*update* - Crohn's, IBD, IBS, etc. - who has experience?

[CloudBee]

I've had chronic diarrhea forever. It really became problematic in middle and high school (when we no longer had bathrooms in our classrooms), but my mom just threw Imodium at me. We never talked to my pedi about it. Over the years DH has been on my case to see a doctor, and I've been against it. This has just been my norm for as long as I can remember. Always being aware of where bathrooms are, always waking with diarrhea, etc. My dad experiences much of the same, so I just assumed it was normal to an extent.

DS has a lot of GI issues related to his mast cell disease, and DH usually attends his GI appointments. It's really come to light for us that I have some pretty big GI issues, too, after realizing the concern DS's GI over his unrelated chronic diarrhea. (This is when DH became very persistent that I see a doctor myself.)

Fast forward to a few weeks ago, and I finally saw GI. They did a ton of blood work, checking for things like celiac, etc. I also had some stool studies done as I've caught C-Diff in the hospital twice. They needed to rule that out. Everything was clear. So today I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy. Ugh. At least because they were doing both, I was given general anesthesia vs. twilight. The prep was the worst part.

I was told before going into the procedure that I already had an IBS or IBD diagnosis, but that the scoping would give them a better visual, and biopsies would either rule out or confirm Crohn's.

It will take about a week to get the biopsy results back. But today we were told that I had inflammation in my esophagus, stomach, and colon. I'm starting lansoprazole (Prevacid) tomorrow for my esophagus. I don't even feel heartburn that often, so I'm surprised about that part. Can the acid reflux cause lower GI issues? Or is that separate?

I'm so confused about IBS and IBD. I thought they were the same thing. But now Google is telling me that inflammation is IBD and not IBS. IBS must be off the table because of the inflammation they saw, right? Ahh, I hear either term when she speaks to me and assume they are both the same, an IBS just sounds the most familiar from commercials and the like. So I guess we're looking at IBD or Crohn's?

While it would be AMAZING to not live life having diarrhea all the time, I'm also not looking forward to daily meds. It's so strange to have lived with this for so long, and to be facing something different. Like treatment will be a hassle or something. Which sounds ridiculous - because she said that you can't just live continue to live a healthy life having chronic inflammation in your GI tract. And hey, apparently chronic diarrhea can make you feel tired and drained. I never thought about that. But of course it makes sense!

I feel like I've been given a lemon of a body, and can't even make up my medical history because it's so crazy. Heart surgeries, appendectomy, gallbladder, asthma, a hearing aid, and now we're figuring out what's up with my GI tract. The list goes on and on. I'm so over it. I wish I could buy myself an updated model without doing all of this work piecemeal.

If you have IBS / IBD / Crohn's, can you share your experience?

Have any of you been on a similar path with GI issues, where you lived for years with the symptoms, and dragged your feet about seeing a doctor? I turn 34 in June, FWIW.
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[Jalapeñomel]

My DH has suffered from chronic GI issues (since he was a child, and his just said that he had a nervous stomach), and every doctor says something slightly different, (IBS, gluten, diverticulitis, ulcers, inflammation, etc)so much so that he's given up (for now) that they will ever find the root of the problem.

I hope you can find the cause and you can treat it! I cannot imagine how hard that must be.

[wowhead]

I was finally diagnosed with IBD/Crohn's 2 1/2 years ago. I had had chronic problems with diarrhea, saw a GI who did a colonoscopy and endoscopy and told me there was nothing wrong. I just thought the diarrhea was normal for me. Fast forward about 10 years and I was admitted to the hospital for an "impressive" (per the GI) infection where my small and large intestine meet. A few months later the GI did a colonoscopy and endoscopy and said she didn't see anything unusual but had done a biopsy. The biopsy results showed long term inflammation.

I've been taking Lialda and amitryptoline for since my diagnosis along with diet changes and that's things mostly under control. Learning what to eat and what not to eat was hard for me. There is no one size fits all diet so everything is an experiment.

