Hello @chensley638, @seaotter,

Welcome to both of you! I'd like to underline what Teresa mentioned: Connect is a place to vent and express your feelings, and to share experiences so that we may learn from each other – we are so happy to have you as part of the Connect community.

I’d like to introduce you to several other members in this ongoing discussion; please meet @vdouglas @warlick @viva @bakb @doron @billymac65 @croller68 @bertbiz @mardellepoff @billindc @mommasaid @danrofohio @snoopdog @gmeg, to name a few.

@seaotter, @chensley638, I’m sure you have lots of questions, and there’s a great group of people here ready to share their experiences. Ask away.

Thank u so much. Its lonely out here with no one to talk to about mp. My dr just says youve had it for along time and no help . Ive had pet scans ct scans to gi dr
And none know what to do reading posts saw someone had low vit d my vit d level was 8 and i am one who siscovered it. Will read more posts maybe we can figure out how to cope with this.
Thanks for listening

So, the GI doctor didn't seem to think that the MP was a big deal. He said "a little mesenteric inflammation isn't a big concern and yours is mild". He also told me not to dwell or be concerned with the label. He said anyone can get a mild inflammation like this with irritation. He blames the irritation on constipation. Which he blames on a poor diet. Im not sure how that works, since I only eat about 900-1200 calories /day on average. Every day I at 1-2 fresh fruit. I eat lots of veggies, daily. I eat granolla for breakfast with 1% milk. I almost never even get a lunch break, which is why all the healthy food. I'm not certain which part he feels could be causing the constipation. Idk. I even drink about 72oz of water per day.

Anyhow, he's agreed to do an endoscopy to make sure theres nothing "unusual" in my esophagus or stomach, and to do a biposy if there is.

BTW. He seemed more concerned with finding out why I have chronic low Potassium. He also kept asking if I've had a fever or sweats. I said no but after a few hours back at work, I realized I have a big box fan on, every day. I thought it's just cause I run like dog @ work but I'm not certain a of anything anymore. Oh well. Thanks anyhow.

@chensley638 We appreciate the update. It sounds as if you are now waiting for the endoscopy to determine if there are any other problems in the digestive tract and esophagus.

As your doctor was concerned about your chronic low Potassium level, I did a search on Mayo's website and came up with this link, http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/low-potassium/basics/definition/sym-20050632. You might read through this and see how it applies to your symptoms. As I read through it, I can understand the doctor's concern. Do you know what your potassium level is? Has the cause of the low potassium level ever been investigated by a physician before?

Teresa

Mostly yes. We have done NUMEROUS tests, including kidney ultrasounds, 24hour urine, and blood work, mri, ct, and several others. I determined that the low potassium is a primary cause of my edema and weight gain, which causes my blood pressure spikes, which causes my headaches, which i take medicatiin for, which causes my dizziness... I told my doctor how I felt and he said "good catch". That's what we do. We brainstorm together. Its important to me that we dothis. I cant stand doctors who have that "I'm the doctor, let me figure it out for myself" attitude. I have dagnosed myself and my husband numerous times and brought it to him for opinion. But as a nurse and future nurse practitioner (way in the future), he knows that that's just how I prefer things. After all, every experience is an opportunity to learn.

Anyhow, I am the one who pointed out about the chronic low Potassium. Nobody had ever mentioned it before but I saw a consistency in my lab report that was never addressed. That's when I switched to my current doctor. Though, he put me on potassium supplements thays brought my level up to 3.5 sometimes it even hits 4.0. We still dont know WHY its low. I requested the GI appt to help figure it out. My doc will approve anything i ask for, as long as it's witin reason and I provide a good logic for medical necessity. The lowest its been was 3.2. I know that doesnt seem too low, but that same day, i had 10lb weight gain and 200/100 bp. I took a water pill and the next day my weight was back to normal and bp was 122/75 under all other same circumstances.

@chensley638 That is great that you can partner with your doctor, not all doctors are comfortable with a partnership with their patients. Are there any other specialists who work with low potassium levels? Teresa

Absolutely. Nephrologist, cardiologist, and endocrinologist to name a few. The GI doctor would like me to see a nephrologist. A kidney doctor.

He recommends that my family doctor refer me to an endocrinologist as well. He, as well as my dermatologist, feels that I may have polycystic ovarian syndrome. Although I had already self-diagnosed myself with that several years ago. That, however, would not explain abdominal pain, constipation, vomiting, or any of the other GI symptoms I've had. Though it could explain other things like weight gain, acne, hair loss comma unusual female Cycles Etc. It would not explain low potassium. And the low potassium explains the same symptoms as PCOS.

@chensley638 Once you get through the GI exam, the endocrinologist might be a good next step for you. It sounds as if you have been making progress in working through your symptoms and getting help, but it does sound complicated. Has your endoscopy been scheduled yet? Teresa

Yes. It will be for August 7th. I do plan to see an endocrinologist at some point. If nothing else, for the potential PCOS.