Lower Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Question: Gastrointestinal pain and bleeding? I had a very mild heart attack two weeks ago. The cardiologist prescribed Plavix and aspirin. Ever since I started taking them I have intense stomach discomfort, cramps and pain in the lower abdomen, incredibly profuse and painful gas, and I'm passing a lot of bright red blood from the rectum. I can't eat, maybe just a piece of toast and some soup for all day. I feel extremely weak and have more shortness of breath than usual. I have a history of (healed) stomach ulcers, and diverticulosis. Could these symptoms be side effects from the Plavix? I'm going to call the doctor anyway but I'd like to hear from anyone else who has taken Plavix and aspirin. How did it affect you? Thanks for your help!

Answer: side effects to Plavix: abdominal pain, back pain, bronchitis, bruising and bleeding under the skin, chest pain, coughing, depression, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, dizziness, fatigue, fluid retention and swelling, flu symptoms, headache, high cholesterol, indigestion, inflammation of the nasal passges, itching, joint pain, nausea, purple discoloration of the skin, upper respiratory tract infection and urinary tract infection. If you get a fever or bleeding under the skin, you need to call your doctor immediately. Also, your doctor should NOT have prescribed you this medication because of your ulcers and there is a serious drug interaction with asprin. I'd really recommend seeing your doctor today/tonight.

Question: How to handle disability, state appointed psychiatrist? First, let me clarify that I want to get back to work. I am in KY, and see the Psy. for the first time next week. It is a new claim. I have severe lower back and leg pain caused by pinched nerves, Gastrointestinal bleeding, and moderate/severe depression. For 18 yrs. I done commercial/industrial HVAC (installing heating and air systems) No way I can do that anymore. How can I get them to help me go to school, pay my bills and get a new career, that pays decent money? Sorry, I should have stated that I am aware of voc rehab, but dont understand exactly what they do. kinda feel like I have to lie to get any help. I know that wont work. cant pay bills on $10/hr

Answer: Look into Vocational Rehabilitation. It's a program that will help pay for school to re-train you for another field of work.

Question: ahhh more stomach problems? for the past few days, I've been having red/pink and also pale orange in my stool. I've been having periods of on and off weird bowel movements all year. have told doctors this but still don't know why. my stomach and lower back are really sore right now. by abdomen has been distended for over a year. yesterday I took an advil and my stool was more red today.. do you think I could have gastrointestinal bleeding or something? i live in canada.. chances are it'll be months before I see a specialist. is there anything at all i can do in the meantime?

Answer: You really need to see a specialist. For this to have been going on this long and them do nothing is ridiculous. It could be something dangerous, PLease go get checked out again by someone who specializes in this field.

Question: Dog put to sleep. Was it bloat? We'd sheduled an appointment to put our 10-year old Doberman to sleep on Monday morning. He had diabetes and we could no longer keep his blood sugar under control. It kept soaring to 500 despite his insulin injections and a low-carb diet. Plus, he had neuropathy of the hind legs and could barely stand and had severly injured one of his legs. And he had numerous infiltrative fatty tumors. In all, he was in bad shape and deteriorating quickly, and so we decided that it was time to put him to sleep. We'd planned on making Sunday night special for him with a special dinner, etc.. Well, on Friday night, I noticed that his stomach seemed swollen. By the next morning, he continually had dry heaves--nothing came out. The pain and unproductive vomitting was relieved only temporarily when he had a very loose stool that was blackish--the odor was overpowering. My husband thinks it had blood in it. Not even an hour later, he had the dry heaves again. Plus, his stomach was still distended. In addition, we noticed that he had large bloody areas beneath the skin on his lower abdomen--that looked like bruises only they were bright red. And when I took his blood sugar, he bled profusely, and it was hard to stop the bleeding. As he appeared to be in great pain, we decided to go ahead and put him to sleep that day--that it couldn't wait until Monday. I know we made the right decision in putting him to sleep, but looking back, I wonder what this gastrointestinal thing was. Do you think this was bloat? What about the bleeding? None of my other animals have ever had bloat before. I want to be sure that I recognize it if it ever happens again.

