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Type 2 diabetic with major gut problems and my GP won't even see me

akindrat18 said:
I am still waiting for the hospital to get back to me with my blood test results from December concerning if I am positive for Coeliac Disease.
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2 months seems a long time to wait for a blood test result. Is there anyone you can phone to chase that up?
 
EllieM said:
2 months seems a long time to wait for a blood test result. Is there anyone you can phone to chase that up?
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No. When I was up the hospital on Thursday, the doctor showed me his computer and that the blood tests result had still not comeback.
 
Hi
Just try cutting out the cheese to start with.........

i suffer with bile acid malabsorption and my stomach really doesnt like highly acidic food and drinks and cheese has lots of acid in it and sometimes has an effect on my bowels.

If this helps just research highly acidic foods and drinks and see what happens.

This is harmless self help whilst you wait to see a specialist.

This is just an idea that has helped me over the years.

As a fellow stomach sufferer i wish you well.

Tony
 
akindrat18 said:
Well, I think I may have found one of my triggers for diarrhoea and abdominal pain. Currently sitting on the toilet after having a small portion of spaghetti bolognese.
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For a long time, I have suspected an issue for you with gluten, or even just wheat.

I know you are waiting for test results (edited to say I've just seen above), but it could be useful to trial no gluten. (Unfortunately, it's in more places than you'd think.)

My coeliac panel took about a week to come back, from memory.
 
akindrat18 said:
No. When I was up the hospital on Thursday, the doctor showed me his computer and that the blood tests result had still not comeback.
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It does not take two months to get coeliac results back - took all of a couple of days for mine, if the hospital havent got the results back they need to either chase it or assume the other one has been lost and just redo it
 
Two things struck me reading your comments akindrat18, firstly; I had black poop when I had bleeding peptic ulcers along with awful stomach pains. I was also throwing up blood spattered vomit (sorry to be so descriptive), but I am assuming the hospital will be all over that. It seems such an obvious possibility. I can also shout up about gluten intolerance too. I had been iffy with gluten for ages, but a few weeks ago it suddenly ramped way up and now I can't tolerate any gluten at all. Even a couple of regular bread crumbs will trigger me to cough until I vomit. Coughing, bloating, IBS, acid reflux, stomach ache, constipation, diarrhea and pooping 10-15 times a day are my gluten intolerance symptoms. I stopped ALL gluten in my diet and the symptoms have subsided about 90%. If I glutenize myself the effects are immediate, coughing, nausea and acid reflux, followed by bloating and two or three days of alternating constipation and diarrhea multiple times a day. You are in a good place (well the gluten thing at least) for testing for Coeliac disease (CD) because you are still eating gluten. They can test for the antibodies. I'm not because I will have to start eating gluten again. I'm currently waiting for results for the genetic biomarkers for CD. If they comeback positive I will make a decision to take it further and start eating gluten for several weeks to test for antibodies. It's a big decision because the outcome is till the same, cease ALL gluten in my diet.
 
I am feeling a bit better, but I am still on a high dosage of insulin with being on Novorapid (54, 48, 48) and Tresiba (98).

I went down to 3.7 at 3pm today after having 2 Bacon and Cheese Oatcakes this morning and a Wright's Meat & Potato pie. My blood sugars this morning were at 9.8 when I woke up at 7am and then 6.5 at 12:45pm.
My DN is a pain to get in touch (not seen in person since 2019) with as they are only available 9-3 Monday to Wednesday and Friday. I always have to leave a voicemail, explaining why I've called and wait for a call back, which my work is understanding when I need to take the call.
I don't think that I am intolerant to gluten as the night before I had 3 slices of pepperoni pizza and in the morning 2 slices of toast. It might have been the bolognese sauce, but I am keeping a diary of what I've ate and what my bowel movements have been like.
 
I am sure the hospital will tell you if you have coeliac disease. I'm not trying to push it, but there is such a thing as silent coeliac, meaning one can have CD but with little or no symptoms. Anyways, my fingers are crossed that they will get to the bottom of it for you, whatever they find.
 

