stephanier.1765 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 On Monday, I had a colonoscopy. I was in pain immediately upon waking and the pain hasn't stopped yet, nor has the (sorry, tmi warning) diarrhea. It's Friday and I'm still running to the bathroom no matter what I eat or don't eat and I'm experiencing a lot of pressure type of pain on my left side. I called the doctor's office on Wednesday and they sent me to the ER for some fluids as well as lab work and a CT which both came back fine. Doc thought my IBS was especially irritated by the colonoscopy which is what I think too. I just want it to stop. Does anybody have any thoughts on how I can get my system to reset to normal? At this point I'm so weak and dizzy that I can barely function. I need help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Probiotics. I got the Ultimate Flora Critical Colon by ReNew Life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiMi 4under3 Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Pepto Bismol usually stops diarrhea. Hope you feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Probiotics. I got the Ultimate Flora Critical Colon by ReNew Life. Thank you! That looks really promising. Is it something we can just get at Target? Dh is off work today so I can send him to pick some up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Thank you! That looks really promising. Is it something we can just get at Target? Dh is off work today so I can send him to pick some up. I sort of doubt it because it is the kind that is refrigerated and I've never seen that kind at Target. I got mine at a vitamin store called Super Supplements and I know you can get it online. https://www.ultimateflora.com/index.php/where-to-buy Put your zip code in the link and hopefully it will tell you a local place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Didn't the doctor have any ideas for you? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Thank you! That looks really promising. Is it something we can just get at Target? Dh is off work today so I can send him to pick some up. I would highly recommend probiotics, but I would not recommend buying them at Target given what has just come out about their natural supplements. I would try like a natural foods co-op or Whole Foods. Or order them from Amazon. There are a number of good brands out there if you check reviews. Sometimes one brand works better than another for some people. I also have IBS and have been taking probiotics and a ground flax daily for years and I rarely have major IBS issues anymore. I had a colonscopy at one point and it took me a while to bounce back too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Whole foods in our area also carries the Ultimate Flora probiotics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Thank you for all the responses. I don't think I can talk dh into going to Whole Foods or a natural food store. All the close ones are still quite a drive. Target he would gladly do but searching for something he isn't sure what it is in a store that he's not familiar with after a long drive is out of his comfort zone. I may just order some from Amazon. I haven't talked to the doctor's office since Wednesday but they didn't offer any suggestions other than the ER then. I really didn't want to go but that was all they had to say so I'm a little gun shy about calling again. I also don't want to look like a whiny baby even though that's the way I feel right now. I'm just so tired. ETA: I asked him about going to WH and he said no. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Please get some S. Boulardii, along with the probiotics. Not sure if it's included in the one Jean linked. You can get the brand Florastor at CVS or Walgreens. It is a beneficial yeast, not to be confused with candida. It will help, especially if you were exposed to C Diff in the hospital or wherever you had your colonoscopy. Flora stop brand has been tested extensively, it's the one my GI doc suggests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
catz Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I found docs extremely unhelpful with IBS. Once I found a good balance for myself it's been much better. It also involves diet and regular exercise, stress management, probiotics, flax fiber, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Just read your latest, just before mine... He can ask the pharmacist for florastor, and they will lead him to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Princess Ariel Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I am sorry you are feeling so badly. I would definitely keep this in mind the next time you are due to have a colonoscopy and maybe they can have you prepare differently. They use this same prep protocol for everyone and some people can have problems with it as the preparations are just way too harsh for their systems. I know of one person who actually passed out from the prep and had to call an ambulance. I know I did not bounce back like most do and I thought it took about a week to get back to normal. Don't be afraid to call again. I think they need to know you are having this reaction and give you some ideas as well as record it in your chart for future reference. Hope you feel better soon! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