Answer: To me,it sounds like the dog may have had liver disease and a clotting problem,so you were right in ending his suffering. I'm so sorry. I lost my 16-1/2 year old dachshund mix a week ago Friday, he had some sort of stroke or something,and before I could get him to the vet to be euthanized,he died on his own. That's him in the avatar box,my little Levi.

Question: Ovarian or Uterine Cancer? I am very frightened at this point and I believe that waiting for the latest test results are adding to the stress and making my mind wander. I started to have gastrointestinal problems (diarrhea, indigestion, nausea) frequently about 8 months ago. It was troublesome so I saw a gastroenterologist who did an endoscopy, ultrasound, colonoscopy and tested for Celiac's and lactose intolerance. All tests were negative. Because I was having pelvic pain, again not severe, but nagging, and my gastrointestinal symptoms seems to be worse around PMS time and during my period, I went to a gynecologist. She did the typical pelvic exam and pap smear, sent me for blood work and scheduled a pelvic ultrasound. She said my uterus was enlarged. I have never had any problems with my period and have never been pregnant. My CA-125 came back negative and she said my blood work was "excellent." I went for the pelvic ultrasound yesterday and it took longer than I thought it would and that scares me. I have not received results yet as I was told I should get them by Tuesday. I am not bleeding between my periods, my periods are not painful (a little cramping, but nothing a couple of Advil doesn't fix), and my pelvic pain is relatively moderate. I am not doubled over or anything; it is just dull. I do have pain in my lower back, but I have had back trouble like that in the past. My concern is that I have something like ovarian and uterine cancer and I am terrified. Even though my blood work and pap came back good, I know there is always the possibility. I do not have any cancer in my family. I just can't stop wondering why my uterus would be enlarged. Has anyone been through this and could offer me some guidance. I dread Tuesday, but want so badly to know the truth as well.

Answer: First, no one can really tell you what is going on . . that is why you went to a doctor, which was the correct choice. And it is really only the doctor and the tests you had that will matter. So, this answer is . . in general only . . Don't know if this will make you feel any better or not, but if you had uterine cancer than the doctor would NOT wait until Tuesday to give you the results. You would be called day or night, weekend or holiday and told immediately . . no waiting. With cancer it is all about time and getting treatment for the disease as quickly as possible . . so if it is cancer you would be quickly notified. Too, cancer, even uterine cancer rarely has any symptoms at all . . until it is advanced and than you would already know. So . .no news is good news . . and the fact you have had symptoms may also be 'good news' as far as it not being cancer is concerned. That being said, you may not have cancer but that doesn't mean that your concern and troubles are not just as valid . . you need to find out what is going on for your own piece of mind. You deserve answers as to why you do not feel well. Be persistent.

Question: Sharp pain only on right side? I have been dealing with this for 8months now. It started when I became pregnant in jan. I lost him in april. I was told over and over again its cause of the pregnancy. After I lost him im still having this pain. I have seen so many doctors and had a ct-scan done and a ton of ultrasounds done. I found out in june that I had a cyst on my left ovary that is bleeding and im going to be getting another ultrasound done to make sure its doing better. This cyst I know isn't causing the pain cause its a new and hasn't been there for 8months now. This pain im having on the right side,its in my lower abdomen below my belly on the right side or sometimes if I push on it its like right by my belly button but towards the side of it. If I lay on my back and push on my right side I can feel the sharp pain and sensitivity, I hate when doctors push on my abdomen cause its that sensitive. Now this sharp pain I can go a hole month with out it but if pushing on it I can feel it. It just spikes on its own and when I get the sharp pain it last for 8hours or two days with out stopping. I have to lay down or when im walking I have to hold the right side of my abdomen cause it hurts. When I get the pain out of know where when I pee it starts with the sharp pain and takes a minute to pee cause of the sharp pain. I have had blood work I have been to the ER many times too and everyone is telling me its coming back normal. I did find out last month I had a really bad UTI and I asked if it was a long standing UTI but they couldn't tell me but that its really bad. Just one day it started burning, A really bad UTI wouldn't just happen it a day or a week. So its gone but I had irritation done there for a few days after taking the meds for the UTI. So all I know is the pain started when becoming pregnant and when I was pregnant the pain was alot worse and I would have the sharp pain three times in the week but now its once a month and two months ago I wasn't able to use the bathroom for a hole week but I was taking fiber supplement's and I stopped taking them and now im pooping every other day. I also took pills for my colon cause they thought that might be it but that wasn't it cause the meds didn't do anything. My hubby and I agreed on trying next month again but I think we are going to have to wait cause of this pain, We don't know the cause of death but we were told it wasn't a genetic problem. Now I don't know what other doctor I should be seeing for this problem. ive seen a gastrointestinal specialist and he wasn't helpful he just said its in your abdomen go get another ultrasound. The only thing I can think of is just going to my regular physician and pushing and pushing her to do something.

