posted
I was diagnosed with Lyme and co-infections in Aug 2006 by Dr. C and have had some ups and downs with meds for the for the first 18 months, but have done pretty well over all according to Dr. C.
I have not been on LymeNet in a long time as I had a long stretch of doing very well and working quite a bit until this spring when lots of things started happening with family. I am part of the sandwich generation (elderly parents and kids with grandkids), and things really hit the fan this spring. I have been so busy taking care of everyone else's emergencies or perceived emergencies that I have gotten run down physically, emotionally and spiritually...and yet they all want more, and they don't want to hear anything about my health, especially Lyme since they think I want to bring attention to myself because I try to inform people about Lyme at opportune times!
Anyway, I have been doing a lot of reading again on this forum the past few days trying to find out if anyone has had blood in their stools. I know that we can have many problems with our GI from these bugs, but has anyone had blood in their stools?
My primary care doctor could not get me in for weeks so I have seen her nurse practioner, whom I really like better than the doc. They have ordered a colonoscopy for this Thursday because my two symptoms of change in bowel habits and blood in stools are typical symptoms for cancer.
I have not had constipation since I was a child but it has slowly gotten worse since July and a month ago I was so impacted I was getting nauseous & bloated and was not having much or any stool for days. I normally eat a high fiber diet but because of traveling so much to take care of elderly divorced parents in another state I spent two months not getting the fiber I am used to. But, for the past two months I have been getting lots of fiber only it has gotten worse. I thought the problem is probably the bugs attacking the intestinal nerves so I am not getting the peristalsis (causing the constipation) and I thought the blood was from internal hemorrhoids as I have one that is just barely external and has bled in the past. The NP said I did not have any internal hemorrhoids...although I can feel very soft and what seems like swollen tissue just inside the anus...but I have not had pain like in the past with the swollen hemorrhoid.
Any thoughts???
I have not called Dr. C's office as it will cost $140 for a consult and I don't know if there is anything they would do or if they could even schedule it before my colonoscopy. I have given the gastroenterologist's nurse Cr. C's ph#. I do know the gastroenterologist as I went to the same church as he a few years back. And the nurse told me that he read the article by Dr Sherr about Bel Palsy of the Gut. I will see him for the first time just before the colonoscopy.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks,
-------------------- God's mercies are new every morning.
Karla Posts: 85 | From KANSAS | Registered: Jul 2006
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bettyg
Unregistered
posted
karla,
is it a LARGE AMOUNT of blood or just a very small, minute amount?
i too thought of hemmorhoids. i was trying to think of 1 other thing that causes blood in stools; but lyme fog hit ... can't think of it.
best to get it checked out for good.
time to educate your kids about your lyme disease. did you buy UNDER OUR SKIN? or ask your local library to buy it, and then check it out.
learn to say NO will help you too, and do NOT feel guilty for saying it. we want to keep you around as long as we can too.
best wishes! praying for good answes.
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glm1111
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 16556
posted
Anal prolapse can be a symptom of worms, which along with parasites can be a major part of Lyme disease.
You might also have some fissures on your anus. Bright red blood is usually not a cause for alarm, but dark blood is.
Google anal prolapse and causes + worms and you can see for yourself.
Take care of YOURSELF, cause it seems like everyone around you is mostly concerned about themselves.
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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I have tried to educate my sons, but they have wives who don't care for me and they all just keep bringing up about one neighbor who got treatment immediately by a doctor here about 15yrs ago because he had such a reaction to a tick bite and the man has never had to deal with any symptoms after he was treated so I should not have any symptoms...
and when I try to get them to read the literature they won't even look at it and they tell me that I can't trust much of what I get off the internet! They think I'm a hypochondriac
One of the wives is a nurse and told me she will never ask me about my health!
When I bring up about the other neighbor that was finally diagnosed with Lyme about six months before he committed suicide (4 yrs ago) because he was so sick and then of course it was in his brain (many doctors in this area told him that since he had had a round of antibiotic if it was Lyme he was cured and any sickness was from his mind).... anyway my sons/daughter-in-laws told me that he probably was physically sick but I'm not sick like him, so quit trying to use this quasi disease to get attention and sympathy.
I will look into asking my library to get the UNDER THE SKIN video, but I don't think they will watch it...at least maybe someone in this town would and become educated.
I have been thinking that this might be parasites in conjunction with Lyme...the NP seems to be indicating that the bleeding was not from the anus/rectum area.
I have not had any fresh blood for at least 6 weeks (and it was never a lot, but sometimes a little more than a little). There have been times up to about 2 weeks ago that the stools have been very dark completely or in patches - so that might be old blood from higher up.
I think it was the Bel Palsy of the Gut article by Dr. Sherr that spoke of biopsies from the colon that tested positive for Lyme...so is this something that I should have done if they can't find anything with the scope??
Hopefully others will chime in.
-------------------- God's mercies are new every morning.