The things my doctor didn't warn me about were the fatigue and joint aches. I'm tired the majority of the time. I typically spend 12 hours a day in bed and sleep at least 9 hours. The joint aches are more of an annoyance. Some days I ache all over and other times the ache will be focused in one spot.

[tiki]

You're definitely not the only one - my Dad has always had symptoms similar to what you're describing. I had severe abdominal cramps and constant canker sores when I was a kid up through college, but both seem to have gotten better in my 30s.

My dad started seeing doctors when he rapidly lost a lot of weight around age 30. They diagnosed him with Crohn's, but admittedly there hasn't been much offered to him in terms of treatment except to try to avoid sources of chronic stress. He was also tested for celiac antibodies about 6 years ago and the tests came back negative, but when he tried a 100% gluten-free diet it made a big difference for him so he's stuck with it. On top of it all genetic testing showed he's lactose intolerant (despite the fact that he will not stop eating ice cream), so that can't help either.

[CloudBee]

Mar 22, 2017 16:11:52 GMT -5 @happybythekilowatt said:

I haven't dragged my feet on seeing a doctor, but it's taken over a decade to find a doctor who knew wtf he was doing and finally find a bit of relief. Your doctor is right, it's not a healthy way to live and can lead to a lot of long term issues down the road. You already know I'm in the mastocytosis/mast cell disease diagnosis process, but I also have inflammation in my esophagus, stomach, and colon. I take Nexium and most days it helps. It's a tiny little pill-- no different than daily birth control! Don't get hung up on that. Daily medication is a small price to pay for the relief of not having to plan your life around bathrooms. It all is on top of a myriad of other issues (chronic pain, enlarged thyroid, etc), like you, and I think that is not particularly uncommon-- everything in the body works together, you know? Definitely keep pursuing treatment. I just took my first trip where I was actually able to eat without spending the rest of the day in the bathroom in a very long time, and it was truly life changing-- I hope you experience the same.

Ugh. I'm really kicking myself, now that I'm reading your post.

I do not have any mastocytomas on my skin. But my GI did offer to do masto slides if I brought her the NIH guidelines which were provided to us by the researcher following DS. I did not do this, because 1) the staining process and slides have to be specially ordered and are really expensive, even though insurance is paying for it, and 2) I really didn't think I have masto in my gut like DS does. It also would have significantly increased the number of biopsies done during the procedures, and DS had a ton of bleeding when he went through his scopes. I didn't want that.

Now I'm regretting the decision as I read your post.

Have you been scoped? If yes, did they stain for c-kit, mast cell populations, etc? I feel so stupid now.

You're right about meds. It will probably just be a pill or two a day. The Prevacid is only $10 / month with insurance, so hopefully whatever else I need is also cheap.
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[CloudBee]

Mar 22, 2017 16:22:51 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

My DH has suffered from chronic GI issues (since he was a child, and his just said that he had a nervous stomach), and every doctor says something slightly different, (IBS, gluten, diverticulitis, ulcers, inflammation, etc)so much so that he's given up (for now) that they will ever find the root of the problem.

I hope you can find the cause and you can treat it! I cannot imagine how hard that must be.

What does he do for his symptoms? Does he take any medications for relief?
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[CloudBee]

Mar 22, 2017 16:26:11 GMT -5 wowhead said:

I was finally diagnosed with IBD/Crohn's 2 1/2 years ago. I had had chronic problems with diarrhea, saw a GI who did a colonoscopy and endoscopy and told me there was nothing wrong. I just thought the diarrhea was normal for me. Fast forward about 10 years and I was admitted to the hospital for an "impressive" (per the GI) infection where my small and large intestine meet. A few months later the GI did a colonoscopy and endoscopy and said she didn't see anything unusual but had done a biopsy. The biopsy results showed long term inflammation.

I've been taking Lialda and amitryptoline for since my diagnosis along with diet changes and that's things mostly under control. Learning what to eat and what not to eat was hard for me. There is no one size fits all diet so everything is an experiment.