Answer: oh

Question: Wisdom Tooth Removed! Need some info on prescribed medications. Vicodin with Promethazine? Finally I just had my lower left wisdom tooth (#17) removed. Doc said it was surprisingly easy. Just a few painful injections into my gums, a fabric placed over my eyes & equip stuffed into my mouth, a drill for a few seconds then a big pull & it was all over. The surgeon even refunded me $48 cuz it was so easy to take out. The whole thing didn't take 20 mins. I felt a sense of relief after feeling the pressure drop when he removed it. Anyway it's been 3 hours now, still numb from the locals. I'm hungry but still bleeding & I don't want to swallow the blood. He prescribed me Vicodin (Hydrocodone-APAP 5-325) & Penicillin VK 250 mg tablets. I know both of those medications have a tendency to cause nausea, I also have a scrip for Promethazine from an earlier condition (vertigo) & it worked great at preventing nausea. Can I take Promethazine while using Hydrocodone (Vicodin)? If so, at what intervals should I take promethazine to prevent nausea? Before or after taking the Vics? How long apart? Also, when would be the best time to take the Penicillin? How many hours after/before taking the Vics? I'll also be taking Probiotic supplements a few hours before the antibs to help prevent the loss of essential bacteria. (i already have gastrointestinal problems & I rly don't need antibs making it worse) Any information or shared experiences greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Answer: Vicodin is pretty much the standard pain med given in oral surgery (I disagree with the first answer). However, you don't have to take it if you are not in that much pain. Yes, it will probably make you nauseated. You can take it with promethazine (generic Phenergan) and I would recommend it. Both of those meds are sedating so beware of the drowsy effect. I would probably take the promethazine about 20-30 minutes before the Vicodin just to get it in your system first because it takes about 45 minutes for Vicodin to start working. When I got really nauseated after taking Vicodin from my wisdom tooth extraction, I called my oral surgeon and he called in some promethazine. It's the best anti-nausea medicine out there. That said, it would be best for you to check with your dentist, though. They should have given you a detailed post-op instruction sheet, explaining when to start taking meds, but you will definitely want to eat something first. Good luck and get well soon!

Question: Should I stop taking Accutane? I'm super fearful of the possible side effects. I googled arthritis and accutane and got a whole slew of finds relating the two. I play piano and I take it very seriously so I dont want to lose my passion. On the other hand my acne is pretty bad almost severe and wont go away (im 20) on its own. The other possible adverse side effects are gastrointestinal problems, chrons disease, hair loss, blurred vision, joint pain, temporary loss of sex drive, depression, psychosis, suicide. I dont have any side effects besides dry lips, a bit dry skin, some nose bleeds, and maybe MABYBE some joint pain in my knees and lower back but that might just be normal pain. ANyways im so scared I've only taken it for a 6 days so far and im on it for 5 months. What should i doooo I don't want to ruin my hands!

Answer: I took Accutane for 6 months and did not experience any long-term side effects, except getting clear skin. The drug manufacturers disclose all the possible side effects to prevent lawsuits. Also, I play the piano and it didn't affect my playing. So keep taking it unless you experience something bad you know is real.

