sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
I'm supposed to have a colonoscopy and EGD today but unfortunately the prep is not working... (at least not on time).
Since yesterday I've taken 14 doses of Miralax (with 14cups of Gatorade), 2 doses of Ducolax, and have done 2 "extra large" fleets enemas. So far, no results, no bowel movement!!!
My abdomen is so distended and painful. This is ultra scary.
I've called the doctor and he still want's to see me because this is not good. He also wants to go ahead with the EGD. My appt is 11:45am
I just can't deal with anything else right now.
If you pray, please pray for me.
Thank you friends.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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lax mom
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 38743
posted
Praying for you sammy!
You have been through so much. I hope you start feeling much, much better ASAP!
posted
Thinking of you...hope things move along soon!
Posts: 120 | From MA | Registered: May 2010
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poppy
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5355
posted
Big doses of magnesium? As in milk of magnesia.
Constipation in lyme people typically is either hypothyroidism or nerve infection by borrelia that affect the GI tract. Or both.
Posts: 2888 | From USA | Registered: Mar 2004
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posted
Thank goodness you are getting this examined. I had this happen -- it was due to inflammation in the gut. If you aren't getting results with what you've already taken, something is very wrong.
My thoughts are with you!
-------------------- "Looks like freedom but it feels like death.. It's something in between, I guess"
Leonard Cohen, from the song "Closing Time" Posts: 822 | From California | Registered: Jan 2006
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
i hope it isnt a blockage. i was hospitalized for 3 weeks once cuz of no bm...i wasnt really in pain-but was really scared...they thought it was cancer.
nothing was working
a nurse sneaked me in cod liver oil in the middle of the night. i went home the next day with an ibs dx. i didnt know i had lyme at the time
shes been thru so much. hope this turns out well.
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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susank
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 22150
posted
praying for you Sammy - please post back soon.
-------------------- Pos.Bb culture 2012 Labcorp - no bands ever Igenex - Neg. 4 times With overall bands: IGM 18,28,41,66 IND: 23-25,34,39 IGG 41,58 IND: 39 Bart H IGG 40 Posts: 1613 | From Texas | Registered: Aug 2009
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posted
Praying for the best. Hope you conquer this battle very soon. Feel better !! KW
-------------------- KentuckyWoman tired of medical run-arounds
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. ~ ~ Robert Frost Posts: 221 | From Kentucky | Registered: Sep 2012
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Catgirl
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 31149
posted
Yeast causes distention in me along with constipation. Ipkayak's cod liver oil sounds like it might be a good idea. Oils help push it through. Hang in there Sammy.
-------------------- --Keep an open mind about everything. Also, remember to visit ACTIVISM (we can change things together). Posts: 5418 | From earth | Registered: Mar 2011
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posted
Praying for you Sammy!
Posts: 69 | From Birmingham, AL 35242 | Registered: Sep 2008
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
It's been a long day. Thank you for your kind thoughts and prayers friends.
My doctor was able to complete the EGD and he did the colonoscopy as far as he could. He was able to see the descending and transverse colon but could not visualize the ascending colon well (because prep didn't reach it).
He said that the prep must have stayed up in my small bowel causing the abdominal distention and pain. That it didn't have time to move through yet because of my severe gastroparesis. (Which he still doesn't seem to believe me is so bad!)
He was able to do most of the colonoscopy because I had been trying to keep regular. So my lower bowel was already being routinely emptied out. The fleets that I did just washed it clean.
Even though I still have such severe abdominal pain and distention he sent me home. He thinks that it will gradually work through over the next couple days.
I'm supposed to try to keep eating small amounts of soft foods and drink lots of fluids. Even though I don't feel like eating or drinking anything!
My mom made me eat a little chicken noodle soup about an hour ago and it actually made my stomach gurgle and start to move. So maybe this eating and drinking thing will be good, to stimulate peristalsis. Even though it is opposite of what my body seems to want.
I was told that my tests results were OK. The EGD showed gastritis, now duodenitis but the bad ulcer is healed (yay!). The colonoscopy did not find active ulcerative colitis but it did find an area of inflammation that was biopsied. There were several biopsies taken from both tests.
So I'm glad home, praying that this pain goes away soon!
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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Sammi
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 110
posted
Wow sammy, you have been through SO much!
I am glad things turned out okay, but I am sorry you are so uncomfortable. I agree that eating is probably a good thing to get things going. It is good that your ulcer has healed.
I hope the pain lets up soon. Hang in there okay?
Posts: 4681 | Registered: Oct 2000
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posted
Family is praying for you.
Posts: 538 | From kentucky | Registered: Nov 2011
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
"So maybe this eating and drinking thing will be good, to stimulate peristalsis."
when i was in the hosp the specialist kept sayiing this...he couldnt believe i had been there so long-was not even in pain-was eating and it wouldnt go thru.
i guess they are trained to believe that...it was like if he taught me what was correct i would go...
i hope it straightenes out soon.
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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susank
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 22150
posted
sammy - when horses are impacted they are given oil by NG tube. not that i suggest a tube... but what about an oil intake somehow?
does anything else ever "get you going"? like coffee or Dr Pepper?
