My GI doc is an idiot, need advice
#302672 - 03/20/07 05:31 PM
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I went to my GI doctor this afternoon complaining about extreme gas, bloating, irregular bm's (three times on day, then nothing for 3 to 4 days, and on and on). I explained to him that I have been following Heather's guidelines and the gas has not improved. He gave me some reading material on "gassy" foods. I said I know all of this, eating this way is not helping, could it be celiac's? He said no, they tested for that Sept 2005. I asked for an allergy test, he said no need that i just need to alter my diet (which i JUST told him was not working). He told me to eat citracel and gave me a prescription for bentyl. I am VERY frustrated and depressed. I had to leave work early the past two days because my gas was SO explosive I thought I was going to accidentally have some sort of public trauma ocur if i didn't leave, not to mention that my belly was pouring over my pants because i was so bloated. I have been following heather's guidelines for two months now, I suck down peppermint and fennel tea like its my only source of water (i told the doctor about the peppermint tea and he asked me "what does that do?"). I am at the end of my rope, I have lost all patience. Nothing I eat is safe. Everything I eat gives me gas. Any advice? Maybe a probiotic in case my bacteria is all out of wack???
Any advice is much appreciated.
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Get out of his grip! My GI doctor was very understanding although he did not give any extra help, at least he was understanding and suggested things that just can't be afforded right now. HOWEVER! You need a new GI doctor! And REAL help...get someone else! You need another blood test and allegery test and the such and just a new doctor. Do whatever you can to take care of yourself. You are doing the right thing by knowing that what he did was wrong wrong wrong. You do not have to live like this and there is real help that docotors will give...just find a new one! What insurance are you on?
Time
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my insurance is United Healthcare which has been really good, I live in the Atlanta area. I have some names and numbers of some new docs and i plan on calling and making an appointment tomorrow.
Another thing that is driving me crazy about this guy: he gave me 6 or 7 pieces of "literature" to read about excessive gas. One of them says to try the elimination diet, adding food groups back one at a time to see which group causes the most problems, and it says to eat a bare bones diet for 3 to 4 days, suggesting a few things most importantly CUCUMBERS, BROCOLI and MELON. On a different sheet the doctor gave me it says: "Stay away from CUCUMBERS, BROCOLI and MELON at all costs (and other things, but these were in there.) Even his "literature" doesnt make sense. This is so frustrating. Even my plain pasta for dinner is irritating my stomach right now!!!
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oh and ANOTHER thing! This doctor told me that there was a study done, 100 people without IBS, 100 with IBS, they took xrays of everyone's stomachs and everyone had the same amount of gas. His explanation was that people with IBS can FEEL it more then normal people and thats why I am so miserable. Does that even make sense???!?!?!?! There is no way that the amount of gas I have is normal, I could fill up a hot air balloon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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First off, I haven't had much luck with GI docs other than to have them run tests and tell me I'm not dying of anything. Asking a GI doc about diet and food is very brave! They rarely have answers for that.
If you want, post your sample daily menu here and I'll have a look and try to give advice. Include all meds you take as well, and any small amounts of trigger foods (even if you just had a bite of chocolate, that kinda thing). There are a lot of things that contribute to gas, including drinking too much with a meal, eating too much at one time, eating lots of IF (most IF sources will cause gas, I take Beano for this), as well as various 'gassy' foods, and even some pre-packaged foods that contain milk products you may not know about. So please maybe post your daily diet and we can see if we can suggest improvements.
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Kat
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LOL, unbelievably it might be true.. However (big however!) in regular people, the gas passes through them without causing cramping or pain, and usually is expelled when they go to the washroom or at night when the muscles in the digestive system relax. The gas doesn't build up and cause bloating/cramping/pain.
In someone with IBS, we feel it more because we get cramping and bloating along with the gas, and tend to build it up and expel it at once, sometimes in a painful embarassing way.
