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So yesterday was my apt with my GI. I have been waiting three months for this apt. I have only met the GI once before when he told me I had LC and my intussusception and he put me on Entocort.
My GI was 2 hours late to my apt!!!!!! TWO HOURS! Finally when he showed up he asked me how I was doing on the meds. I told him that they didn't help. I told him how I removed gluten, dairy and soy from my diet and how I have improved greatly. That I only have Normans and no more D (unless stressed out). He said it was impossible and all in my head. He said food has nothing to do with LC and that he did celiac testing on me and it was negative. So I argued with him about the testing and told him I believe it was a gluten SENSITIVITY. Long story short he told me to add gluten back in and start taking pepto bismol....... I quickly changed the subject with him before I lost my cool and told him off...
Anyways, then I found out my intussusception is idiopathic without a point lesion and in my small intestine. So more CT scans for me and they want me to swallow a camera pill.
All in all I am looking for a new GI in my area.
YES, look for another GI! Your doctor sounds worse than mine. Add gluten back in???!!! I'm sorry but gluten and IBD's don't go together! I'm sure Tex will chime in on his feelings regarding that idiot. And you definitely don't need Pepto Bismol if you are having norms.....just take when you are having D. That stuff will back you up terribly if you aren't having D. Glad you told him off.
Good luck with the CT scans and hoping you find a more knowledgeable doctor though they are far and few between.
Terri
Diagnosed with Lymphocytic Colitis in July, 2012 then with Celiac in November, 2012.
That's really sad that someone with as much education as your GI specialist could be so naive (which translates to just plain dumb in this case). GI specialists who have that attitude are confused and lost because they are placing 100 % faith in a test that anyone who is literate enough to be able to read medical research articles should recognize that the tests have very poor sensitivity which makes them very unreliable. The bottom line is that it's very clear that while those tests might be able to indicate the presence of celiac disease, there is no way that they are capable of ruling out gluten sensitivity. The medical community has absolutely no approved way of ruling out gluten sensitivity and any physician who is unable or unwilling to recognize that fact, shouldn't be allowed to practice medicine, let alone serve as a medical specialist.
Furthermore, after a patient has achieved remission by following a GF diet, IMO any doctor who recommends adding gluten back into that patient's diet should be considered to be guilty of attempting to intentionally damage the health of that patient. That's just plain stupid, and there's no excuse for such behaviour from a paid health professional.
Good luck with your search for a competent GI specialist — they seem to be few and far between in some areas of the world.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
Furthermore, after a patient has achieved remission by following a GF diet, IMO any doctor who recommends adding gluten back into that patient's diet should be considered to be guilty of attempting to intentionally damage the health of that patient. That's just plain stupid, and there's no excuse for such behaviour from a paid health professional.
Doctors take an oath to "First do no harm." I would seriosly consider writing him a letter and CCing your local medical board. Someone needs to teach that arrogant jerk a lesson. GRRR!!!!
Thank you all for your comments. I just hope I can find a new GI soon. I want someone who is going to listen to me and take what I say seriously. I have had digestive problems my whole life, and was always told that it was in my head. After 32 years I was finally diagnosed and LC wise things are getting better, however, if I ever hear someone say to me again that it's all in my head I think I will seriously freak! My mom came with me to my apt and she also suggested I write a letter to the medical board.
The sad thing is until I find a new GI, I have to let this guy deal with my intussusception and I do not want him going anywhere near my surgery...I do not want to end up with a colostomy bag due to his incompetence!
Some doctors have such a huge ego problem that they can't face the thought that they might not be able to treat any problem that comes along. As a result, when they encounter a situation where their knowledge or prescribed treatment for a patient doesn't work, they try to shift the blame for the failure to the patient, so that they don't have to deal with thoughts of their own failure. In that situation they will usually either claim that the patient didn't follow the prescribed treatment correctly, or the problems are all in the patient's head.
GI specialists seem to be the worst medical specialty for having this defect in their character. We even have a few members who were told by their GI doc to go see a psychiatrist for treatment before coming back for any GI appointment.
Tex
It is suspected that some of the hardest material known to science can be found in the skulls of GI specialists who insist that diet has nothing to do with the treatment of microscopic colitis.
It so sad... They are in this field to help people.. so why not take the time and listen and do the research to help your patient to the fullest. Within 5 minutes I have found enough research and medical studies to disprove pretty much everyting my GI has said... and nothing to support what he has said! And he is suppose to be a specialist?
So sorry about that appointment! HORRIBLE!
I am a little confused though. You said that you don't have D anymore, but you don't think the Entocort is working? Have you stopped taking it? I'm very glad the diet is working, but I am just trying to understand whether you are doing this with diet alone. ?????
Leah: the entocort seemed to help in the beginning but then just stopped and it was weeks of just D. So I stopped taking the entocort. Then I took everyones advice here and changed my diet and it took a bit but I am doing great now. I am even back to work full time. :)
I talked to a friend of mine who works for another GI in my area. Going to make an apt with him and see how it goes. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
Run, don't walk, away from that "GI doctor". I too have problems finding a good GI doctor locally so I continue to use my family doctor and my colorectal surgeon to help manage my problems. Is this a perfect answer, no. Are these good people who a relatively open minded, yes. So perhaps you too can look beyond just GI doctors, as I have done.
"It's not what I believe. It's what I can prove." - A Few Good Men