The things my doctor didn't warn me about were the fatigue and joint aches. I'm tired the majority of the time. I typically spend 12 hours a day in bed and sleep at least 9 hours. The joint aches are more of an annoyance. Some days I ache all over and other times the ache will be focused in one spot.

I assumed a few biopsies were the norm. I'm sorry they weren't done years ago when you had your first scopes done!

Did you have any inflammation in your esophagus?

I was told the biopsies are really important when checking for Crohn's because there's a micro form which can be difficult to see with the cameras. Maybe that's the long term inflammation you are referring to. It didn't look unusual, but under the microscope it did.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm sorry you had to experience a major GI infection just to eventually get answers.
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[L]

I've had this issue since early 1997. I distinctly remember the beginning of when it came on. I had my gallbladder out not long before it started. I'm sure I have lactose issues, 3 autoimmune diseases & my sister has celiac. I generally have a real phobia of doctors so I haven't been treated. I'll be interested to hear how it goes for you. It effects my life quite a bit, I've forgotten what it's like to be normal. Hope you feel better soon.

[bugandbibs]

Disclaimer: not medical advice. Talk to your doctor.

You can have both IBD and IBS, but inflammation is a symptom of only IBD. IBD is caused by something (like Crohn's), but IBS has no formal cause. It's a diagnosis of symptoms and function. DD1 treats her IBS with daily probiotics and as needed medications. It's very obvious when she skips a day or 2 of probiotics because she has a flair and horrible, painful diarrhea.

Don't beat yourself up about waiting to see a doctor. Move forward from here with your new knowledge and treatment plans. I hope things improve for you soon. You do the best you can, and that is good enough.

[kicks]

Didn't read the whole thing, sorry busy at the moment. Will go back and read closer later. But IBD and IBS are very different. They should be able to give you a certain diagnosis of the type of IBD you have based on the biopsies. IBD is a broad category for Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. IBS is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion with certain criteria needing to be met.

I hope you get answers and relief of your symptoms.

[winnies]

I dealt with self diagnosed IBS for probably 10 yrs before mentioning it to my doctor. My symptoms were watery stools, bloating, stomach pain. I hate going to the doctor, and I figured not much could be done. Turns out it was SIBO, which is believed to be a common cause of IBS. With your history of c-diff, and probably strong antibiotics to treat it, has SIBO been mentioned at all?

[wowhead]

Mar 22, 2017 16:32:49 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Mar 22, 2017 16:26:11 GMT -5 wowhead said:

I was finally diagnosed with IBD/Crohn's 2 1/2 years ago. I had had chronic problems with diarrhea, saw a GI who did a colonoscopy and endoscopy and told me there was nothing wrong. I just thought the diarrhea was normal for me. Fast forward about 10 years and I was admitted to the hospital for an "impressive" (per the GI) infection where my small and large intestine meet. A few months later the GI did a colonoscopy and endoscopy and said she didn't see anything unusual but had done a biopsy. The biopsy results showed long term inflammation.

I've been taking Lialda and amitryptoline for since my diagnosis along with diet changes and that's things mostly under control. Learning what to eat and what not to eat was hard for me. There is no one size fits all diet so everything is an experiment.

The things my doctor didn't warn me about were the fatigue and joint aches. I'm tired the majority of the time. I typically spend 12 hours a day in bed and sleep at least 9 hours. The joint aches are more of an annoyance. Some days I ache all over and other times the ache will be focused in one spot.

I assumed a few biopsies were the norm. I'm sorry they weren't done years ago when you had your first scopes done!

Did you have any inflammation in your esophagus?

I was told the biopsies are really important when checking for Crohn's because there's a micro form which can be difficult to see with the cameras. Maybe that's the long term inflammation you are referring to. It didn't look unusual, but under the microscope it did.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm sorry you had to experience a major GI infection just to eventually get answers.
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I don't have any inflammation in my esophagus but I take Prevacid daily for gastroparesis. 

