal and lower back pain for the past 9 months. This all started in November 2008 when I got very sick for 2 weeks. During this period of time, I missed out on 2 weeks of school and was in so much pain that I couldn’t walk at all! The symptoms I had while I was sick were: frequent diarrhea (about every 10-45 minutes), body aches all over, chills, major lower abdominal pain (if you lightly pressed on my stomach I would double over crying in pain), lower back pain, nausea, vomitting, dizziness/faint feeling, sometimes bloody diarrhea. Over the course of 2 weeks I went to 4 different doctors and none of them could find out what was wrong. The first doctor specialized in internal medicine and prescribed meds to stop the diarrhea (which did NOT help) and meds to stop the nausea (which did NOT help). The second doctor said that it was just a stomach bug and continue to take what the first doctor prescribed. The third doctor was when I was rushed to a radiology clinic because I was in so much pain – I had an xray of my stomach and everything looked fine, but I had swollen lymphnodes (I don’t even know what those are). The 4th doctor was a GI doctor who thought I might have ulcerative colitis because my uncle has it and he also thought I might have Giardia because I had bought 2 ferrets a few days before I got sick. I refused to get the colonoscopy which would have either diagnosed or ruled out Ulcerative Colitis sooooo he put me on an antibiotic (Metronidazole/Flagyl) just in case. My symptoms cleared after 2 weeks and a few days.

HOWEVER…….. I’ve been having chronic lower abdominal pain and lower back pain ever since! I started eating completely healthy and working out 5 months ago in hopes that it would make me healthier…. the pain kept getting worse and worse !!! sooo I started eating a gluten free diet and the pain was alleviated, but it still comes back ! i’m having pain everyday now and it gets worse when I eat …. the pain will start 30 minutes immediately following my first meal of the day and persists throughout the day….. I still eat 100% healthy (fruits, veggies, nuts, fish, oatmeal, soymilk, natural peanutbutter) and I work out 6 days a week (I do 6 hours cardio per week and 2 hours of weight training)…..sometimes i’m in so much pain that i can barely workout….. now to my point…. My school starts this MONDAY and I’ll be a senior.. I’m scared to death to go to school because I know I’ll be in a LOT of pain….. I was in a lot of pain last year and was MISERABLE……… what should I do ????? Should I not eat anything at all until I get out of school at 3PM and then stop eating at 7PM (I don’t like to eat anything 3 hours before bedtime)???? but if I’m hungry all the time i won’t be able to focus either…… what do I dooooo ??

A: You need to get your life straight get the colonoscopy done rule out
early bowel or colon cancer and or pallops which turn bad in the lower GI to the upper GI this can develope to affect other organs and your heart is the worst. you might have aparasite inside that need to be clear by drugs or some procedures. Get two opinions and then have
the problems addressed or your gonna live in pain and worry for to long then your other parts of your life will unravel and your costing your family undue stress too. Do everyone a favor conquer your fears and do what others thankfully do find if you just have a eating problem some food changes and timeing will repair or is it physical and real
maybe some parasite or pallops or real trouble that can show inthe colonoscopy. Have them do a esophogial camera too to check you dont have some ulcerative issues which can make these colon p[roblems worst.
cheers
Get a full lower gi colon check with camera and blood analyisys.
hope for the best and dont worry if its bad you might have caught it soon enought not to have major failures later.
My father had his pallops cut out at 60 and best thing he ever did it saved him from full colone rectal cancer and they found a malignant
skin cancer on his head while they were looking at him they took a byopsy which saved him there from having his forehead removed
for it had set into the skull bones and was disolving his skull
attaching to the bone which it would have massed and caused him to loose his major front sight centers. Cancers are the worst worry if caught early they can be kept from causing major pain and death.
cheers he was always thankful he had gone to have his lower GI
colonoscopy I dread going but Im almost due im 49 dads now over 74
cheers

Q: Passing ONLY blood and mucus in stool…concerned!?
I am recovering from a bad bout of strep throat and my doctor put me on azithromycin, which is the antibiotic that only lasts 5 days. My strep has not cured as well as it should have in comparison to being on amoxicillian. I catch strep a lot because I am a teacher and a mother who has a school-age child…lots of germs from every angle!

Anyways, this antibiotic is kicking my butt….and today I’ve had loose stools and dizziness…but the stools consist of blood and mucus. Sadly, this is a side effect….but a rare one….for this medication. I called my doctor and he says to stop taking the meds and watch my stools this weekend. Should they not get better, I will have to get a scope to make sure all is okay in my GI track.

Problem is…my family has a history of Crohn’s, colitis, IBS and such….and these could be symptoms of those as well. It does scare me…and not sure if it’s really the meds or just a coincidence. I have some muscle aches, but no fever and no chills.

Any thoughts?? Anyone have experience in this??

A: I have had experience w/ passing only blood & mucus & I went in for a colonoscopy (?sp) and found out I had IBS. My family has a history of it too. That has been over 10 years ago & I have no sign of it anymore? Hopefully yours is a side effect from the meds and it will go away over the w/e!! Good luck. Let us know how it goes.