So it is possible we do all have the same amount of gas, it will affect an IBS person a lot more.
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Kat
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Quote:
oh and ANOTHER thing! This doctor told me that there was a study done, 100 people without IBS, 100 with IBS, they took xrays of everyone's stomachs and everyone had the same amount of gas. His explanation was that people with IBS can FEEL it more then normal people and thats why I am so miserable. Does that even make sense???!?!?!?! There is no way that the amount of gas I have is normal, I could fill up a hot air balloon!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While people with IBS do tend to have a heightened sensitivity to pain in their abdomens, you're doctor is an idiot. Get a new one. There is an average number of times humans are supposed to pass gas each day. I think it's something like 17 times a day. Even if you are near that number, you shouldn't be in pain from the bloating/gas.
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I asked for an allergy test, he said no need
Again, new doctor. He shouldn't be disregarding a perfectly valid request like that.
With United Healthcare, I think you can go straight to specialists without a referral. I have United too and I've never had to get referrals. Find an allergist and get those tests done if that's what you need.
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***********************
If you're not dead, you've still got time.
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I'm in the Atlanta area too. My insurance is Kaiser, so I am stuck going to Kaiser drs. Although my GI dr is very sympathetic, she did admit to me that she didn't know how to help me. She suggested I do research for myself, and I found this website. Thank goodness. 
I agree with K2. Post a sample menu for a day, and everyone will try to help.
Snookie, IBS-C
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Snookie, IBS-C
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Hang in there! I am glad you have good insurance and are calling new doctors tomorrow! Just keep with it..you are doing the right thing and it has to be sooo frustrating. Throw away those papers, obviously he doesn't know what is going on and is pretending like he does. You know what to do, more than you probably are giving yourself credit for. Take the time and even take off a few days of work if you can..simply to rest and breath. you deserve it, and this is hard especially when everything revolves around the gut and health..hang in there and let us know what happens
time
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Mine is Kyser too (spelling incorrect..oh well) It is nice to know that at least we can simi afford all the bills!
time
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True..perhaps we really have a remarkable talent..hummm, we could be "discovered" and then rich!
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i made an appointment with a new doctor this morning, his scheduling nurse promised me this guy was the best and very nice (she's probably paid to say that)....anyways, I am going tomorrow at 10am, phew I hope this guy listens to me.
OK here's what i ate on sunday and monday (since Monday and Tuesday were the worst in gas history)
SUNDAY-
breakfast-two slices white bread toasted with simply fruit jelly.
lunch-two slices sourdough bread (no mayo or mustard or anything), avocado, turkey breast, tomato, lettuce. Protein shake with soy milk, bananas, strawberries and vegetable protein powder(this was at a restaurant, so this may have had some hidden ingredients? I asked them to hold the wheat germ and apple cider, maybe they didnt.)
snack-baked tostitos and salsa
dinner-spaghetti with a small amount of tomato sauce (sometimes this effects me, sometimes not, i can never decide), tilapia marinated in soy lemon sauce.
dessert: oatmeal cookie things i made, found the recipe on this website (oatmeal, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla)
(Did not get bad gas symptoms until monday morning when i woke up)
MONDAY-
breakfast-english muffin with simply fruit, banana
snack-oatmeal with banana, pretzels
lunch-white bread, mustard, sliced turkey, baked lays
snack-those oatmeal thingys described above.
dinner-jasmine rice and spicy turkey sausages
AND I AM GAINING WEIGHT LIKE ITS MY JOB. Is this alot of food? I've gone from 144 to 150 in the past 2 weeks! And i have started working out which makes no sense to me.
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It doesn't SOUND like a lot, but how big are your portions? If you're eating five meals a day, try to limit your portion sizes to about 1.5 cups of food. Try to stop eating before you actually FEEL full (I know, easier said than done!); that helps me. One of my biggest causes of gas is eating too much at a time.
