Celiac Disease With Colon Cancer? Posted: 10-30-07 12:35pm
Hi all...unfortunately I have now found
the need to come into this forum. A little
about me...I am 31 years old, and was
diagnosed with Celiac Disease about 3
years ago now. I have 3 children, my 3rd
only 2 months old. Most of my symptoms I
have attributed to my celiac disease until
a few weeks ago (although, I have been
"managing" my disease I have never seemed
to be able to feel completely better). A
few weeks ago I found bright red blood
covering my stools, and this went on for 3
days. It freaked me out, and I called my
mom who is a nurse and she said it was
probably just an internal hemmroid since I
was recently pregnant. However, that
didn't make me feel any better, because my
mom never gets nervous about anything. In
fact when she was diagnosed with breast
cancer a few years back she acted like she
just had a splinter in her finger.
I have a long history of constipation,
since I was a kid - probably due to the
celiac. Probably for a year now I have
thin stools sometimes, and other times
they seem normal. I thought they were just
thinner because I have been drinking Aloe
Vera juice the past year after a doc told
me it would help keep me regular. I have
major gas and bloating, and that has been
going on for several years, but just seems
to keep getting worse. During the last
month of my pregnancy I had a lot of pain
but I thought it was just from a big baby.
I also have a place on my lower left side
that shoots pain every so often. This I
talked to a doctor about once about a year
ago as well, and they didn't seem to think
it was a big deal.
I really want a colonoscopy (spelling?)
but I am not sure how to approach the
doctor with it to where she will listen
and take it seriously. I am really scared,
and afraid that if I have cancer that I
have waited too long. I really want to be
here for my kids. Anyone have any
suggestions? I have an appointment on
friday. Thank you.
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MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1963 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Hi! Posted: 10-31-07 04:12am
Having bright red blood with bowel
movements and abdominal pain are enough
symptoms to get medical attention and
refer for colonoscopy.
Your stool form is a worrying sign and
tumors tend to bleed, not a whole lot and
not constantly, but they do bleed.
Do you have stomach cramps?
Are you having sense of fullness all the
time?
Do you often feel sick and feel need to
throw up?
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SunnySportsFan
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 6
Re: Hi! Posted: 10-31-07 14:56pm
MandMs
wrote:
Having bright red blood with
bowel movements and abdominal pain are
enough symptoms to get medical attention
and refer for colonoscopy.
Your stool form is a worrying sign and
tumors tend to bleed, not a whole lot and
not constantly, but they do bleed.
Do you have stomach cramps?
Are you having sense of fullness all the
time?
Do you often feel sick and feel need to
throw up?
My stomach cramps seem to only come when I
have gas pains, but sometimes they are so
bad they wake me up at night. Then I have
those lower left shooting pains once in
awhile.
I don't have a sense of fullness all of
the time. But, many times after I go to
the bathroom I feel like I still have to
go. I had this yesterday almost all day
long, but today I am fine.
I have waves of nausea that don't last
very long, but I never actually throw up.
|
MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1963 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Posted: 11-01-07 05:46am
Do you feel strange smell?
What kind of food you are usually
consuming?
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SunnySportsFan
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 6
Posted: 11-02-07 12:10pm
No strange smells.
I eat an all gluten free diet, which is
mostly pretty healthy since there is a lot
I cannot have. I buy gluten free breads,
cereals, and things like that from a
health food store. I think I eat a lot of
veggies, not so good on the fruit (most
fruit tends to make my stomach sick),
rice, cheese, meats. My one big weakness
is chocolate. I eat it everyday. However,
I stay away from soda. I drink one coffee
in the morning - decaf. I try and stay
away from a lot of caffeine, but I do have
an iced tea once in awhile.
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sillyakchick
Moderator
Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2688
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Posted: 11-03-07 08:11am
Wow, that sounds really awful. I am sorry
you are dealing with this. I have a few
questions about the celiac disease:
Have you visited with your physician about
the fact that you don't really feel better
after having begun the GF diet? There is
a small number of people who don't improve
onteh GF diet. This is called "refractory
sprue". If you are concerned you can have
him schedule another endoscopy to check
the status of your villi. If they are
still flattened after three years, then
you definitely need medical attention for
that.
I would also definitely mention the part
about the bleeding. I am not sure what
that is related to and it could be a
number of things. You state that fruit
tends to cause stomach upset...is this
citrus? Ulcers can cause bleeding and
lots of pain, particulalry with citrus.
THey can be caused by an H.Pylori
infection or by the overuse of NSAIDS
(Ibuprophen, Naprosyn, Celebrex, etc).
Untreated Celiac disease can eventually
lead to Colon Cancer, statistically
speaking, there is an increased rate of
lymphoma for untreated celiacs than the
rest of the population. I would not have
that as my first suspicion, however.
