Neglected for care 31 years ,by doctors
Since 1992 I have had chronic constipation and bleeding. I first tried the emergency room,which only did urine tests. Since I did not have health insurance,I did not see a gastro untill 2015. Since 2015 ,I have seen 4 gastro' s,had 4 colonoscopies,and endoscopies. Unfortunately the tests said there were no complications. Yet I still suffer from constipation,bleeding,and now high blood markers for infection and possible cancer. None of my doctor's ( I have tried 4) acknowledge that I have a problem, other than it being in my head. As for my own experiences since 1992, I can say my flare ups happen during specific situations: stress, certain foods, sleep deprivation. My doctor's only prescribe linzess, and nexium,these only make the bleeding worse. Anyone have similar experience?
Yes, I passed from the same experience two years before, and now I am fine. Please consider my advice so you can stay healthy and get rid of constipation. I was actually in Pakistan at that time when I felt symptoms of constipation. There was a doctor (also the author of the blog named "remedy pot"😉. He advised me on some preventive measures along with some tablets for four days, and that advice worked. The significant points you have to consider in this regard are:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Do regular exercise.
3. Eat dates and bananas.
4. Never drink cold milk.
Hi
I know it is very frustrating at times trying to get a proper diagnosis. I think it happens to all of us.
I am curious though, have they done a fecal calprotectin or blood work to check for inflammatory markers?
What I have done in the past for constipation is simply to switch to a liquid diet and drink lots of water. Eliminating solid foods helped my intestines "relax" so they did not have to work and that helped, along with the water, to move things along.
Is the blood bright red? If so, that is usually a sign of hemorrhoids either externally or internally just inside the rectum.
I feel your frustration sorry because I too have had doctors tell me it was in my head, 34 years later, multiple operations, resections, hospital visits, medications, etc. I proved it was not in my head.
Let us know how you get on.
Vern - IBD Team Member
I'm so sorry you're not feeling heard. I have definitely experienced similar, and actually wrote about it recently: https://inflammatoryboweldisease.net/living/doctors-dont-listen-uc
Is the blood fresh, from straining to go perhaps? You can normally tell where in the intestine it's come from by its color. Bright red is from lower down, near the anus, and darker further up. Is there a lot in the bowl or is it just when you wipe?
- Sahara (team member)Can I ask what your experience has been with the Linzess? I also have severe constipation and UC, mine is closer to the base so I can use suppositories and the bleeding stops pretty quickly. I have had 4 colonoscopy's and unless I am in the middle of a flare up, they usually don't find anything when they do mine either. I think it depends on the severity of the disease. Thankfully mine is mild and other than the bright red bleeding when I would wipe, I didn't have any other indications when diagnosed. Good doctors are really hard to find these days! Hopefully you can find a doctor who will be helpful.
