So, I've been having a look around here for the last week and though I should finally dip a toe in the water, so here goes..
Just over a year ago I came back from an extended holiday in Asia, and had lost a fairly significant amount of weight while I was travelling, only to find I was still losing weight when back in the UK. Then symptoms began - lots of toilet visits, and still losing weight so off to my GP to be told I had suspected Giardia. Antibiotics ensued, and seemed to help at first, but symptoms returned with a vengeance so I gave blood and 'other' samples but nothing conclusive was detected. So, I was passed on to a Gastro specialist for a colonoscopy but nothing conclusive found again apart from some signs of ulceration in the top end of my bowel. By this time my symptoms had started to decrease (we're about 8 weeks in now) so I was sent away and told not to worry.
So far so good, and I started putting weight on again, eating normally and feeling much healthier - able to exercise again (keen cyclist) and generally getting back to normal.
Mid July I had a pretty serious bike accident, including a head injury which left me with memory problems, anxiety issues and vertigo. Loads of medication for all of this over the course of about 8 months, which clearly weren't doing me much good in a general health sense, and I was still unable to exercise or do very much but was slowly getting back to work with support from a neuro-psychologist (ongoing).
Fast forward to 4 weeks ago, and still getting vertigo but stopped all medication around Christmas time as it just felt as though my body was utterly ravaged by so many drugs over such a long period of time. I started to notice I'd been losing weight again, then my bathroom visits began and got progressively worse, leading me back to my GP who put me back on antibiotics - these worked initially and he also prescribed Mebevirine (anti spazmodic) which also worked for a while but left me in terrible stomach pain, especially overnight, with incredible bloating (and everything that goes with bloating), and frequent bathroom visits mainly in the mornings. These symptoms are still ongoing.
I've now been sent back to the specialist I saw a year ago for another colonoscopy in a few days time for what I hope is at least some form of diagnosis, but in the meantime weight is still falling off me (over 2 stone) and I'm really struggling to find anything my system can cope with food-wise. I feel extremely emotional most of the time (I'm a man, we don't cry!) and have felt really desperate at times lately as nothing I eat seems to be able to be processed by my system.
I've tried everything wheat free, gluten free, dairy free etc but still no luck. I know from extensive reading that finding foods to manage your symptoms is key when you have Crohns, or in my case suspected Crohns (specialists words here) but as I said, so far not good. I tried some chicken yesterday for the first time (terrified of everything, especially meat) with potatoes and I wasn't bloated last night (hooray!) but bathroom visits this morning only partially better. I am also now taking some supplements in an attempt to gain some control - digestive enzyme and Acidophilus tablets with each meal.
I'm not here to ask for answers, and I guess I'm not sure I even have Crohns, but thought I needed to share this with you good people who are clearly very supportive to one another, so thanks for listening and apologies for the long-winded post....I do tend to go on a bit sometimes!
Just over a year ago I came back from an extended holiday in Asia, and had lost a fairly significant amount of weight while I was travelling, only to find I was still losing weight when back in the UK. Then symptoms began - lots of toilet visits, and still losing weight so off to my GP to be told I had suspected Giardia. Antibiotics ensued, and seemed to help at first, but symptoms returned with a vengeance so I gave blood and 'other' samples but nothing conclusive was detected. So, I was passed on to a Gastro specialist for a colonoscopy but nothing conclusive found again apart from some signs of ulceration in the top end of my bowel. By this time my symptoms had started to decrease (we're about 8 weeks in now) so I was sent away and told not to worry.
So far so good, and I started putting weight on again, eating normally and feeling much healthier - able to exercise again (keen cyclist) and generally getting back to normal.
Mid July I had a pretty serious bike accident, including a head injury which left me with memory problems, anxiety issues and vertigo. Loads of medication for all of this over the course of about 8 months, which clearly weren't doing me much good in a general health sense, and I was still unable to exercise or do very much but was slowly getting back to work with support from a neuro-psychologist (ongoing).
Fast forward to 4 weeks ago, and still getting vertigo but stopped all medication around Christmas time as it just felt as though my body was utterly ravaged by so many drugs over such a long period of time. I started to notice I'd been losing weight again, then my bathroom visits began and got progressively worse, leading me back to my GP who put me back on antibiotics - these worked initially and he also prescribed Mebevirine (anti spazmodic) which also worked for a while but left me in terrible stomach pain, especially overnight, with incredible bloating (and everything that goes with bloating), and frequent bathroom visits mainly in the mornings. These symptoms are still ongoing.
I've now been sent back to the specialist I saw a year ago for another colonoscopy in a few days time for what I hope is at least some form of diagnosis, but in the meantime weight is still falling off me (over 2 stone) and I'm really struggling to find anything my system can cope with food-wise. I feel extremely emotional most of the time (I'm a man, we don't cry!) and have felt really desperate at times lately as nothing I eat seems to be able to be processed by my system.
I've tried everything wheat free, gluten free, dairy free etc but still no luck. I know from extensive reading that finding foods to manage your symptoms is key when you have Crohns, or in my case suspected Crohns (specialists words here) but as I said, so far not good. I tried some chicken yesterday for the first time (terrified of everything, especially meat) with potatoes and I wasn't bloated last night (hooray!) but bathroom visits this morning only partially better. I am also now taking some supplements in an attempt to gain some control - digestive enzyme and Acidophilus tablets with each meal.
I'm not here to ask for answers, and I guess I'm not sure I even have Crohns, but thought I needed to share this with you good people who are clearly very supportive to one another, so thanks for listening and apologies for the long-winded post....I do tend to go on a bit sometimes!
