Dr says I need an endoscopy and colonocopy! And what is IBD?
#329739 - 05/13/08 09:50 PM
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Ok. So I kinda think it is IBS I have as it seems to be all the right symptoms. I had an endoscopy when I was a kid but now I am 28 and never had a colonoscopy and this new Dr wants me to have one.
Trouble is, I am frightened because I have M.E/CFS and Asthma and I take aaaaaaaages to wake up from anesthetic.
Also, when I go to the Dentist the anasthetic they use doesn't work on me.
I am worried I will feel everything and that they will perforate my bowel and I could die.
I want to know what is wrong with me and because I have no health cover it will be months and months before this is even done but I have to see a gastroenterologist first.
If I eat salad with some fresh sourdough I still get pain, bloating, wind and eventually diarrohea that is weird and half constipated but yet with the pain of diarrohea and the consistency of that.
I think unless I eat nothing but plain potato, sweet potato and plain bread I can get pain and symptoms.
This Dr thinks I might have IBS but it could also be
Inflammatory Bowel Disease and she thinks I should be sure.
She's right of course, but what's the difference between IBS and IBD?
Thanks.
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I would talk to your Dr. about your medication concerns. But you MUST get a colonoscopy to rule out other diseases. A colonoscopy isn't bad at all. For me it was like taking a nap  The worst part was the prep.
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~Mary
Had surgery for rectal prolapse in Sept. '06 and feeling good now! Loving life with our IVF miracle #1.
 
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I agree that you *must* speak with your doctor about your anesthesiology concerns. In fact, talk to your doctor about talking to whoever will be doing your anesthesia - I did that before my last surgery and it was very reassuring. I would think that an anesthesiologist would be anxious to talk to you since you have asthma. I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy at the same time and did fine with it. The meds they give you not only help with the pain they also make you not care about what's going on around you and make sure you remember little or nothing about the whole procedure. Sort of a mini-vacation from reality.
You can also ask your doctor or the anesthesiologist if they can prescribe some kind of anti-anxiety med for you to take beforehand. I popped half a Xanax before my last surgery and could have cared less about what was going to happen. But DON'T take any kind of med without checking with the doctor and anesthesiologist first - they need to know what you're taking to adjust their doses appropriately.
You should also talk to your doctor about your concerns about having your bowel perforated - he should be able to discuss with you how very unlikely that is.
It's not surprising you get symptoms when you eat bread and salad. Salad is pretty heavy-duty IF - it took me months and months to get my gut stable enough to be able to handle it.
Here's a link to an old newsletter that discusses the difference between IBS and IBD:
web page
I hope this helps. My endoscopy/colonoscopy really was pretty much a non-event - except for the prep which is no fun. But once it's done, you'll know what's wrong and can take it from there.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Hi,
I had a colonoscopy performed in 2003 and I wasn't completely out for the operation but I didn't feel anything, and there was no damage down to my bowel. The doctors performing this examination are skilled and trained, and it is a common procedure.
This colonscopy led to my diagnosis of ulcerative colitis, a form of IBD. To really simplify it, the difference between IBD and IBS is that with IBD there is an inflammation in the bowel. Depending on the symptoms and inflammation you may be diagnosed with Chrohn's or Ulcerative Colitis. The regions of the bowel they affect are different, as are the symptoms. The good news is although it's a chronic illness there are medications you can take to help make life a more normal.
Having these procedures will give the doctors and yourself a bit more insight as to what's going on.
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