[CloudBee]

I just pulled out my paperwork. It's actually Prilosec I'm going to start tomorrow, not Prevacid.

[katespade]

I was 14 when I developed GI issues. It started out as a sudden, severe onset of nausea and constipation. We thought I had a stomach virus, but it just never went away. Over the years, other symptoms presented, like severe reflux, abdominal pain, and alternating constipation and diarrhea. I was 27 when I finally received a diagnosis beyond IBS, which tends to be doctor code for, "We don't know what's wrong so we're going to call it IBS and send you on your way, because we don't want to help you anymore."

At first, I tried to go to doctors for help. But I was a thin, 14 year old girl. Every doctor I saw thought I was pregnant and/or making up my symptoms to hide an eating disorder. I was regularly accused of being bulimic and anorexic, assumed to be pregnant, and/or told that I should see a therapist to work through my emotional issues. After a while, I gave up on getting answers and hoped that things would eventually get better on their own.

It's been a long road since then, with a lot of ups and downs. I spent a lot of years continuing to be accused of lying or exaggerating about my symptoms. So many doctors have also tried to tell me that it's all in my head and it's all been caused by my anxiety, even though I didn't have any issues with anxiety until after I started having physical health issues. It took me 12 years to find a GI specialist who was willing to take me seriously. 12 years of test after test coming back "normal" and being told that there was nothing wrong with me, even though I was too sick to function.

After a repeat endoscopy/colonoscopy and a gastric emptying study (GES), I was diagnosed with chronic gastritis, GERD, and gastroparesis, in addition to Hashimoto's and endometriosis. I've been on a strict gastroparesis friendly diet for the past two years, and I'm finally starting to feel some relief from the constant pain, nausea, diarrhea, and constipation. I still have bad days and flare ups, and the stress of being sick caused some pretty severe mental health issues that I'm trying to work through, but there is something so wonderful about knowing what's wrong with me. After so many years - it's not in my head, I'm not faking it, I'm not exaggerating my pain, I'm not being a wimp... there's something causing me to feel the way I do. My pain is real. For me, it makes a huge difference to be able to say that.

[bcv513]

I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2012 after my H basically dragged me to the doctor. I'm like you and have had stomach issues my whole life. My lab work and stool samples showed inflammation. A biopsy during a colonoscopy confirmed it. I started off on Pentasa, which is the lowest level of meds. It was 8 pills a day and didn't make a difference. Now I'm on 6mp which is the second level. It's an immune suppressant so I had to get a bunch of vaccines first, but it's one tiny pill a day. I just take it with a vitamin.

I know you mentioned c diff, and that's related to the Crohn's too. Every time I take an antibiotic I get c diff. Every time you get it, it's harder to get rid of. They were discussing a fecal transplant last time but it cleared on its own.

I remember my doctor telling me that her goal was for me to forget I have it. I thought she was crazy. But I really do forget now. It can be hard to find the right combo of meds, but once you do you will feel so much better. Have you had your vitamin levels checked? I had to have B-12 shots and big D and iron supplements. Good luck. Please let me know if you have any questions or need to vent.

[CloudBee]

I haven't had a chance to read everything or respond, but I want to thank you all for sharing your stories. Now that the scopes are behind me, I feel like I can really look forward. You've also made me a lot more comfortable talking about it.

I didn't realize that c-diff could have a relation to Crohn's. Doctors were really shocked that I caught it not once, but twice.

Thank you again. I'll be back later tonight. I'm so thankful for this board!

[tacom]

Mar 22, 2017 16:54:23 GMT -5 kicks said:

Didn't read the whole thing, sorry busy at the moment. Will go back and read closer later. But IBD and IBS are very different. They should be able to give you a certain diagnosis of the type of IBD you have based on the biopsies. IBD is a broad category for Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. IBS is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion with certain criteria needing to be met.

I hope you get answers and relief of your symptoms.

wanted to highlight this!

