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Medical Forum / General / General / September 2005

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Diarrhea after colonoscopy

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John Temple - 22 Sep 2005 21:33 GMT
Following many months of unexplained fatigue and weight loss I had a
colonoscopy and gastroscopy performed last week with multiple biopsies done
of each. Initial observations were normal - but I'm still waiting for the
biopsy analysis.

Both procedures went fine (I don't remember anything about them) and I felt
fine for a couple of days afterwards. Third day however, I had abdominal
pain, vomiting and severe diarrhea. The vomiting has now subsided but 5 days
later I'm still going to the toilet at least 30 times a day and invariably
just passing water (exactly like the laxative preparation I took prior to
the procedures). I haven't passed any blood.

I've spoken to the hospital and they've said that it's unrelated to the
procedures (probably just a bug) or I would have had problems within the
first 2 days. I've never had anything like this before - and I find it
difficult to believe it's just a coincidence. Are there any other
explanations? Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks,
John
Jeff - 22 Sep 2005 23:33 GMT
> Following many months of unexplained fatigue and weight loss I had a
> colonoscopy and gastroscopy performed last week with multiple biopsies
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> difficult to believe it's just a coincidence. Are there any other
> explanations? Any feedback appreciated.

I would suggest talking to the doctor who did  the proceedure as well as
your regular doctor, not the hospital.

Jeff

> Thanks,
> John
SJ Doc - 23 Sep 2005 04:33 GMT
>Following many months of unexplained fatigue and weight loss I had a
>colonoscopy and gastroscopy performed last week with multiple biopsies done
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>difficult to believe it's just a coincidence. Are there any other
>explanations? Any feedback appreciated.

Jeff (commenting earlier) has the right of it.  The gastroenterologist
who performed the endoscopy needs to know about this.  The prep
for a colonoscopy or barium enema is such that the large bowel's
"production line" has been cleared of what you might call it's normal
intermediate steps in the progression from completely liquid material
(which passes from the small bowel into the cecum down in the
right lower quadrant of your abdomen) to formed stool in the
sigmoid colon (left lower quadrant and caudad).  

I hesitate to make any recommendations for fear that you'll fail to
contact your GE specialist or one of his/her associates, but in many
cases where a lower GI prep and study is followed by the sort of
diarrhea you're describing, I've had some success with the introduc-
tion of a stool normalizer such as calcium polycarbophil (see
http://www.gicare.com/pated/polycarbophil.htm), which is a syn-
thetic bulking agent (the calcium salt of polyacrylic acid crosslinked
with divinyl glycol) first marketed as Mitrolan and more commonly
known today as Fibercon.  It started out as a prescription drug,
but very soon went over-the-counter (OTC), and is available in
low-cost generic tablet forms.  Though commonly considered a
laxative, it's not (just as surfactant ["wetting"] agents like Colace
[sodium docusate] are not).  Because it is effectively a water-
soluble fiber, calcium polycarbophil tends less frequently to cause
flatulence than will the insoluble fiber supplements (oat bran,
psyllium - Metamucil - and suchlike).  

Taken appropriately (and I mean with low-dose introduction
and gradual ramp-up), I've been able to use calcium polycarbophil
to re-establish that "production line" in the large bowel for a number
of patients who had been thoroughly washed-out and were rolling
liquid content directly and rapidly from the ileocecal valve to the
anal ampulla, with resulting discomfort and frequent watery bowel
movements.  

But for ghod's sake, talk to your gastroenterologist (or even one
of his/her office nurses) about this before you do anything.  They
have seen more of this kind of problem than any GP will ever
have to manage, and I don't doubt that they'll be able to provide
effective recommendations for your relief.  

-----------------
Unless we put medical freedom into the Constitution, the time will
come when medicine will organize into an undercover dictatorship
to restrict the art of healing to one class of men and deny equal
privileges to others. The Constitution of this Republic should make
a special privilege for medical freedom as well as religious freedom.

    -- Benjamin Rush, M.D.
Twittering One - 23 Sep 2005 04:42 GMT
I've spoken to the hospital and they've said that it's unrelated to the
procedures (probably just a bug) or I would have had problems within
the
first 2 days. I've never had anything like this before - and I find it
difficult to believe it's just a coincidence. Are there any other
explanations? Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks,
John

The hospital may not provide you
with unbiased information.

This is serious.

Seek attention elsewhere.
John Temple - 23 Sep 2005 19:51 GMT
> I've spoken to the hospital and they've said that it's unrelated to the
> procedures (probably just a bug) or I would have had problems within
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>
> Seek attention elsewhere.

Thanks for your responses. I've seen a bunch of doctors today including the
endo who performed the procedures. The unanimous diagnosis seems to be a
nasty case of infectious gastroenteritis. They've sent a stool sample for
analysis but I've been advised to keep hydrated and just sit it out. Still
cant help feeling that the doctors protested a little too much about the
infection having nothing to do with the procedures though.

Anyway - thanks again for your responses.
O'Hush - 29 Sep 2005 04:47 GMT
> > I've spoken to the hospital and they've said that it's unrelated to the
> > procedures (probably just a bug) or I would have had problems within
[quoted text clipped - 21 lines]
>
> Anyway - thanks again for your responses.

Assuming your doc doesn't have you on any dietary restrictions prohibiting
it, some yogurt might help repopulate your bowel with friendly flora.  It
has to say something like "contains live and active cultures" on the carton
or it might not help you.  You can also get "probiotic" capsules at a health
food store, which contain a lovely mixture of bowel flora.  Mmmmm. : )  Only
buy them if they're displayed in a refrigerated case, and store them in the
fridge at home.

~~Patti
Twittering One - 29 Sep 2005 05:18 GMT
Solgar
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