Hello friends!
Well, I went to "consult" with my new GI today. I told her my history leading up to the dx of microscopic colitis, meds tried (and failed), symptoms, etc. I don't think she is convinced that my problem is MC anymore. She said that the symptoms I am describing are leaning her more towards UC, Crohn's disease, or celiac sprue. I told her that from my research, a gluten free diet seems to improve the condition (which she agreed with), and that I was planning on trying that next, and she told me to hold off (like I hoped she would) until she did a few more studies. She said she is not going to do the celiac blood panel (yet) because it is not very accurate (of course), but she is going to do an endoscopy (which my other GI never did) to look for celiac sprue, as well as another colonoscopy to look for Crohn's, and UC. She said that sometimes it can take a long time for crohns to be dx because it takes a while for its damage to show up on biopsies. I didn't mention the Enterolab labwork I ordered, because I want to see how the findings compared to what she says. I will have the endoscopy/colonoscopy April 27th. I will keep yall posted with updates as I have any. I am anxious to find out my Enterolab results! Hopefully within a couple of weeks.......
Til next time.....
Romanita
Talked to new GI doc today......
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Talked to new GI doc today......
I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me!!!!
Hi Romanita,
This is becoming very interesting. I get the impression that she may be just trying to prove that she is smarter than you are, (and I have a hunch that she will fail to do that.
) The symptoms of all those diseases are pretty much the same, and unless you are passing blood, there is no reason to suspect one disease over another, especially since you already have a diagnosis of MC in hand. Technically, (by the official diagnostic criteria), I doubt that you can be "officially" diagnosed with celiac disease, if you test negative to the celiac blood tests, even if you show damage to the villi of the small intestine. Of course, she may be smart enough to realize that if she waits long enough, the blood tests will eventually become positive. 
She is correct, though, in thinking that it is possible to have MC in addition to one of those other diseases. Having one of them, does not make anyone immune to any of the others. And, if your endoscopy exam does indeed show villus damage, then you do indeed have celiac disease, whether you meet all the technical criteria, or not.
I'm impressed by the fact that she agrees that the diet will help to treat MC. Not many GI docs will admit that. The silly part, though, is the fact that it really doesn't matter if you have one of those other diseases, or not, since the treatment is the same. Of course, it matters to her, since docs like to be technically correct, and she probably doesn't believe that the diet can be used to treat UC or Crohn's.
Thanks, we'll be looking forward to your updates.
Tex
This is becoming very interesting. I get the impression that she may be just trying to prove that she is smarter than you are, (and I have a hunch that she will fail to do that.
) The symptoms of all those diseases are pretty much the same, and unless you are passing blood, there is no reason to suspect one disease over another, especially since you already have a diagnosis of MC in hand. Technically, (by the official diagnostic criteria), I doubt that you can be "officially" diagnosed with celiac disease, if you test negative to the celiac blood tests, even if you show damage to the villi of the small intestine. Of course, she may be smart enough to realize that if she waits long enough, the blood tests will eventually become positive. She is correct, though, in thinking that it is possible to have MC in addition to one of those other diseases. Having one of them, does not make anyone immune to any of the others. And, if your endoscopy exam does indeed show villus damage, then you do indeed have celiac disease, whether you meet all the technical criteria, or not.
I'm impressed by the fact that she agrees that the diet will help to treat MC. Not many GI docs will admit that. The silly part, though, is the fact that it really doesn't matter if you have one of those other diseases, or not, since the treatment is the same. Of course, it matters to her, since docs like to be technically correct, and she probably doesn't believe that the diet can be used to treat UC or Crohn's.
Thanks, we'll be looking forward to your updates.
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.
Well Tex,
I think she is going to order the celiac blood tests if she sees damage to the small bowel like you said. I was kind of suprised that she agreed so quickly to look for celiac. The one thing that bothered me though is that she was so quick to talk about using medications to treat all the possible conditions I could have except celiac of course. I hate taking medications! I am a nurse, and know the importance of taking your medications as prescribed and see so often the effects of noncompliance, but I just don't like it. It takes a lot for me to take anything for a headache! No matter what the final results, I will go gluten free when all is said and done for my sanity. I won't know if it will help if I don't do it.
