Elimination Diet Here I Come!!

[CarrieAnn]

The doctor said that they saw some "small ulcers" on the left side. When they biopsied it ( I got the results back yesterday) I asked my doctor the same thing. She said that they noticed lymphocytes in the pathology report...so the diagnosis is LC as opposed to Ulcerative Colitis. Which is strange, because 1) I'm not sure I get if they actually SAW ulcers in the colon and 2) 5 years ago I was diagnosed (by biopsy of colon) with CC...now apparently I don't have that but I have LC? Seems odd...

Anyway they put me BACK on Endocort (and I'm still taking the Lialda). I had blood work to test metabolites and the doc said I was "teetering on the brink" of needing to go to the hospital. That I was dehydrated but not SEVERELY so, my sodium was low, and my potassium was the "lower end of normal". So she said drink lots of fluids with electrolytes...Mostly I drank Gatorade or Pedailyte mixed with water.

Then as I said, I started vomiting...was up half the night going to the bathroom and my boyfriend said that when I was sleeping that I was thrashing around everywhere and crying out.

Got up this morning trying to decide what to do. I felt like I had the worst hangover ever. Head pounding, back ache, stomach hurting so bad I broke down and cried. VERY weak muscles. Blurred vision, dizziness etc.

So I'm still drinking water (slowly, so as not to puke) and waiting for my boyfriend to get here to take me to the hospital for some fluids.

AAARRRRGHHHHH!!!!!!

[sarkin]

Carrie,

I'm so sorry to hear it - and relieved to hear you're on the way to rehydration. You're making the right call. Once you get this behind you, hopefully you can start to heal with medication and your determination to nail down this diet beast. I bet you feel "reinflated" once the fluids get where they need to go, and I hope you feel better very quickly.

All my best, and please keep us posted when you get a chance,

Sara

[tex]

Carrie,

When I read your previous post, (about your doc noticing visible "ulcers" during the colonoscopy exam), I was convinced that the diagnosis would be UC. I'm relieved to see that it wasn't, however, I don't see how you could have "ulcers" visible through the colonoscope, and not have UC. Do you have a copy of the pathology report - that would be very interesting reading, I believe.

If you don't have a copy of the pathology report, did anyone mention elevated nitrotyrosine levels, or neutrophils, by any chance?

As far as the diagnosis change from CC to LC is concerned, it's very common for the disease to segue between the two types. That simply means that the collagen layers in the lamina propria of your colon have returned to normal thickness, while the lymphocytic infiltration has increased. That can also be caused by taking biopsies in different locations in the colon, and to a limited extent, it could be due to a different method of interpreting the markers in the prepared samples, when viewed through the microscope, (IOW, a difference of opinion between two different pathologists). It's the same disease, and the shift from one predominant marker to the other is really of academic interest only - that difference doesn't materially change your diagnosis, nor does it change the preferred treatment.

One thing to keep in mind is that it's possible that the clean out solution caused additional inflammation in your already-sensitive digestive tract. IOW, it's possible that the prep solution caused the small ulcers that were visible during the exam. Your current nausea issues lends support to that theory, since your stomach is now apparently inflamed, as well. Which clean out solution did you use? At least one previously-popular product has been withdrawn from the market, because of that problem.

I hope you can get some relief soon, and the flare settles down quickly.

Tex

[CarrieAnn]

Well I'm back. I went to the ER and even after 3 1000 mL bags of fluid was still dehydrated. They admitted me to the hospital and I was there for 7 days. They were trying to get my symptoms under control but I was still so sick and weak I could barely do anything.

So basically, they are now calling this "indeterminate colitis". Another doctor also saw me while I was there and performed an upper endoscopy, finding ulcers in my esophagus from acid reflux...waiting on the biopsy results from that test now. The following day, the doctor performed a barium x-ray which was super fun as well. SO...still no results from that one either. But the fact that these tests were performed leads me to believe that they are leaning toward a diagnosis of UC.

Need to follow up with my doctor next week but in the meantime, I'm just trying to take it easy and stay hydrated. On discharge orders, the doctor also said that I should stop eating Gluten...so there's that too...