I can tell you what would have given ME gas on your list: soy milk and oatmeal. Oats give me horrible gas and bloating. The protein shake may have been part of your problem, since you can't be totally sure what was in it. Do you take Beano? Try taking 3 or 4 of them before each meal and that should help decrease your gas considerably.
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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OATMEALS AND SOY! Both give me tremendous gas and pain. I can not tolerate either even if eaten with something else. I could eat something bad like french fries and feel better than I would if I ate either! Some of your weight gain may also be from the bloating from your gas pains. Believe it or not! Good luck - feel better! 
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IBS-D, Acid Reflux, ???
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Lauren:
You mentioned that you live in the Atlanta area and now have a new GI doc. Can you tell me who? I also live about an hours drive north of Atlanta and actually discontinued my GI doc since he was such an idiot. I now see my regular GP for any thing but he want me to go to the GI specialist since this is a continuing complaint of mine. My insurance is Blue Cross Blue Shield but I am pretty sure I can get my regular doc to refer me to someone I chose. Or I'll just tell the insurance company I want a second opionion. I'm tired of doctors who want to talk down to me and tell me I need to learn to live with this stuff instead of helping me. Even if he tells me I do all this stuff wrong tell me something.
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well i haven't seen this new doctor yet, my appointment is tomorrow morning (thursday at 10am), but I will definitely report back if he is good or bad. His name is David Quinn and he is affiliated with Piedmont Hospital.. The bad idiot docter was Claiborne, of Digestive Healthcare of Atlanta, also with Piedmont hospital. I will have a full report tomorrow morning when I get home.
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I agree with Lisa Marie on the Beano. You'll need it if you're having that much oatmeal, veggies, soy etc. It works wonders for me!
Also, tomato, lettuce, tomato sauce, salsa are not the easiest to handle. Tomato I find one of the hardest veggies, even when cooked. Lettuce is raw and not easy to tolerate either. I would suggest maybe getting used to eating more grilled or steamed veggies, or soup. Anything where you can have soft-cooked veggies. And maybe try to have only one serving with tomato-based stuff per day.
One big thing I noticed is the big difference in your menu Sunday and Monday in terms of the amount of IF you're eating. Sunday you ate plenty of veggies and Monday I don't see any. I find that with IBS consistency is the best thing, so your stomach has time to get used to how to handle all the food it's getting. Eating no veggies Monday (and then possibly eating lots Tuesday) is not going to keep your stomach used to eating it.
And lastly for the diet, I would just say watch your portions. For instance, your lunch you have a sandwich and a protein shake. I would split this into two mini-lunches at least an hour apart. I also often split my dinner by taking a small portion, eating that. Cleaning up a bit, do dishes etc. Then take an equally small portion. I tend to not eat much at once in the evenings because I get bloated and gassy very easily if I overeat at that time.
One more thing I want to say if you are having bloating/gas, exercise will help a lot. Taking a walk after dinner really helps me.
So, while your menu looks very IBS-safe and you didn't eat anything wrong, there are improvements you can make. It may take a while to figure out what works for you but don't give up. You're off to a good start!
Good luck with the new doctor. I'd suggest also bringing sample daily menus so the doc can see that you're still having symptoms even with eliminating trigger foods.
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Kat
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Hello K2...you seem like you may be my age..21yrs old? I have a question since you have been on the website with such good information. How do you handle the fatigue? I am exhausted all the time. It is not depression, but absolute fatique and true fatique to where it makes me feel sick after I sleep and if I am not sleeping. I think my body is just tired. Did you or do you know anything along the lines..?
Time
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Yep I'm 23! I do naturally sleep a lot but I don't really have fatigue problems. I had very low B12 and fixed that up last year, and since becoming stable I haven't had any fatigue attacks. I used to feel lethargic after having an attack, sometimes this happened in the morning and I'd be tired all day. With school that really sucks!