CloudBee, I have IBD (crohn's) but had been misdiagnosed with IBS as a teen (went to our local hospital in underserved area, received approximately zero tests) and was encouraged to avoid 'problematic' foods. I then spent the next several years, assuming I had a 'sensitive' GI tract, explaining away my pain. when I became anemic in college and didn't respond to iron pills, I was told I was a menstruating female with a shitty college diet (true and true, but...) and then finally presented to the ED at 22 y/o with multiple obstructions and a gross perforation (hole) in my intestine. I had emergency surgery to remove a portion of my bowels that was not salvageable and began taking a general immunosuppressant. the inflammation continued to spread so I started a biologic drug called remicade that targets a specific part of my immune system that is implicated with crohn's. remicade has worked WONDERS for me and I live a normal life 90% of the time and was event recently able to stop the general immunosuppressant (good since I work in a hospital with direct patient care myself). I still know where every midtown and Fidi bathroom is, take more time off work for evaluations and preventative care (skin checks, colonoscopies, EGD, bloodwork) than my coworkers, and have to time coffee with my morning commute, but most people I know would never notice a difference.

moral of my story: follow your gut (see what I did there?) and don't ignore your body, drugs are good. 

[abcdefu]

While I don't have any of those listed diagnoses, I have a neurogenic bowel (and bladder) as a lovely side effect of spina bífida. I totally get the mapping out bathrooms everywhere. If the place doesn't have a restroom, I'm not going!

I was put on questran due to frequent diarrhea and then terrible constipation. I was put on Questran. It helped "bulk up" my stool to form a solid bowel movement. It does taste gross, but it was worth it to me. I was able to adjust my dose as I felt too constipated or experiencing diarrhea.

Even though I don't take questran anymore due to the untethering of my spinal cord, it really worked wonders for me. I wasn't worried about have to "go" during a meeting or at a restaurant.

I do take probiotics and take Prilosec for my stomach and indigestion. You may find that Prevacid helps with your stomach too. Also your doctor should help you adjust your diet.

I hope you can figure this out and start feeling better soon.

[kkfeb04]

My sister has Crohn's and she is currently in remission. She's had it since 1988 and I remember us leaving abruptly as a kid because we weren't sure if she was going to survive. She lives in FL and is 14 years older than I am. I remember my mom left a few times when I couldn't be pulled from school and dropped me off at a classmate's house. I know she hardly has any large intestine left due to all the surgeries she's had. She can't eat certain foods and could not put on weight, she was 5'11 and weighed under 100 lbs. She has been through it all. She was in the first clinical trial for Humira in 2002.

I don't know too much about the symptoms since our age and physical location doesn't tend for us to be super close. She's been in remission since the trials and I know she fought her insurance company as it was experimental until it was approved for treatment. She has also gained weight, up to 130 lbs, a long way from 91 lbs at her sickest point.

[hymen]

My H was diagnosed with Crohns about 7 years ago. He is prescribed different medications but hasn't taken them in about two years because he thought they made things worse. He goes for colonoscopies every two years, but when he was first diagnosed he had quite a few scopes done. For the most part his Crohns is pretty manageable. He does spend about an hour in the bathroom each day after work, plus sometimes first thing in the morning or right before bed. He sometimes has flare ups which are often caused by stress, and part of me thinks he should have some sort of anti-anxiety med for those times. He hasn't changed his diet too much but notices certain foods like corn and beans bother him a lot.

The thing I worry about is that many times IBD can be genetic, so I worry about our kids inheriting it. My dad also had an auto-immune disease so it's something I think about often.

[Jalapeñomel]

Mar 22, 2017 16:29:26 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

Mar 22, 2017 16:22:51 GMT -5 Jalapeñomel said:

My DH has suffered from chronic GI issues (since he was a child, and his just said that he had a nervous stomach), and every doctor says something slightly different, (IBS, gluten, diverticulitis, ulcers, inflammation, etc)so much so that he's given up (for now) that they will ever find the root of the problem.

