My colon and stomach issues?

[susanep]

Hello all,

I have been having severe gastro issues. I know at some point many of us have, but I think mine hit the max.

Due to a higher A1C reading, my doctor at the clinic put me on a Metformin ER 2/500 mg taken together once per day.

One dose is as far as I got to its end for me. By that night of the dose I started not feeling well. By the next morning I was nauseous with diarrhea. As time passed I couldn't even stand to sip water, and no food of any kind. Ended up not able to go to my son's for dinner and pre 4th activities.

My husband had to go and pick me up pedialyte and other drinks for the electrolytes.  I took sips on that, and took loperimide, and had a thing of phenergan my husband put on my wrist.

I went a couple of days with no food, and only sips of water/pedialyte etc.

Finally, back to eating, but very carefully, and drinking mostly water, and a bit of coffee.

I did finally remember that the doctor had prescribed a while back Bentyl for irritable bowel. I forget why I stopped taking it. I think it was due to it making me sleepy. Now it didn't matter if I became sleepy. I did start to cramp a bit this morning after I ate a small meal so I took the first Bentyl, and it caused the cramping to stop.

I am sure I know all the tests to know for sure what it is, but in the mean time I have myself on a calorie restricted diet to lose some weight again, and low carbs and low fat, with the Bentyl.

I am hoping that as I lose again that my blood sugars will go down as they did in the past.

I am also trying to do mild exercise as I can. Going with out excess food is much better than feeling the way I did after taking the Metformin. At one point, me and hubby both thought I was headed to the emergency room.

Have any of  you experienced it like this? Just when I thought I couldn't feel worse I did!

Thanks,
susanep

[gurs]

My mom just started the Bentyl..I tried it years ago, but found it made my mouth dry. I guess that's a side effect.
Stomachs are impossible to figure out....a lot has to do with what your eating. Im learning dairy is the worst for me, and
raw veggies too. Medications can also cause this...stress is my moms problem. I think she only takes the bentyl when her anxiety is really bad.

Hope you find some relief..stomachs are the worst!

Gursie

[Judie P]

Have you been checked out for gastroperisis?  It can happen with those that are Diabetic.  It means your digestive abilities slow down and the food stays longer in the system.  I see that you are taking Effexor, like me.  That and Vitamin D3 can cause some constipation.  Eating smaller amounts will do good, especially if it is staying longer in your system.  Some days, it takes me three days to digest something.  I even had that problem with a colonoscopy.  It took four hours for the first half gallon to work! 

[susanep]

I sure know that my husband who is severe diabetic type 2 has the gastroperisis.
I use to go between constipation and the other. For quite a while now it has been the diarrhea. I have even had some of the explosive kind where I barely had any signal of it and not quite made it to the bathroom before it happened.

I always dread the issues with the gastro stuff due to the kind of tests involved. I have had most of them at one time or another years ago, but it's been awhile now.

I am afraid now to have a colonoscopy due to how my mother almost died after the prep for one. I think she was probably badly dehydrated, and I also believe she had lupus and it was never confirmed. She ended up in the hospital Christmas Day before she died in March of the next year. (2012) When she was in the hospital the doctor said she was a very sick woman and it was her gastro system.

susanep

[Judie P]

Your husband sounds like my sister.  She has severe Diabetes Type 2 and constantly has diarrhea.  I am no doctor, I just thought I would give your gastro problems a try.  I have been dealing with them with my Primary SJS.  Sometimes it is good to vent to those that understand us.  I hope things get better soon.  Hugs.

[irish]

Did you call the doctor and let him know what is going on. You probably need to do that as it sounds like you need better coverage for your blood sugars. And yes, the irritable bowel issue does respond to the Bentyl, but it is possible that you have some gastroparesis plus diabetes can cause a neuropathy in the colon also. I would guess that it is time to see a gastroenterologist to have more testing done so that you can get appropriate treatment.

It is really hard on the blood sugars going through what you had to endure. Hope you are feeling better. Good luck and keep us posted. Irish

[susanep]

Thank you Judy P and Irish. I will have to find a gastro guy. I already see so many Drs. but I know that is nothing new with all of us.

I wonder what test is done to confirm or lead to the diagnosis of gastroperesis?

My Dr. at the clinic called me in Glyburide to replace the extended Metformin. I think with it from what I read I will have to watch the blood sugars going too low.
Hopefully, it will work out. 

How are you doing Irish?

susanep

[susanep]

Judie P I do agree with you that it is nice to be able to share in the things we go through. It helps to feel someone else can understand. Thank you so much for your very helpful and nice comment. 

susanep

[Deb 27]

Susan, how high was your A1c? Do you check your blood sugars at home with a glucometer? Metformin, as you probably learned can cause bad stomach upsets for some people. Maybe another med will work for you.
Make sure to take the glyburide before meals and eat some carbs. Januvia is a medication that isn't quite as strong as glyburide but it depends on your insurance and possibly blood sugars as to what your Dr. orders. If your A1c was pretty high, she may have ordered the glyburide. Keep checking your blood sugar at home. Keep some glucose tablets with you in case you do go low, or have 1/2 a glass of regular juice or sprite.
Sorry you had such a bad reaction and hope you are much better now. Take care of yourself.

[susanep]

My A1C was 9.2

susanep

[angeldancer]

The Bentyl helped me a lot this last visit to the doctor.  I wish he had given me a prescription for some for home.  Try to find a GI specialist that will listen and not just send you home.  After being referred to a GI specialist when leaving the hospital he told me I was fine and just go home.  Needless to say I went home still in the same pain.  Yes.  I think I have been out almost 3 weeks and still in a lot of pain.  I must go back to the Primary and ask them to ask the insurance to send me for a second opinion because i am still ill and the other doctor said I was fine.  All this said be very attentive to the doctor listening to what you are going through and his willingness to find out the problem.

Angeldancer

[jazzlover]

My guess is that it's the Metformin. A friend of mine was on it and it tore up her stomach. She changed her diet and is no longer on meds for diabetes.

I think she's taking berberine.

[irish]

The metformin is hard on the gut. I only take 2 a day of the 500mgm but I generally have nausea in the evening from the second dose. Hopefully your gut will settle down and you will do well with the addition of the other med and the same dose of metformin you were on if I got that correctly.

I hope you can get that  A1C down below 7 and that will help you feel better in general. Good luck. Irish

[susanep]

Yes, after I got that Metformin out of my system I am doing better. I do have to work on that high A1C though. I am trying my best to eat healthy. Need to go get a bunch of veggies.

susanep

[irish]

Susan, I relate to the food thingy with the diabetes. Since I have been on the pulse IV steroids my blood sugars are running higher and they are very sensitive and go up easy and fast. I am going to have to get more meds or some regular insulin to help with these darn sugars. Hard to eat sugar free and low carb. Also, hard to eat any sort of a diet when a person has food aversions. I would bet that you have a hard to please appetite also. Disease and meds do a job on our appetite. Good luck. Irish