Menopause Matters Forum
Menopause Discussion => Personal Experiences => Topic started by: Droopeydrawers on February 04, 2019, 03:43:57 PM
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Hi ladies I had a few messages from ladies asking for an update after my visit to nutritionist today who specialises in the gut issues I've been experiencing.shes based in Eastbourne so I enjoyed the trip there and the weather was pretty kind to us we had a lovely walk along the prom etc.
I had a good chat with her this morning full medical history done and copies of scans and blood tests discussed.she said my vit d levels were very low as was my b12 so it's no surprise that I couldn't absorb the oestrogen I was given when i was on hrt because when there's a problem in the gut biome you won't be able to absorb the nutrients you need and it's kind of like a vicious cycle.we have to check what's going on in the gut then correct that and also correct the levels of these essential vitamins and minerals that the body needs to function properly.
From what I could work out she's saying if these things aren't right then no amount of hrt, tabs or patches or gel,wether 2 4 or 6 pumps a day will be absorbed because our body just can't handle it.it maybe an idea if some people are indeed having issues with low levels of oestrogen or poor absorption to maybe go and ask your gp to check your bloods ,your d your b12 folic zinc iron etc then at least that would give you a valid reason for your hrt not working as well as you'd hoped.its just an idea I don't know how accurate this is but I've no reason to doubt her she came across as being confident in her area of expertise and I feel confident that she'll help me resolve this gut problem.the stool test I'm having done is a lot more intense than the nhs one this one can check for a wider range of parasites and also wether its IBS or IBD without having to use the camera method which was music to this cowards ears lol.
She will fully liaise with the gp and recommend the blood tests via nhs so it's just wether this new gp will cooperate or not I suppose but he seems nice and efficient so fingers crossed.they can't just keep filling me with antibiotics for hpylori then dump me when I'm still in pain.shes given me a lot of hope that at some stage we will get to the bottom of this then i can go back to eating a normal diet and stay pain free.ill update when any progress is made and thank you for asking how I was progressing ladies it was very kind.DD😘
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What parasite would she be looking for exactly, did she suggest anything in particular? My FinL had a gut parasite :o - we could see it migrate round his body on a regular basis, his belly would get an angry red rash [are rashes always red :-\] and he would dash to the toilet every morning around 6.00. It moved when it had eaten the digestive contents in that area ...... in the 1970s he went to Roehampton Hospital and had intensive investigations and had a sulphur-based drug to take which killed the Blighter stone dead! His bowel settled and he no longer had the rash. He had harboured the Blighter since 1938.
Also, is there a difference between IBS and IBD? One is irritable bowel syndrome the other irritable bowel disease: I think :-\ - I have the former as 'disease' means it may be more complicated. Mine is mainly slow transit particularly when we are away from home ::) As a recovering anorexic who ate very little for many years, my digestive system almost stopped: I would feel incredibly sick when I ate anything because nothing was moving through. A set of medication from the GP really helped but it took 4-5 months to feel well again.
Glad you feel listened to, it makes a huge difference to having time to discuss and exchange ideas. Let us know :foryou:
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I'm really interested to read this ladies. To try and cut this as short as possible, I was told some years ago that I had IBS after having the camera and the camera down. They couldn't find anything physical wrong and I didn't have any food intolerances and was told my problems were probably stress induced. I had to change my hrt about 18 months ago because the original one I was on was discontinued. Since then, my digestive issues have really escalated and because it coincided with changing HRT, I had put this down to the HRT, hence I've tried quite a few regimes to try to find one that doesn't affect my stomach.
However, having read your post DD, I'm wondering if I've got something else going on with my digestive system and this should be looked at separately to HRT. I'm suffering a lot of pain and discomfort most of the time and when I go to the loo, it can be a bit ‘pongy' (sorry if that's too much info). Does this kind of thing sound familiar to you DD?
I'm pleased you are getting the help and support you need and hopefully you will be back on track soon.
Rosie63 x
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I don't genuinely know clkd as I worked with a lot of feral animals in Spain so it could be anything.she said she sees a lot of veterainy.(sp.) nurses and they nearly always have some kind of parasitic issue but these stool tests will tell us for sure.it may not be that at all but id like to know and if hpylori was there then anything's possible.yes ibs and ibd spot on they used to only be able to tell with camera but now time has progressed and they can tell by stool it's called faecal calprotectin which is a protein biomarker and is associated with IBD such as Crohns disease or colitis.its less invasive than the endoscopy and much cheaper.also perfect for cowards like me who prefer not to be poked prodded or invaded lol.DD😘
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Have you ever had a ct colonoscopy?not painful at all and it shows up the entire gut and will detect if you have an ibd,thankfully mine came back clear,I did a food intolerance test and it came back with a wheat allergy and very acute nut intolerance,off to dr tomorrow to discuss ct scan results but also see if I can get a food allergy test done via nhs, I did mine off a website so can never be 100% sure how accurate it is.been bothered with my gut since my 20s and it's NOT getting any better 😢 like most people dr told me it's ibs,how do they know'they don't,that's too easy,you don't just have dodgey guts,something making your guts dodgey
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Hi Rosie you could be right I started with IBS many years ago but until I started hrt it was never like this.one of the major reasons I stopped hrt actually but that was my choice to do that.
