Doctor
#220248 - 10/19/05 09:54 AM
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Alli
Reged: 04/23/05
Posts: 195
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I need some help. I've been to the doctor about this nurmourous times, but I've seen the same doctor twice. I went to her today and she told me to eat more fiber (same thing she said on my last visit) and come back in a month. Why won't she give me any tests!?! It's upsetting me. I don't want to wait another month especially when she told me to come back in two weeks during my last visit to 'excerise and eat fiber' ..I don't know what to do. I feel like I have to be strict with the doctors in order to get the tests and diagnosis. What should I do? I feel like switching doctors, But I would have to drive for an hour to get to a more decent hospital. If I do switch doctors, I would probably have to visit a lot to get all the tests, wouldn't I? ....I need some real help. Doctors just look at me and think I'm lying. Or they probably think I'm a 'depressed teen who thinks she's fat, and not really chronically bloated'
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What would a rectal exam exclude? The doctor did mention that, but she had no intentions, of course, in completing one any time soon. But what possible causes of bloating would it exclude?
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Umm, nada! The rectal exam is good for checking for hemms and fissures, but that's about it as far as I know. My GI doc did that on my first visit!  You HAVE to have a colonoscopy, stool sample tests and the bloodwork. If your doc won't do them, try insisting, try complaining and then get another doc!
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Wow, you won't believe how much that just helped! I actually thought it was something like a colonoscopy. But what exactly does a colonoscopy exclude? Colon cancer. Anything else? And is the chrones/colitis/caliec test (if there are any) necessary for the bloating symptom? I thought they only caused D.
I'm beginning to think that there could be more to bloating then listed on the site. What about malabsorption? Is there a test for that? I'm sort of ..losing my mind thinking about all of these tests.
For blood work, what would I ask to have tested? I had blookwork the oter day, and asked for the thyroid stimulating hormone to be checked, which came out fine.
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Hi, Alli!
A colonoscopy checks for ulcers, inflammation, polyps, tumors, IBDs (ulcerative colitis or Crohn's). During a colonoscopy biopsies and removal of precancerous polyps can be done. It checks the entire colon. A flexible sigmoidoscopy checks the last two feet of your colon.
An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy screens for the same thing but checks out your esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. This can also be used to see if you have celiac disease, GERD, parasites.
Stool analysis is one way to check for malabsorption. It can also be used to check for parasites, blood, and bacteria that causes disease.
Specific blood tests can be used to see if you have celiac disease, inflammation or infection, anemia; a blood chemistry test screens for any metabolic disorders, liver or kidney dysfunction.
I hope this answered some of your questions. Like Linz said, a rectal exam doesn't check for much, but it can also be used to detect hidden blood.
Edited by spasmtastical (10/19/05 04:01 PM)
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if you're a woman to get a full gynecological exam. 
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Extremely helpful, thank you very very much.
I'm inconcievably nervous about the tests, I'm not quite sure how to handle myself. I've never actually had to have many tests done at all. An endoscopy(sp?) is that when they stick a tube of some sort down your esophagus through your mouth?
I'm especially nervous about the colonoscopy. Does it hurt...
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I get really nervous about tests too! I haven't had a colonoscopy or an endoscopy, which I feel should have been done years ago following a very bad gastrointestinal illness. Most doctors I saw didn't feel I should have one. I did have a flexible sigmoidoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, blood tests every couple of years, and all the rest of those tests. At this point (being stable and without any signs of inflammation or infection) I'm pretty confident with my IBS diagnosis. However, if I had to do it over again, I would have advocated for myself much better and demanded a colonoscopy ten years ago. Ultimately, it was my responsibility to take charge of my health and decide what I wanted or didn't want to do and to start a dialogue with my doctor about the various tests.
Most people who have had a colonoscopy don't even remember the procedure! And they have described the prep as the worst part. You might want to do a search on this or start by reading this: Colonoscopy Prep .
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Okay. Yeah the prep seems very horrible. But it might be good for me. Will it clean you out completely? That could help the bloating. Temporary relief, hah. Anyways, I'm thinking about it. Now, I don't want the rectal exam. The only reason why the doctor offered it was because thats probably one of the only real exams they can do. Cheap clinic.
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Yup!
#220416 - 10/19/05 11:49 PM
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Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
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You need to get thoroughly checked out.
I'm curious, is bloating your only symptom?
And the colonoscopy's fine once you're over the prep! 
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