I think I need a bomb

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 4:24 pm

Focaccia (everything free) didn't do it. Nor did chewing gum. Nor have all the stool softeners.

I think time has come for bigger guns

nancyl · Post by **nancyl** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:18 pm

Leslie,
I am so sorry that you are having such a tough time. I wish I could think of something that might help. C is a terrible thing. Did you call the doctor to see if they would recommend something?

Keep us posted.

Nancy

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 5:26 pm

No point in talking to my doctor. He is not my doctor anymore. I really had enough of him. I am going to a new doc on the 15th, and am HOPING he is more open, and ready to listen.

He prescribed lactulose. Disgusting, cloyingly sweet. My PCP told me to throw it out because it is "awful stuff".

The trick is to find the dosage that will get things going without causing horrible, horrible D.

Thanks Nancy!

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Wed Dec 07, 2011 10:22 pm

I haven't had to deal with constipation, so my suggestion might be a dumb one. Have you tried an enema?

Gloria

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 10:37 am

It's not dumb.
Trouble with constipation is a plug. An enema won't get passed a plug. That's what I am dealing with now.
I am SO swollen and bloated I can barely breathe. The entocort is doing me in.

Post by **tex** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 11:33 am

I'm not sure if it's a recommended procedure, but a mineral oil enema might soften a blockage. Blockages are commonly caused by loss of motility - such as the loss of motility resulting from the use of narcotic painkillers. Entocort doesn't reduce motility, (at least not directly), it reduces inflammation. In the absence of motility, though, it will obviously lead to more water recovery, which can certainly slow down motility somewhat.

It's beginning to appear that your only hope for regularity, is to find a way to eliminate the use of narcotic painkillers. If your symptoms are becoming that severe, you may need to go to the ER.

Tex

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 4:48 pm

EUREKA! FINALLY! I don't think it's all of it, and I will probably need to get more out, but the relief was stupendous!
Also, so far it was less mucous-y than it has been, so maybe the entocort is working to reduce the inflammation. We'll see later.
I have adhesions on a spastic bowel, so the motility is not very good to start with.
There is nothing that can be done at the ER. I have been fighting this for so many years (without MC and entocort) that I know I have to bomb my way out. I took SO many stool softeners, and 1 1/2 Swiss Kris. I also ate a lot of prunes, and some "forbidden" stuff, like pop corn yesterday. I don't know what worked, but something did, thank heavens!

I have an appointment at the pain clinic, and I am going to coordinate with the drug rehab to get off the Norco completely. And anything else they can get me off. My PCP wants me to up the Nortryptiline to fight the pain so I can go off Norco. I don't want to. I want to get OFF!

I had an appointment with a dermatologist who looked about 15. Small, thin, barely shaving Chinese man, wearing a jacket too big for him. A bit scary, but he seemed to know his stuff.

I told him about the psoriasis getting better with going gluten free. His reply was "I am not knocking it. I totally believe in alternative medicine (like acupuncture), but I don't have the scientific proof yet."
Do you have anything I can give him when I go again (I have to get some precancerous patches burned off) to show that there is some proof? Or is it supposition?

Post by **tex** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 6:53 pm

Well, here we are celebrating diarrhea.

Here are a couple of articles that at least show an association:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14690336#

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10651693

This is an older article:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8547041

Tex

Gloria · Post by **Gloria** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 7:27 pm

Great news, Lesley! :party:

Gloria

sarkin · Post by **sarkin** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:21 pm

Lesley,

HOORAY for relief - and also for your open-minded young dermatologist.

Here's hoping this a trend for healing,

Sara

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Thu Dec 08, 2011 9:34 pm

I wish he was my GI. The way he talked he would be better than the one I had. I HOPE the new one will be better.

Thank you Sara. I hope so, though tonight isn't promising.

brownie · Post by **brownie** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:25 pm

Hi Lesley,
So glad to hear you've finally gotten some relief. It is absolutely miserable to be in that
condition. Now to find the happy medium.
Brownie

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 7:44 pm

Thanks Brownie.

Polly · Post by **Polly** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:02 pm

Hooray!!!

Hugs,

Polly

Lesley · Post by **Lesley** » Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:31 pm

Thanks Polly!

I have actually been through another cycle of C, and had some relief today. Not enough, but some.

The Norco (of which I am taking one a day, no more!) and the entocort together seem to bind me up SO tight only a bomb gets things doing again.

I see a new GI tomorrow (I always thought it was GE - gastroenterologist). Hopefully he will be a bit more open and will listen to me better than the other one. It would be SO nice!
I can't change plans till next year since it is now after Medicare registration, so I have to put up with these docs for now. There are not too many for me to choose from, and no way to get recommendations. Problem with Kaiser.