Very Interesting - Gastro Problems and Multiple Sclerosis - Update from Appointment

I want to thank everyone with your concern about my appointment yesterday. I went to the Specialist for the intestinal problems. He does agree that it is the Multiple Sclerosis causing the problems.

He explained it to me.. So I will pass this on to you.
Multiple Sclerosis affects the nervous system (that is all your nerves and how they work or in my case don't work). He said that the intestinal tract is run by many nerves. If the nerves are compromised they will not allow the intestines to work causing constipation or if they are being caused to overwork then you end up with diarrhea.

He said that he is going to start with a test on my small intestine. I go for that tomorrow. The down side is that I had to stop the Magnesium and now my stomach is SUPER bloated. I go for the test at 7:45 tomorrow morning. and then I can start the magnesium except my husband planned a bonfire for tomorrow so I might be in a little bit of trouble. Anyways is that test comes back ok. Then I need to have the wonderful Colonoscopy. He said he would do upper and lower. Reason for this is to see the colon but the upper is to see if the systemic yeast infection is completely gone.

He also explained about the yeast infection and it made much more sense then what the other Doctors said. He explained that obviously we MS'ers have a compromised immune system. The medications we take are immune suppressors and then to add the intestinal problems along with the flare up since January, that also has made my immune system even weaker and slower to respond to fixing what needs to be fixed. So to him it makes a lot of sense how the yeast infection would have happened. He also explained that anytime someone takes steroids that this type of infection can happen MS or Not. So keep that in mind when you have steroid treatments. I have not had steroid treatments since last October and I had a yeast infection immediately following in my mouth that my normal Doctors tried treating but the meds did not help. So this yeast infection has been there since last October. By doing the upper scoping he will be able to tell if the meds I took a few weeks ago was able to kill it all or just make it appear to have disappeared. If it is still there he said I could do one more treatment and that would be enough to kill the rest of it. The only way to know for sure is to do the scoping so he said he would do it all together.

He explained that if the colon is fine and if it is the MS doing this intestinal shut down, that I do have some other options other that feeding tube and the flushing tube. He said it would require surgery but would allow me to have a normal functioning intestines. By cutting out part of the small or large intestine depending on which one is being affected from the MS but leaving enough of the small/large intestine in tact would lessen the amount of intestines that food would have to flow through and still be able to have normal function without having to worry about a bag or tubes. As odd as it seems. I would rather have that surgery then have a tube or two in me and finally be able to have some normalcy in my life.

Now if they actually find something wrong with my intestines through all this testing then all this will change and we or I will have to deal with that and the options I have at that time. For now I am going to have faith in him and believe that most likely it is the MS and believe there is going to be a solution. If not I will deal with that then.

So tomorrow starts the testings and because I haven't been able to take the Magnesium capsules I am very uncomfortable and sick feeling. I will be glad when this test is over. When I come home I will hurry up and start those again and hopefully within a week of being back on those things will be back under control. For those of you wondering.. If the Magnesium capsules work... Why not just keep taking those? The answer is that the doctor said that the quantity of MG I am having to take every night just to have normal functioning is the same as drinking 1-2 bottles of Magnesium Citrate and that is ok for a temporary fix but not healthy to keep doing that long term. I will note that I was not having to take my baclofen barely at all for muscle spasms so ther is truth to what I have been talking about and what they claim about Magnesium. A normal amout is 250mg and if you keep that in mind I have been taking between 750-1500 mg a night.

I will keep you all posted on how this all goes and what more I learn as I go through this process.