The nutrutionist said today she thinks the hpylori could be a bit of a white elephant just now because 2 lots of triple therapy would or should have eliminated that so she thinks because of multiple antibiotics and possibly parasites due to my feral animal work it's quite possible my whole gut biome is compromised so it'll be a process of elimination before I'll allow anything invasive and she agrees this is the common sense way to proceed.so plan of action is stool tests (private I'm afraid ) as nhs not as comprehensive and meantime she'll contact gp and ask to have bloods redone then well take it from there once results are back, meantine continue with my lactosee free gluten free diet which i find a dawdle anyway.from what I know Rosie whiffy poo is usually a sign of bacteria in gut so maybe go discuss with your gp and get a stool sample checked.DD😘
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I wouldn't want a tube up or down :-X stool tests should show common parasites. FinL's was unusual at the time and caught in the Far East, noted by an Australian Consultant [can't remember the speciality] but he was working with returning Far East Prisoners. FinL had to have a gastric tube down to check the contents where the parasite was sighted.
Interestingly as an aside, a lot of pet dogs have returned from Mainland Europe with parasites which can be fatal and which many Vets are not familiar with.
If you find a parasite it may well solve the problem with your guts/bowels. Do you itch anywhere around the transit area? i.e. waist line?
Rosie: pongy poo can be characteristic of some diseases/conditions. As can stool colour and consistency. How often one needs to 'dash' to empty the bowel to avoid accidents. So maybe note how often you need to 'dash', colour, consistency; whether you feel anxious and what you've eaten in the last 4-5 days. Yellow is often a bacteria [as in D&V]. Lots of food stuffs can odour particularly greens :o and onions. Anxiety has a huge influence :o >:(
Anxiety has a characteristic smell in poo and sweat glands.
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Hi jaypo def not if I can avoid it lol.thats why the calprotectin test is being done to determine wether it's IBS or IBD it's standard now to do that rather than invasive.
I'm determined to get to the bottom of it as I can't go through every day in pain like this it wrecks my lifestyle.
Good luck jaypo hope your gp gives you some help with your food issues.is it allergy or intolerance did they tell you?
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:-X. get to the bottom :-X ;)
I've never felt that I had a 'disease' with regard to bowels, anxiety led 'runs', nausea, slow transit unless I'm worried - bugga - it kind of crept up :-\ ........ and fortunately my GP had the right medication for me.
How long to wait B4 you need to send the samples Droopeydrawers?
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I have to poop 3 seperate samples clkd and dispense (lol) into 4 containers then box up to send.( it's one sample for nhs tests).turnaround can be 14 days but I'm ok with that ive had this since April last year with no break from it and no support or progress from Gps I even had to get the tests done privately to prove I had hpylori.before they'd give me the triple therapy I needed.Ive had the crappest two years of my life with one thing or another all fixable if I'd had the right medical care and support.my nutritionist actually said to me today I feel so sorry for you in that you've had to be your own gp these last 2 years to try and get some level of normality and pain free comfort in your life it's outrageous.I feel so much happier tiday to have someone in my corner for a change and I couldn't care less what it costs me I'll scrimp if I have to in order to get well or at least get a bloody diagnosis.DD😘
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Fundraising required? Or course, the NHS will continue to go it's own way >:(.
If the NHS listened to patients and met them at least half-way, the system would save a lot of money :bang:!
'crappiest two years' ;)
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Hope you feel better soon Droopey Drawers x
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Hi Dotty 😘
Thank you hope your well DD 😘
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I'm good thanks Droopey Drawers x
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😘 ::)
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💖😘
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How are you getting on with the wheat free diet? I now long for some French bread 😄can't say I love the gluten free stuff but the pasta etc is ok,I'm allergic to wheat DD,I'm vegetarian too so it does make life difficult,especially going out for a meal,the ct colonoscopy is non evasive,it's basically a ct scan but with your colon full of dye,so they can check every inch,might be worth your while. I'm now on mebeverine (colofac)& it does help quite a bit,I don't get the cramps like I used to.