happi duck Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 If you call whole foods I'm fairly certain you can get someone to help you over the phone regarding what exactly you need and then ask if your dh can just ask for that person when he gets there. (I'd normally say they could put it aside for you but since it's a fridge thing...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Chain drugstores often have pharmaceutical grade probiotics behind the counter. Call a pharmacy and ask what probiotics they have for sale. I hope you feel better very soon! :grouphug: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Chain drugstores often have pharmaceutical grade probiotics behind the counter. Call a pharmacy and ask what probiotics they have for sale. I hope you feel better very soon! :grouphug: Yes! That's true. And you can ask your doc to call in VSL 3 for you - a Rx probiotic. Then it's just a trip to the drug store. Where you can get florastor, too. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 As someone with IBS and CDiff experience who has tried nearly every probiotic on the market and has (successfully) invested thousands of dollars in taking probiotics to improve my gut issues, I would recommend that you try Align for the the short term. You can get it almost in almost any chain drug store or Target, Walmart, etc. I would take it for a month or whatever it takes to finish the box, even taking it twice a day for the first week. You may feel gurgling higher up but you should see results quickly lower down, within several days. Having tried everything, I believe Align really works the best in a GI crisis, even though it's not my preference for a long-term probiotic. Research also shows it helps with IBS. Align helped me when I had CDiff even before I started meds for it. After the initial treatment with Align, I would move on to something like Jean recommended to prevent future issues and build up your immunity and improve digestion. Florastor can help antibiotic related diarrhea and can prevent CDiff, but it didn't help me when I had an existing CDiff infection. It's something that it couldn't hurt to try, but I'd still vote for Align as a first line of treatment. Or if money is not object, you can take both. From what I remember the major research on Florastor what done at higher levels than the dose recommended on the packet. My GI doc, who is pro-probiotics, is suspicious of Florastor because it's a yeast, while other docs recommend it and I myself have taken it at double the recommended dose without problems. I don't think every probiotic works for everyone so feel free to take my anything I say here in that light. Sometimes people can get CDiff or other problems after a colonoscopy because the clean out disrupts the normal bacterial balance and gives pathogenic bacteria a chance to take over. I really hope you feel better soon. GI nonsense is a pain in the butt and makes you feel awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Another thought, you could be having muscle spasms. If I remember correctly, magnesium is stored in the bowels, so the colonoscopy may have messed up that balance. If you're low on magnesium that could contribute to spasms. You might want to try taking magnesium but I would not take the Natural Calm type with what you're going through now. It might be best to try Epsom Salts soaks or another version of magnesium that wouldn't irritate your bowels. Also, your B12 levels can get low in your condition so a sublingual melt in your mouth B12 might be helpful. Gut problems influence your emotional state and B12 can help with that. Oh, yes, I can't forget Smartwater. Absorbs much, much better than regular water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 You have a ongoing NG problem that the ER visit didn't resolve. You need to talk to the doctors office again. They cant help you if they don't know you need help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Haha. I'm back again. Rinse your bottom with water after every trip to the bathroom to prevent painful irritation. If you're worried about adequate nutrition intake, keep some Ensure or Boost handy. I wish I had done that earlier on when I was in a crisis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fairfarmhand Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 You have a ongoing NG problem that the ER visit didn't resolve. You need to talk to the doctors office again. They cant help you if they don't know you need help. It's their JOB to help you. Anyone who treats you as if you are an inconvenient nincompoop (which you are not. YOU ARE SICK) well...send them here to the WTM boards and we will all give them a piece of our minds. Seriously. They need to hear how sick you are. If you are weak, they need to know because you are getting in dangerous territory. