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Frustrated!Anyone had similar experience - Bowels

MrsS18
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Hi Everyone

I am currently waiting on a colonoscopy after a positive fit of 72. I would like to share my symptoms and also have a little rant and see if anyone has a similar experience. Sorry if this is long

A lot of years ago, I am not sure how many but definetly 8 minimum I had an episode where I started having severe stomach cramps, this was pain like I had never known.I went to the toilet and had a couple of episodes of diarhea and then just started passing blood. I would get a severe cramp which would be relieved by passing blood or passing gas. I was admitted to hospital after 2 trips to emergency doctor that night. They put me on a drip and monitored me and it stopped pretty much 24 hours later, I went on with life. Now this has happened to me several times , once a year , maybe have had a year where it didn't happen here and there.
Over the years it has changed as in sometiimes it will last 2 or 3 days but only severe for the first 24 hours. Last couple of times I have vomitted aswell. I have been in hospital 2 or 3 times now. Blood is always fresh red or pink and it is only blood coming out. Had many rectal exams and one abdominal xray. Nothing ever found and I go back to normal. Between episodes I do sometimes have a nervous tummy when I have anxiety attacks and panic attacks and over the past couple of years I have noticed certain things I eat can make me have a bad stomach after but never lasts. I found out every episode I have had has been put down as gastroenteritis.
I had the latest episode before Christmas last year, lasted a few days but not as severe as previous episodes and stopped then bowels back to normal within a few days but this time I had some bad pain after eating or drinking for about another week, this pain was high up on my stomach. When I went to the doc this time she ordered blood tests which found I was borderline aneamic which I have been for years but this time she gave me iron tabs which completely messed up my stomach. I am off them now and everything back to normal.
however I did do a fit test a couple of weeks after the bleeding and it came back at 72 and I was told I would be referred urgently, week and a half after referral I got a letter for an appointment in another 2 weeks which I had today. The consultant couldn't have sounded less uninterested and said It was reasonable to gibe me a colonoscopy and I would be booked in and he had marked it as urgent.

Now as stated I have mental health issues and had a full panic attack and ended up at gdcos the other night and spoke to doc there about everything and she said it sounded like ibd as it comes and goes, likes flares up.

My own doc said my bloods with the fit didn't point to anything sinister but I would need the colonoscopy to see what is going on.
I feel frustrated as this has been going on for so many years and I have been told I am fine get on with it and then all of a sudden there are tests and urgent referalls. Why hasn't this been done before now. I have been asked questions by doctors like did I just have any "trauma" to the area, I got told I am too old for chrons and too young for colitis, I was asked by a FEMALE doctor how could I be sure it wasn't my period.I feel so let down by the health care system, no stool tests, no allergy or intolerance tests.
I thought the specialist today might say they would see me but it wouldnn't be urgent as it happens once a year but now he has said this I am thinking oh no, what does he think that its urgent.
I have just turned 39 and was in my early 30's when this started.

Time line, 2 weeks before christmas - episode
blood test week of christmas
fit test17th Jan
Results and referal 1st Feb
letter for appointment 11th Feb
telephone appointment 25th feb with recommended colonoscopy marked urgent

Please let me know if anyone has any words of advice or been in a similar situation

Thank you for reading and well done if you made it all the way through lol.

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    Hi I know this is all worrying for you, especially when you don't know what's going on , hopefully they can make some form of diagnosis this time and treat you for it. Given the length of time it's been going on and only flare ups I would have thought if anything sinister it would only get worse and show up on tests you've had.

     

    Di you have hemoroids at all? As they can cause rrctal bleeding ,internal and external and usually bright red blood as you said. Although I don't have issues like that my mum gets the bleeding and some if the issues you get and it's her internal piles. 

     

    My partner has slot of episodes diorea , blood right red although he's not had any testing done as he suffers major health anxiety he does have IBS so does my sister both of them now take probiotics unibac ones from sweet cures they are brilliant, it's yiurgut microme, particularly if you've had gastentritous you would benefit from some healthy gut bacteria like probiotics. I've just been on probiotics taken in-between my antibiotics I always have issues with antibiotics and had non at all this time cause ihad probiotics. My partner has alsorts if issues lactose intolerance , acid reflux, heartburn lots of things like cucumbers can't eat go right through him so he started taking probiotics and he said his stomach is so settled no dioreah, no constipation can eat onions and cucumbers now with no effect, no heartburn no GERD he says they are brilliant, Dane with my sister cause she got a bad case if Cdiff years ago after two lots of antibiotics she almost ended up in hospital and the probiotics saved her! She swears by them, she's no gallbladder she had that out years ago, fir her IBS she takes fibrogel through the doctirs the only flare ups she has now is when her sleep is disturbed and the times she eats etc but few and far between with stomach issues. Probiotics won't harm you so worth trying them. They aren't cheap but worth their weight in gold...we have the unibac 9 strain which is enough for everyday use .. you dint have to take them all the time but just until you feel things have settled a bit.

     

    So sorry you're worrying I know what that feels like as it looks like I have breast cancer and I'm terrified ,particularly as I have a disabled child that depends on me xxx

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    I hear you.

    I can validate your concerns & worries. You might like to read my story(just click on my profile)

    My FIT test was 400+ and I was told my colonoscopy & sigmoidoscopy were "fine".

    Three years I was being fobbed off till I did a rectal examination myself and found a large lump. Long story short within 2 weeks of finding that lump I was referred back to colorectal and the cancerous tumour was found Dec 22nd 2022

    I began chemotherapy & radiotherapy on 1st Feb 2023 and is presently ongoing.

    The best advice I can give is that you know your own body better than anyone so if you are not satisfied with any response or action, do not let it go.

    Wishing you the very best.

    S x

    .

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