I had a gastro appointment this morning. My stomach’s been bothering me for the past few months, and I was hoping for some answers. I know so much of it is stress, and I’m trying to manage it as best as I can, but apparently I can’t fool my stomach.
He asked my symptoms (basically a lot of needing to run urgently to the bathroom), and immediately said, “Yup. Sounds like IBS.”
Um…I know. My bowels are clearly irritated. That’s why I’m here, buddy.
He’d tested me for celiac last year, and all tests (including the genetic one) came back negative. So when he said he was going to test the antibodies that indicate celiac and shoved a needle into my arm before I could ask why, I was clearly a little confused. When he had to switch arms to get blood out of a different vein, I was frustrated and confused. It turns out 1 percent of those who are not genetically predisposed to celiac still end up with it anyway. So, um, thanks for being so thorough? Or something?
“Is Immodium working for you?”
“Well, yes, but…” [this is where I would have continued “but I don’t want to live on a lifetime of choking back Immodium.]
“Great, then stick to that.”
“Um????? Is there anything else I can do?”
“You could try cutting back on wheat.
“Okay. Anything else?”
“Yeah. Don’t eat raw vegetables.
“Yeah, I don’t. Oh, and I’ve been drinking a lot less coffee and that seems to help.”
“Oh good! Yeah, caffeine is a stimulant to your digestive tract.”
So, needless to say, I was a little frustrated that I didn’t get more answers. I think I’m going to look for a second opinion (so if you know of a helpful gastro in NYC, I’m all ears), and also experiment on my own. I’m going to stick with no coffee and experiment with cutting back on gluten and see how those work out for me. I’m also going to try to eat smaller meals more frequently so that my body has less to digest.
But this may be me until I figure out how to go without coffee. I miss it like crazy, but I don’t miss feeling like I need to be around a bathroom 24/7.
No idea why I chose Frank Sinatra lyrics to name my last post on this…
As I mentioned in my last post, I've really been going through it with headaches.…
(tw for diet culture talk—mostly how it's BS, but how it's affected me, too) This…
I have been thinking about this post for a while—on why diet culture is unhealthy…
I woke up this morning already feeling anxious. (Yay!) My standard iPhone alarm is set…
I read The Midnight Library over the weekend, and I need to talk about it.…
View Comments
yelp review him!
good idea!
Sorry to hear about all your troubles. I know how frustrating that is. If you do see another doctor, you may ask them about other ways to test for celiac just to be sure. The blood tests aren't very reliable. I'd definitely stay away from caffeine. If anyone tries to put you on antacids or something like that, you may want to do some research before making a decision. They can end up doing more harm than good. I had the exact same problem as you a few years ago and the doctors were worthless. I ended up having even more problems and have only recently found a doctor that gets it. Sending good thoughts your way!
He also did an endoscopy last summer. Well I'm glad you finally found a doctor who gets it, and hopefully I will, too!
In my experience, gastros are the least knowledgeable doctors out there. Like I said, I recommend Ken Miller, but definitely curious to hear other suggestions you might get. I wish I knew how to handle my own situation better. But living on Immodium is not a solution and it is horrifying that any doctor would think it is.
I have been going through similar constant unending stomach problems and was also just at the gastro. I get migraines, so from years of more than the recommended dosage of advil I actually had given myself an ulcer (oops . . .) I'm on a limited list of ok foods, no dairy and no coffee at all (down from like 4 cups a day.) I have been surviving by making pitchers of unsweetened iced tea. I was afraid that it would still be hard on my stomach (it is still caffeine) but for me I haven't had any issues from it after about 2 months of like 32 oz. a day! I use three tea bags of lipton and three tea bags of peppermint tea and put those in a pot of water that I boiled on the stove, pour it over a pitcher filled with ice (or just water, you need to dilute it some) and put it in the fridge to cool. I still miss coffee SO MUCH but this has been a good in between. The peppermint adds a great flavor and also makes it really easy on the stomach. It might work for you too!
@katie: Oooh, yum.
Stomach issues can be SO frustrating. I have the exact opposite problem as you.. have had many tests done, but still am struggling to find something that works! I did a two week trial of Attune Chocolate Probiotic Bars (giving them away on my blog, now) .. and it seemed to regulate me. I am going to experiment more with probiotics.. they can help regulate the digestive system (both ways.) Good Luck!
@Cait @ Beyond Bananas: I saw your review! I have been trying them, too. Maybe it's the probiotics + no coffee that's helping me so far.
Ugh... Sorry your doctor wasn't helpful. Why does it have to be so hard to find one that's a good fit. Hopefully, someone will have a good rec for you!
Hi Theodora,
I'm sorry to hear that you are a bit sick. I think that one of its causes is stress. I mean, I have an officemate who basically goes through the same thing whenever she's stressed. I'm not really sure if she took any meds but all she does was to take complete rest and avoid getting stressed again.
Have you been too busy lately or are you working out too much? I suggest you relax for a day or two and see how it goes. I definitely would want you to seek for another opinion because basing from what you've read there, the doctor didn't actually explain what's going on.
Get well soon!
@Jenna Peterson: Hi Jenna! Thanks for the comment. I am certainly stressed--I got laid off last month and am looking for a new job. I'm trying to manage the stress of it as best I can, but exercising definitely helps with that. I'm going to keep seeing how cutting out coffee works and then probably seek a second opinion.
The convo with your doctor made me laugh - its's so typical! It reminds me of when I went to the doctor for my hip/butt pain and his "remedy" was to stop running all together. I seriously wonder sometimes what we pay them for.
I'm sorry you're having such digestive problems, it seems to be a theme amongst runners for some reason (or maybe we just realize it more because we're out and about without a bathroom more often? And talk about it more because we're used to gross things? haha).
Anyways, don't give up, I'm sure there's a doctor out there who can ACTUALLY help you! I feel like the heat probably does help stomach problems this time of year either :-/
This may sound crazy... but my friend Nancy is a GI nurse and I swear she cured me. Not completely obviously (as evident by our weekend together last month) but I'm a strong believer in thinking/telling your stomach that you will be okay. Like talking to your stummy and saying things like "now is not the time to behave like this." I know that sounds crazy, but a lot of IBS can be mental and I if you have a positive attitude about it, it can get better. I swear!
I do actually try to have talks with myself too when my stomach is bothering me :)