How to prepare for a dr appointment addressing tumtum issues
December 4, 2014 5:02 PM Subscribe
How should I prepare for an appointment that will address stomach/digestion issues? Do I eat tons of stuff I know makes me feel horrible just so my doctor can see all the symptoms in action or do I keep eating like I do now, which is avoiding what I know makes me feel bad?
I am having lots of stomach issues as of late and will be seeing my primary care physician on friday to address them. Right now I am experiencing symptoms like really bad, sulfuric smelling gas; green, floaty, sometimes mucus-y poop; absolutely horrible bloating; and a feeling of fullness after eating not that much food.
I noticed that meat, bread/pasta/carby stuff, roughage, deli meats, anything super fatty, and raw veggies really do me in. I eat a pretty balanced diet (lots of cooked veggies, beans, fiber, tons of water, fruit, minimum processed stuff) but am struggling to find stuff that doesnt give me nasty pain and symptoms.
I saw a different doctor back in April and she didn't seem too concerned, however I hadn't had any of the offending foods in a while before I saw her. At that point I was having SEVERE bloating after eating pasta/bread, like to the point where my clothes wouldn't fit and my stomach would bulge over what were loose-fitting pants an hour before eating. She did a abdominal xray and a blood test and I don't remember anything remarkable coming back. She did prescribe me miralax and I used it (the whole bottle) but nothing changed.
I am not necessarily looking for possible diagnoses, as I know what things might be causing this. More of looking for advice on how to prep for the appointment. I haven't had bread/pasta or large portions of meat in a few months, give or take a few occasions. I also take gas pills frequently, so should I stop taking those as well?
Thanks for any input.
I am having lots of stomach issues as of late and will be seeing my primary care physician on friday to address them. Right now I am experiencing symptoms like really bad, sulfuric smelling gas; green, floaty, sometimes mucus-y poop; absolutely horrible bloating; and a feeling of fullness after eating not that much food.
I noticed that meat, bread/pasta/carby stuff, roughage, deli meats, anything super fatty, and raw veggies really do me in. I eat a pretty balanced diet (lots of cooked veggies, beans, fiber, tons of water, fruit, minimum processed stuff) but am struggling to find stuff that doesnt give me nasty pain and symptoms.
I saw a different doctor back in April and she didn't seem too concerned, however I hadn't had any of the offending foods in a while before I saw her. At that point I was having SEVERE bloating after eating pasta/bread, like to the point where my clothes wouldn't fit and my stomach would bulge over what were loose-fitting pants an hour before eating. She did a abdominal xray and a blood test and I don't remember anything remarkable coming back. She did prescribe me miralax and I used it (the whole bottle) but nothing changed.
I am not necessarily looking for possible diagnoses, as I know what things might be causing this. More of looking for advice on how to prep for the appointment. I haven't had bread/pasta or large portions of meat in a few months, give or take a few occasions. I also take gas pills frequently, so should I stop taking those as well?
Thanks for any input.
How should I prepare for an appointment that will address stomach/digestion issues?
I don't know the answer to this question.
Your doctor's office will know the answer to this question.
posted by saeculorum at 5:07 PM on December 4, 2014 [3 favorites]
I don't know the answer to this question.
Your doctor's office will know the answer to this question.
posted by saeculorum at 5:07 PM on December 4, 2014 [3 favorites]
You could call the office and ask a nurse, but I imagine that you should just keep doing what you are doing. When I saw my doctor for migraines I was not currently experiencing a migraine, but that was fine. It's OK to not be symptomatic with something like this. Don't put your body through that without explicit directions to do so.
posted by sockermom at 5:35 PM on December 4, 2014
posted by sockermom at 5:35 PM on December 4, 2014
Write down everything you can remember ahead of time. All the meds you take, when this started, what your symptoms are, etc. What seems to make it worse, what seems to make it better. Write down your questions too.
At the appointment, take notes. If the doctor is going too fast, tell them to slow down. Repeat back what they said to make sure you understand.
You don't need to change your diet. Your doctor won't ignore you if you're not having awful symptoms when you see him. If he does, find another doctor.
posted by radioamy at 5:36 PM on December 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
At the appointment, take notes. If the doctor is going too fast, tell them to slow down. Repeat back what they said to make sure you understand.
You don't need to change your diet. Your doctor won't ignore you if you're not having awful symptoms when you see him. If he does, find another doctor.
posted by radioamy at 5:36 PM on December 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
What you want to do depends on the tests you're looking for. Stomach problems are my life. Trust me. I've had a huge number of the tests. Feel free to Memail me.
1) There is a genetic and antibody test for Celiac - which it could be if it goes away when you eliminate gluten. For the antibody test to be effective, you'll likely need to continue to eat gluten until the test day. Not eating gluten won't affect the genetic portion. HOWEVER, the most accurate way to test for celiac is a colon biopsy through a colonoscopy. In addition, the blood/genetic test can be very expensive. Mine was over $900 before insurance.
Therefore, if removing gluten clears your symptoms, just don't eat gluten and don't worry about the test. Although if you are actively eating gluten you could just do the antibody test and it'd likely be less money.
2) Write down your symptoms, how long they last, pain level, what helps to relieve them, and what makes them worse.
3) It's likely at the actual appointment that it will just be a consult and they might draw blood. I'd assume they may want to check gallbladder function with the symptoms you've described - loose stools after fatty meals. There's a blood test for that I think and then it's generally followed up with an ultrasound. They will give you instructions prior to any further tests as far as fasting, etc for things like an ultrasound or CT.
4) When in doubt just check with the office. Again, if it's your first appointment with this doctor it will likely be a consult with blood draws.
