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[connie]

Back again for more help. Sorry, I am struggling.
I have been on the diet for about 6 weeks. Trying to avoid gluten, dairy, soy and corn. I haven't had the big D for weeks. My bowel movements seem normal and once a day. I am on 6mg Entocort. I have been at home and not working for the past two weeks, trying to make a come back from complete exhaustion. I had been eating so little I think my body just quit on me.

I have had a lot of swelling in my abdomen and pain. The pain seems to be in the middle when my gut is swollen but if I don't have swelling than the pain is right sided. I am guessing I must have a severe curve in my intestine because during my colonoscopy I had pain when the GI got to that area. I was miserable for a couple days after the colonscopy on the right side.

Today I had an attack of pain that nearly brought me to my knees. My whole digestive system seems to be on the war path.

I did have an ultrasound today to look at my gall bladder, liver and kidneys. My internist wanted to be sure the pain wasn't coming from somewhere else. I think the ultrasound probably won't show anything because I think it's my digestive system that is whacked out.

When I told my internist about the extreme fatique she said I have "control issues" and depression. I am sure I am having control issues and depression but the pain and misery seem pretty real. I don't know if I should have further testing or just keep hoping it's going to resolve? Can MC just wear a person down to nothing? I have toughed it through a lot of stuff but this has been hard. I don't know where to go from here.
thanks Connie

[tex]

Connie,

FWIW, when I was reacting, and before the diet started helping to control the symptoms, I often had cramps that would sometimes cause my knees to buckle, when they were really severe. And yes, when I was severely bloated, the pain would be almost continuous, and sometimes it would feel as if something were being torn loose, or torn apart, internally, especially right where my belly button is located. Not everyone gets those pains with MC, but quite a few of us do. When I was really bloated, even my bladder would hurt, and it wouldn't hold much, presumably because there wasn't any room left for it. Some doctors claim that MC is painless, but those doctors don't know what they're talking about.

My reactions weren't continuous. I alternated between D and C, but during the periods of D, I usually felt exhausted, and sleepy, and sometimes I was so weak that I couldn't work, or I was only able to move as if I were about a hundred years old. Also, there were certain times when the bloating and pain were severe, and the MC wouldn't let me urinate, without initiating a bowel movement. That might not be a serious problem for ladies, but for us guys, it's really bad news, since we don't generally sit, to empty our bladder.

I can remember a lot of days when the need to empty my bladder, was an accident waiting to happen. You bet, MC can really get to you, after a while, but you have to keep an optimistic frame of mind, and don't ever let it really get you down. You will start feeling better, one of these days - never doubt that.

Tex

[barbaranoela]

Connie----MC can drag U into the deepest muck of mud---depression just *luves* to keep U in its grip~~~

Keep your spirits up---and know that U WILL get to that *wellness* road~~~~


Barbara


Just a thought---perhaps a dye contrast MRI/CAT scan would show something more positive--this would check everything in your *inners*

A plain ultrasound--my opinion---doesnt pin point everything=--

I recently had one done----which checked my entire inner workings!!!

Hope U feel better---

Barbara

[harma]

hi connie, sorry to hear you feel so bad. I know exactly what you are talking about, I experience similar problems at the moment. I was diagnosed with MC 6 weeks ago and am on Bedunofalk now. For the D it works great, from day one. But than there come all the other problems, especially the pain, I call it cramping. But another way of bowel cramps than when I have D. I also know it is not C. For me I am almost 100% sure it is my bowel and not another problem. Yesterday was horrible, today is a better day. Since you, me and like tex writes more are struggling with this, don't believe them when they tell you it is about control issues and depression. I had bowel problems, before I was diagnosed, for almost 8 years. I always thought emotions, stress, also control issues and what more. Until It got so bad and it turned out an IBD. Not that I rule out any emotion/stress effects on this disease, but in this case the main problem is inside the gut, not in the head.

I like that expression of yours, your digestive system on a war path.

For me it helps to read here that lots of others struggled with it and it gets better in time. That really helps.

Maybe it is just part of the recovery of MC.

I hope you feel better soon.

harma

[ant]

Dear Connie,

So sorry to hear of the abdominal pain. I know we are all different, FWIW for the first few weeks I was on entocort bloating and pain increased and then calmed down. I hope your gut will also soon calm down.

Harma wrote

Since you, me and like tex writes more are struggling with this, don't believe them when they tell you it is about control issues and depression. I had bowel problems, before I was diagnosed, for almost 8 years. I always thought emotions, stress, also control issues and what more. Until It got so bad and it turned out an IBD. Not that I rule out any emotion/stress effects on this disease, but in this case the main problem is inside the gut, not in the head.

So true.

All best, Ant

[connie]

Thanks so much everyone. I have been wondering for the past months if my symptoms are in my head.

The Dr. wants me to take Lexapro and I am going to try it. I am a little worried as I have had more side effects than most people with prescription medicine. For some reason I have always had a hard time with all prescription drugs.

Ant, I have been on a second round of Entocort since the end of August. I don't think it's the Entocort but the nausea, full feeling after I eat and swelling seem to have increased over the past couple months. I am not giving up, I want my life back.
Thanks again. Connie

[Dee]

Hi Connie,
Just a heads up about the Lexapro. It is an SSRI type anti-depressant.
Some of us have found that those type, give us the D. I have never been able to take "any" of the SSRI's and I've tried each one.
I take Effexor XR which is a SNRI type with no problem.
Hoping you don't get the D with the Lexapro, but if you notice the symptoms, you'll know what caused it.

Dee

[tex]

Connie,

Dee is quite correct. Not only can most of the SSRIs cause D if you have MC, but they have actually been documented to trigger MC in people who did not previously have the disease. Please read this thread, (especially the last post), from a depression discussion board:

http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Depression ... how/521419

Tex

[connie]

Thanks Dee and Tex,
Took the first Lexapro today but I'm not going to take any more. I appreciate the information so much.

This afternoon I started having multiple loose stools. Started taking Imodium. Dr. had me change from 9 mg to 6 mg of Entocort on Tuesday so that may be contributing. Got the ripping tearing pain with swelling.
Thanks so much for all your help.
Connie

[teagirl]

I suggest getting a CT scan done - as Barbara said, it is more use than an ultrasound. I had one done to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be and nothing else was contributing to the MC. As well as having a dx use, it also helped my mood tremendously to know that I had no other problems - all other organs were in good shape. I was less depressed, I know.

I consider myself one of the luckier ones as my MC has gone from a horror story of pain and 20+ bms per day with explosive D, to 1-2 almost normal bms a day. This is over about 4 months of a gf df diet. However, I do still experience a lot of pain (cramping and knee buckling stabbing) at various times throughout the day. It's worst when I have eaten (gravity I suppose, pushing through through the system) and in the hour or so before I need a bm.
I spoke to my GI about this, and he said that it shows I still have a damaged colon and certain things going through will cause pain. The Pentasa is to deal with that, I do think it has helped - I used to be in pain a lot of the time, and it's definitely less now.

The fatigue is the symptom that I didn't know I would get - in spades! It's astounding to me how tired I am and how fuzzy my brain is.

As for control issues and depression,there's depression and there's clinical depression. Of course you are depressed: who wouldn't be with a life altering condition that causes havoc. Doesn't mean you need anti-depressants. I fight the feeling every day and often feel overwhelmed by the problems of MC. Last week I was hopelessly sad and miserable because I was out shopping and had an accident. For a while it was the end of the world and I had a good cry - can't even drown myself in chocolate... my PCP reaches for the prescription pad but I say no as I know it's not Depression, it's life with MC. I tell myself: it will get better; look how far you have come; there are others who understand this disease and share my pain.

My favourite helpers when I am really down?

• a massage
  a bubble bath
  stroking the cat
  a good cry
  reading my poo diary and seeing how far I have come
  stirring music (Hallelujah Chorus, 1812 overture, YMCA! seem to work for me)
  cleaning the bathroom

[Dee]

Maxine is right!
There is depression and there is clinical depression, and I have the latter!
I have suffered years with it and if some have been fortunate to never have experienced it, they have no idea, what it feels like. It's like being in a body of water and not being able to swim.
What makes each of us an original is that we all handle things differently and we can make whatever choice we feel will benefit us at the time.
There's nothing wrong with taking an anti-depressant to get yourself over the hump of MC and if life is throwing other curve balls at you, until you are healed and feeling better.

Dee

[teagirl]

That's a good description, Dee. I was clinically depressed for over a year some time ago, on Zoloft, and that's how I felt, like drowning. That's how I know what I currently have is depression with a small d that doesn't need meds - it's not the evil black dogs of Depression, it's being overwhelmed by MC and not being able to (yet) master it.
If I feel the black dogs catching up with me, I wouldn't hesitate to ask for drug help again.

[connie]

Thank you to each and every one. It means so much.
No one understands what it is like to deal with MC unless they have been there.
Maxine, your sharing made me cry. We have the same symptoms.
Sometimes a person just needs to put it all somewhere.
Bless you all.
Connie

[JLH]

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/collag ... sk-factors