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General health

Guy issues - any suggestions before I bore the GP?!

14 replies

booox · 20/09/2016 08:27

This will be TMI!

I've been increasingly noticing certain meals shoot through me.

I have hypothyroidism and am in thyroxine - so it's a new experience! When I was on the right dose my bowels were great, once a day and a nice stool.

Now, since I had my son, certain meals are just through over night, foul smelling, loose and float. They're not pale though unless it's fish and chips. Generally id say we do eat a healthy food cooked from scratch diet. I love porridge made with water and with live yoghurt and frozen cherries first thing for example.

Home made stews are starting to shoot through. (I'm going to leave out onions for a while to see if it's that) and a home cooked roast chicken did recently.

At times there's a pocket of air in my upper left side that's very annoying. I've sometimes found cutting back/ out lactose / milk can ease that but it comes and goes.

I do actually struggle to keep weight on too. I've had a tough time lately with weakness and building muscle. They've tested me for coeliac and diabetes a couple of times.

I guess I'm wondering if this could be something worth speaking to the GP about.

Ferritin has been dipping too but I attributed that to periods.

Any ideas?

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booox · 20/09/2016 08:27

Ha ha!

GUT issues.....

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ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 20/09/2016 08:36

I would guess that things have gone a bit haywire with your thyroid.
You may have developed hyperthyroidism where your levels have shot up. That would explain the weight loss and diarrhoea.
Hopefully your doctor can test you and readjust your medication.

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booox · 20/09/2016 08:44

I've been on thyroxine for 20 years (developed it at university). Last test was ok but I could get another.

I'd find it highly unlikely it would do this after so long??? As far as I'm concerned I don't have a thyroid.

It's noticeably the type of food. Anything fatty. I have had occasional normal poos. I guess I perhaps have to have a very limited diet. But wondered if it's worth speaking to GP first?

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booox · 20/09/2016 08:49

I don't know if it's relevant but I frequently feel slightly tingly including my lips and tongue which feels a tad numb sometimes over thinking.

I have a bad habit of dismissing things a lot till it's really bad. I find it hard to guage within myself what's normal or not (years of coping with underactive thyroid).

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BoxofSnails · 20/09/2016 08:52

I'm not a GP (other type of medic, with personal history of Crohn's ) but I'd say that's very much needing a trip to the doctor - not time wasting at all. Bloods and USS as a first screening and take it from there. A food diary is a good idea. Be warned if you need to see gastro the waiting is terrible at the moment - took over 6 months for me. I hope it can be fixed more easily.
And yes well established thyroxine levels can go awry postpartum, that's entirely possible.

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booox · 20/09/2016 09:05

Ok thanks Box.

I was on ferrous sulphate for 6 months and came off but within 6 months iron had dropped hugely back to staring levels so started it again.

Then my gut really started aching and bad loose stools, plus really struggling to keep weight on so I switched to ferrous glutinate. (Sp?) I'd started to feel better iron wise (it wasn't that low but I do seem to notice it when it gets to that level). I tolerated the glutinate but am not taking regularly, partly as forget and now feel iron is ok partly to see if it's affecting gut. It's definitely not affecting my gut as I've barely taken for a few weeks

Ive stopped loosing as much as I did on ferrous but I'm still puzzled as to why I don't put on more.

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BoxofSnails · 20/09/2016 12:09

It sounds like there's much that needs considering/ investigating. If you weren't pregnant and have fairly average periods then the iron loss and weight loss need looking at. Book an appointment with a GP you know, if possible, and lay out all the issues.

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booox · 20/09/2016 12:38

I managed to get an appointment () and the GP was lovely.

I said I can attribute it all to other things, which I can, eg perhaps ibs but she decided to do a full bloods, including thyroid, coeliac again, various other such as liver and pancreas and book an ultrasound to double check for gall stones. I've since looked at that and can see why that could be possible.

Thanks for your help.

The weight thing is more that I'm struggling to deliberately put it on (I'm trying to put on a couple more pounds) but that's not going to happen easily if things are shooting through.

I was definitely loosing weight when I was on the ferrous sulphate as that clearly really irritated my tummy. (I sort of soldiered on for a while). I'm wondering if I've just chronically irritated it to be honest.

See what happens I guess.

As an aside, she offered the flu jab as I have hypothyroidism ?!? Never had that before!

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ILostItInTheEarlyNineties · 20/09/2016 12:45

It sounds like your gp was very thorough and took your symptoms seriously.
I hope you get to the bottom of things (excuse the pun) soon. You need all the energy you can get as a new mum and you may not be absorbing the nutrients you need at the moment.

Hoping you feel better soon.

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BoxofSnails · 20/09/2016 17:15

Great. As it should be. Hope they get it settled - worth trying some imodium in the short term??

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booox · 23/09/2016 08:58

Thanks.

A good couple of days being careful/ watching what I eat. So no onions or very fatty food. And taking coconut milk to work. Then ate a bowl of special Kay and milk and have had very loose stools this morning. I know this points to lactose, but I wonder if it's a bit of a yeast / thrush issue? Ie too much sugar? Lots of gas? It smells a bit yeasty. I've been on a brown inhaler for the last 8 months but I think I was having issues before then - I can't be sure.

I've been having a small amount of milk in my tea but no more during the rest of the day/ eve. I had a piece of toast on weds which is why I'm not convinced about gluten, though I know it's not as immediate as this.

I know the answer is to keep on with a food diary but a lot of me just wants to eat!

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booox · 23/09/2016 09:33

But then when I read about it, it's not black and white like coeliac is it, small amounts can be tolerated.

Feeling a bit if this is just ibs!

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Bluntwhistle · 23/09/2016 09:43

I have very similar symptoms to you and a gall stone was found when I had a scan for something else. I've cut out milk and eat a low fat boring diet, this helps a lot. GP said its common after being pregnant

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booox · 23/09/2016 09:48

Oh that's interesting, thanks.

I used to pride myself over eating what I wanted!

Ah well it's only going to make me healthier I guess. And if there are any gallstones at least it could avert serious pain.

I will tell my sister as she's convinced she passed one once. She has Gilbert's syndrome which I've read can have links, though I think she's worked a lot of that out and is veggie anyway.