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Do stool tests rule out IBD?


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I took some antibiotics(flucloaxillin) on May 5th, only 3 doses and have had a nightmare of a time with stress and what was clearly a complete destruction of good gut bacteria. The doctor handed them to me without ANY advice or warning and frustratingly I ended up getting my infection cleared with a very friendly external antibiotic gel. Im glad the infection cleared up as it was on my thumb but Ive suffered worse than I ever have and lost 11 pounds within 2 months. Im now in a weird place after a good weeks of bad bms* where Im back to my usual constipation but im still suffering loose stools. I have been to the doc TEN (yep ten) times explaining my concern and finally got myself some blood tests, h.pylori tests and a stool test which all came back clear today - I was worried this was an-antibiotic caused infection but if it was, would it show in the stool test?

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IBD encompasses a wide array of disorders. Your GI is either inflamed or it's not. Whether your stool sample comes up positive or negative for certain bacteria doesn't change that. If you've seen your doctor 10 times, then statistically speaking you should have accidentally asked the right questions by now. If you don't feel he's taking you or your condition seriously, I'd try to shop around. Prolonged changes in bowel behavior aren't to be taken lightly.

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Ordering stool tests (very broad term btw - more information about the specific tests would help) from a laboratory detect microorganisms in your stool that may or may not be pathogenic. Some tests are specific, such as H. Pylori, while others are more broad, for possible isolation and identification of other organisms. Hence the doctor can rule out infection or not. However, this does not account for any underlying autoimmune reactions or disorders, which may be acute or chronic. Depending on how long you've had this going on determines which kind it is. Chronic is usually at the 1 year or more mark. So this puts you into the acute category.

 

For the blood tests (also very vague term), I can't say much to such little information. My guess is they ordeded at least a CBC (complete blood count) or other metabolic tests. Doctors don't order "everything", in regards to laboratory tests. They are specific orders, so not knowing what they are makes it hard to say what exactly came back clear. Hence, it's hard to say if they properly ruled out infection or an immune response.

 

I assume this is an acute reaction from the antibiotics you took, which wiped out good gut/colon bacteria. Take probiotics and eat yogurt, preferably with live cultures. If this doesn't improve your situation after some time, there is a procedure to implant a stool "seed" culture into your colon to help introduce normal flora back into your system. Consult a gastroenterologist if you haven't already. They could measure your body's inflammatory response via other tests or means.

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No colonoscopy - I went through a milder version of this last year after a near car crash and it eased when I changed my diet and have pushed the docs to do a further explore HOWEVER, I was more or less fine until the day I took the meds hence why I know its something which started as SOON as I started. Tomorrow Im having a discussion with the doc who gave me the go ahead for those previous tests, he told me its most likely IBS if ive faced it before (I have TERRIBLE health anxiety and have to confess this entire thing has had me INSANE due to worry) . Just glad I have no infection as I was scared of taking another antibiotic which would mess with me - I asked for a colonoscopy in late May as I was literally eating and having everything go through me for days but one of the doctors said 3 doses of medication wouldnt cause something like C.diff and I guess he was right as it wouldve shown (I think)

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If they were looking for it then they would have found it.

 

I have IBS and it can be truly miserable . Stress and anxiety definitely add to the misery . Hopefully they find out what the issue is.

 

You cannot "look" for something if you don't know what it is. Sure, you can have an idea of a cause, but this is why doctors order laboratory tests, in order to rule out or confirm specific organisms. Based on symptoms, doctors order specific tests. For all they know it could be C. Diff, just for example, but if they didn't order the specific test detecting it then the results would come back "clear" for the other tests they did order. It is a crap shoot (pun intended) since symptoms can have overlapping similarities to other causes of illness. If your doctor misses ordering a test it might be, if they think it is unlikely or just didn't think of it, then it really is the patient's loss. I see doctors add on tests in the lab I work in all of the time because they think it might be something else, or ordered the same test again if they believe it wasn't detectable in the sample they sent yet. It could be IBS, but it could also still be an infection if it was missed. We can't be sure because we do not have all of the information here. I just hope you end up with a good doctor OP.