I hope you can find the cause and you can treat it! I cannot imagine how hard that must be.

What does he do for his symptoms? Does he take any medications for relief?
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pepto, immodium, tums, prevacid, but they don't seem to work.  I know it's also triggered by anxiety, so until he takes his medicine regularly for that, I don't think he'll see much relief.  But basically, he just suffers.  He said it's always been this way, so he doesn't know any different.  I keep telling him that he doesn't have to live like this! 

[compassrose]

For those of you with Crohn's, what meds do you take and what diet do you follow? Does anyone have a link to a website with good diet recs? My BFF was just diagnosed today.

[CloudBee]

Mar 22, 2017 19:42:58 GMT -5 neener said:

So, I have the type of IBD that isn't visible during a scope - it's called lymphocytic colitis. My GI doctor says it's usually found in women over 45.

It was almost a year worth of tests, waiting, and finally getting a medication that worked - from 2011-2013. I've always thought I have a "sensitive" stomach. I throw up easily, get diarrhea frequently, and have some food sensitivities.

Things went beyond my "usual" when I was spending 2 hours every morning in the bathroom. I couldn't eat anything without diarrhea and I was horribly nauseated every day, throwing up to dehydration several times a month. Finally I got my diagnosis and tried a few different meds, which made an amazing difference in my life. I was ready to withdraw from a semester abroad until we found my first med (Asacol). I eventually became resistant and had to do some steroids, but I've been flare up free since 2013.

Is this the type that is diagnosed via biopsy/microscope vs. by eye?

I'm sorry you've gone through this. While I don't spend a consecutive 2 hrs in the bathroom. I usually run in there within 15 minutes of waking, then go back in probably 5 more times in the hour before I take DS to preschool. And I often go again at preschool, and again at my destination after that. Be it bible study, a store, etc. Mornings are by far the worst for me.

I'm happy you have been flare free for a while!
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[racheliz]

I'm from another board, but I'll share my experience.I have ulcerative colitis. I was diagnosed by a scope and biopsies after doing a TON of testing including being tested for cdiff multiple times. My symptoms were diarrhea, gas, and bleeding. I was also pregnant at the time of diagnosis, so I was treated more conservatively than usual. I began with rounds of steroids and was eventually started on Lialda. After a few months of Lialda, I finally started seeing results. I was able to taper off of the Lialda towards the end of my pregnancy and was symptom free and in remission (completely medication free) for about 4 years. My doctor was ok with me attempting to be off of medication if I remained symptom free. I just had another flare up, and it took about 6 months for me to get symptom free, but I am back off of the Lialda again. I had stated taking Uceris at the beginning of the flare up, and it was helping a lot. For me, the most important thing is to recognize the initial signs of a flare up and get in ASAP to my GI. I have an "emergency" stash of steroids to start taking the second I see any issues.

Hopefully you will get an official diagnosis soon and can be on your way to some relief!

[CloudBee]

Mar 22, 2017 17:20:33 GMT -5 bcv513 said:

I was diagnosed with Crohn's in 2012 after my H basically dragged me to the doctor. I'm like you and have had stomach issues my whole life. My lab work and stool samples showed inflammation. A biopsy during a colonoscopy confirmed it. I started off on Pentasa, which is the lowest level of meds. It was 8 pills a day and didn't make a difference. Now I'm on 6mp which is the second level. It's an immune suppressant so I had to get a bunch of vaccines first, but it's one tiny pill a day. I just take it with a vitamin.

I know you mentioned c diff, and that's related to the Crohn's too. Every time I take an antibiotic I get c diff. Every time you get it, it's harder to get rid of. They were discussing a fecal transplant last time but it cleared on its own.

I remember my doctor telling me that her goal was for me to forget I have it. I thought she was crazy. But I really do forget now. It can be hard to find the right combo of meds, but once you do you will feel so much better. Have you had your vitamin levels checked? I had to have B-12 shots and big D and iron supplements. Good luck. Please let me know if you have any questions or need to vent.