Question: Colonoscopy during pregnancy? I'm 26 weeks pregnant and have been bleeding from the butt on and off for about two weeks. I mentioned this to my OB who referred me onto a gastrointestinal specialist who has booked me in tomorrow for a "colonoscopy with some enema preparation" (fantastic huh). Everything I read online tells me that there is insufficient data to determine whether the procedure is safe during pregnancy or not. I've had a complicated pregnancy with a placental abruption (17 weeks), low-lying placenta and cervical shortening (21mm at 25 weeks). Has anyone else had this procedure whilst being pregnant? I don't feel entirely comfortable with it; I'm going to call the OB's office again tomorrow and see if I can chat to someone about my concerns. Anyone out there able to give me some pros/cons, risks, etc? I no longer have any vaginal bleeding from the abruption and it seems to have healed, there are no longer any visible clots behind the placenta. :)

Answer: During colonoscopy they give a very strong sedatives, like morphine, I think it will be harmful to the baby! Did you mention to them that you're pregnant and did you ask your OB? There are other tests they can do that are less invasive.

Question: Please help! Clothes are looser but scale says I haven't lost weight!? Something's going on that really has me worried. Well, since about may, I started having really bad indigestion (I still do). Then on june 9th, that's when my gastrointestinal problems started. I'll have a mixture between diarrhea and constipation (mostly constipation), and urgent feeling to have a BM after eating. But then sometimes it doesn't affect me at all. I get this gurgling in my throat (like how you get in your stomch. I get it there too though). I'm constantly burping or passing gas. When my period came, it was really painful, I got these hirroble stabbing pains that went from my rectum to my lower abdomen. I couldn't have a BM cause it was so painful. Now I keep getting these spasms/muscle cramps in my stomach, legs, feet, arms, hands, and fingers. I also get a tingling sensation in my extremities. Also, when I push my stomach out, it will make a gurling sound and it feels really weird. I had an appointment with the gastroenterologist on 2/21. * 13 minutes ago * - 3 days left to answer. Additional Details 8 minutes ago I had made an appointment to have a colonoscopy and an endoscopy on 2/28, but I have a really bad head cold, so now it's for 3/13. The doctor thinks that it could be IBS, but the thing is that when he tested my thyroid levels and celiac levels, the thyroid levels were fine, but my celiac was a little high. Here's the thing that realy has me scared. He asked if I was experiencing any weight loss. When I weigh myself on scales, I always weight the same, around 123-125. It says I haven't lost any weight. But when I put on my clothes, they're looser then they used to be. My mom can see the difference when I put my clothes on, but the scale says I weigh the same. Also, I don't look like I'm losing weight either. I look healthy, but my clothes are much looser than they used to be. What do you all think it could be? I'm a very high strung person/stress a lot, I'm only 19. I know celiac can cause malnutrition and weight loss and stuff. I get nauseous off and on, but that's mostly when I stress 7 minutes ago Really bad. I had this dream before that I had stomach cancer. Do you think that it's coming true? I'm really scared and would like some opinions on what you think it could be. I've been under stress since february of last year...Severe stress. Thanks for any help you can give me! 4 minutes ago Also, I used to have really hard stools which caused me to bleed. But I noticed that everytime I have a BM, there always seems to be these little yellow things mixed in with it. It almost looks like old skin or worms or something. Almost like undigested food. I forgot to tell the doc about that. Sorry this was so graphic. Sorry, one last thing. I've been kind of weak and shaky lately. And mouth ulcers.

Answer: The chance you have stomach cancer is EXTREMELY EXTREMELY small as you are not passing blood in your fecal matter and even if you are its probably means you just have a stomach ulcer. so please dont worry about that and keep it out of your mind. The most likely thing is that you have a wheat intolerance as that is what celiac disease is. Once you remove wheat from your diet you may gradually stop having these symptoms. My best friend has an intolerance to wheat so you're definately not alone!! There are also LOADS of substitute products in the market which isnt made of wheat so dont worry at all. Basically what happens is that wheat remains in your small intestines because they are unable to be digested. This is a great festering ground for bacteria and such which realease gases during their respiration which will result in more gas being realeased from the body. As for you clothes being looser you and your mum are probably just a tiny bit paranoid but dont worry about it too much even if you are losing weight. A 19 year old's body weight fluctuates often! hope that was of some use.