To visit the walk in centre?

[Sienna333]

The top of my bumcrack has a small white/flesh coloured spot on it and although it looks insignificant, it is stinging like mad and I can barely sit. AIBU to go to the walk in centre? I can't take a minute more of this and what's worse is that I am on my period :(

And leave an inflammatory bowel condition untreated?
It was not normal to have 21 days of diarrhea some of those days bloody with stomach cramps back in October only for there to be a months respite and then to have lots of pain in my bum, bleeding and now once again diarrhea. This is certainly NOT just an infection/aftermath of anything. That was not a bug back in October, it went on far too long. That must have been my first flare and now this is my second.

I will make sure DD has an amazing day tomorrow but I will be in the loo for most of it and I hate that I can't enjoy this day with her. As I said I have health anxiety but there is clearly something very wrong with me physically too.

Who's saying you shouldn't pursue a physical diagnosis? Just that the panicking and convincing yourself of the worst case scenario is not normal or healthy. But hey. You've ignored all the sensible advice so far.

I have also taken immodium, about 6 or 7 now and they aren't doing a thing.

People are telling me I definitely have nothing wrong with me and that I just have the shits without knowing my background. UC in its early stages comes and goes which explains the months respite.

I truly believe I didn't have a simple tummy bug back in October. It went on far too long with very severe symptoms. Yes, It went in stages such as the migraine, the stomach cramps followed by D but it was over 3 weeks. The obnoxious gas smell is exactly as it was then too. There is no point in deluding myself that this is just an infection lingering as I wouldn't have got better inbetween.

OP, why don't you go to the doctor, or have you made an appointment?

Regardless, you definitely seem to have some health anxiety so please reach out to your GP and talk about it; try to have a nice Christmas, enjoy it with your DD xx

You are deluding yourself. You are convincing yourself that you know what's wrong when you don't. And that many Imodium? Isn't that an overdose?

Erm I didn't say "you just have the shits" I said

How is a bowel condition almost certain! You've got the shits that's all you know for sure!?

You really need to put this into perspective

I mean 7 over 2 days but they are doing sod all. I just want to be ok for DD tomorrow not rushing to the loo all the time.
This may sound crazy but next year who knows what state I will be in physically. This Christmas needs to be good for DD. Guess I will just have to eat nothing as that's when the D is worse.

If I just had the shits I would be frustrated but I think what happened in October is linked to this. That's what terrifies me.

You're terrified because you have health anxiety.
You are crazy to assume that you will be debilitated rather than diagnosed and have the situation under control.
If you bothered to seek help for the health anxiety you'd know that.

all I have to look forward to is knowing that I have a lifechanging diagnosis ahead of me.

I understand that your mind/ mental health is poor. And that that isnt your fault.

But ffs get a fucking GRIP. You have a child to care for. Concentrate on that.

You're choosing to ignore that many PPs have told you that your bowel movements are likely to be related to your MH.

I've told you myself that I've had your symptoms and more and it's nothing! Literally.

Loads of people I know either can't shit or get the shits when stressed/anxious

Loperamide is designed to be taken as two tablets/capsules initially and then one after every loose bowel movement - if you've taken 7 in 2 days you're either a) taking them incorrectly or b) you don't have an inflammatory bowel disease. But whatever. Happy Christmas.

Surely an inflammatory disease would stop them working?

OP you have my sympathy for your worries but I strongly believe you DO NOT have either Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns - I have experience of both illness's.
My DH has UC and was diagnosed about 18 yrs ago and my DS was diagnosed with Crohns 2 yrs ago. With both "diagnoses" my family members were considerably ill and hospitalised. Both started with severe stomach cramps and doubled-over with 'take your breath away' pain, alongside other symptoms. My DH passed out at the GPs surgery with the pain. It doesnt start with 'milder' symptoms that build up then abate or get better, once it starts, it then gets worse and worse. There is no way you have either form of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) with NO pain.
Both my DH and my DS lead 'normal' lives and have their symptoms kept u deer control with medication. Once diagnosed and controlled with meds IBD will be in remission until a 'flare up' which may require steroids to get it back under control. You cannot have a flare up of something you have not being diagnosed with or are taking appropriate medication for.
You are exhibiting symptoms of IBS ( my DSis in law and brother have this) and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is made MUCH worse with worry and anxiety. IBS is not inflammation and can be controlled by diet and relaxation and medication.
Please seek help for your severe anxiety - this is undoubtably making your physical symptoms worse and this then increases your anxiety, making it a circle of suffering.

