# Blood tests...



## jasper65 (Jan 21, 2002)

Please could someone tell me if blood tests are a good ponter to showing if there are any more seriouse conditions going on in your system apart from IBS....The reason I am asking is for the last 3 months I have sufferd with nausea as well as my IBS, I have never sufferd with nausea like this before over such a prolonged period.....Its difficult not to imagine there is something far more sinister going on even though my doctor has assured me that after my last blood tests there can't be, I was tested for <FULL BLOOD COUNT AND THYROID> Both these tests came back ok!! could anyone tell me if these are conclusive to show there is nothing to seriouse to worry about???Many Thanks


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## Jupiter119 (Aug 8, 2001)

Blood tests can show inflammation in the body but I have UC & all my blood tests are normal (I get tested regularly due to the asacol I take). Bleeding when you use the toilet can often be a warning sign that there's something else wrong with you...I certainly had lots of this & that's how I managed to get a quickish diagnosis.


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## jasper65 (Jan 21, 2002)

I have had blood in my stools and on the toilet paper, but it has been very infrequent sometimes only once in about a month!! I have always put it down to piles which I have sufferd from for years.....The doc has never been very concerned when I have mentioned this to him.....


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## Jupiter119 (Aug 8, 2001)

I wouldn't worry unless there's lots of blood. Honestly, I was going to the toilet up to 12 times a day passing only blood before my diagnosis. Am sure you're fine but if you're at-all worried then hassle the doctor for a thorough check up. From what I've read on the boards here, nausea does accompany IBS. You could try ginger capsules or tea for this.


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## ibssean (Jul 9, 2001)

Hi JasperI am no doctor but I think the gold standard tests for intestinal problems are colonoscopy, gatstroscopy (both with biospsy), and small bowel enma...at rleast that's what my GI doc had told me.I just go a lot most days, often loose, I had a tiny bit of blood once, lost a couple of pounds and have trouble putting on weight. Also have a bit of naseau on occasion. My GP was pretty convinced it is ISB, but she gladdy made a refereal to a GI doc for me due to my constant complaining. Based on my symptom set the GI doc was pretty adement about getting all the tests done so we know for sure.I don't think the blodd test are all that conclusive, but if they should something they can point the doctor in the right direction. I would think it would be premature to dismiss someone's bowel trouble purely on negative blood work...but then again I am not a doctor. Most people on this board have to go through a series of stool sample, blood work, xrays, enemas, and scope adn I would speak with a GI doc about these things.I the GP will do all the easy tests for the obvious stuff, but a lot of IBS symptoms can be symptoms of other more sinister problem and these should be fully eliminated as the casue of your problems first.I think it would be prudent to report blood in the stool to your doc and let him/her determine it is piles.


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## jasper65 (Jan 21, 2002)

Hello jupiter119 and ibssean...2 years ago I went through a multitude of tests <colonscopy, endoscopy, barium enema, ultasound skan, chest x-ray> and I even paid privately for a upper body cat skan because I still could'nt beleive that all this pain I was in was due to IBS....Even though it was 2 years ago my doctor still seems reluctant to do any further tests, I think he thinks its a waste of time because of all the tests I went through before, Do you think I still have something to worry about now its 2 years on from my last tests??I do find myself going through all the same feelings of deppresion and the thought there is something seriously wrong me again, I'm trying desperatly not to go down the same path as I did 2 years ago <No one could convince me other wise last time> but I can feel these same old feelings coming back again, Each day I sit and ponder that I might have somthing seriously wrong....Thankyou both for getting back to me!!!


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## Jupiter119 (Aug 8, 2001)

Hi againHi again Jasper65I really wouldn't worry.I had a colonoscopy on Tuesday & something has irritated my colitis (probably the scope going over the inflamed area). Last night I was back to passing loads of blood again (this hasn't happened since before diagnosis) & the GP is sure it's related to the examination. Honestly, if your blood loss is minimal I'd not be too worried. I know it's easy for me to say this. If you're really concerned you have to hassle the doctor. For example, before the colitis diagnosis I really pushed to get a rushed appointment woth a GI consultant.If my current situation continues I'm going to give them grief on Monday!


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## ibssean (Jul 9, 2001)

Hey JasperIf you have been through the tests then a bit a blood is probably nothing to worry about. I am just in the midst of getting the tests done for the first time and if nothing is found and it is IBS then I hope this will go a long way towards calming the worry, depression etc that comes with not knowing. I certainly know what you mean but just not beieving IBS alone could make you feel so lousy. That is exactly why I am having all the tests done even though my GP thinks it is IBS, and many of my symptoms point to it being just that. My problem is I have a bit of unexplained weight loss and I an thin to begin with and I did notice a small amount a blood once after a night of drinking draft beer....never ever do that again, and that was enough for the GI doc to send me for all the tests.I wouldn't let any blood in the stool go unexplained and your GP should be able to at least check for a small fissue, hemmroids, and occult blood without having to go through all the tests. If you have been fully checked out then it is probably something minor, but I would want a doctor to explain it to me. Wait a second, I somehow got it in my head that you had blood in your stool and you haven't even mentioned it? Sorry my last babble was useless.If you are just having similiar symptoms from two years ago and you had all the tests. I wouldn't worry unless there is blood in the stool, weight lose...all the fire alarm symptoms for the other diseases.As I said I am in the same boat as you with all this mental anquish that I am hoping will subside after I know for sure that it is not something more sinister. The one thing I have learned is that there is certainly a mental component to this IBS things and the "I must have cnacer" mindset can really take hold of a person. Really all you can do is trust your doctor (or find one that you do trust), educate yourself on it (this borad has been great for me), and try not to focus on the one person out of thousand who was dignosed with IBS for years before they found IBD, but that IBS is a real problem that affects a lot of people in quite a variety of ways....but that there is nothing in this that is going to kill you if it goes untreated.


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## jasper65 (Jan 21, 2002)

Thanks again to you both for your posts! I am just like you ibssean with the weight loss, When I was on the anti-deps my weight ballooned to nearly 2 stone more than I have ever been, I have only been off them for about a week and my weight is now plummeting again from 12 stone 12 to 12 stone 6 in next to no time....This was the main thing that frightend me last time was the amount of weight I lost in a fairly short time, I do now beleive that anxiety and deppresion can strip weight off you even when you are eating well, My weight fluctuates terrible its up and down like a yo yo.....I tend to get myself in such a state of nerves I get night sweats, trembling through out my body, And general anxiety attacks, I don't know if either of you suffer from any of the above but this might be something to do with your weight loss, The problem is IBS is not associated with weight loss so this gets my alarm bells ringing straight away, But I think severe IBS disturbs so many of your body functions sometimes stopping us from absorbing vital vitamins from our food it would be impossible not to lose weight....Thanks again for you both getting back to me, I just wish my doctor would do some more tests just to relax my mind a bit.....All The Best


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## K9Mom (Sep 20, 1999)

Sorry for butting in here...I don't mean to disturb anyone, but when I saw that you had already had your thyroid tested and it came back "fine"...did you get a copy of the lab report and see for yourself where your blood tested within the range? I moderate a thyroid bb on Jeffrey's other site (Mediboard) and we have people there who were told they tested fine when in fact they were testing hyperthyroid, it's just that some doctors are not familiar enough with thyroid tests to read them correctly. Each lab is a little different, but at my lab they list the "reference range" right on the lab report and you can see for yourself if you are right in the middle of it or leaning high or low. Unexplained weight loss is a typical sign of hyperthyroidism....and there is such a thing as subclinical hyperthyroidism where you can be symptomatic, yet testing within the reference range. Pardon my intrusion, just wanted to add that bit of info.


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## jasper65 (Jan 21, 2002)

Thankyou K9mom for your reply!!I will speak to my doc as soon as possible about being Hyperthoid to see if he can be sure this is not the case....The one thing I am slightly worried about is on my <ESR BLOOD TEST> it was slightly high at 29 but my doctor told me there is nothing to worry about, But to be honest I am worried!! But do you think I should be even though my GI has told me otherwise??And please could you tell me if 29 is very high?? because the way I have read it on the net is Normal <ESR> on a 36 year old male should be 15....Thanks Again


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## K9Mom (Sep 20, 1999)

Hi Tony,I have no idea what the ESR blood test is for. Typically a thyroid screening test is TSH. Good luck to you. I know it's frustrating trying to nail down a diagnosis.


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