-------------------- Pos.Bb culture 2012 Labcorp - no bands ever Igenex - Neg. 4 times With overall bands: IGM 18,28,41,66 IND: 23-25,34,39 IGG 41,58 IND: 39 Bart H IGG 40 Posts: 1613 | From Texas | Registered: Aug 2009
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Razzle
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 30398
posted
Ginger, peppermint, exercise (deep breathing if you can't do anything else), gentle abdominal massage can all help with motility in the gut.
Fats & oils slow stomach emptying; sugar may increase it but not sure you want to take sugar...fruit juice may be ok if you make it yourself fresh with lower sugar fruits (like blueberries or green apples).
Liquids and a low fiber, low fat diet are easier to tolerate for most with Gastroparesis. Soluble fiber is also ok, insoluble fiber is what slows down stomach emptying.
Chewing gum may also promote stomach emptying...look for xylitol sweetened gum, vs. gum with nutra-sweet or other artificial sweeteners.
Unfortunately, most GI doctors are clueless about gastroparesis...and how bad it can be for the patient, even if it is only "mild" slowing.
Also, some medications can slow stomach emptying (opioid pain killers, anticholinergics).
Prokinetic meds include Reglan and Domperidone, and cholinergics such as Mestinon can also help with stomach emptying.
A big dose of Magnesium (1000mg or more all at once) and Vitamin C (3000mg or more all at once) can also help "clean you out" if taken with lots of water.
-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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-------------------- -Razzle Lyme IgM IGeneX Pos. 18+++, 23-25+, 30++, 31+, 34++, 39 IND, 83-93 IND; IgG IGeneX Neg. 30+, 39 IND; Mayo/CDC Pos. IgM 23+, 39+; IgG Mayo/CDC Neg. band 41+; Bart. (clinical dx; Fry Labs neg. for all coinfections), sx >30 yrs. Posts: 4166 | From WA | Registered: Feb 2011
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
My actual GI diagnosis is "post viral functional vagal neuropathy and severe gastroparesis".
That diagnosis was made when it was clear that I was terribly sick with some sort of infection but the doctors did not know what yet. It took 3 more years before I would be properly diagnosed with Lyme, babesia, bartonella, mycoplasma, CPN, and CMV.
Cozynana, colonics were not a good experience for me. I had a well respected ND recommend them so I tried the treatments twice. Both times the all of the water went in but none of it would come back out (deep massage and repositioning did not help either). Talk about misery! It totally did not work for me. Of course then I went home with abdominal distention and horrible pain and episodes of diarrhea for a week.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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sammy
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 13952
posted
I think that the horrible stomach virus that I had back in Oct (that landed me in the hospital for 19days) cleaned me out completely. And I've been trying to keep things regular ever since. So I must not have been backed up as bad as a normal patient usually is.
I had been taking about 4grams of Mag (mixed of malate, glycinate, etc, oxide). Amitiza twice daily and 1 dose of Miralax as needed.
(Gross warning) I woke up last night and passed a bunch of yellow liquid. My distention is much better now. It is still gurgly and uncomfortable in general. And I still get sharp, double you over, stabbing knife type pains in there. But it is better than yesterday.
I need to try to drink more today because I have IVIG and labs tomorrow.
Razzle, Thanks for the suggestions. There are a few things that I have not tried. I may get some fruit juice to sip on every now and then to see if it can kick start some peristalsis. I forgot because that is a great laxative for babies and small children.
I'm already supposed to be taking Reglan 4x per day (before each meal and bed). I tried taking it continuously but it didn't seem to help much. I still had vomiting. I was still unable to eat more than twice a day. So now I only take it twice a day before I eat. This helps some.
So I eat twice a day and the only way I keep that food down all the time is because I'm taking zofran 4 times a day. Maybe I'll retry the Reglan 4x per day again.
Before I got hospitalized for the virus and the vertigo, the vomiting had gotten so bad that I was rarely keeping any nutrition down. It was scary. Since I've been on the zofran I've gained 10lbs just from eating twice daily again.
Yesterday my GI doctor told me to "watch my weight" (implying I started to gain too much or should not lose anything...?). I feel like he is clueless. He was not pleased to hear that I was doing well because I was taking zofran 4x daily along with the Reglan. He is convinced that the reglan should be enough because he doesn't think that I should need the reglan in the first place!
I wish he knew what it was like to projectile vomit his food 6-8hrs after eating it! He might reconsider he attitude.
Sorry for the vent. I needed to let go of that frustration.
Posts: 5237 | From here | Registered: Nov 2007
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One simple thing you could try would be a warm bath. That can relax the muscles and help you go. It would probably be even better if it was an epsom salts bath.
Have you tried phoschol or lecithin? -- those supllements are cholinergic and could help.
Hope you get this problem solved soon.
Bea Seibert
Posts: 7306 | From Martinsville,VA,USA | Registered: Oct 2004
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map1131
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 2022
posted
Sammy, nothing like a bunch of people cheering you on to have a BM. Go girl
Pam
-------------------- "Never, never, never, never, never give up" Winston Churchill Posts: 6478 | From Louisville, Ky | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Sammy, try to see a competent acupuncturist. I had problems with Bell's Palsy and had several treatments with a TENS unit and of course steroid treatment, but my nerves in my face came around.
Map 1131, I love your toilets...or are they bidets?
Posts: 482 | From Oregon | Registered: Feb 2011
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