Thanks for sharing all of this. I really can't believe the mentions of c-diff in this thread. I had no idea. And now I understand why when I told the GI that I've had c-diff twice, her jaw dropped and she said she was shocked I hadn't already been scoped!
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[CloudBee]

Mar 22, 2017 20:00:20 GMT -5 neener said:

Mar 22, 2017 19:51:23 GMT -5 CloudBee said:

...

Yes! The doctor needs to pull tissue samples and do a biopsy. There's also collagenous colitis, which is similar (something about individual cells vs a fatty lining). There's a broad category for both called microscopic colitis. My doctor said it can be caused by "excessive" antibiotics or Ibuprofen usage (I guess that's one explanation for why it's found in the older set). I apparently had a lot of antibiotics as a baby and small child, but it was the 80s/90s, so no one really thought too much about it.

GI issues are so frustrating. Looking back, I was so far from normal, but thought it was just being anxious and internalizing it (thus nausea and diarrhea). I also hate the IBS diagnosis because it feels like a cop out.

I hope you find answers and some relief! If you end up getting diagnosed with either type of MC, feel free to PM me any time.

Ha! I was on maintenance Pediazole (antibiotic) for chronic ear infections as a child in the 80's. Long before they realized you shouldn't give someone antibiotics for years on end to PREVENT infection.

I wonder if that plays into any of this. Maintenance Pediazole was a really common course of treatment for kids back then. Effective, too. But man, imagine the super bugs that evolved from that approach?!
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[CloudBee]

Ok, while I have your attention I want to ask another question.

DS was prescribed VSL#3 yesterday. I just posed some questions about it on MMM. I'm going to copy and paste below, in the event that any of you have been on it. Thanks!

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DS was prescribed this yesterday as a trial before possibly moving onto some heavy drugs. His weight is steady, but his constant diarrhea over the last 6 weeks is concerning as his masto caused UC. Anywhere between 6-9pm a few days a week his masto flares from a GI standpoint and causes him to feel like he's going to vomit, then have stomach cramps and diarrhea. So many tears.

My question is - if your child takes it, how do you administer? GI suggested putting it on yogurt every morning. The thing is, he isn't a big fan of yogurt. There's no soft substance that he eats every morning, reliably, that I can hide it in. I asked about adding to liquids (like a small glass of milk) and he didn't seem too keen on that. Does it dissolve well? He eats pancakes and muffins most mornings because I can hide green veggies in them. Is VSL something I could put in his maple syrup?

Does is truly have no flavor? I could probably talk him into taking a tablespoon of yogurt every morning if the stuff isn't gritty.

Insurance hardly covers it, and the stuff is flipping expensive. Before I pick up our first script I would like a little insight. I'm hoping someone on here takes it...?

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[Captain Catnip]

I've had chronic diarrhea and heartburn for years, but it got significantly worse after my hysterectomy (there were adhesions/cysts attaching stuff to my colon.) I finally went to a GI and he wants me to wean off of the meds he just put me on (that are AMAZING!) I have tried to wean off, but after cutting back slowly after a couple of weeks it gets just as bad as before. I had an endoscopy and need to have bloodwork done again to see if he wants me to have a colonoscopy or not. I take Omeprazole and dicyclomine right now. I need to make an appt, actually, to get a refill and tell him the weaning is not helping. He also told me to increase my fiber but that made my stomach a mess and I was constantly running to the bathroom again.

[mrhanky]

I've had multiple endoscopies (upper and lower) as well as stomach issues for the past 16 years. My last endoscopy showed stomach inflammation. Again, like you, I was started on an antacid even though I've never had traditional heartburn symptoms. It helped a bit, but what helped more was finding out that I was lactose intolerant and had fructose malabsorption. I still struggle with controlling my diet, but that seems to be the cause of my problems.

[wowhead]

I just found the results of my biopsy.