QuestionQUESTION: Hi Dr Scibana,
Having some strange symptoms and I wondered if you could point me in the right direction? OR tell me if there is a connection?
1)Lately I've noticed that I am getting a racey feeling inside my body after eating. I am not eating sugar or caffeine. I am getting this from a regular meal of meat, potatoes, veggies, or just now from a deli beef and turkey?
2) I have been taking my blood sugar after eating and it is spiking up to as high as 180 within 1/2 hour after eating?
3)I am also having trouble with vegetables not digesting.
I have been noticing this in my stool?
4) My stool has also been floating?
Is there a connection between the 4 that I should be looking into?
Thanks for your time
Terry
ANSWER: Dear Terry,
It sounds to me that it could be one of three things. But, first of all, let me say that it definitely sounds like this is something you should be addressing with your physician.
Have you had your gallbladder checked? Do you notice your symptoms are worse after eating fat, or dairy?
It could be a malabsorption problem in your intestines.
There is a bacterial infection in your intestines.
I wish I could be more specific with you, but I definitely think you need some outpatient testing. Floating stools indicate a lot of air, thus making them float.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.
Best wishes,
Andrea
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Dr Scibana I sure appreciate your reply, this was very helpful.
You brought up some interesting things here that rang a bell. Recently I was put on Cipro for 5 days for something not related to this. By day 2 what I noticed was my stool was a more normal color, more solid, less odor, and it didn't float. I still had the undigested veggies, but it was a huge improvement. It stayed like this for about 7 days, but unfortunately it went back to the terrible way again.
When you said here about a bacterial infection it made me think that there might be a connection to the Cipro.
What do you think?
What kind of bacterial infections can you get in your intestines?
What causes something like that?
As far as I know my gallbladder wasn't checked, I will have to look over my records.
Is is checked with blood?
I did have a stool analysis done, and could see visible veggies, but it came back normal and not mentioning the veggies. Unfortunately sometimes my stool changes for a day or two, and my luck it was a day that it was more normal, and not the usual pale.
You mentioned the air causing floating, I have been very gassy after eating which I never was before. This happens almost immediately, even from water sometimes.
I can't really answer you question about worse after eating fat or dairy...the only thing that I do notice is that after eating different things, sometimes my urine has an oily film on top.
Thanks again for all your time and help
Terry
AnswerDear Terry,
First of all, thank you for giving me an MD status...lol. I am an RN, but of course, RN's always think they are smarter than doctors <wink>
Now, Cipro is actually a great drug for the intestinal tract as far as an antibiotic because it works very well when going through, and will kill bad (and good) organisms on the way.
Checking the gallbladder is done a little with blood work. Liver enzymes may be elevated. Usually, though, it is done with an ultrasound, or cat scan, or some other method.
You sound more like you have some sort of intestinal infection, as you were, going on there. Interesting how your symptoms improved while you were on Cipro. Some vegetables will come through (such as corn and tomato skins) normally. Is this something very new for you?
Please do followup with your physician. If they did that stool sample around the Cipro time, you might have received a false negative.
I hope this was of help to you.
Best wishes, and let me know if I can do anything!
Andrea
