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Post-MALS surgery

Digestive Health | Last Active: Oct 26 7:55pm | Replies (72)

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@sderose

This must be so frustrating and painful. Is it possible to get a second opinion from another doctor? I know sometimes doctors act offended by this but it's your body. Insurance is always an issue, too, whether they will pay for a second opinion. I had bouts of nausea, vomiting, extreme abdominal gut pain, then diarrhea 3 - 4 days every month. After endless tests and wrong diagnoses, they determined it was caused by strictures in my intestines, presumably from radiation I had 30 years ago. Apparently, doctors figured out this was a long-term side effect. I had surgery for two strictures in January 2020. I was used to taking Imodium before the surgery but, wow! Uncontrollable diarrhea. They tried a lot of meds on me and what works best is Lomotil up to 10 pills a day. I am taking Nortriptyline which is a depression med but it also acts as a good anti-diarrheal med. I have had every test known - CT, ultrasound, upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, internal and external ultrasound, blood and urine tests, a 72-hour fecal collection test (kept in freezer in bag - a particularly fun test). I have gone for dietitian visits at my request. I have been told to have a low sodium (also have stage 3 chronic kidney disease), low dairy, low fat, and low fiber diet. After nearly every BM my rectum and about six inches up my colon are in bite the blanket not to scream pain. It burns like a fire. They say, take a sitz bath. Yeah, I will get right on that at my workplace. I am going to start to add fiber because I am beginning to think they really don't know what they are talking about. Patient, heal thyself. They aren't telling you why you are having this issue because they don't know themself and don't want to look ignorant in front of you. I hope you aren't losing too much weight. My husband's theory is women should always have a little extra padding in case they get sick they can have some to lose without becoming even more sick. Wishing you all the best and that you heal from this.

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Replies to "This must be so frustrating and painful. Is it possible to get a second opinion from..."

Thank you for you comments and yes I'm loosing weight and my family is getting worried. You are correct about them not knowing what's wrong. I've had all the test you stated and they are still clueless. I will add some extra fiber and hopefully thst will work.
Hope you are doing better