I have mentioned some of these items of Constipation, Diarrhea, in prior blogs, but figured everyone needs the down and Dirty of living with Multiple Sclerosis and dealing with issues.
First a quick YouTube video, made for kids and adults to watch, as animated of What goes on after you eat.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=_2HDeSNQbio
I have dealt with this Since before my official Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis.
Many People, even without Multiple Sclerosis deal with Constipation and Diarrhea, so this blog is for them also, and of any age this can occur.
My Mom told me a story of when I was a little baby. I had not gone poop for quite a few days. My mom's Mother, Grandma came to watch me for the evening, and said she knew how to make me have a bowel movement. When my parents came back, Grandma said I had a bowel movement, and did not explain how. She was a nurse in the military thru the wars. She passed away at last year. President Trump sent my mom a Thank you letter for Her mom's service.
Her two Daughters when growing up, we're made to have bowel movements daily, by her mom, regardless. This would be in the 1940's. I could only imagine what was available to make this happen. Enema s, cod liver oil, suppositories, and more.
A Story goes back to the 1800's, when poo paddles were made out of wood, and in the Midwest, that was common to have poo parties to clean out any blockage.
Nothing much has changed, except for research, and finding knowledge of what works or does not. Perhaps Gene related, or eating habits, or never having the knowledge of how often to poo, or what it should look like.
Poop scale from web MD
With my MS, at the beginning, I made a emergency contact With my Dr, as I had not gone poop in days, and days went by until I could see the Dr. He put me on Generlac, which I still need and use.
With Multiple Sclerosis, the Va gnus nerve can be damaged, which sends the signal of What should be happening thru the entire digestion, and when you should go.
Another issue is so many medicines can make you constipated, or have diarrhea, as a side effect. Many medicines for others without MS, also can cause this.
My mom, the issue of growing up, being made to go, caused he bowels to become lazy. There may be a Gene also passed down, that caused bowel problems.
With Multiple Sclerosis, the disease effects the nerve fibers, which your body is made up, that controls muscles. Think of the video. Swallowing takes certain muscles to move the food to the stomach. Swallowing issues are common with MS. I have this condition, and slow moving food.
Next comes the stomach, to digest the food.
Many people with MS, and without use protein pump inhibitors, like prilosec, antacids, to control gerd, due to medicines, or foods. I have been on these for almost a decade. Added was ranitidine to my daily medicine regimes to help. This one helped! Still on generic prilosec, as that helps.
Then comes the intestines. Another Muscle affected by Multiple Sclerosis. Many MS patients use metoclopromide. This medicine comes with dangerous side effects though. It causes the muscles to move the processed food along thru the intestines, contracting the muscles. This helps tremendously for me. Old folks home uses this drug, and a side effect is smacking of lips. More dangerous non reversible side effects can occur. I was taken off, and put back on this medicine, as the benefits outweigh the dangers.
Soft tissue damage can also occur when the poop becomes hard. This can happen anywhere along large or small intestine.
I have done a upper and lower colonoscopy. Where the Dr decides to snip pullups off, to biopsy for cancer, those areas can bleed. The ladies in quilting class today were talking about this subject. Quite interesting of their experiences. I was completely out under for mine, while others were awake during procedure. The gallon of liquid to clean you out is better than the pint of goop. Stay near a bathroom, and Don't fall asleep, or accidents will happen.
The upper, Dr uses a scope to take pictures of stomach, and opening as far down as he can in the large intestine, going thru the mouth and down throat. A problem area, if you already have swallowing issues, or slow movement. And could also create this problem.
The lower is done thru the butt, and up as far as they can go. This can cause lots of trapped gas, or they can Nick any area in upper or lower, which also causes problems.
Simethicone is used by me for trapped air. This air caused bloating and distentention, covered in a prior blog. But it breaks up bubbles. Not a complete solution. Now is metabolic syndrome going on.