You need to get help for the anxiety
I have FOUR chronic conditions and live perfectly normally as well as a life altering spinal op. None of them affect anything in my day to day life, the world isn't ending, IF something is wrong then you get treatment and carry on as normal

An inflammatory bowel disease would not stop them working in many cases.
As with lots of conditions it's not about "cure' or 'treatment' but symptom control, and Loperamide is for just that.
It does only work if you take it properly.
If you have only had to take 7 in the last few days your symptoms are not that serious.

DH has UC and controls it, very successfully, with medication. He became incredibly ill very quickly, was referred immediately and now only occasionally gets a flare up which he controls with additional medication. You really wouldn't know about it unless he told you. I had similar symptoms and convinced myself I had exactly the same. No, work related, anxiety. The effect of stress on the digestive system cannot be underestimated!

All the immodium is doing is making me feel sick and giving me cramps. And it hasn't stopped the D.
That is reassuring Salsa. I have heard different accounts such as UC can start off mild and come and go but then have heard from others like yourself that it is not possible to get better and that it just progressively gets worse as soon as you first start experiencing symptoms. I have always had a delicate stomach but never had long bouts of D and hardly ever vomited before now. All the women in my family have weak stomachs. My own mother had a months stint of D but she didn't have the bleeding as well. Still, that was unusual as like me, she has never been one to have bowel issues and hasn't since.

That has reassured me a little Salsa, I did have a whole month of feeling
great after my first bout of all this. Hopefully that just isn't possible for inflammatory diseases.

As someone with UC you need to get a grip. If you do have it, it’s not the end of the world.
Also, a standard stool sample will have shown if you have inflammation as well as blood. This is the same for blood tests and is the first step in diagnosing. As for the tests you are speaking of. Yes they are pretty invasive but they aren’t all that bad. I have had several colonoscopies and endoscopies and I opted to have them all without sedative or pain killers as sitting in the recovery room for over an hour is honestly so boring for me. This means they can cut my recovery/observation time. The last one I had was a couple of weeks ago and I went Christmas shopping straight after. I had also had numerous biopsies taken. As someone who has been in severe pain with this, who recently bled like a period from my bottom for 15weeks constantly, I find your insistence that you are ill with this insulting and your paranoia pathetic. Even if you do have it, GET A GRIP AND GET ON WITH IT. There are people out there who are truly suffering, you are not.

One of my DC has UC and was admitted to hospital in agony. If you did by some chance have it then this time next year you will be a lot better as you will be controlling it with appropriate medication. In all likelihood though you won’t have it. Stress and anxiety can cause Irritable bowel. There are only a few foods that make DCs symptoms worse and as long as she steers clear of raw onions, apple skin, beans and aubergine eating makes no difference To her symptoms. My friend who has irritable bowel however finds eating most foods gives her the runs.

My stomach is fizzing so loudly and bubbling so much it is freaking me out, same with the rapid weight loss and D. If I didn't genuinely believe I had it, I wouldn't say I did. There is some reassurance knowing I wouldn't have got better the first time around but I do wonder what on earth is going on. Even if the stool and blood tests come back normal, I will still need to work out why I keep getting weird symptoms including prolonged bouts of D when I never before experienced that.

Op IF you do have crohns or uc you need to stop thinking your life is over. Of all the things you could have it isn’t the end of the world. My mum is 70 and has had severe crohns her whole life. She has had 4 major surgeries (which is unusual for people with crohns nowadays as treatment is so much better) and has only half her bowel. She takes steroids and has managed her condition for 20 years now herself at home with no medical intervention. She is active, volunteers, looks after my dc occasionally; is a very young and fit 70. Apart from the crohns her health is a good 20 years younger.

I have Addison’s disease, thyroid problems and a pituitary tumour. If I don’t take my daily steroids I will go into adrenal crisis and die. It’s very serious but you know what I want to live! I am 37 with two children, one with severe autism at special school and I get up everyday with him at 5.30, take my meds and soldier on because you know what, you have one life and you bloody well have to make the most of it.

Health anxiety is truly awful and I have moments of it myself made worse by actually having horrid medical problems but it’s a form of ocd and you need to stop negative thoughts. If you do have something they will find it and you will manage to live with it, I promise you.

Even if the stool and blood tests come back normal, I will still need to work out why I keep getting weird symptoms including prolonged bouts of D when I never before experienced that.

No - you wob’t - your healthcare professionals will