Going to see new GI doc Thursday, wish me luck!
#275546 - 07/24/06 10:03 PM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hi guys,
So Thursday is my appointment with a new GI doctor. I have been waiting since January to see someone. Apparently the first doctor my GP's office sent the request to never got it, so I freaked out on them and told them I wanted to see someone *now* and I could not afford to wait any longer. That was about 6 weeks ago.
I am hoping he is better than the last, who did my colonoscopy and then never returned my calls or would see me again.
My biggest concern is this thing that I *think* is reflux, but not sure.. I react to *all* raw fruit, veggies, most sauces, some red meat (I know, bad anyway) and then occasionally I get these *severe, agonizing* pains in the right side of my back that go down my arm and are so bad that I feel like I am on the verge of hysteria. It feels nothing like any muscle or joint back pain I've ever had, it feels more like really bad heartburn, but in my back.
The other is obviously the D, that I still get a lot, and this constant nausea that is on me every day.
I just *really* hope he will actually listen to me and answer some questions (My first question is going to be: Can I actually call you/come see you again because this is not a one-time visit sort of thing?) and try to really *help* me... 'cause I am really, really suffering physically at the moment.
So send me good tummy doctors thoughts on Thursday, please!
I'll update after I get back!
Cheers guys!
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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I just have to say that your wait time is uncalled for...I wish there was someway to hold these docs accountable for what I see as negligence.
One other thing have you had a sonogram to look at your gallbladder? That pain sounds quite similar to the pain I had with a bad gallbladder. I also had nausea everyday and frequent d.
They couldn't see all the damage to my gallbladder with the sonogram, but when they took it out, it was very bad (diseased they called it). It cleared up the nausea and pain, I still have bouts of d from eating inappropiately, but am 90% better without the gallbladder.
Just a thought....
Colby
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There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
--Bern Williams
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Hope it all goes well, keep us updated!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Hi Steph,
Good luck. Yes, GI doctors are famous for rushing their patients out of the office. I think my typical appointments with mine for UC are about 5 minutes unless I'm the one asking questions.
Just bring a list of everything you want to ask and make sure they give you all the information you're after and be sure to book a follow up appointment with the secretary before you leave.
Jenn
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Definitely write down everything you're concerned about and mentioned in your post! Then you can sort of control the appointment and make sure they spend more than 5 mins on you. (I never even SAW my doctor, I got his assistant, grr! But I also didn't take control of the situation so live and learn!)
Good luck and keep us posted! And I agree, it's horrible how long it took them to see you!
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~*If you can dream it, you can do it*~ Walt Disney
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good luck stephie! like everyone said, make sure you get your questions answered - go in reminding yourself that you're paying this doctor, and that you get as much time as you need. don't let him rush you out. of course, i hope this isn't that sort of doctor at all, but you never know. i hope it goes well, and that you feel good about whatever happens.
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jaime
ibs-a (mostly d) // vegetarian
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Hi guys,
So I just wanted to update you all on how my appointment went with the new GI doctor. The couple of differences than my last one was the 1) He was a "he" (my last one was a woman) and 2) He was very fluent in English, which the last one seemed to struggle with so we couldn't really understand each other.
He is young (36, I think he said) and from the UK (which is good for me because he knew some of the drugs I had mentioned from when I was over there) and he actually took 45 minutes to talk to me!  The last lady gave me *maybe* fifteen, but most of that was an exam.
He asked me lots of questions, and answered most of mine. My stupid GP sent over a form that said I had IBD, not IBS, so he was kinda confused about that and not very impressed with my GP as she also did not send any of my file, test results, or anything.
He sent me for some blood work and is having my GP fax the rest of my recent test results over before he decides if I need any more tests.
He gave me a prescription for pantaloc for the reflux, and I am going to try that one out and see how it affects my D (the last couple I went on made me super, super sick). He has also put me on dicetel for the cramping/D.
He also said, at my request, that he would get me in to see the dietician at the hospital there so that I could try and sort my diet out more to be healthier.
There are a few things I wished I could have gotten a bit more of a concise answer on (like a specific pain that I get in my back that I *think* is the reflux but I need to know what to do if it comes on as it is *agonizing*) but I think overall it went really well.
He told me to try out these medications and I can come back and see him again in October, unless I have a really bad reaction to the medication in which case I can call sooner. Even if I do react at first to the pantaloc, I am going to try and stick it out and I'll take a short term disability leave if I have to to see if it settles down after a while.
The only downside so far is that the pantatloc for 3 months cost me $198 as my extended health covers *none* of it (whereas it covered all of the dicetel). The pharmacist advised me to have the doctor write a letter to my extended health company to see if they would cover it at his request, so I will try that. In the meantime, I could only afford to fill one month... so I dunno whether to hope it works or not, hee hee.
Anyway, so it went much better than I expected and I also picked up a work book thing on dealing with anxiety and stuff so I can try to avoid medication as my anxiety has really sky rocketed recently.
So there it is, I'll let you know how the meds go... I am off to do a board search to see what others have said about them!
Cheers!
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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Pantoloc
#276122 - 07/28/06 12:58 PM
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jen1013
Reged: 05/06/05
Posts: 1322
Loc: the wabe
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This was one of the many meds I tried for GERD ... it's called Protonix here in the US. It gave me really awful D. So, be careful! Also, trying to stick it out may not get you anywhere -- when I was struggling to find a med for GERD, my doctor said that if I was still having side effects after 1-2 weeks I'd be having them the whole time. I'm not sure how accurate this is.
I really loved Aciphex (Pariet up there). No side effects whatsoever and it totally quashed my reflux. There is no generic, though, which for me made it expensive (at the time $40 copay). If you can't stomach the Pantoloc, ask your GI about Aciphex.
Glad your appointment went well, or at least better. It's too bad he couldn't give you a good answer about your back pain, though.
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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Re: Pantoloc
#276126 - 07/28/06 01:12 PM
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Stephie
Reged: 03/10/04
Posts: 2696
Loc: Vancouver, Canada
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Hey Jen,
I kinda wish I hadn't read that now 'cause I'm all nervous. I am going to take my first one tonight.
The last doc gave me Pariet, and I refused to take it because I was scared of side effects. If this one doesn't work, I will try the Pariet (I still have the free samples the doc gave me).
Oh yeah, if side effects lasted for more than like a week and a half, I would be done with it. I'd have to take a leave from work, but I am trying not to stress about that.
Gah, I hate all this medication business. I have taken two doses of the dicetel now and no bad reaction so fingers crossed it stays okay.
Thanks for the info, I will def try to keep an open mind about these other meds.
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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I'm sorry, I didn't mean to freak you out!! I just wanted to warn you. I did have pretty bad D at the time anyway, but the GERD meds made things a thousand times worse until I finally found Aciphex. Hopefully one of the meds will work for you, preferably whichever one is cheaper. 
I've never taken Dicetel, just Levsin and Bentyl. I preferred the Levsin, the Bentyl didn't do much. I hope it works for you.
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jen
"It's one of the most serious things that can possibly happen to one in a battle -- to get one's head cut off." -- LC
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