Talk Cancer

Question:

Paul, Your case has many similarities to my recent experiences.   Male, 42yo. About 5 years ago I had huge stomach pains.  Endoscopy showed that I had irritation of stomach and esophagus due to high levels of acid.   I was put on ranitidine (Zocor or Rani) which cleared up the pains instantly.  In recent times I had been suffering from GERD.  I increased dosage of the ranitidine from two to three per day yet it continued to get worse.   All this time, my IBS would cycle between just diarrhoea to painful diarrhoea.  Whenever it was at a bad point in the cycle, I got slight bleeding.  This had been previously diagnosed very similar to yours: fissures around anus, nothing serious or internal.  I could feel what was happening.  When the D was bad, it felt ‘hot’ and soon after that the bleeding started.  The longer the IBS stayed bad, the worse the bleeding got and when the IBS got better, it all healed up ready for the next cycle. Excessive acid was burning holes in my anus.  The bleeding was at the end of each BM because thats what it took to open the fissures. Not long ago, I went back to my Doc complaining about GERD; even three tablets per day wasn’t keeping up.  He put me onto esomeprazole (Nexium).   That immediately made the GERD go away, and surprise, surprise, so too the severity of the IBS.  No more burning D, no more bleeding. I put it to you that you may have a similar acidic condition to mine.  Five years ago, I had no GERD symptoms but I had several episodes of crippling pain from stomach – similar to yours.  Acid controlling drugs fixed it.   When their effect wore off, I was left with GERD and burning diarrhoea – a plausible connection in your case.  The stronger drug reduced the acid, the diarrhoea and eliminated the bleeding.   Ask your Doctor to challenge your symptoms with a trial run of an acid reducing drug.  Not the stuff that just neutralises it, but a real H2 blocker or PPI.  If you are already on this, increase the strength. Hope this helps, — KPB – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Sturmtiger wrote: > Greetings, > Am putting this into two groups (am not x-posting it however). Am feeling > a bit backed into a corner lately health wise, and am looking for advice, > and a little bit of venting. > I am a 32 year old male with a history of minor intestinal problems. Back > in 1999, I started to have a lot of blood in my stool, and especially in > the toilet (fresh blood, not digested). Was worried so I had a full GI > workup. > First had a colonoscopy (no sedation, have an anxiety disorder when it > comes to being knocked out or heavily sedated). Went fine, some > discomfort, but got through it. It showed some fissures and hemmhoroids, > but nothing serious. > Then had a Endoscopy (again without sedation), but was unable to get > through it, the scope broke once he got it into the stomach, when he tried > to put in the second one, I lost it. Could not continue. > Then had an upper GI with small bowel follow through, was negative. > Was still having problems with bleeding and some bloating for the next few > years, but nothing that scared me, until 3 months ago. > Within the last 3 months I have started to have periods of tremendous pain > and discomfort that would fluctuate at various times between my lower > stomach and lower colon. At first I thought it was a stomach issue, so I > had an Endoscopy performed a few months ago (again no sedation), had a > great doc and got through it, only found a hiatal hernia and schlotsky’s > ring. > Was happy with the negative result, and did not think it was anything > serious. However a month later the pain came back more intensely, and was > fluctuating in the same area again (mainly lower-mid bowel). Bleeding > started, and it was heavy at times, and I also noticed by stool changing > in shape (getting smaller, almost like it is being cut in half down the > center on the way out). The blood seems to be "piggybacking" the stool, > i.e. coming out at the end of the bowel movement, not before of during. > Have been to the ER twice in the last month, but they do not seem to be > set up for GI diagnostic situations, so I was prescribed Donetal both > times, and sent on my way (blood test results were normal, but the occult > blood test was positive). The Donetal really doesn’t work, only makes me > feel drugged, but doesn’t affect the digestive tract. > The ER doc stated he fully believed it is one of three things, either > Colon Cancer, Diverticulitis (or losis?), or IBD. I had been diagnosed > with IBS in the past (more like the doc could find nothing else in 99′, so > he threw the IBS dart). > Now have a colonoscopy scheduled for next week, same great doc that did my > endoscopy, so I am not too worried about the procedure itself, am just at > a point where I am a bit scared. > I have been going through a major roller coaster ride, when the pain comes > on, it not only affects me physically, but my mood as well. My wife has > seen these major mood swings lately because of the pain, and it has been > difficult. > At this point I just needed to vent, and also look for advice from others > who have been down a similar path. I honestly have no clue what is > happening, but it definitely feels serious. Will (hopefully) know next > week, but until then just wondering how to cope. > Many thanks, > Paul