Karla Posts: 85 | From KANSAS | Registered: Jul 2006
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glm1111
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 16556
posted
Karla,
I have had the same responses from my family and so have many others here. I decided I was just not going to bring it up anymore.
They don't get it, don't want to get it and it becomes a futile point.
I told my daughter-in-law 5yrs ago her father had Lyme. She and my son poo-pooed me.
He was finally diagnosed last year, but it was too late. He passed away last month. I had to bite my tongue.
It's hard, but stop stressing yourself out. As far as the Bells Palsy goes, I have it myself.
Check out www.lymephotos.com This is what came pouring out of me and many others when I started tx for parasites.
I believe PARASITES AND WORMS ARE A MAJOR PART OF LYME DISEASE.
-------------------- PARASITES/WORMS ARE NOW RECOGNIZED AS THE NUMBER 1 CO-INFECTION IN LYME DISEASE BY ILADS* Posts: 6418 | From philadelphia pa | Registered: Jul 2008
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
Sorry your family is not more supportive.
My Kaiser saga....
I had blood in my stool for days and a what seemed like a lot to me. This happened 14 times a day. I had received a bulls eye rash before this happened but was not diagnosed yet at the time.
I had Kaiser unfortunately at the time and they could not get me in to see a gastro MD so I had to go outside of Kaiser to get seen on a Friday after many failed attempts that week to get seen at Kaiser. Kaiser kept giving me regular MDs who were zero help even after pleas for a gastro MD and calls to Patient Relations.
That Friday I received a sigmoidoscopy from the MD I went to outside of Kaiser. He put me on a liquid diet and told to take apple pectin and to call him that weekend if I felt any worse. At one point I really felt like I was dying.
The Kaiser MD when I had begged him to see me said he could not fit me in until that Monday and that I would be interrupting his lunch. His nurse assured me I was not dehydrated because I could still urinate but she was WRONG.
Luckily the gastro MD I went to knew the gastro MD at Kaiser very well because they use to be partners and I was seen at Kaiser that following Monday interrupting the ducks lunch break. He had me admitted to the hospital for dehydration that same day. I was promised a private room because I was so ill but did not receive a private room.
I was put on an IV with designer antibiotics. I wish I knew what they were but I don't recall. They made me stay on a liquid diet and I was very thin and wasting away. When I asked if gluten could cause this the Kaiser MD laughed in my face.
The bloody stools stopped at some point and I escaped from Kaiser Hospital hell after 3 days and some begging to let me go home.
When I started eating bread again my stools became bloody again.
They later diagnosed me with "Chronic Ulcerous Colitis". I don't think their diagnosis is right. I think it was possible bart or parasites or both and I have not had problems for years with blood in my stool or loose stools. I did give up gluten.
Are you still eating gluten? If so maybe stop eating it and see if your stools go back to normal. I refused to take the drugs they wanted me to take for life and my colitis went away without any drugs.
I do think the tinctures of marshmallow root, ginger and goldenseal can help. You only need to take the goldenseal while you are having blood in your stool. It will help to heal the infection.
I think gluten and stress added to my problem and the fact that I did not have better and more prompt medical care.
I hope you start to feel better soon!
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I thought that diarrhea was always a symptom of gluten intolerance, not constipation.
I have had a few bowel movements on my own this past week (I was having to do enemas for a couple weeks because I could not have a bm on my own). I have even had two bms that were not formed "balls", they were almost like my normal long cylindrical bms....never thought I would ever be talking happily about a bm!
Through these last 4 months of constipation and even when I did pass some blood, I have never had pain....until today! I hope the pain on my lower right side goes away by Wed morning when I have to start my colon flush.
I had gone to the lymephotos website again about a week ago and I started taking more ascorbic acid (with added baking soda for flushing) and salt. I also started taking oil of clove drops in food as I read that it is also supposed to kill parasites. And around the beginning of the year I started taking iodine and went off my Armour thyroid...I have read that Iodine kills a lot of "bugs"... and I won't be shutting down my thyroid since exogenous thyroid hormone down regulates the thyroid.
I wanted to get a parasite cleanse but didn't have time to complete a cleanse before the colonoscopy...and I couldn't decided which one was best... or even if it would interact negatively with the ascorbic acid and salt treatment.
I've upped my liver detox supplements for these few days before the colonoscopy hoping that in case anything happens my liver will be ready for clearing any toxins efficiently.
I almost forgot...last night I had the creepy feeling that "bugs" were crawling under my skin on my torso, around left eye and right leg - haven't had this since the beggining of my symptoms that drove me to seek out a LLMD.
^^up for any more thoughts or suggestions.
-------------------- God's mercies are new every morning.
Karla Posts: 85 | From KANSAS | Registered: Jul 2006
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sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
I don't know what to say about the blood in your stools. There are some very good herbal and alternative remedies for constipation, though.
