My Colonoscopy

423 Views 10 Replies 3 Participants Last post by Andyyeovil, Jan 25, 2001

Discussion Starter · Jan 23, 2001

HiThanks to all of you for your support over the recent weeks. Your help and encouragement has been very much appreciated.As you know, I had my colonoscopy yesterday (although my GP calls it a lower endoscopy) and it went okay. All those of you who assured me the prep would be worse than the procedure itself were spot on! The colonoscopy was, in fact, pretty painless.After the procedure, the specialist told me that my colon looked fine, he could see nothing wrong. He is still convinced that I have had a major infection, and then suffered 'post infective IBS'. I would just like to know how I got the infection in the first place. If this is indeed what has happened, I would like to be able to avoid it for the future!They took tissue for biopsy, and I have to wait a few weeks for the results. They also took loads of blood for tests - six files full! They are going to test for diabetes and thyroid, among other things, to try and explain my fatigue. I have to wait awhile for those results as well.Although I was sedated, I was awake enough to watch the whole procedure on the monitor. That was pretty amazing. I was asking all these questions 'whats that?' 'why is this that colour' and the like!So, the good news is that I don't have anything serious or life threatening. I guess the bad news is, my pain and discomfort is indeed IBS, and I have to get a grip and manage that. Because my IBS has been pretty mild until recent weeks, I guess I have been a bit lazy on that front.This infection idea does confuse me a little, has anyone else ever had anything like this?Other good news - my new Dusty CD arrived today, so guess what I have been listening too all day?

Andy------------------ http://www.dustyspringfield.co.uk/

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Discussion Starter · #2 · Jan 23, 2001

Andy, I'm glad the procedure was Ok for you. I think it's great when we are coherent enough to watch and ask questions.I don't have any advice on the infection thing, but am interested in how others may respond.------------------Color Rainbows in the Rain

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Kathleen M.

· #3 · Jan 23, 2001

Can you be more specific about your confusion about the infection thing?That way I don't have to subject you to way to much random musings.K.

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Ian

· #4 · Jan 23, 2001

Andy,So it looks like (post infective?) IBS after all. This must be a relief to you in getting the scope over with and other conditions ruled out.I believe UK studies have shown that severe gastric infections can induce IBS, which continues for some time after the infection has left - hence the term. Patients were interviewed at intervals after the original period of infection, with some gradual reduction in symptoms being reported as time went on.

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LUCIA

· #5 · Jan 23, 2001

HI ANDY. Glad everything is okay. I had itdone too last year. I travel a lot to foreign countries like Mexico where the water & foods may not be safe from bacteria. I sometimes get ill. Some people have died from intestinal bacteria after travel. In u.s.a. I stay away from food being sold from hot dog carts, carnival stands, pot luck picnics, etc. Get what I mean? For many years I did't know I had IBS. I thought I was ill because the food at the restuarnts where I ate were tainted with bacteria. Doctors never told me I had IBS they thought I was weird.------------------

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Discussion Starter · #6 · Jan 24, 2001

Hi GuysThanks for your comments.My confusion about the infection, I guess is simply: how did I get it? And, if that is what it was, why do I still have continual discomfort around my appendix area? The discomfort feels like a pressure, sometimes like a burning, and, at times when it is really bad, like a hot rod has been thrust into my side. Can an infection really cause this, three months after the event? It's also interesting that all my early tests did not reveal any signs of infection, although my specialist told me that is not unusual. Does anyone else have any experience of this?Any thoughts, or ramblings, would be appreciated!Andy------------------ http://www.dustyspringfield.co.uk/

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Discussion Starter · #7 · Jan 24, 2001

Sorry to BUMP this myself, but I would like some thoughts from some of you guyz on this!Andy

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Kathleen M.

· #8 · Jan 24, 2001

AndyGI infections are pretty common and can be viruses or bacteria, some are spread person to person, some are from things that grow in food (aka food poisoning).Most of the time the infecting organism is destroyed by the immune system in short order and is gone. However, there are some parasites (like Giardia) that can set up residence for along period of time.The problem is not the organism, the problem is the friendly fire. In the war against invaders our bodies produce all sorts of evil nasty and vicious chemicals. Sometimes these things damage us as well as getting rid of the organism. It takes awhile for the damage to heal, and in some cases it may never heal. Inflamation in the GI tract has been shown to depopulate the nerves in the ganglia in the gut wall (in rats with chemical inflamation). It is quite common for people who do not have IBS and do not develop IBS to have GI problems for a few weeks after clearing an infection. This is while the body is healing from the friendly fire. Sometimes the damage is too great and in the wrong place and a functional disorder occurs (IBS is one of a series of GI related functional disorders) some percentage of people recover eventually, some have IBS for the rest of their lives.HTHK.

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Discussion Starter · #9 · Jan 24, 2001

Hi kmottusThanks for that really helpful piece of information. You mention the 'friendly fire' causing an inflammation of the colon - would this not have shown up in the colonscopy? If it was a viral or bacterial infection, will this show up in the biopsy?I think the one thing that bothers me is this tight, pressure, burning like feeling around my appendix, yet it all seemed fine on the colonscopy. I guess this is all part of the 'function disorder' and not disease.Thanks again.Andy------------------ http://www.dustyspringfield.co.uk/

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Kathleen M.

· #10 · Jan 24, 2001

If you had the colonoscopy close enough to the time of infection when the inflamation was still healing in the cells lining the colon, yes, It seems that on a pretty regular basis this type of inflamation or tissues healing up from it are seen (or at least by the number of people who have minor inflamation show up that report it here). The damage to the nerves would not be visible or dectable on biopsy, and it is this damage that seems to be what causes functional disorders. Generally in a functional disorder there is no visible change to the effected organ. That's kinda part and parcel with the whole functional thing. Nothing can be seen to be wrong, or show up on a blood test, but it just ain't functioning right.K

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Discussion Starter · #11 · Jan 25, 2001

Thanks kmottusWhat you say makes good sense. I'll mention all this to my specialist when I next go to the clinic for feedback following my colonscopy.Andy------------------ http://www.dustyspringfield.co.uk/

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