I'm interested in what you know about slow transit clkd.my issue is I don't poo for days and days,I'd fibre coming out of my ears at one point,didn't help.its not like I feel constipated, I just don't need at all😳
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Thanks ladies. I've managed to get an appointment with gp for next week so hopefully will get a referral to check all things digestive.
Wishing you all well.
Rosie xx
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'Buscopan' can help too.
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Good Mornin ladies 😘
Jaypo if you have been tested coeliac you can actually get your gluten free bread on prescription.do a bit of research when you get time and it'll throw up lots of info for you 're this.
I actually have no problem on a gluten/ lactose free diet as I don't eat much gluten and didn't find it an issue reducing it.Schar do an acceptable gluten free loaf and a good range of other products have a Google.i quite like their seeded one not so keen on white but as I say I don't eat much bread anyway so if I bought a loaf id usually stick in freezer and just take out the odd slice.I prefer arlas lactose free milk so I still get the benefits of dairy without the side effects of lactose and their milk can be bought in asda for £1 a litre carton which is fine by me and we both use it I don't buy " normal" milk at all now.they also do a nice range of yoghurts around £1.60 for four.or buy a yoghurt maker and make your own from the lactose free milk.thats if you eat these type of products.cathedral now make a really strong flavoured lactose free cheddar cheese I like that. Bisto gravy granules do gluten free gravy in red tin that's quite acceptable if your rushed.to be honest I don't eat frozen food or processed food I've always cooked from scratch ingredients bought fresh every couple of days so there's not a lot of gluten that I have to avoid just the basics like bread or pastries.you can even get gluten free yorkies from Waitrose etc.I will be retested for coeliac by breath test to get a definate yay or nay but it means introducing gluten back into my diet for 6 weeks and right now I'm in too much pain to do that but it will be part of our plan of action.last night I got first jobby in the sample pot lol not a pleasant experience but necessary evil for stool testing. I have to do 4 specimen pots then send to labs then they'll test for parasites and wether I have ibs or ibd so that'll be a relief and this morning the nutritionist copied me in to gp letter requesting testing for vit b12 folate,ferritin,Total IgE repeat vitamin D,ESR CRP and faecal calprotectin so she's obviously on the ball with getting things moving lets hope gp cooperates eh.DD😘
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That's great that they're doing all the testing,it's a long process to find out what's wrong when it comes to all things gut related. I had to do the stool sample 🤢 not sure I have any dignity left these days.Thing is,without any scans or colonoscopy they can't determine 100% or so I was told by specialist,e.g My diverticulitis,that can cause a lot of pain when it flares up and has to be treated by antibiotics.you'd be fine getting a ct colonoscopy........honest 😊 no pain involved,then you're entire colon from stomach to large bowel would be looked at.
Anyway hope they find out what's wrong.
I'm away to dr today,talk through my scan and going to ask her about an intolerance test,the one I had done was via internet,I'd rather have one done that dr recommends.im not allergic or intolerant to gluten,dr did blood test for it,I'm also not lactose intolerant tested for that too but I am allergic to wheat,just not the gluten in wheat,have you tried a nut intolerance? I feel so so ill if I eat nuts,really nauseous etc.
What a carry on 🤨
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Thats all good then jaypo I'm really happy for you and glad you have a good gp who's happy to test that's half the battle isn't it.
The nutritionist agrees with me that colonoscopy should be a last resort and only considered after we've ruled out these other tests so that was music to my ears I'm really not open to invasive at all if I can avoid it yes it's costs me money but that's my choice at the end of the day im not pressurising the nhs by going private but where I can I ask or consultant will ask gp if they are willing to do any of the required testing on the nhs.I can't eat nuts my teeth don't like them lol.itd really cost me if I broke any of them on nuts so I avoid lol.ive had triple therapy twice and antibiotics made no impact on the rib pain and I've had 4 ultrasounds on various parts of the body and nothing showing so I'll just have to keep plodding away and I know I'll get there eventually.thanks jaypo enjoy your day DD😘
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You too DD isn't life a bowl of cherries 😏
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Hi Droopydrawers.
Just a thought. I've got a spare ‘Advacate' here if you want to try it,
we use it as a flea and parasite killer on our dog!
Might just kill any parasite in your guts too........lol. 🙀🙀😂🤣😂🤣😂
Well, you wondered where my naughtiness had gone........🤭
Only joking babe, I know it's NO laffing matter.
Hope your ok......you know I love ya.....xxxxxx
(Now I'm begging it...lol) 😘😘