Cascara sagrada, the green part of the aloe (aloe vera), psylium seeds, prunes & prune juice, bran muffins, senna leaves, licorice root, etc.
Also, be sure to drink plenty of water.
I hope you can find the support you need. We all know it's not easy... Good luck!
Posts: 7772 | From Northeast, again... | Registered: Oct 2006
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posted
Hey KMP, Please, please keep us posted about your proceedure. I am praying for you! Bebfire
-------------------- The Lord is my strength and my song
CDC/Igenex- Positive IGG 31+/- 34+/- 41++ IGM 23-25+++ 31+ 34+/- 39+/- 41+ Posts: 50 | From San Diego | Registered: Nov 2008
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
Are you taking lots of Vitamin C? That can upset a sensitive stomach especially if you have type A blood? I take very low doses of C or my stomach hurts.
I have a question about this sentence "I have even had two bms that were not formed "balls", they were almost like my normal long cylindrical bms"
Are bms suppose to be formed balls or cylindrical bms and does it make a difference? I have both kinds and never thought about it before? Does the difference mean anything?
My naturopath was recently asking me a bunch of questions about elimination and I did not think to mention some are balls and some are cylinders.
If you can drink ginger tea all day long made from the fresh root. A homeopath had me do this once when I had blood in my stool along with taking the tinctures she mixed for me of marshmallow root ginger and goldenseal and my bloody stools went away.
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I started taking Vit C with baking soda and salt only about 11 days ago and it is not a large amount...no stomache problems. Yesterday though I had pain in my lower abdomen on the right side, but I am fine today. I have not had blood for about a month.
quote:
quote:
Yes, the form of the stool is important. Stools should be long and cylindrical and "loosely formed" but not runny or highly formed like the "balls".
quote:
Did you every get a colonoscopy to verify that the blood was not from cancerous polyps or benign polyps? Did the naturopath say it was from parasites or Lyme? And did it only happen once?
I tried to use the "quote" instant UBB Code on this reply but it is not showing up on the preview...I wonder what happened and if this looks right...I may have to edit it(I've never done an edit before - I'm not real tech literate).
-------------------- God's mercies are new every morning.
Karla Posts: 85 | From KANSAS | Registered: Jul 2006
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
I have not had blood in my stools for years. I have had my share of colonoscopys but not recently nor do I care to. I think they are too invasive.
What is wrong with the bm balls? Never thought I would be asking that question in a public forum but need to know.
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posted
BM balls mean you are reabsorbing material that could be toxic...either because you are not getting enough water and fiber to make the bowel move...or the nerves that create the peristaltic movement are damaged.
Recently had a neighbor who had much of her colon removed because it had twisted and collapsed after years of constipation...no one in the medical community told her that she would have problems down the road if she didn't start getting enough fiber or if there was a problem that fiber wouldn't not have helped that they should look into it (maybe because they were in the military - makes you wonder about military doctors)! She almost died before she had an emergency operation to remove that area.
-------------------- God's mercies are new every morning.
Karla Posts: 85 | From KANSAS | Registered: Jul 2006
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
Maybe she had Kaiser. I can't say the treatment I had there matched their radio and television ads which make Kaiser out to be a wonderful caring medical spa. My experience was the opposite.
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posted
Update: The colonoscopy was apparently eventless. The gastro dr told me that I have external hemorrhoids (which can not be seen except from the inside...so why do they call them external?) and that was where the blood was coming from.
He also said my colon had a brown pigment to it and called it melanosis coli...he said it comes from senna or cascara which I have had neither. But found that anathroids, which Aloe (I have been taking it) does contain causing the brown pigmentation. And my lit search shows much controversy about melanosis coli and colon problems.
Then he said that the severe constipation was a result of having children and a hysterectomy that have caused my colon muscles to become weak....never heard of this!!! I am thinking it must be the Lyme working on the colon nerves.
-------------------- God's mercies are new every morning.
Karla Posts: 85 | From KANSAS | Registered: Jul 2006
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posted
Hi Karla My daughter, who has Lyme is going through this right now. Last week she went to the ER with severe abdominal pain. She also had blood in it - not fresh. She also has been constipated for days on end before, bloated and miserable. She goes from constipation to diarrhea and seldom ever has anything colse to a normal BM. Her LLMD ordered her to see a gastroentrologist and she is scheduled for a endoscopy in December. I have never heard of "Bel Palsy of the Gut" but this sounds like something I should check out for her. Can you provide a link to the article you talked about? I would really appreciate it. I hope you get some answers and feel better soon. Blessings to you, -p
Posts: 641 | From So. CA | Registered: May 2008
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sparkle7
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10397
posted
"Bell's Palsy of the Gut" and Other GI Manifestations of Lyme and Associated Diseases
PRACTICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY April 2006 by Virginia T. Sherr, MD
posted
sparkle - Thank you for the link to the article - I'm printing it to read later. -p
Posts: 641 | From So. CA | Registered: May 2008
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