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -"Sturmtiger" <taka…@NOSPAMyahoo.com> wrote in message <news:boRLc.6129$_K2.2350@lakeread02>… > Greetings, > Am putting this into two groups (am not x-posting it however). Am feeling a > bit backed into a corner lately health wise, and am looking for advice, and > a little bit of venting. > I am a 32 year old male with a history of minor intestinal problems. Back in > 1999, I started to have a lot of blood in my stool, and especially in the > toilet (fresh blood, not digested). Was worried so I had a full GI workup. > First had a colonoscopy (no sedation, have an anxiety disorder when it comes > to being knocked out or heavily sedated). Went fine, some discomfort, but > got through it. It showed some fissures and hemmhoroids, but nothing > serious. > Then had a Endoscopy (again without sedation), but was unable to get through > it, the scope broke once he got it into the stomach, when he tried to put in > the second one, I lost it. Could not continue. > Then had an upper GI with small bowel follow through, was negative. > Was still having problems with bleeding and some bloating for the next few > years, but nothing that scared me, until 3 months ago. > Within the last 3 months I have started to have periods of tremendous pain > and discomfort that would fluctuate at various times between my lower > stomach and lower colon. At first I thought it was a stomach issue, so I had > an Endoscopy performed a few months ago (again no sedation), had a great doc > and got through it, only found a hiatal hernia and schlotsky’s ring. > Was happy with the negative result, and did not think it was anything > serious. However a month later the pain came back more intensely, and was > fluctuating in the same area again (mainly lower-mid bowel). Bleeding > started, and it was heavy at times, and I also noticed by stool changing in > shape (getting smaller, almost like it is being cut in half down the center > on the way out). The blood seems to be "piggybacking" the stool, i.e. coming > out at the end of the bowel movement, not before of during. > Have been to the ER twice in the last month, but they do not seem to be set > up for GI diagnostic situations, so I was prescribed Donetal both times, and > sent on my way (blood test results were normal, but the occult blood test > was positive). The Donetal really doesn’t work, only makes me feel drugged, > but doesn’t affect the digestive tract. > The ER doc stated he fully believed it is one of three things, either Colon > Cancer, Diverticulitis (or losis?), or IBD. I had been diagnosed with IBS in > the past (more like the doc could find nothing else in 99′, so he threw the > IBS dart). > Now have a colonoscopy scheduled for next week, same great doc that did my > endoscopy, so I am not too worried about the procedure itself, am just at a > point where I am a bit scared. > I have been going through a major roller coaster ride, when the pain comes > on, it not only affects me physically, but my mood as well. My wife has seen > these major mood swings lately because of the pain, and it has been > difficult. > At this point I just needed to vent, and also look for advice from others > who have been down a similar path. I honestly have no clue what is > happening, but it definitely feels serious. Will (hopefully) know next week, > but until then just wondering how to cope. > Many thanks, > Paul

I don’t know if this will help or not. I was diagnosed with collagenous colitis in april after a 10 year search. My IBD was diagnosed by a full colonoscopy with multiple biopsies fo the entire colon. altho it is primarily found in women, men can get it, too. Just another thing to think about.

Response:

Greetings, Am putting this into two groups (am not x-posting it however). Am feeling a bit backed into a corner lately health wise, and am looking for advice, and a little bit of venting. I am a 32 year old male with a history of minor intestinal problems. Back in 1999, I started to have a lot of blood in my stool, and especially in the toilet (fresh blood, not digested). Was worried so I had a full GI workup. First had a colonoscopy (no sedation, have an anxiety disorder when it comes to being knocked out or heavily sedated). Went fine, some discomfort, but got through it. It showed some fissures and hemmhoroids, but nothing serious. Then had a Endoscopy (again without sedation), but was unable to get through it, the scope broke once he got it into the stomach, when he tried to put in the second one, I lost it. Could not continue. Then had an upper GI with small bowel follow through, was negative. Was still having problems with bleeding and some bloating for the next few years, but nothing that scared me, until 3 months ago. Within the last 3 months I have started to have periods of tremendous pain and discomfort that would fluctuate at various times between my lower stomach and lower colon. At first I thought it was a stomach issue, so I had an Endoscopy performed a few months ago (again no sedation), had a great doc and got through it, only found a hiatal hernia and schlotsky’s ring. Was happy with the negative result, and did not think it was anything serious. However a month later the pain came back more intensely, and was fluctuating in the same area again (mainly lower-mid bowel). Bleeding started, and it was heavy at times, and I also noticed by stool changing in shape (getting smaller, almost like it is being cut in half down the center on the way out). The blood seems to be "piggybacking" the stool, i.e. coming out at the end of the bowel movement, not before of during. Have been to the ER twice in the last month, but they do not seem to be set up for GI diagnostic situations, so I was prescribed Donetal both times, and sent on my way (blood test results were normal, but the occult blood test was positive). The Donetal really doesn’t work, only makes me feel drugged, but doesn’t affect the digestive tract. The ER doc stated he fully believed it is one of three things, either Colon Cancer, Diverticulitis (or losis?), or IBD. I had been diagnosed with IBS in the past (more like the doc could find nothing else in 99′, so he threw the IBS dart). Now have a colonoscopy scheduled for next week, same great doc that did my endoscopy, so I am not too worried about the procedure itself, am just at a point where I am a bit scared. I have been going through a major roller coaster ride, when the pain comes on, it not only affects me physically, but my mood as well. My wife has seen these major mood swings lately because of the pain, and it has been difficult. At this point I just needed to vent, and also look for advice from others who have been down a similar path. I honestly have no clue what is happening, but it definitely feels serious. Will (hopefully) know next week, but until then just wondering how to cope. Many thanks, Paul

Response: