Exhaustion, awaiting a potential IBD diagnosis - should I go back to GP?

[exhaustedd]

I have had a few episodes of rectal bleeding that last 1-3 days. I've been to the GP and had a full blood count and stool samples which showed 'borderline low' B12 and very high levels of inflammation in my stool. Everything else was normal. I've had an urgent referral for a colonoscopy and due to the high inflammation and being in my 20s, my GP suspects IBD

I have been feeling exhausted over the last few months. I've had a few bad viruses so I'm not sure if it's because of that. I sleep 8+ hours every night and still struggle to get up in the mornings. On weekends I sleep 10-12 hours. I've started taking 1 hour naps during my lunch hour on days when I'm working from home. I'm really struggling to concentrate on my work despite drinking several coffees and eating sugar to try and give me an energy boost. I can push myself when I'm out and about, but when I'm at home I do the bare minimum.

I'm not sure whether to go back to my GP, or just wait it out and see if it gets better?

Fellow ibd sufferer here. Are you also having diarrhoea? If do you must treat it with rehydration salts - don't underestimate how awful genuine clinical dehydration can make you feel.

I would also hassle your gp as much as you need to. Even / especially now.

There will be times the nhs really comes through for you and other times you need to make a noise to move things along.

Be specific about how you want the gp to help you while you await diagnosis and ask them to hurry the referral.

No, no diarrhoea.

I'm not sure what exactly to ask the GP to do, I'm thinking of asking for a fit note recommending that I work from home so I don't have to make my long commute into the office, but aside from that I'm not sure

I would also hassle your gp as much as you need to. Even / especially now.

Hassle your GP for what? What do you want them to do? They’ve made an urgent referral, it’s out of their hands now. They can sign you off work and offer pain relief and antispasmodics but not a lot else until you’ve been investigated.

Stop drinking lots of coffee and eating sugar. It’s not good for your gut. Coffeee is a stimulant and sugar feeds bacteria and stimulates gut motility.

Eat nutritious food that doesn’t aggravate your bowels. Try and get a little fresh air and exercise each day, even if only a short walk.

I also have IBD and exhaustion during a flare is awful. I’d supplement with B12 and vitamin D sprays. I buy Better You for both - at least 3000iu for vitamin D and see if it helps a bit.

If your primary bad symptom is exhaustion, I'd request they do whatever they can to help with that.

They will be limited until you have a diagnosis but if you're still losing blood then they might be able to arrange something like an iron infusion (iron supplements can be especially hard on the tummy for people with IBD).

How are your other symptoms? Pain, appetite etc? Are you losing weight? How many times a day are you going to the loo and is there urgency?

What is your diet like? Certain foods can aggravate IBD but these vary from individual to individual.

There is an emerging body of evidence to suggest that a plant based diet can alleviate symptoms, greatly for some people, but I would urge caution at making drastic dietary changes while you don't know what type of IBD you're looking at.

I do strongly advise you keep a symptom diary and you might like to include your meals in this so you can look for correlations.

The more information you can take to your doctor the better.

Definitely ask for adjustments at work while you're unwell. Try and ease off the coffee, you'll support your body better by prioritising rest, good food and water. Peppermint tea can help alleviate any wind and pain.

You probably already know but you shouldn't be taking ibuprofen at all as this can worse
bowel bleeding.