@Akindrat, my symptoms if I have gluten are firstly a feel lethargic, like I've eaten a lot (whether I have or not), and often a headache, then over the next couple of days I feel bloated, then the bloat goes away, down the loo (sorry of that's too direct), so please don't think any symptoms need be immediate.
Gluten is often not an issue in the tummy, it's in the intesting, where eventually it can cause the little hair-like cells in your bowel to flatten and decrease your ability to take in some nutrients.

Some people develop polyps, and in some their polyps will bleed. Black stools are often a sign of bleeding in the bowel. As the blood and digestive juices mix, and begin the break down they go black.

So, to me, nothing you say counts it out.

Of course, nothing definitely cuts in in either, hence it is important to get those test results back, or if they're not coming back for any reason, have them rerun.
 
"I've tried getting an appointment with my GP and I did yesterday, only to be turned around and be told "you've been seen at the hospital and referred to a Gastro consultant, why you come?"

Ring again, when they say that ask who the consultant is and what their secretary's phone number is. If they don't know ask for the department's contact details.

EDIT: And those black tarry stools are clear indications of bleeding, probably in the stomach, small intestine, or right side of the colon. It's a symptom that should be investigated as a matter of urgency. I'm guessing you are under 60 - the 'poo sticks' test is offered every 2 years to people from 60 to 74. So I amend the above - ring and ask for an urgent appointment because of rectal bleeding.
 
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I did ring up at 8am to try and get an appointment with my doctor today, as I am now experiencing pain and cramping in my legs due to them swelling up.

After not being able to get through for 20 minutes, I finally got through and was waiting an extra 30 minutes only to be told to try again tomorrow morning.
 
Is there an out of hours or walk-in service where you live? Something needs to be happening here. Unexplained tarry stools are not to b e tolerated.

Whilst not likely you have something dire, it’s not a gamble I would be willing to take. I have too much life left to live, and being decades younger than me, you certainly do.

I am beyond trusting that inaction means nothing to worry about. It’s not always the case. Trust me.
 
There is, but they are shocking to wait around for as I went to them last month and all they did was to either send me to a&e or call my doctors the next day.

On the upside, I've had normal bowel movements over the past week, apart from when I had a small portion of spaghetti bolognese on Tuesday. I thought that would have another episode of diarrhoea last night after I had a curry with rice, chips and 1/4 naan bread. But to my surprise, I've had a normal bowel movement.
 
Still can't get an appointment at my new doctor's. All out of appointments today, so trying again tomorrow.
 
akindrat18 said:
Still can't get an appointment at my new doctor's. All out of appointments today, so trying again tomorrow.
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Can't you make an appointment for a few days time? My T2 92 yo dad always makes his appointments in advance,,,
 
EllieM said:
Can't you make an appointment for a few days time? My T2 92 yo dad always makes his appointments in advance,,,
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No, they keep saying to phone up at 8am for an appointment the same day. They have a online booking system, but no available appointments:

Your GP practice services
Sorry, your practice does not currently have any appointment slots that can be booked online.
 
Yes, my friend's GP surgery operates like this too.
Have you tried saying it's now urgent? This is what my friend was told to do (and her situation was less urgent than yours).
 
zand said:
Yes, my friend's GP surgery operates like this too.
Have you tried saying it's now urgent? This is what my friend was told to do (and her situation was less urgent than yours).
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I have done before and they would say to cal 111 or go A&E.
 
I phoned 111 a month or so ago. I knew I needed antivirals and couldn't get an appointment at my surgery. 111 made one with my GP for me. Less than 2 hours after my phone call to 111, I had seen the doctor and collected my tablets.
 
akindrat18 said:
... I had a curry with rice, chips and 1/4 naan bread. But to my surprise, I've had a normal bowel movement.
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I would also be surprised if I had a normal bowel movement after rice, chips & 1/4 naan!

Going back to the problem, most GPs have a few appointments blocked off for emergencies. I don't especially like telling my medical issues to the receptionist but I would if I had to to get an appointment. I'm lucky - I live a couple of minutes walk from my GP and have simply walked around at 8am when I've needed one of those.

But you have symptoms that would seriously worry me if I had them - black tarry stools, and pain and cramping in your legs due to them swelling up.

Are you on any medication other than the insulin?
 
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