Chronic Diarrhea

[Guest guest]

Hello group!  I have a problem.  I have always been prone to having a loose

gut.  It started in childhood.  It was called travelers diarrhea back then and

all the tests in the world came back negative. When I came down with systemic

scleroderma, it was not my first symptoms, but somewhere in my third year of

taking antibiotics, the problem started to become more frequent. Again all

tests, colonoscopies, etc, were negative.  So, nothing was done.  The last

gastro doc said , it just showed that my bowel had inflammation.  Well this

inflammation is getting worse. Now it is happening after every meal.  I take

acidophillus, Immodium after each loose B.M. and lactaid as I am also lactose

intolerant.  The lactose intolerance  started about 40 years ago. About 10 years

ago I developed a hiatial hernia and an ulcer.  Doc said it was negative for

bacteria and gave me Prevacid.  That did cure the ulcer and eased the heartburn

from the hernia.  Then

along came the Scleroderma.  The gut problem did not become uncomfortable until

the 3rd year of my disease and by then I was healing all over because I was on

Minocin.  Now all the symptoms have gone, but the diarrhea and I noticed lately

about once a month, I get a spell of nausea followed by projectile vomiting. 

After the episode, I feel fine and go on my way.  So, tonight I did some

research and it said that diarrhea usually occurs in the latter stages of the

disease.  How could that be is I am supposed to be in remission?  All other

symptoms are gone.  My skin is soft and supple.  My heart & lungs are behaving

well. And my blood work ANA & RF is normal. I don't have any calcinosis,

raynauds, sclerodactyly, but I still have a few red spots on my face which is

the telangialectasia.Hope ( I spelled that right.) And I have some vitiligo

spots on my forehead that developed early on and never went away.  I also have

white spots on my arms

and legs that never went away.  It looks like I lost the pigment in those

spots.  That could be part of vitiligo also. I don't have esophageal problems as

I can swallow just fine.  The problem is the dumping once the food gets down

into my stomach.  I get bloated, uncomfortable and gassy.  I am confused.  How

could I be in a late stage of scleroderma, when all signs say I'm in remission. 

My last doc said it was the antibiotics and blood work showed I was not

anemic. So, I am getting some nutrition.  I am not underweight nor overweight. I

am not a celiac.  Have been tested several times. I am always negative.   But I

am worried.  Any thoughts or suggestions and has this happened to anyone else at

the 3-5 yr level of having scleroderma.  I seem to drink lots of fluids as I

lose lots of fluids and feel thirsty often.  I have increased my proteins as I

think I am losing mostly proteins.  Have been told in the past when I was

hospitalized to increase my proteins.  Seems I have been a bit deficient in

that area..  Waiting to see if it is only me or do others with Scleroderma have

this problem also.   Dolores     

[Guest guest]

Dolores, I'm sorry your experiencing these symptoms when otherwise you're

feeling so well. Have you been tested for C. Difficile? My rheumatologist

lectured me for 15 minutes on the phone before he agreed to prescribe

clindamycin at the beginning of the AP. Should you be asking for a referral to

an GI specialist to rule out things like colitis, Crohn's etc.? If it were me,

I would be going to a doctor because you have been doing so well and don't want

to start losing weight if the symptoms occur a few times every day. all the

best with this, Dolores. I hope you get the solution quickly.

rheumatic Chronic Diarrhea

Hello group! I have a problem. I have always been prone to having a loose

gut. It started in childhood. It was called travelers diarrhea back then and

all the tests in the world came back negative. When I came down with systemic

scleroderma, it was not my first symptoms, but somewhere in my third year of

taking antibiotics, the problem started to become more frequent. Again all

tests, colonoscopies, etc, were negative. So, nothing was done. The last

gastro doc said , it just showed that my bowel had inflammation. Well this

inflammation is getting worse. Now it is happening after every meal. I take

acidophillus, Immodium after each loose B.M. and lactaid as I am also lactose

intolerant. The lactose intolerance started about 40 years ago. About 10 years

ago I developed a hiatial hernia and an ulcer. Doc said it was negative for

bacteria and gave me Prevacid. That did cure the ulcer and eased the heartburn

from the hernia. Then

along came the Scleroderma. The gut problem did not become uncomfortable

until the 3rd year of my disease and by then I was healing all over because I

was on Minocin. Now all the symptoms have gone, but the diarrhea and I noticed

lately about once a month, I get a spell of nausea followed by projectile

vomiting. After the episode, I feel fine and go on my way. So, tonight I did

some research and it said that diarrhea usually occurs in the latter stages of

the disease. How could that be is I am supposed to be in remission? All other

symptoms are gone. My skin is soft and supple. My heart & lungs are behaving

well. And my blood work ANA & RF is normal. I don't have any calcinosis,

raynauds, sclerodactyly, but I still have a few red spots on my face which is

the telangialectasia.Hope ( I spelled that right.) And I have some vitiligo

spots on my forehead that developed early on and never went away. I also have

white spots on my arms

and legs that never went away. It looks like I lost the pigment in those

spots. That could be part of vitiligo also. I don't have esophageal problems as

I can swallow just fine. The problem is the dumping once the food gets down

into my stomach. I get bloated, uncomfortable and gassy. I am confused. How

could I be in a late stage of scleroderma, when all signs say I'm in remission.

My last doc said it was the antibiotics and blood work showed I was not anemic.

So, I am getting some nutrition. I am not underweight nor overweight. I am not

a celiac. Have been tested several times. I am always negative. But I am

worried. Any thoughts or suggestions and has this happened to anyone else at

the 3-5 yr level of having scleroderma. I seem to drink lots of fluids as I

lose lots of fluids and feel thirsty often. I have increased my proteins as I

think I am losing mostly proteins. Have been told in the past when I was

hospitalized to increase my proteins. Seems I have been a bit deficient in

that area.. Waiting to see if it is only me or do others with Scleroderma have

this problem also. Dolores