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Are you eating an IBS "safe" diet? For me following whole30 + the IBS and autoimmune shopping lists helped me to feel more normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Yes! That's true. And you can ask your doc to call in VSL 3 for you - a Rx probiotic. Then it's just a trip to the drug store. Where you can get florastor, too. :) VSL was given to me everyday in the hospital when I was admitted for GI issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 And yes, call the dr. You're having difficulties after a procedure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Are you eating an IBS "safe" diet? For me following whole30 + the IBS and autoimmune shopping lists helped me to feel more normal. Good point. I was prescribed a low fiber/low residue diet to calm my bowels down. It is very different from what a normal healthy diet usually consists of. I was actually told to eat white bread and not wheat bread, for example, and go easy on veggies. I did that for a month or so. Even after all these years, I've found that I'm usually okay with fresh veggies but frozen veggies will set me off. Fruits can set me off, too, especially apples. There's a website by a woman named Heather who has an extensive list of IBS trigger foods. You can also google low residue diet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiramisu Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 And yes, call the dr. You're having difficulties after a procedure! I agree, especially since we're heading into the weekend. Just let them know what's up and ask how you could contact them over the weekend if necessary. It may be helpful to go back into the ER for fluids and they can advise you on that. Since they did a CT scan, I would assume the innards are okay, but it couldn't hurt to get a stool sample checked for pathogens if you haven't already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Good point. I was prescribed a low fiber/low residue diet to calm my bowels down. It is very different from what a normal healthy diet usually consists of. I was actually told to eat white bread and not wheat bread, for example, and go easy on veggies. I did that for a month or so. Even after all these years, I've found that I'm usually okay with fresh veggies but frozen veggies will set me off. Fruits can set me off, too, especially apples. There's a website by a woman named Heather who has an extensive list of IBS trigger foods. You can also google low residue diet. Apples and IBS don't mix very well! Quite a painful combination. Lol. When I need to be strict I eat (seasonings are only olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper): chicken, beef (with ground beef being most often because of ease of cooking), sweet potatoes, iceberg lettuce, raw spinach, and very little fruit. Fruits are raspberries, grapefruit, and strawberries. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amo_mea_filiis. Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I have no clue if gluten or all grains hurt, but I avoid all and feel human. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 This may be TMI, but when you use the bathroom, is there a strong, foul smell? If so, you may be fighting a C. Diff infection. If that is the case, there are only two drugs that will kill it. Your doctor would need to test a stool sample. If you catch a C. Diff infection early enough, it can be cleared up. If you keep trying to soldier on and don't address this particular bug, it can get really ugly and have long term effects. It may be worth asking your doctor to test for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephanier.1765 Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 I called the office and talked to the nurse. The doctor isn't in today so she called him to see if he wanted to schedule a stool sample or recommend something over the counter to try. He recommended Benefiber, which thankfully I have on hand, and I'm so relieved I don't have to leave the house. I'm still not confident being that far or that long away from the bathroom. Crossing my fingers that this helps. I really can't bear continuing the way I am. I'm going through all your comments and links because I have a lot to learn. Even though I have long suspect that I have IBS, this is my first official diagnosis for that. I have a lot to learn. Thank you all for the help. I swear this place is better than any doctor's office for information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 I don't have IBS, but I did end up with diarrhea after a colonoscopy. The doctor actually recommended fiber tablets - which I thought was totally weird, but I was desperate, and should I sent my dh to the grocery store to get the recommended Fiber tablets. It worked. I was taking probiotics too. Hope things improve soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan C. Posted February 6, 2015 Share Posted February 6, 2015 Be careful with the Benefiber.... that would finish me off and double me over.... I like the Align suggestion. Or higher quality probiotics behind the counter. If you are open to paying Amazon for overnight shipping, Prescript Assist is highly recommended on many of the blogs I read. What has happened to you is that the prep for the colonoscopy washed away all of your friendly bacteria. You can take liquid form bentonite clay for the "d" and it will be tedious repopulating your gut and getting rid of the "d." Do not eat dairy, or foods typically hard for you to digest. White rice in broth and jello for now (I only eat jello with GI trouble and make it since premade has corn syrup, orange or peach). Drink your water as Smart Water. And thanks for the heads up..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabet1 Posted February 7, 2015 Share Posted February 7, 2015 My suggestion is different. When I get bouts like this, I would take Zofran. It is for nausea. But it causes constipation. When I have diarhea that bad , it puts a quick end to it . I have ibs, Also, you need that stool sample done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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