I'm a gastroenterologist. Ask me anything.
Some frequently asked...
I made 480k last year.
Constipation - light aerobic exercise, a lot of water, and enough fiber is all you need.
The bit of blood coming out is more than likely a fissure and will heal in several weeks as long as you have soft stool, and a nitroglycerine ointment and warm water daily would help.
Why would anyone even think of putting nitroglycerine up their ass?
are you actually a gastro? because I have a lot of problems
The ointment we use in medicine is a dilution of the explosive, yes. It relaxes the blood vessels and allow fissures to heal faster than they would otherwise. It is funny to think we put what is normally an explosive onto your anus.
I am and I may be able to help.
so I have really bad IBS. Like pretty much anything I eat will cause an extreme amount of gas just continually building up. If I were to eat something grainy or fiber rich, I'd be up literally all night long just passing gas virtually without end. I don't have any diarrhea problems. Now what's worse is that out of nowhere I got hit really hard with GERD and the medication for it really fucks with my IBS. I've stumped a bunch of doctors and my life is really depressing. Any ideas? Do poop transplants actually work?
Hello gastro, one of your kind saved my life. Several, actually. I had UC but eventually got my colon taken out. Now i have a J-pouch and shit 6-8 times today. Apparently it is still in perfect condition, which is nice.
Normies arent always accommodating to my condition, which is unfortunate. The only real bad part is that I feel like I absolutely have to get a desk job career where I will always have access to the bathroom whenever I want. If I move around a lot, that makes me have to shit. That limits some of the more fun jobs :(
Any advice for studying for boards and applying to residency programs? How did you manage your time between rotations and going to interviews?
Hello. How do I deal with my irritable bowel syndrome. I have to go to the bathroom at least thrice a day. It really sucks. :(
Hi gastro user, what is it about alchohol (besides sulfur build up with beer) that makes my tum tum revolt at night, especially the intestines?
Also what are some natural ways you recommend I detox my liver and how long? How often? How long until it is fucked?
It may be the case that you develop IBD.
Combining IBS and GERD, if you also consume a lot of dairy, sugar, it is possible that you will develope Crohn's. This seems to be a typical path. Funnily enough, if you had IBD we could actually treat you. Having GERD, we would just give you a PPI such as pantoprazole, and IBS we can only tell you to watch what aggravates it(probably a high residue diet) and stay away from it. I may come back to this question.
It is good that the j-pouch is working for you but it is possible that you will end up wanting or needing an illeostomy anyway. You can still develop pouchitis, a high chance within the first decade. I don't like the j-pouch at all.
Why does it take 8+ wipes to get my asshole "clean"? It used to take under 4. Is this an age thing (currently 25)?
user every time I take a shit it smells so fucking bad. it stinks up the entire room and I don't know how to stop it.
A few years ago, it didn't smell that bad but recently it is horrible. every now and again the smell is bearable, but 9 times out of 10 it is just the worst thing ever. is it diet related? I don't know. help user.
>if you also consume a lot of dairy, sugar
nope, I eat the same plain shit everyday. I kind of just want a nissen done because as I said before, PPIs and the other stuff, I think H2 blockers(?), are just the same to my IBS as would be a pizza or something. There's something really wrong with me. And I dont have IBD. Does FMT actually work though, I feel like it's my only hope.
Completed psychology undergrad here.
Stop being anxious and overtightening your sphincter on a daily basis. Do meditation and focus on loosening bit by bit. Maybe you'll stop your colon from eating itself inside out.
The first was for
You probably have ulcers in your stomach and small intestine. Liver damage is reversible only in the early stage. If you have cirhossis, it isn't reversible.
Probably oily stools causes by fat malabsorption
Whenever i'm extremelly anxious/angry/stressed i get this pain in my gut, it's very painful and annoying, but it's not constant, most of the time it doesn't hurt and it just feels like having a 10lb bar resting on my guts, however, if i eat something in that state, i get a sharp pain in my guts and i have to rush to the toilet.
Is there something i can do to avoid this in the future or treat it when it happens again?
Up until now the only things that have helped me get rid of it has been fighting or drinking a fuckton with my friends. But i feel that there HAS to be something better to do in those cases.
Not 100% your area but
My left kidney been hurting like shit for a past month. Piss is normal though
Also left knee hurts and i am thirsty as shit in the mornings
No fever
Am i dying doc?
I woke up in the middle of the night last night with the world spinning and feeling like I was going to vomit.
It didn't go away until I got up and drank 500ml of water.
Was I dehydrated?
I also ended up taking 3 shits after waking up.
I have been taking Metamucil (Pysillum husk?) and I wonder if I took too much and not enough water?
Also.
Im about 16-18% bodyfat, I lift weights 6 days a week, I didn't have a sore stomach or any pains, it was all just my head spinning.
I'm 31 and never had anything like that happen to me before.
Stress can promote flaring in IBD and it is possible that stress can also promote IBS. Drinking is not good for the GI system at all. Maybe if I was a rheumatologist, I would recommend light alcohol consumption to keep RA away but for the digestive system, it is terrible.
I recommend you stop taking that. You may have experienced anaphylaxis.
No liver damage yet, I only recently started drinking but I do it a lot. Ulcers? I read up on it, what do you suggest I do?
I should also mention, this is a recent development within the past month
This is incredible! I'm a university student, and I have Crohn's disease. I want to study the GI tract so I can help others just like me. People like you make me wish I was like you. I aspire to go into medical school. The only problem is, my study habits are terrible, and I risk getting bad grades off the bat.
Got any advice for someone wanted to go into your field along with studying?
How can I be sure it's a fissure and not something more dangerous?
My stools are soft and normal but a month ago they were very hard and I needed to take stool softeners. They worked but I occasionally still see a little bit of bright red blood and feel a slight sort of "sting" after I shit, but nothing really major and it stops quickly. I'm guessing it's a fissure or hemorrhoid but I just want to rule it out.
So my only option is fighting if don't want to make my shit worse?
Alright, thanks doc.
Are you fascinated with anal sex?
>I recommend you stop taking that. You may have experienced anaphylaxis.
Are you sure about that? I have been taking metamucil for 2 months or so now with no problem so far.
I had 2 serves of it, 1 morning, and 1 afternoon, the dizzy/nauseous episode happened at like 4AM while I was in bed.
Isn't Anaphalyxis something that happens fast, like within an hour of taking something?
how does the itis (food fatigue) work? would it be beneficial to sleep right after a whopping meal? also why is my pee pee dark yellow
haha fuckin fart doctor
This, how do you be a good student to get into and through med school?
Any tips for living with a meckel's diverticulum
I'm fucking tired of shitting out black blood whenever I overexert myself
good 1 desu senpai a lam
Why do i always get a painful, lengthy case of the shits after eating buffalo wings and a tub of blue cheese?
>anxious and overtightening your sphincter
does that actually affect the stool smell? I don't see how overtightening would affect it exactly. I can see the shape or consistency being affected but not the smell.
>fat malabsorption
is there any way to know for sure? what can I do (or eat) to stop this from happening?
stop drinking. You are asking me, a GI. If you are so concerned, you won't drink alcohol. You just have to weigh how badly you want to drink alcohol to how badly you don't want abdominal pain. If I knew more a out you, and was not typing all of this from my phone,I would have a better answer for you. This is me off of work basically.
It isn't IBD. It sounds like a fissure to me.
I mad my education my full time job. I read ahead and used lectures just as another run through of my notes that tin already took and simply me mentally highlighted what the professor would emphasize, so I knew what was most important to understand for good grades in the class. Medical school is 16 hours every day. Residency is 16 hours every day. I went into it because of my crohns as well. You need to study well I'm medical school, and the IM residency is not competitive. GI fellowship is certainly competitive though and I had my doubts that I would have it.
It is a shot in the dark off the top of my head. I know that people have anaphylaxis from metamucil but maybe you were just dehydrated from too much fiber. You need to give everything time to absorb.
Any ideas what a constant discomfort inside my left rib cage could be? Sometimes I get sharp stabbing pains (not debilitating, more an annoyance), but most of the time I feel like there's something about the size of my fist in there.
My stools are often very loose, but not liquid or watery. Like number 5 on the Bristol stool chart.
I know the stomach, spleen, pancreas and kidney are on the left side. I need to see a real doctor. :/ I'm afraid it might be pancreatitis, but I hope it's just a stomach/digestive issue. pls help
thank you for the advice, I will take it to heart.
Yo I have a anatomy test on the digestive system coming up how do i not fail and get a a
Do you have a high fat diet? If so then you only have to eat less fat. Do you eat chocolate and potato chips and cheese all day? That's all it is. I highly doubt you have a serious issue which I won't even go into to scare you because the alternative causes are scary.
What state do you practice? Can we come to you?
i got a cold and my stomach started hurting after and has not gone away. did the virus or whatever damage my stomacH?
I have porphyria. The pain is pretty bad. It's pretty fucking bad.
I've been considering a celiac plexus block. How risky is it? What are the downsides?
I can't keep taking medication all the time, I won't be able to work. It's been getting worse and worse.
How can i prevent myself from farting around normies without causing myself pain?? Im slim, have a shitty diet which isnt going to change, and coffee and anxiety make it worse
no
Cheese is very fatty and eating a tub of it will make your digestive system want to kill you.
See a surgeon. You shoud have the procedure if it is causing bleeding.
>no
Why won't no one help me man
If you won't change your diet, I don't care about your problem. Take gas x to relieve pain from gas, but you will still have to pass this gas thanks your diet.
not enough information but probably
why do you specifically want OPs help
thanks doc. my cousin told me bacteria cause ulcers but he's a paramedic so I wasn't sure
H. Pylori. The guy who proved that bacteria caused ulcers won the noble prize because the way he proved it was by drinking the bacteria himself, getting an ulcer, and then curing it with antibiotics.
My brother uses the bathroom at least 5 times a day and usually has loud diarrhea that lasts around 45 min to an hour. The bathroom is right next to my bedroom so I hear the fan on most of the day. What is the cause of his black bean soup factory?
If I'm an average DO student, should I apply to a lot of IM programs? I know they're non-competitive, but I'm looking at the east coast mostly
I eat fast food once or twice a week, maybe even 3 times on occasion. I will get a couple mcdonalds hamburgers or taco bell burritos, but besides this I mostly eat pretty healthy (and I'm in alright physical shape). Not too much meat, decent amount of fruit and vegetables, lots of grains, eggs, yogurt, I just grab the fast food if I'm out and want something quick. Will this fuck my digestive system up even in relatively small amounts?
>See a surgeon
I did. They spitroasted me with an endoscopy and colonoscopy to find my bleeding intestine hole and then just told me to lay off the spicy food.
Cheese addict here. Can i put on a diaper (i have a fetish lol) to try and get some sleep or will the poop be extra spicy against my skin compared to normal poop
My 6 yr old has acid reflux I think. Ice cream pudding popsicles too much sugar in general can make him spit up. Is there any way to treat besides avoiding foods and Zantac? I don't want him to take Zantac longterm.
pls help doc
I am sorry that I am answering slowly
sugar doesn't cause gerd. It is something else.
That is hard to answer. Red meat from your hamburgers is bad for you, we know that it increases risk of colorectal cancer significantly. The sodas or whatever you drink with it is terrible for your liver and aggravates your entire digestive system thanks to the caffeine. The added preservatives or whatever else they add to fast food is definitely a concern.
-not to mention all if the fat and sodium in seemingly all fast food.
This sounds wrong.there must be a miscommunication. If the diverticulum is causing bleeding, surgery is the appropriate solution.
I need more information to have any idea. I have no confidence in my answers otherwise
Honestly can't remember if it was a diverticulum or just a regular ulcer
Recently though it's died down somewhat but a year or so back I would get coffee ground stool on a monthly basis and my hematocrit was pretty awful
They just gave me omeprazoles afterwards and it's not as bad anymore. it only flares up when I don't eat for extended periods of time/overexert myself.
I have been taking laxatives every day for two years, a complete inability to poop without them. It's like I feel it and push but my ass seals them in..
The discomfort of stomach distention after eating or drinking any amount is so bad I can't even try a fiber cereal diet because I'll just take a laxative. Also I go to the gym and do cardio 3x a week and drink water religiously. What do?
>soda
Funny thing is I hardly drink soda. I mostly drink water, occasionally I might drink a little soda but I never do daily. I don't drink soda with fast food, I just get a burger or two once or twice a week. It's probably not good for you I imagine, but can it be consumed in moderation or if you watch your sodium/fat intake otherwise? I only eat it out of convenience since I go to school and work for long hours.
Maybe you're the wrong guy to ask but I've had hemorrhoids for years. I know it's hemorrhoids because my ass hurts for 2 days after I take a dump. My stool doesn't seem hard and comes out easily. It doesn't matter what size it is. The actual passing of poop doesnt hurt, but give or take 2~3 hours and the pain comes in
You have laxative gut and it is causing ileus. Your colon is worn out basically and you can't poop anymore via peristalsis.
In the past I used to get a fever nearly every time I took a dump. It would only last 6 hours or so though. Why?
