Home from GI - A weird experience
#77138 - 06/08/04 09:20 AM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hi all!
So as most of you know, today was my appointment to see my GI doc but I wasn't really looking forward to it because of how useless the last doctor I saw there was. So I was all emotional all morning for some reason, thinking she wouldn't help me and I would never get better and blah, blah, blah..
So I went, and to my surprise, I got too see the ACTUAL consultant! No more 17-year-old-looking HSOs for me! I saw the actual consultant - and he was lovely! He was really nice, he reassured me that IBS is a real problem to be taken seriously (even though it's not by a lot of doctors, he said he knows) and that although it isn't curable, he wants to help me make it manageable. I was so relieved to see a nice doctor. He really took his time, and explained things to me about the way food moves through your bowels, etc.
He gave me a prescription for some new meds called Celevac, and it's just chewable tablets that he says should bind up my BMs better so I don't have such bad D. He also confirmed that my reflux meds are making my D so much worse, and told me to stop taking them. He said I probably don't have actual reflux, that it is just a part of the IBS since mine has been acting up so badly. He didn't seem surprised at all when I mentioned anti-depressants and gave me a prescription for a really low dose anti-anxiety/depression med that he said won't work for 2-3 weeks, but then should help my IBS symptoms as well as my anxiety.
Here is the weird part, though... He said he doesn't believe IBS symptoms have anything to do with what food you are putting in your body. I told him that I was keeping really strict on a diet, and he said that was unnecessary. He said as long as you are on a healthy diet, and getting enough fiber for your body, you shouldn't worry about what you're eating. Now, I spend all my time worrying about what I'm eating so I was like, "O.. k.." My boyfriend thought that was fantastic news, but I think I am going to still be REALLY careful with food.
He is setting me up an appointment with a dietician, so I guess I will find out more then. I've never seen a dietician, so that should at least be interesting. Then I go back to see the GI guy again in 8 weeks.
I feel so much better today, then I did the last time because at least this doctor listened to me, and obviously knew a lot about IBS. He said 1/3 of his patients are IBS sufferers.
I hope everyone else is doing fine! I just wanted to let everyone know how my doc appointment went.
Talk to you all soon!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Steph, that's GREAT!! A doctor who understands and knows his stuff!! It's not wierd that he would be less knowledgeable on the diet, because they don't teach them about that in med school. I can only speak for myself, but it definitely takes BOTH Heather's diet and meds for me to stay stable. Maybe you can ease up a little and be less afraid to eat, but I'd still follow the basic idea of soluble fiber as a base, no rich heavy fatty foods, etc. Just my humble opinion.
But how GREAT to find a nice doctor. And good luck with the dietician.
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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Steph,
Glad to hear your appointment was a more positive experience than they have been in the past. I havn't heard about the meds he gave you, but I have heard that reflux meds can make D worse, I've had that problem before with OTC reflux meds. Even though he seems to have some good knowledge of what we're dealing with with IBS, DON'T listen to him on the "diet doesn't matter" message - bad idea! Stick to what you know your body can handle with food and with stress levels, we know both factors in. Hope you're feeling better.
Min
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Steph-
glad he sounds competent! i agree with LS about the diet, though. they just don't learn that stuff in school. Methylcellulose is the active ingredient in your new medicine and it's also in Citrucel. so see, he DOES believe in soluble fiber for IBS, he just hasn't thought it through to the next step: diet!
anyway, i'm not trying to take anything away from your great experience! he seems really wonderful and i'm glad you found him.
i'll be interested to hear about your experience with the dietician. i think that's a valuble tool and wish my insurance paid for it....
anway, YAY YOU! 
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I agree about the diet! My GI said he researched IBS, and I trusted him when he said, 'you can go on a normal diet now, you're stomach just needs some time to heal, bla bla'. Hence the reason I threw up and had D for months. Nothing helped until I changed my diet, so I swear by the diet. I just nod my head when doctors say that, because they get offended if you disagree of course...but I would definately stick with the foods you are ok with. I'm sure you will anyways!
Good luck and I'm glad you had a good appointment! That's always good news.
~Cara
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~Cara~
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Hi Steph,
I'm so glad you found a doctor that understands IBS and is sympathetic to you. Good to find out the culprit for your "D" was the reflux med. Now maybe you will feel better. However, I do believe that what you eat does have something to do with how you feel. I know it does for me. If I ate some of the things on a "supposedly healthy diet" I would have terrible "D". It will be interesting to see what the dietician has to say.
