Really Angry

I got home from an appointment with a gastroenterologist for my digestive system problems which has caused me pain, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, and many more symptoms of some type of abnormal bacterial infection to hear they don't have a clue what's wrong and don't believe the tests will find anything.

The best they can say is that my intestinal bacteria isn't normal. What I learned from this guy is that there is a difference between normally sick and medically sick, and in the absence of medical evidence, and when doctors and specialists can’t identify that something is medically wrong, the diagnosis is always, “blame the patient”, and make the patient think it’s their fault they’re sick and their problem to resolve and heal.

I have a Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO) test scheduled in two weeks, but only after I insisted on one because the specialist said he doesn't think the results are accurate. So what does indiciate a problem of abnormal intestinal bacteria?

Sorry, rhetorical question because the answer is there aren't any tests. They can only go by symptoms, and despite the typical cold- and flu-like symptoms common with abnormal bacteria, they don't have anything to confirm what you say.

In addition they won't prescribe specific anti-biotics for SIBO without positive test results, even though the drug is harmless against other, espeically good or normal, bacteria, even when the patient will accept the risk of the drug which has no known side effects.

All the appointment did was to confirm what I've always thought about gastroenterologists, if it's not something physically wrong with the intestinal tract or obvious from the symptoms, and the cause is viral or bacterial in nature, they're either clueless or don't care.

I won't say all of them, because I have one in Seattle, and only went to the local clinic if they wanted to run tests, such as a colonoscopy, which required preparation prior to the test and required the patient be driven and/or escorted to and from the clinic.

This way I don't have to stay 2-3 days overnight in Seattle before and after tests as I did the first two colonoscopies. But I'm going back to my PCP and that specialist after the SIBO test because the local one didn't want it and didn't want to schedule a followup appointment.

I'm sorry to feel angry, but it's nearly 10 years of different problems they continue to call it IBS, meaning "It beats the Shit" out of me (they don't know) or blame the patient, because to them we cause our own problems they can identify and heal.