Venting again......

[MelanieW]

Went to see my GI doctor today again (you know the one who told me this was all in my head).....only because I needed a note from him for other reasons. He immediately started in on the colonoscopy/endoscopy retesting again....to make "sure we aren't missing something" even though he already sent a note to my family doctor saying I "only have IBS"! Then, he showed his stupidity/lack of knowledge once again. I told him I am not having any B. in my stool and he said that no one does with c.diff! OMG! What an idiot! I'm going to ask my family doctor to refer me to someone else. I no longer have any faith or confidence in this idiot. I'm praying that God will lead me to someone who knows something this next time! Thanks for letting me vent!

[Bobbie]

Melanie,
I agree - he's an idiot who can't "cure you" so it must be "in your head." (I've seen my share of idiot docs., too. I phoned one GI on call one night (just got out of the hopsital and was so sick), and he said, "If you have recurrent C. diff., I can't help you." He hung up on me. Thank you, Doctor Compassion.

Find another GI or ID ASAP. I'd be furious too.

[rhona]

Isn't this the same dr that said you got cdiff again by doing a colonoscopy too soon? I'm glad you are going to see a different dr. He does sound like an idiot!

[beth22]

They usually do colonoscopies to look for tumors or polyps. You just had one very recently and they didn't find either of these. If the doctor wants to take a tissue sample to do a culture or check for microscopic colitis or other types of colitis, you don't need a colonoscopy for that. A sigmoidoscopy is more than enough and probably if you saw a proctologist, who just looks into the first 6 or 7 inches, they could take those samples. The prep for a colonoscopy is enough to set you back all over again and possibly even re-start the c diff if it gets rid of the good flora that has build up. An upper endoscopy is a different matter - but if a doctor suggests that to you, ask him/her to give you a SPECIFIC reason - that is, what exactly do they think they may find or are they looking for - ulcer, for example. If you have acid reflux, or GERD then maybe an upper endoscopy is not that far fetched, and at least you don't need to do any prep for it. Good luck.

[kitkatbek]

I agree with the above posts. He was the exact Doc who insisted that you got cdiff again from the colonoscopy you had done. He says he doesn'ttrustother doctor's colonoscopies, he maybecould get the films and veiw it.

[JenniferH]

He is an idiot, and the last thing you need is a perforated colon or something! It sounds like he doesnt know what he's doing!
I pray that you find a really good Doc!

[Vikingjeff28]

I fired two GI's for the very same reasons and found an OUTSTANDING one I have had now for 2 years. I found a wonderful family dr as well who is very familiar with C diff, depression it causes. Did you know that seratonin is produced in your gut and therefore if your flora is disturbed your brain is not getting sufficent amount of seratonin which aids in fighting depression. In addition, the stomach produces more chemicals that the brain uses more than the brain itself produces. I saw all this on Larry King as they had a panel of Dr's on there one night talking about addictions and it morphed into diseases. My family dr told me I should be depressed as a result of the physical beating on the body and lack of chemicals to the brain.

[cindym]

I personally have decided when a GI does not know what else to do they feel Helpless and therefore do not want to admit defeat or lack of knowledge. Colonoscopy and endoscopy are done far too often to people like ourselves. I finally just bucked the system and asked point blank---WE KNOW I have cdiff and there are no other problems SO WHY must I endure this procedure again and WOULD YOU in my position. Needless to say the pressure for those test are not put to me very often anymore! Until something comes along to kill the spores there is nothing more they can do for the recurrent relapsing patients. Most (although not all) people who have the experimental procedures still have problems afterwards with their guts. It may not be positive cdiff but problems just the same which in my opinion (and just that, an opinion) is still caused by the relentless spores that lie within our intestines just waiting for a time to strike us down again. In dealing with this stuff for so long I have had lots of time to draw my own conclusions!- ha!

[shayner547]

I was just wondering how long you have been dealing with C Diff?

[cindym]

I was first diagnosed in 2001 and have been on medication at some dosage ever since. I have relapsed so many times I quit counting and with the last one my doctors determined it was fruitless to continue to put my body through it. I now am on vanco at low dosage permanently until something comes along that my doctors feel useful.

[IHateCDiff]

Melanie,

I hope you are able to find a better GI ASAP! I feel like doctors have such a problem with just admitting they don't know what to do about things or if they don't know what's wrong. Before I had C. Diff I battled a lot of ovarian issues and went to so many doctors and never did get much help and got oh so much of the "It's all in your head" thing. It's even more frustrating with C. Diff and I am still trying to find good doctors myself. I just got out of the hospital about a week ago and during my stay the GI in the hospital was just the worst doctor I've ever seen. He might have been of the same idiot belief of their being no B with C. Diff and because I had it he fixated on me having colitis and seemed to almost forget I even had C. Diff and was trying to get me to go out and walk around when i wasn't allowed out of the room! He also tried to tell me first that the nausea had nothing to do with C. Diff and then that oh it was all the C. Diff after all. He also talked to me like I was a drug addict and claimed I shouldn't have any pain and refused to give me anything.

Sorry, didn't mean to turn this into my own rant but I can empathize because it is so painful o have a doctor who doesn't know enough about what's wrong with you and who decides it's all in your head and refuses to believe you know anything about your own condition. As I said, I hope you can find someone much better soon.


And VikingJeff... You wouldn't by chance happen to have a link or anything about the serotonin and all, would you? I'm really fascinated by what you posted. Long before C. Diff I had some mental health issues and they had been so much better for the last several years and all the sudden with the C. Diff and even now as I'm hopefully recovering and still battling a lot of serious gut issues I've found myself worrying about my mental health. While in the hospital I was heavily pressured to talk to a psychiatrist and get on anti-deppressants though I didn't want them. I figure I'll be okay but it's kind of almost comforting to know that hey I'm not "going crazy" at all and that being a bit more depressed and kind of screwed over mentally might indeed not just be the stress of being sick but because the C. Diff and gut issues are effecting the serotonin and all of that.

[MelanieW]

I haven't posted in months now...but wanted to check in and let all know what's going on. After the idiot GI, I saw my family doctor who has been working with me very compassionately and letting me do a very long taper on the vanco. I have been able to live an (almost) normal life and sometimes even forget about the c.diff all together. I have also regained ALL the weight I lost to c.diff (38 lbs.) while on this taper. I am still on two vanco per day but getting ready to go down to one per day soon. I'm scared....plain and simple. Please keep me in your prayers that this taper will have done the trick! Thanks guys!

[gm37]

Melanie,
I am so happy to hear that you are doing well! You sound much better.
I think the long taper works well according to my doctors. I am doing the same think. Both my ID and GI docs say that they have several patients who just have to stay on that one dose a day. I guess there is some comfort in knowing that others have the same problem and react the same way. I would rather have no medicine and no c-diff...but, hey, this is better than it was.
Keep up the good work. I am thrilled to hear about your good progress.
Anne

[Vikingjeff28]

http://www.ehow.com/about_5413172_serot ... -body.html

Here is some info on Serotonin production. They put me on Cymbalta after all these relapses and it seems to be helping, been on about 7 weeks.