Happy you got some anti/anxiety medicine, too.
Good luck
Barbie
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My GI told me the same thing that yours did, and told me that he believed the syndrome was really 75% mental and that the other 25% only fluxuates (sp?) off and on and you know what........I actually think he's right. A majority of the time I'm able to whatever I feel like and not get sick. But for several days here and there I have totaly IBS symptons. So I dunno. I mean, it's a really weird concept to me, so I have no clue what's true and what's not. Who even knows lol I mean, it would make sense since it's never really, truly diagnosed because you can't SEE it......I'm so confused!!! I'll hafta call back so we can discuss this more. Because I really do think that you guys are right, but then his ideas do make sense to me, too. I just don't know what to think anymore!!  lol
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It comes down to the art of living on [color/red]
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Peaches
#77387 - 06/09/04 03:14 AM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hi Peaches,
Don't worry, I totally know what you're talking about and I think I have read other people on this site expressing the same confusion. Around November last year, I was eating anything I wanted (the baaad stuff - pizza, fries, burgers, drinking quite a bit of alcohol (I worked in a bar!) cookies, everything!) and whenever I wanted. I used to work 'til midnight, then eat a dinner of chicken strips and fries after that and be okay. Now I can eat rice all day and still get sick.
I have to admit that I was a bit happy to hear him say I could basically eat whatever I wanted, but I have it so ingrained in me that eating is the main key to dealing with IBS.
One thing I do know is that anxiety and stress are FOR SURE triggers for me. Moreso than food, I believe. Any time I get upset, or start to feel anxious I am hit with an attack. Hopefully, the meds my doc gave me will help with that.
As for food, I am going to see a dietician soon (dunno when, my appointment is being sent through the mail.. so it might not actually be soon!) so maybe that will shed some light. Until then, I am going to watch what I eat (still no fries, or milk products ('cause they bothered me before IBS) but try and add some stuff back in. I am hoping that if I keep a really detailed food diary this time 'round, I can figure out on my own what foods I can handle and what ones I can't.
If I figure anything out, I'll letcha know!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Steph hon, that's great. But I agree with Jen and LS - doctors don't neccessarily know about diet. They all put us on the SFSs and don't think about what we're eating.
Maybe when the anti-depressant/anxiety meds kick in (they do take a while), you can ease up a bit. But Heather's guidelines for soluble fibre, etc. just seem sensible to me.
To be honest, I'm no where near as strict as some of you. I just couldn't cope! But then being good really helped me stabilise and I have to follow the guidelines. But I've found I can eat higher fat foods sometimes. And sometimes I eat too many veggies cos I like them (and then regret it! ). But anyway (sorry, my frog's chewing my brain) everyone's different... Dunno WHERE that thought went....?
Hopefully you will now start to enjoy life a bit more and stop getting so stressed out about the IBS. It shouldn't control people's lives so that they don't enjoy themselves!
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Hi all,
Don't fear, I am not gonna go food crazy just 'cause my doctor told me it was okay to. In fact, when he said that to me, my immediate reaction was I just thought, "No, that's not true" and didn't even consider running out of the hospital to the nearest McDonalds to eat some cheeseburgers and fries (though I would admittedly kill someone for one... mmm... Ooops, sorry, side tracked there...) It was only when we left the office, and I realised my boyfriend had really latched onto that. I think he doesn't really understand all the diet stuff, and he has sort of been waiting for someone to tell me that this diet I am on is over-kill and to stop. It does cause problems with us, as he wants foods I can't have, or eats things in front of me that I'm not allowed and I get upset.. I said the same thing I said here, that I would try and add some stuff in but I was going to stick to "the basics" of what I've been doing, at least until I am feeling back to normal (and who knows when that will be???).
Okay, so last night we went to the store and I bought a cookie with smarties in it and ate it after a safe dinner.. Today I had one ALMOST normal BM, and then one closer to D.. but not liquid like it has been lately. I think those chewable things are working.. or maybe I am just feeling less anxious 'cause I think I've find someone to help me.
Besides, I lost 15 pounds on this diet and I like the size I am now. If I went back to eating the way I was before (Which was baaaad), I'd balloon right up! 
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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