This is all just anecdotal but I have - unfortunately - quite a bit of experience in this matter. (I am not a doctor, just my experience, etc.)
posted by Crystalinne at 6:06 PM on December 4, 2014
1) There is a genetic and antibody test for Celiac - which it could be if it goes away when you eliminate gluten. For the antibody test to be effective, you'll likely need to continue to eat gluten until the test day. Not eating gluten won't affect the genetic portion. HOWEVER, the most accurate way to test for celiac is a colon biopsy through a colonoscopy. In addition, the blood/genetic test can be very expensive. Mine was over $900 before insurance.
Therefore, if removing gluten clears your symptoms, just don't eat gluten and don't worry about the test. Although if you are actively eating gluten you could just do the antibody test and it'd likely be less money.
2) Write down your symptoms, how long they last, pain level, what helps to relieve them, and what makes them worse.
3) It's likely at the actual appointment that it will just be a consult and they might draw blood. I'd assume they may want to check gallbladder function with the symptoms you've described - loose stools after fatty meals. There's a blood test for that I think and then it's generally followed up with an ultrasound. They will give you instructions prior to any further tests as far as fasting, etc for things like an ultrasound or CT.
4) When in doubt just check with the office. Again, if it's your first appointment with this doctor it will likely be a consult with blood draws.
This is all just anecdotal but I have - unfortunately - quite a bit of experience in this matter. (I am not a doctor, just my experience, etc.)
posted by Crystalinne at 6:06 PM on December 4, 2014
I saw a different doctor back in April and she didn't seem too concerned...
Not sure if I'm reading too much into this, but it sounds like one reason you're thinking of leaving your symptoms untreated is so the doctor will believe you about the severity of the symptoms and be appropriately concerned? There's likely nothing you can do to get a doctor to seem concerned about these kinds of symptoms. I know how painful and anxiety-inducing they are. Trust me, I know from experience. But it's not immediately life-threatening the way a gunshot wound or heart attack is, so on the doctor scale of things to worry about, they're generally not going to be too worried about it.
Keep yourself as comfortable as you can. Eat in a way that makes you feel as good as possible. Just be sure to tell them what foods you're avoiding and what happens if you don't avoid them; what pills you're taking and what happens if you don't take them.
If they need you to do something that hurts you, in order for a necessary test to work right, they will let you know.
posted by Bentobox Humperdinck at 7:30 PM on December 4, 2014
Not sure if I'm reading too much into this, but it sounds like one reason you're thinking of leaving your symptoms untreated is so the doctor will believe you about the severity of the symptoms and be appropriately concerned? There's likely nothing you can do to get a doctor to seem concerned about these kinds of symptoms. I know how painful and anxiety-inducing they are. Trust me, I know from experience. But it's not immediately life-threatening the way a gunshot wound or heart attack is, so on the doctor scale of things to worry about, they're generally not going to be too worried about it.
Keep yourself as comfortable as you can. Eat in a way that makes you feel as good as possible. Just be sure to tell them what foods you're avoiding and what happens if you don't avoid them; what pills you're taking and what happens if you don't take them.
If they need you to do something that hurts you, in order for a necessary test to work right, they will let you know.
posted by Bentobox Humperdinck at 7:30 PM on December 4, 2014
I'm a doctor and I very much agree with the above answer:
Your doctor won't ignore you if you're not having awful symptoms when you see him. If he does, find another doctor.
You also don't have to bring samples of the poop or take photos of it to show. It sounds like you're quite capable of describing it in detail. If they need samples for testing, they'll ask.
Being an emergency medicine physician, I'm not as detail oriented as other physicians, but in general, I get sad if my patients do things like avoid pain medicine "so you could see how bad it is." Please don't experience pain just so I can witness it! I became a doctor because I want to rid people of pain, not induce it…. I take people at their word unless there is clear evidence that implies dishonesty. Just remember to be very specific about the frequency, severity, duration, and triggers of your symptoms - and how they affect your ability to perform daily activities/your quality of life.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 10:38 PM on December 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
Your doctor won't ignore you if you're not having awful symptoms when you see him. If he does, find another doctor.
You also don't have to bring samples of the poop or take photos of it to show. It sounds like you're quite capable of describing it in detail. If they need samples for testing, they'll ask.
Being an emergency medicine physician, I'm not as detail oriented as other physicians, but in general, I get sad if my patients do things like avoid pain medicine "so you could see how bad it is." Please don't experience pain just so I can witness it! I became a doctor because I want to rid people of pain, not induce it…. I take people at their word unless there is clear evidence that implies dishonesty. Just remember to be very specific about the frequency, severity, duration, and triggers of your symptoms - and how they affect your ability to perform daily activities/your quality of life.
posted by treehorn+bunny at 10:38 PM on December 4, 2014 [1 favorite]
Usually your primary care doctor will do a full blood panel and refer you to a GI doc (or you can just ask for a referral). Then when you see the GI doc, they'll be a little more familiar with your symptoms, ask you some questions and probably have you take some tests.
posted by KogeLiz at 1:10 AM on December 5, 2014
posted by KogeLiz at 1:10 AM on December 5, 2014
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The gastroenterologist, for me, told me specifically to disregard the dietitian and eat gluten before the scope so that he can see whether or not it's Celiac's. I'm not sure if it would be the same for whatever rule-out list your doctor comes up with. In the mean time, write down everything you eat between now and your appointment to show your doctor when you describe your symptoms. If the doctor needs to see a certain kind of food to show up in your labs, the doctor will be able to see whether or not you've eaten it recently to know whether or not you should eat it again before you get the labs done.
Good luck!
posted by mibo at 5:07 PM on December 4, 2014