I should have the results back from Enterolab before my colonoscopy. I know I said this before, but I hate waiting! I was glad to get the colonoscopy scheduled so soon.
Til next time!
Romanita
I think she is going to order the celiac blood tests if she sees damage to the small bowel like you said. I was kind of suprised that she agreed so quickly to look for celiac. The one thing that bothered me though is that she was so quick to talk about using medications to treat all the possible conditions I could have except celiac of course. I hate taking medications! I am a nurse, and know the importance of taking your medications as prescribed and see so often the effects of noncompliance, but I just don't like it. It takes a lot for me to take anything for a headache! No matter what the final results, I will go gluten free when all is said and done for my sanity. I won't know if it will help if I don't do it.
I should have the results back from Enterolab before my colonoscopy. I know I said this before, but I hate waiting! I was glad to get the colonoscopy scheduled so soon.
Til next time!
Romanita
I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me!!!!
Unfortunately this isn't my first go around. I had my first colonoscopy about 5 yrs ago. I hope to get more answers this time though instead of "you have microscopic colitis, have a nice life!" Ok, so maybe it wasn't quite like that, but you get the picture.
Til next time,
Romanita
Til next time,
Romanita
I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me!!!!
Hello Romantina, so you were already diagnosed with MC 5 years ago and now you are having another one. Just to reconfirm you diagnoses or to see if there is more going on in your bowel? My experience with the colonoscopy itself are not that bad, I got sleeping and pain medication, I have slept through the whole procedure. Also the endoscopy is not fun, but doable (this part I was not asleep yet). In my case it did not hurt, it is only a terrible very uncomfortable feeling. But it didn't take long. The only annoying thing is (in my case) the whole procedure kept my busy for 4 days, for a thing that only costs 20 minutes. Day one drinking the clean prep to get yourself empty, day 2 the procedure and day 3 and 4 recovering from the sleep and pain medication, I was nauseous and dizzy for almost to full days.
Anyway good luck with it. I don't recognize being a bit sore inside afterwards. Besides the pain and sleeping medication I did not experience any discomfort of the whole procedure (both endoscopy and colonoscopy) afterwards.
Anyway good luck with it. I don't recognize being a bit sore inside afterwards. Besides the pain and sleeping medication I did not experience any discomfort of the whole procedure (both endoscopy and colonoscopy) afterwards.
I was dx 5 yrs ago, suffering for about a year before that, so 6 total. I am not looking forward to the endoscopy. The doc said they will do it during the same visit as colonoscopy, so I hope they can do it while I am out. They are looking to see if I might have something else with the MC like celiac, UC, or crohns. They have already drawn blood, have stool samples, just waiting for the colonoscopy/endoscopy.
Romanita
Romanita
I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who strengthens me!!!!
Good luck, Romanita. I too had the endoscopy and colonoscopy at the same time and slept through it all. I was lucky - no throat soreness, no colon discomfort afterwards. Maybe my GI was gentle, who knows, but I couldn't tell I had had the 2 procedures. Being knocked out was the way to go!
Part of sailing through the procedures might also have had something to do with the sheer relief of getting the procedures done (it was my first time), and trusting that something would surely show up. Also, I had been so bad with D and nausea (my record is 28 bouts of D in one day), that doing the clean out the day before seemed like just another day of pain and constant D.
Another thing that helped was that the DH was allowed to be with me right until they wheeled me in to knock me out, and he was there when I came round. That was great for my morale.
Part of sailing through the procedures might also have had something to do with the sheer relief of getting the procedures done (it was my first time), and trusting that something would surely show up. Also, I had been so bad with D and nausea (my record is 28 bouts of D in one day), that doing the clean out the day before seemed like just another day of pain and constant D.
Another thing that helped was that the DH was allowed to be with me right until they wheeled me in to knock me out, and he was there when I came round. That was great for my morale.
Maxine