Frustration with colon problems. - Digestive Disorders Message Board

*Versailles* · 10-18-2006, 04:37 PM

Hi everyone,

I recently posted about problems I was having, but will go through them again. Okay..about a month ago I experienced a painful bowel movement that was followed by large amounts of blood and continued to bleed the rest of that day. I have no gallbladder, so I do not deal with constipation or hard stools ever (usually it's the other way around).

Anyway, around the same time that bleeding happened, I started to develop some other symptoms. I have abdominal pain in my lower abdomen...primarily on the left side (worse after having bowel movements). I also have been generally fatigued and kind of weak feeling. I've also had some swelling, pain, and burning near the edge of my anus. I haven't had anymore blood since that first time. I've also noticed things like throbbing (pulsating) feeling in my rectum after bowel movements, and occasionally and twinging pain on my lower left side near my pelvis. Also, when the abdominal pain is at its worst, I can feel it in my back and hips. And I've been carrying a low grade fever.

Symptoms aren't any worse with certain types of food, and are not worsened or improved by eating. I have also been tested for about a hundred different types of food allergies which all came back negative. I went to the doctor again today and she told me she found some hemorrhoids (which I could have told her myself), and prescribed steroid medication for those. I explained to her that I was still concerned about the abdominal symptoms, but she basically shrugged it off saying I was too young to have other problems. I am only twenty, but I also remember being told that I was too young to have gallbladder problems and arthritis...and two years after being told that, I now have no gallbladder and do exercises and take medication for arthritis, so I really don't like having things ruled out due to my age.

Anyway, I guess my point is...I've been having consistently worsening problems for over a month now, and am very frustrated. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

thanks,
Vers

sarahgurl928 · 10-27-2006, 06:12 PM

Any pain around the anus is usually associated with ulcerative colitis (IBD) The bad news is that there is no cure, and treatments leave you with many side effects. Get a Promethius blood test (IBD First Step Test) and take it from there. If you have considerable pain, find a pain management doctor because a GI will do nothing for you. Read up on any prescriptions that you get, most doctors aren't as smart as you may think. I was almost killed by my GI prescribing antidepressants and misdiagnosing me! Let me know any updates I coud be of some help... I'm in med school and suffer from IBD.