I do watch my diet to try and give myself energy: eating protein with every meal, eating often, not eating too much sugar, no caffeine (bad for IBS anyway) and reducing stress. Eating fresh fruits I find helps a lot, so I eat fruit about 3 times a day with my snacks or meals. I normally sleep about 9 hours a night (8-10 I guess) which is more than most people my age. I don't pull all-nighters for school, and if I'm going out to a bar, I try to sleep the afternoon before going or make sure I can sleep in the next day.
Have you talked to your doctor about fatigue problems? Constant fatigue is not a symptom of IBS, although like I said before I'd feel really drained after an attack. How much do you sleep each night?
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Kat
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Thank you K2...you are the only one that has really listened to me, even the doctors don't care and my parents just don't get it. I try to sleep at least 6 hours a night. And my attacks leave me weakened for the whole week. I am an Resident Assistant and the leader for the outdoor adventure group, which leaves me even more tired and I hate that. I am getting out of the outdoor group for next year. I hate taking naps, but with them, I am having at least 8 hours a night...I just can't think straight. Any advice, or every advice you have is needed and thank you soo much...any one else?
time
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Actually, I've been suffering from some pretty bad fatigue the last few weeks; the kind where I can feel it in my muscles when I move! It sucks. I'm pretty sure mine is depression-related, and my doctor is adjusting my AD to try and help with the fatigue. It's frustrating that there isn't an immediate response with ADs.
Kat, I'm SO jealous that you get so much sleep!!!
It's not too long ago that I was in college! I'm 28 (and feeling so old!). But what about just stress in general?? That's certainly enough to make you feel tired. Especially with the added responsibility of being an RA. Do you exercise regularly? Maintain a fairly consistent sleep-wake schedule? Going to bed or waking up later than usual can throw me off for several days and make me extremely lethargic.
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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No, nothing is normal in my routine and we have to walk the hall that keep me up till 1 am two to three nights a week. I have to do it though and I do enjoy being an Ra...but I may just need more sleep and to say NO to a lot more things than I initially thought. I am gald that you are talking to your doctor and let us, at least me (time) know for sure what she or he says.
Time
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"Kat, I'm SO jealous that you get so much sleep!!!"
LOL, you wouldn't believe how much sleep I'm getting right now with having mono.
Time: I have to say, I would be having IBS symptoms daily if I only slept 6 hours a night. And having a 2 hour nap in the afternoon to try to get to 8 hours of sleep? Doesn't work for me. I really need at least 8 hours solid sleep at night. If I was on 6 hours of sleep and had some tummy troubles, I'd be feeling the fatigue all day too. So there isn't necessarily anything medically wrong in your case, although I do suggest speaking to a doctor about it to be sure. And try really hard to get more sleep! Even if you try adding 30 mins at night, it could help.
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Kat
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Mono! Yuck! I had that for 9 months and then cito magalic inclusive virous for 5 after that becuase I didn't take care of the mono like I should have. So, rest rest rest...it is weird thing and can go into CMV ( which is like mono just worse)..take care Kat and let me know if you need anything that I could do at least over emial.
All my best,
Time
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I look back on my years in undergrad and I have NO IDEA how I survived the awful, horrible things I put my body through!! Thank goodness I didn't have IBS to deal with until I was out of there. I can't imagine dealing with college AND IBS!
Have you thought about having bloodwork done, just to make sure something isn't totally out of whack? I agree with Kat; you need more sleep! And honestly, try and make your sleeping and waking times as consistent as you can! I know that's easier said than done. That's one thing I love about having a full-time job - routine!
Thanks for your concern; I am starting to feel a little better. The last week or so has been a lot of up and down rather than just down, so I guess that's progress. 
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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Lisa! I go to colorado State univesity! I saw that you are in Colorado! Cool! Yes, I am done with my long hours and will quite them in put them in my control..then, when I have to be on RA call, I will take a nap before hand and keep low on those nights..not try to do any programs or anything. I am also IBS C...and tired of it! But, the tirednes will fall asleep as I get more sleep. How are some ways you handle the C?