I was led to believe I had ulcerative colitis going on for two years. I switched to a New GI Dr, at UC Davis. He undiagnosed me, along with my New GP who is a GO Dr. Symptoms did not match what was happening. I was On a mega dose of VSL#3 for those two years, which mimicked a study done for Multiple Sclerosis by UC San Francisco, as the gut plays a huge role.
About this time I had my first major hemorrhoid. A out tie, that I took a picture of, and sent to my Dr., As not sure if a ER visit to hospital was needed. Hemorrhoid cream was used for a month.
Because of chronic constipation, I was finally ab!e to see a new GI Dr, at UC Davis. This took six months to get in for appointment. In meantime, trying different fibers, and over counter natural remedies. A potty squatter, or chunk of wood to put your feet on to obtain right posture, a massage of small intestine from right side up and across to left side and down.
The new GI tried me On Trulance.
This drug caused many accidents to happen. Was not addressing the distention and bloating, or straining still needed. He had taken me off metoclopromide, but put me back on the medicine, when he found out it was helping. He Added polyethylene Glycol to my daily mix, also known as miralax.
Three months later I was a candidate for linzess. May not be the answer completely, but is helping, keeping consistency of poop as Soft serve ice cream to liquid. Once or twice in the mornings.
I can assume internal hemorrhoids, as bypass of poop. But a lot less straining.
My first GI, said follow up in ten years, but I will not go thru a upper or lower colonoscopy again.
There are other options now. A box, you mail a sample to lab to check for cancer. Won't show pictures though. There is a Camera Pill you can swallow, and it takes pictures thru whole digestive system. I may be a candidate for this trial, for any researchers reading, contact me.
One of the ladies, said she read about this. Camera got lost. It was actually stuck in Tumor she had growing, so her story is still going on with unknown outcome, read it online.
I find in my family history, bowel blockages, ruptured bowels, and more in past generations, so only assume thin soft walls, that need care, without major straining to go is needed. Any surgery is not permitted, as I would not heal. Especially from inside to outside. This is to gene listed below, type of blood, and any blood needed, my body would attack, and make more iron, causing phlebotomy. So no surgery. Other means need tried.
Google the term "poop in old days" For many remedies.
For those keeping up on blogs, jumping back and forth,
I stay slightly anemic currently after doing 17 phlebotomy to remove excess Iron from my blood since October 2018. My bone marrow makes new blood cells. New cells made every three months. Going on month #5 now. But still anemi.
My other siblings with problems of diverticulitis, after scope. Dr prescribed Ciprofloxacin (such a lot of side affects for that med) and. Metronidazole to treat infections.
My mom, major internal, and became septic, when bleeding inside, and needed a lot of blood and Hospital care.
This is Nothing to let go on.
My Iron in from build up since birth.
This is due to a inherited gene, one from my mom's side, one from my dad's side. Known as the HFE Gene, H63d/H63d that changed C to a G, causing a protien to never release iron. My Brother has exact copy, with Iron Overload, Thick blood, high hemoglobin, high hematocrit, high ferritin. Known as Hemochromatosis. This is On top of my Multiple Sclerosis, with overlapping symptom's. Fatigue never went away, so MS symptom.
I now have doctors shaking their heads, as Hemochromatosis , but anemic.u
The opportunity to meet with a old Dr from years ago over coffee was amazing. Keep track of your good Doctors. I just found out that my GO, is going on to learn more. He will be missed, but have me contact to stay in touch. That means alot, when a Doctor has interest enough in the patient to keep in touch as friends.
To understand, Hemochromatosis, as it does manifest with different genes, or may never know, this video is worth the watch to explain.
Watch this video,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=_2HDeSNQbio&app=desktop
IRON MEN Living With Hemochromatosis HD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=_2HDeSNQbio&app=desktop IRON MEN Living With Hemochromatosis HD
on how the genes, normal or modified like mine, passed down thru generations, into next generations
Thanks for reading.
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JoeY
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