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Cheers for the insight guys - Im finding it hard to even explain to the docs these days my issues as I have slowly began to introduce foods into my diet again and have noticed things have calmed down .. buttt when I say calmed down Im constipated which for me feels very normal...basically not going for a day then the next going in "pieces" - its made me realise I probably have got some chronic condition as constipation on a regular basis is NOT normal. However, my diet before May 5th consisted of tomato curries with chilli, cumin, basil, garlic and couscous , pasta sauces and even jalapeno based meals and I was 100% fine. I had one d* attack in March after a Subway but thats the last time I had d* as opposed to c*. The doctor Im speaking to tomorrow was fantastic with me one week ago, he sat me down but did mention this stool test contained a broad spectrum of things and I swear he said IBD (hence my post...) ...Im finding that when I eat bread, pasta, rice and dry cookies Im normal but I dont wanna eat this cos its given me baad heartburn so for the past few days Ive included broccoli and sweetcorn and apart from the constipation I have zero spasms/twinges which put me on edge.

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Should also mention that despite the horrible stools I had for a good 6 weeks after taking the medicine, it turned into a game of waking up dreading the day due to the pain/cramps/urges -I went home to my parents two weeks ago and I was an absolute MESS ; the journey was a nightmare and I had a row as they believe its "all in my head" and this took the entire thing from a 6/10 to a 8/10 and one morning the anxiety got so bad that my stomach turned and I rushed to the bathroom - I discard any "OOHH ITS JUST STRESS" cos as I say these symptoms struck ONE night after taking just one dose of the antibiotics however, I believe my health anxiety/stress has peaked so beyond its usual state and intertwined with this "thing" ive been going through

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Are you getting professional help for your anxiety?

 

BTW: IBS will give you bouts of constipation followed by the "squirts" to put it bluntly.

 

my diet before May 5th consisted of tomato curries with chilli, cumin, basil, garlic and couscous , pasta sauces and even jalapeno based meals and I was 100% fine.
Until your weren't.

Any of that would give me the worst "D" you could imagine. You would do well to talk to a Nutritionist who will help you to learn how to eat healthy.

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It could be the antibiotics for sure. However, stress does affect IBS . At my old work being harassed every single day for the last two years gave me horrible diarrhoea almost every single day of those 2 years . When I started my own business at home it virtually stopped unless I’m stressed . At any stressful time in my life those symptoms become absolutely horrendous and I almost can’t leave my house unless I have about five Imodium’s that day .

 

However ,I would keep asking for a tests from your doctor . If this is not resolving keep going back or find a doctor who can help . I have found though at times very high-quality probiotics do help . Like 50 billion count variety that you find in the refrigerated section of a health food store .

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Two things.

I've had c.diff after a two courses of antibiotics and it was much like described. You didn't mention if you were tested specially for it. It's miserable.

 

Secondly, my mom suffered from IBS related to anxiety for most of her adult life. She'd be anxious that it would happen, the anxiety caused it and the wheel went round and around. It affected her quality of life. Antidepressants worked as long as she would take them. But she wouldn't take them consistently, if at all. There is a mind/body connection for alot of conditions. This one is highest on the list.

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I took some antibiotics(flucloaxillin) on May 5th, only 3 doses

 

Was 3 doses the full course of the prescription? Cutting an antibiotic cycle short breaks the chain needed to combat infection. It can temporarily halt or slow the growth without eliminating it entirely, which can actually strengthen the bacteria as it comes back.

 

I ended up getting my infection cleared with a very friendly external antibiotic gel. Im glad the infection cleared up as it was on my thumb but Ive suffered worse than I ever have and lost 11 pounds within 2 months.

 

That's great for your thumb, but if you have a systemic infection, you may have rendered it undetectable with the 3 doses, only to have it come back.

 

I have been to the doc TEN (yep ten) times explaining my concern and finally got myself some blood tests, h.pylori tests and a stool test which all came back clear today - I was worried this was an-antibiotic caused infection but if it was, would it show in the stool test?