There are a lot of possible scenarios for
your symptoms-if it were me, I would go
back to the GI doc, tell him about all
that has been going on and request an
endoscopy and colonoscopy. This can help
get to the bottom of your myriad symptoms
and put your mind at ease.
Hope you get to feeling better soon.
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MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1963 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Posted: 11-08-07 03:15am
Did you have your appointment on Friday?
What you were told?
For most people, following the gluten-free
diet will stop symptoms, heal existing
intestinal damage, and prevent further
damage. The small intestine is usually
completely healed in 3 to 6 months in
children and younger adults and within 2
years for older adults.
Eating any gluten, no matter how small an
amount, can damage the small intestine.
Some people with celiac disease show no
improvement on the gluten-free diet. This
condition is called unresponsive celiac
disease. The most common reason for poor
response is that small amounts of gluten
are still present in the diet.
Rarely, the intestinal injury will
continue despite a strictly gluten-free
diet. People in this situation have
severely damaged intestines that cannot
heal. Because their intestines are not
absorbing enough nutrients, they may need
to receive nutrients directly into their
bloodstream through a vein, or
intravenously. People with this condition
may need to be evaluated for complications
of the disease.
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SunnySportsFan
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 6
Posted: 11-29-07 11:21am
Sorry that I kind of disappeared. Things
have been busy. I have an appointment with
a GI on December 11. My other doctor is
only sending me to "calm my anxiety". She
doesn't think there is really anything
wrong. Since I first came in here and
wrote about my problem I have developed a
hard place in my abdomen. I found in one
day when I layed down on my stomach. It
was painful and felt like a lump. I can
also push on it with my fingers. It has
been there for probably a week now.
I am definately going to mention the
celiac problem with the GI doctor also.
December 11 seems like an eternity away.
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sillyakchick
Moderator
Joined: 12 Apr 2007 Posts: 2688
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Posted: 11-29-07 12:44pm
Yes, it does seem like an eternity when
you are sick and waiting and worrying.
Take a deep breath and try to be calm.
Make sure you have not stopped eating
gluten in the meantime. This would give
afalse positive. Let us know what
happens!
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MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1963 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Posted: 12-05-07 04:52am
Try to stick to full glutein-free diet.
Avoid chocolate because it can make your
Celiac symptoms worse.
Do you find your abdominal pain less
intense after a bowel movement?
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SunnySportsFan
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 6
Still Waiting... Posted: 12-30-07 13:34pm
The GI doctor is doing a endoscope and a
colonoscopy the 7th of January. So, I am
still waiting to find out what is going
on.
I will try and eat less chocolate, it is
just hard because with the gluten free
diet there is already so little I can
have.
And, yes, it does seem like the pain
lessens or goes away completely after a
bowel movement.
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sillyakchick
Moderator
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Posted: 12-31-07 14:48pm
Dear Butterfly;
If you are having an endoscopy, and have
been on a gluten free diet, then you MUST
resume a "Gluten Challenge" until the
test. IT is not fun, but ti is the only
way any damage can be detected. If you
aren't eating gluten and you have an
endoscopy done to determine if there is
damage, there won't be any to biopsy.
This is extremely important.
Good luck on your tests-let us know what
you find!
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MandMs
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Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1963 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
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Hi Butterfly! Posted: 01-17-08 05:15am
Rereading all the posts helped me to come
to an idea about what can be your medical
problem.
You have stated that the pain lessens or
goes away after a bowel movement, that
many times after you go to the bathroom
you feel like you still have to go,
bloating and gas, constipation,pain and
discomfort in your abdomen (pain often
worse at evening) and there are all common
symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
Have you noticed ups and downs of pain
that relate to your menstrual cycle?
Are you experiencing worse symptoms after
you have eaten or if you are under
stress?
Do you usually have a feeling of strong
urge to have a bowel movement?
Hope you'll check the topic soon and find
this helpful.
Waiting for your post
Marija
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SunnySportsFan
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 30 Oct 2007 Posts: 6
Posted: 01-22-08 10:29am
Hello. Had my tests done. My colonoscopy
only showed that I had internal hemmroids.
Otherwise that all looked normal. The endo
showed no signs of celiac, not even
healing, so now I am looking into
something else. I have been eating gluten
again, and feeling mostly just very tired.
Thinking about allergy testing, and I will
bring up IBS with my doctor as well (this
is what they thought I had before, but the
medications they put me on never seemed to
help). I also had polyps in my stomach,
which were benign. I am not sure if this
is something to worry about in the future,
or not? I go back to the GI in about a
week. Will discuss that more then I guess.
Thank you all for your input. It has been
very helpful.
|
MandMs
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 1963 Location: Strumica, Macedonia
Thanks: 30
Thanked:10
FiberglassButterfly! Posted: 02-13-08 06:04am
What kind of medications you were
prescribed for IBS?
Do you have some new informations from
your last doctor's visit to share it with
us?
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