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What Causes Chronic Diarrhea, Weight Loss, Intermittent Constipation And Headaches?
Question: Sorry if my story is long. This is my first time on this site.
I'm a 30 year old female, mother of two.
10 years ago I had raging diarrhea for months. I lost countless pounds and looked like a skeleton. The GI I went to did a colonoscopy and found no abnormalities. He deemed me healthy and disease free. After a while, I did get better, but it was followed with a LONG bout of constipation. Only fleet would give me relief and it was a full day commitment each time as I would have to be on the toilet all day.
I switched GI doctors and the new one did more testing. Through barium X-ray, he found some issues with moving stool and suggested surgery. I panicked. I saw myself as a 20 year old with a colostomy bag and never returned to the doctor. I watched what I ate very carefully and was semi healthy for the next 8 years or so.
Now, I have severe constipation again. Along with many other symptoms. The only thing I can come up with is Crohns from researching.
For the past year and a half I've had Mrsa lesions approximately 20 times. Right now I don't have an active sore but my joints hurt, I get headaches, especially outside in the heat, I am so tired I can barely get out of bed some days. I do have constipation but not as bad as it was 10 years ago. If I take enough magnesium I get coffee ground stool. My stomach is always uncomfortable, in pain and/or bloated.
I've fixing things through a naturopathic doc, but nothing seems to help.
My appt with the gi isn't for another couple of weeks, and I made the appt months ago. I'm very frustrated, but I would like to see the same GI that did the X-ray. Also, stool testing showed high "alpha anti-chymotrypsin" which supposedly means inflammation in small intestines. My corneas are also swollen and I have not been able to wear my contacts for months. I also consistently have a fever of 99.5. I normally run in the 97 range. I don't get chills just sweats, especially at night.
Do you think this is Crohns? I'm miserable. Any advice would be appreciated.
I'm a 30 year old female, mother of two.
10 years ago I had raging diarrhea for months. I lost countless pounds and looked like a skeleton. The GI I went to did a colonoscopy and found no abnormalities. He deemed me healthy and disease free. After a while, I did get better, but it was followed with a LONG bout of constipation. Only fleet would give me relief and it was a full day commitment each time as I would have to be on the toilet all day.
I switched GI doctors and the new one did more testing. Through barium X-ray, he found some issues with moving stool and suggested surgery. I panicked. I saw myself as a 20 year old with a colostomy bag and never returned to the doctor. I watched what I ate very carefully and was semi healthy for the next 8 years or so.
Now, I have severe constipation again. Along with many other symptoms. The only thing I can come up with is Crohns from researching.
For the past year and a half I've had Mrsa lesions approximately 20 times. Right now I don't have an active sore but my joints hurt, I get headaches, especially outside in the heat, I am so tired I can barely get out of bed some days. I do have constipation but not as bad as it was 10 years ago. If I take enough magnesium I get coffee ground stool. My stomach is always uncomfortable, in pain and/or bloated.
I've fixing things through a naturopathic doc, but nothing seems to help.
My appt with the gi isn't for another couple of weeks, and I made the appt months ago. I'm very frustrated, but I would like to see the same GI that did the X-ray. Also, stool testing showed high "alpha anti-chymotrypsin" which supposedly means inflammation in small intestines. My corneas are also swollen and I have not been able to wear my contacts for months. I also consistently have a fever of 99.5. I normally run in the 97 range. I don't get chills just sweats, especially at night.
Do you think this is Crohns? I'm miserable. Any advice would be appreciated.
Brief Answer:
Possibility can not be ruled out.
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Welcome to HCM.
I appreciate your concern for the alternate chronic constipation/diarrhea and other symptoms
After having gone through your problems diligently I am of the opinion that you have some sort of chronic (longstanding) inflammatory bowel disease which needs to investigated further by tests like CBC, ESR, C reactive protein, Barium meal follow through examination, colonoscopy (with biopsy) or CT scan.
Alpha anti-chymotrypsin is an inflammatory marker which increases during acute inflammatory conditions during the acute phases of inflammation.
High stool levels of this marker are typically associated with inflammatory bowel diseases involving small intestine (like Crohn’s disease) but it can also be elevated in acute intestinal inflammation secondary to other causes.
So, I would strongly recommend to kindly consult a gastroenterologist for proper evaluation to confirm or rule out Crohn's disease.
Hope the suggestion given above could be of great help in detecting the exact cause of chronic constipation and other associated symptoms.
Should you need to ask more, please feel free to send your query.
Best regards.
Possibility can not be ruled out.
Detailed Answer:
Hi
Welcome to HCM.
I appreciate your concern for the alternate chronic constipation/diarrhea and other symptoms
After having gone through your problems diligently I am of the opinion that you have some sort of chronic (longstanding) inflammatory bowel disease which needs to investigated further by tests like CBC, ESR, C reactive protein, Barium meal follow through examination, colonoscopy (with biopsy) or CT scan.
Alpha anti-chymotrypsin is an inflammatory marker which increases during acute inflammatory conditions during the acute phases of inflammation.
High stool levels of this marker are typically associated with inflammatory bowel diseases involving small intestine (like Crohn’s disease) but it can also be elevated in acute intestinal inflammation secondary to other causes.
So, I would strongly recommend to kindly consult a gastroenterologist for proper evaluation to confirm or rule out Crohn's disease.
Hope the suggestion given above could be of great help in detecting the exact cause of chronic constipation and other associated symptoms.
Should you need to ask more, please feel free to send your query.
Best regards.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Vaishalee Punj
Answered by
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