 

Depends on what they're testing for. Ten visits to the same doc who hasn't addressed your concerns makes no sense. Ask for a referral to a GI specialist for proper diagnosis and treatment of your actual problem rather than tap-dancing 'around' it with a doc who keeps wasting your time.

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Yikes! Take better care of your health and your food intake.

my diet before May 5th consisted of tomato curries with chilli, cumin, basil, garlic and couscous , pasta sauces and even jalapeno based meals and I was 100% fine. I had one d* attack in March after a Subway
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Have you tried taking a probiotic supplement or even lactose free Activa Yogurt? I also have IBS and I've been so much better since adding the yogurt to my diet.

 

Whenever I have to take antibiotics I follow it with a really good quality probiotic... we have liquid ones here under the name Bio-K that do the trick well... I then follow it with a steady diet of fermented foods and veggies to keep them healthy and happy.

 

I have IBD so my BMs are always erratic and unpredictable but I do find that staying away from foods that commonly cause distress helps a lot... dairy, grains (especially wheat), legumes, nuts, and seeds are the worst.

 

I highly recommend getting a referral to a gastroenterologist so they can do all of the necessary scopes and things to see what you are working with.

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Unfortunately people with illness anxiety disorder often do more harm to their physical health because of the disorder. Doctor shopping, self treatment, noncompliance with treatment, google-diagnosing, catastrophizing, subjecting themselves to multiple tests, medications, etc. all make matters worse.

 

Ok Read up on that. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/illness-anxiety-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20373782

I have TERRIBLE health anxiety and have to confess this entire thing has had me INSANE due to worry
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Jalapeno: I ask again. Are you seeing a therapist to help you with your general anxiety? If you are not, I recommend you start therapy to help you to deal with that and I'm thinking that once you do, you'll not have half the 'symptoms' you're currently getting.

 

So: Are you in therapy to help you with your anxiety? Are you on any meds to help you with that?

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Jalapeno: I ask again. Are you seeing a therapist to help you with your general anxiety? If you are not, I recommend you start therapy to help you to deal with that and I'm thinking that once you do, you'll not have half the 'symptoms' you're currently getting.

 

So: Are you in therapy to help you with your anxiety? Are you on any meds to help you with that?

 

Sorry guys - really do appreciate the help, have read through all the comments and took advice(aaand some light offence ha!) and respect the honesty/suggestions in regards to my HA.

 

Spoke to my doc two days ago who said I will be put on medication/counselling list SO LONG as the last test comes back clear but first they told me to wait for the referral call for a GI doc. May be coincedence but since my symptoms have slowly calmed down this week I am a different person - have had mild cramps every morning followed by using the bathroom then am seemingly fine with all the things I ate previously before May. I struggled during 2015/16 and lost 22 pounds within 2 months after my ex got a stomach bug (I was so fearful of catching it as my exams were around the same time and I didnt wanna have to go through it..) and havent been back to my 44kg self since then (thank God). I've put on around 3 pounds this week and find that my heart rate, anxiety, stress are non-existent so long as I dont have d*. However, I go from up to down - woke with what felt like period cramps and immediately went into panic mode then managed to get through the morning by eating brunch even with the cramp and talked myself out of not eating all day.

Waiting for this GI doc letter to arrive on Monday but feeling 50% better than last week - more stool tests came back (he mentioned around 7 different things they tested on me) and they were all clear..my initial worry was c.diff so I'm gonna call and ask whether they did this specifically as I know it can flare up again at anypoint.

 

Cheers for the advice - I'm aware its all probably worsened and heightened by my HA but I gained around 10 pounds from September of last year until April so I know I can go back to non-panic me.

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Should also mention that I've had constipation more so than d* these past few weeks which weirdly make me feel back to normal. Doc said 99.9% I DEFINITELY have ibs (glad as my parents yelled at me a fortnight ago saying it was all just in my head and there was no such thing as IBS which flared me up 100x more as I wasnt allowed to be in pain..) . Realised that before this, constipation/hard stools was the "norm" for me, even about a day before I took the medication, i think the initial shock was never experiencing d* unless I had a bug or fever etc.

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