Time in CSU!
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Hey neighbor! My favorite reason for going to Fort Collins is Rasta Pasta. MMMMMMMM!!!!! Before I stopped drinking, I also enjoyed the New Belgium brewery.
I think what you're suggesting will definitely help. Friday night DH and I are going to a concert so I know I'll be up way later than usual. I told him I HAVE to take a nap before we go, and I'll try to sleep in a little in the morning. However, I know I'll still be messed up and tired for the rest of the weekend. It's frustrating how sensitive my body is! 
For C, I take Natural Calm every night. It's a magnesium citrate supplement you can buy at Wild Oats or Whole Foods, or order online. Lots of people on this board use it. It works like a charm!! And so much more gentle than Milk of Magnesia, which is what I used to take.
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Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
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Thank you! I love Rasta Pasta too..and have also given up drinking, even good wine huts. Have fun at your concert!
Time
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Hi,
Sorry you are having a tough time with the gas. I get gas a lot, too. After reading some of your posts I will mention the things I think that could possibly be the problem...but then again, maybe not, since everyone is a bit different.
Protein powder, Bananas (they give me terrible gas), spicy turkey sausages, soy, oatmeal and peppermint (I know it's supposed to help but in some people it does the opposite. Stay away from too many veggies or fruits at one time.
My suggestion, take Beano before meals and Phazyme for gas has been a lifesaver for me. Also, a heating pad on the tummy will help as will exercising or taking a walk.
Good luck
Barbie
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I feel for ya.  I am on my 3rd GI and finally getting somewhere. If you live in/near the Philadelphia area, I would suggest the Hospital at the University of PA. They are at least listeneing and giving me some very good ideas on what to try and what not to. I was on bentyl for over 5 years and they took my off of it right away when it was causing me light-headedness.
Keep looking there are good GI's out there, there just hard to find sometimes.
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Jim
From the Wolf comes the strength of the Pack.
From the Pack comes the strength of the Wolf.
-R. Kipling
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LUCKILY the new GI doc I went to actually listened to me, and didnt shove more pamphlets into my hands on how to eat for IBS and gas (like I don't know how to eat for IBS, pah-lease). He told me to stop taking the anti-spasmodics cause I hadnt really noticed a difference (besides some D which was unexpected). And basically he thinks I have an overabundance of BAD bacteria in my lower digestive tract and not enough good bateria (think all those yogurt commercials). So he put me on CIPRO for 10 days to rid me of the bad bacteria, and gave me some probiotics to supply me with good bateria (i cant eat yogurt cause im Lact. intolerant, but that was his first suggestion.) He also said that if this doesnt get better within a few days, to eat 2 CHEWABLE extra strength gas-x's after every meal.
He did not push for a colonoscopy like the first idiot doctor(im convinced that guy just wanted the money for performing a procedure like that), and he tested for everything under the sun, celiac's, thyroid, helicobactor, etc etc. He said the food allergy test could come if this doesnt work. It was great! And I feel noticeable better, even though its only been 24 hours (I've always been a sucker for the placebo effect-I'd be horrible in a study). So I'm a happy camper, I hope the good feelings continue!
Anyone else go through this course of treatment and do well with it? Or not??
Edited by lauren2121 (03/23/07 08:57 AM)
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While I haven't gone the antibiotic and probiotic route, my doctor said we could try it if I didn't see results from the low dose amytriptyline. Since it worked, he didn't see the need to try it. He has said that many of his patients do well with the antibiotic and probiotic treatment.
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Quote:
He did not push for a colonoscopy like the first idiot doctor
Have you ever had a colonoscopy done? There are a few things that need to be ruled out, via colonoscopy, to make sure you've been diagnosed correctly. However, if you have already had one done and symptoms haven't changed any, there wouldn't be much point to having another one right now.
I'm glad to hear that your new doc is working out better for you.
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If you're not dead, you've still got time.
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