In any slightly anxious situation I get an extremely intense uncomfortable feeling in my stomach that's like that falling sensation but that sensation on steroids. Often I will poop right after to the point where it's just small bits of under digested squishy poops. Why does this happen to me?
after I drink milk or onions milk or boba or anything like that I get an upset stomach
this never used to happen
do you know why? I am guessing it has something to do with lactose
I can't say it is, no.
I am What other information should I give?
I used to drink heavily, but I haven't in a while. These symptoms only started recently, while not drinking, but I'm sure the drinking in the past could have played a part. I eat pretty well otherwise, no soda ever, rarely ever eat fast food, I'm normal weight.
I've had my gallbladder removed
Can this be fixed? Do I seek treatment?
You weakened your intestines and they became dependant on laxatives. This can take years to be reversed.
Why does the left side of my stomach hurt and sting all the time?
He is 150 pounds overweight, has at least one soda a day, does not excercise but has questionable amount of muscle from when he did landscaping for a year, has been having this problem for about 17 years since he was at least 7 years old, tries to avoid vegetables, and eats at least 4000 calories a day.
How exactly do you go about reversing that?
I have chronic constipation and I save up my shit for the whole week because I can't shit and don't want to use laxatives while at school because I might shit myself so I take lots of different types of laxatives on Saturday and shit everything out on Sunday.
I wake up every morning with what I assume is sick in the back of my throat. Constant sore throats and bad breath. The only way to fix it is to eat something, and that's only temporary. I currently smoke and consume lots of energy and soft drinks. What should I do (hopefully without stopping smoking/drinking that shit)?
You will need to be monitored by a gastroenterologist and dietician while you slowly cease use of laxatives and make your intestine contract and allow you to poop. I can't give you any information to follow for yourself specifically. I'm not your gastroenterologist.
Sounds lame. I'll just keep taking laxatives.
also taking laxatives chronically for two years makes me doubt you have a GI at all
This will kill you.
Is there no answer to this? Every time I get too anxious my gut empties itself and I spend close to an hour on the toilet.
If studying was your job, how did you support yourself?
I used to use heroin and then I went on a year long suboxone treatment. I still poop diarrhea every single day and I've been over treatment for about a month now, is that normal
If a tree falls in the woods, and no-one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?
So uhm.. Coffee makes my stools dark and makes me wanna shit like there is no tomorrow.
I'm 19 now and while I was able to drink milk and coffee, now suddenly my body rejects it. Whenever I consume milk my stool is runny and lightish. There is bowel noise and pains. Is this normal OP? Please help me. I always loved milk
I got really long putrid smelling farts during night.Are my guts rotten?
I have a hemmoroid near anus, it's stopped bleeding months ago but it doesn't seem to have shrunk much. Is this a cause for concern or can i just ignore it/try hemmoroid cream?
I am not OP
I use to be like this. I started working out, cut down on sugars and processed items and increased my protein intake. I know diet plays a role but for me I usually do one wipe wonders now.
I started doing that ancestry dieting.
Do you enjoy fingering the anuses of men?
How do you feel knowing that everyone thinks you are a massive faggot?
How quickly were you disillusioned by your job and what happened
Why does peanut butter fuck up my intestines?
How do I get rid of these hemmeroids OP? I really need some help
People become lactose intolerant as they become adults. Caffeine aggravates the GI tract.
very fatty, probably fat malabsorption
How come no matter how many times I wipe, I always feel a bit of shit in my ass
I think I may be colonized with c. diff (as opposed to a full infection)
How concerned should be?
Symptoms are smell and loose stools. Other than that I feel fine.
How do I get rid of pinworms?
Hi user, I fart a lot. What is the recommended diet for people who fart? Or should I just plug a stopper in my ass?
>pic unrelated
I can wipe for like 15 minutes and use a whole roll not get clean please help. I mean it's so bad i can wipe until it bleeds and still have shit come up when i wipe. I have to take a shower almost everytime i go number 2.
Y my pp hurt when pee?
My guts feel like they're on fire yet numb at the same time. It's a hard feeling to explain, but i've had this pain in my stomach for almost ten years now. I've changed diet and exercise frequently but it's still there and strong as ever. They couldn't identify any specific cause when they did an invasive scan where I had to be knocked out the whole time. Is this just in my head or is something fucked up in there? Even an opinion or guess is fine. My old gastro-doc gave me norco for it and it worked pretty well, but it's super hard to get anyone to prescribe even lesser pain meds because addiction and slinging is super bad around here.