Flagyl cancer

A year and a half ago I had a trans vaginal ultrasound and a Pap smear. The Pap smear came back good and the ultrasound showed that I had a 4.7 complex hemorrhagic cyst and that my endometrial stripe was 18 mm. I am a 38 year-old female with two children 10 and 12. They thought I had a hemorrhagic cyst in the thick lining because my period was going to start in a few days fast forward to March, I started spotting four days prior to my period period. Lasted seven days as normal, and I have continued to spot until my previous. And April after this, I am still continuing to spot. This is about 30 some days now of some type of bleeding. I am concerned about the endometrial stripe being 18 mm as I have read that that can be sinister. I had the testing done last year. It was because I was spotting a whole bunch of clear like fluid randomly, but it turned out after I took Flagyl, It went away so we were assuming it was BV. I was supposed to get retested in three months, but I failed to do so because everything had went back to normal once I got my cycle. Now I’m sitting here in a panic. Wondering if I have uterine or ovarian or cervical cancer. I know it can be many things, but I just don’t understand why it would randomly happen now if I waited too long. Has anyone else’s endometrial been Lining that thick and your fine. I am not in menopause and I know if it’s a menopause then that can be bad news that even pre-menopause at my age, 18 seems extremely high. Someone please help calm my fears. I feel like so many people read and then just scroll and I can’t get in for a while.

A year and a half ago I had a trans vaginal ultrasound and a Pap smear. The Pap smear came back good and the ultrasound showed that I had a 4.7 complex hemorrhagic cyst and that my endometrial stripe was 18 mm. I am a 38 year-old female with two children 10 and 12. They thought I had a hemorrhagic cyst in the thick lining because my period was going to start in a few days fast forward to March, I started spotting four days prior to my period period. Lasted seven days as normal, and I have continued to spot until my previous. And April after this, I am still continuing to spot. This is about 30 some days now of some type of bleeding. I am concerned about the endometrial stripe being 18 mm as I have read that that can be sinister. I had the testing done last year. It was because I was spotting a whole bunch of clear like fluid randomly, but it turned out after I took Flagyl, It went away so we were assuming it was BV. I was supposed to get retested in three months, but I failed to do so because everything had went back to normal once I got my cycle. Now I’m sitting here in a panic. Wondering if I have uterine or ovarian or cervical cancer. I know it can be many things, but I just don’t understand why it would randomly happen now if I waited too long. Has anyone else’s endometrial been Lining that thick and your fine. I am not in menopause and I know if it’s a menopause then that can be bad news that even pre-menopause at my age, 18 seems extremely high. Someone please help calm my fears. I feel like so many people read and then just scroll and I can’t get in for a while.

A year and a half ago I had a trans vaginal ultrasound and a Pap smear. The Pap smear came back good and the ultrasound showed that I had a 4.7 complex hemorrhagic cyst and that my endometrial stripe was 18 mm. I am a 38 year-old female with two children 10 and 12. They thought I had a hemorrhagic cyst in the thick lining because my period was going to start in a few days fast forward to March, I started spotting four days prior to my period period. Lasted seven days as normal, and I have continued to spot until my previous. And April after this, I am still continuing to spot. This is about 30 some days now of some type of bleeding. I am concerned about the endometrial stripe being 18 mm as I have read that that can be sinister. I had the testing done last year. It was because I was spotting a whole bunch of clear like fluid randomly, but it turned out after I took Flagyl, It went away so we were assuming it was BV. I was supposed to get retested in three months, but I failed to do so because everything had went back to normal once I got my cycle. Now I’m sitting here in a panic. Wondering if I have uterine or ovarian or cervical cancer. I know it can be many things, but I just don’t understand why it would randomly happen now if I waited too long. Has anyone else’s endometrial been Lining that thick and your fine. I am not in menopause and I know if it’s a menopause then that can be bad news that even pre-menopause at my age, 18 seems extremely high. Someone please help calm my fears. I feel like so many people read and then just scroll and I can’t get in for a while.

54f I was finally diagnosed with diverticulitis March 2024. I’ve had 3 flare ups as of today. Was admitted in the hospital in Ga ast Friday and got myself out Tuesday so I could come back home to Al. I’ve got a Gastroenterologist appointment May 2. I have been on Cipro, Flagyl, Augmenten, Levequin, since March. When I was in the hospital my white count finally came down. They was giving me intervenous antibiotics but I don’t know what it was. I was on pain medication and was by myself all the time. In 2012 I was diagnosed with colon cancer and they cut some of my sigmoid colon out. I don’t remember how much. But I didn’t have to do chemo or radiation. On the cat scan done Friday it sais Diverticulosis descending colon complicated by diverticulitis at the pelvic brim, short segment pericolonic inflammatory change. Recommend follow-up imaging and/or endoscopy posttreatment, as colon cancer can mimic diverticular disease. Rectosigmoid anastomosis without obstructive transition zone. That scares me. Does anyone feel so tired while and after having these flare ups? After taking all these antibiotics I still don’t feel good. I don’t know what to think or do? Reckon what they will do next? A colonoscopy? If it’s diverticulitis do they always want to do surgery? Apparently antibiotics it’s getting rid of it. Any suggestions?

Okay, I have googled everything under the son and cannot seem to find anything that looks like what I have going on, but I'm really starting to get freaked out that something serious is going on.
To start with I want to say that I am type 1 diabetic, in case anyone knows anything about that and what I'm dealing with.
Anyways, I can be prone to yeast infections due to having diabetes. I don't get them super often but enough to know what they are when they start. In February, I went out of town with my boyfriend for a sort of Valentine getaway. We purchased new lube, which we used for the first time while we were there. I noticed that I felt kind of uncomfortable, but I didn't think much of it. Within a week I was pretty positive I had a yeast infection. So I did all the normal things that usually clears it up for me. OTC stuff and even did a Wisp order for fluconazole. It definitely improved much of my symptoms, but I was still massively swollen and uncomfortable.. something I don't usually experience with yeast infections. I initially wondered if maybe it hadn't gone away, so I contacted Wisp for a second order of fluconazole. After I still was having issues, I ended up going into my gynecologist in the dnd of March. She says everything looks great, she does the normal annual that I was supposed to do anyways. Calls me a few days later and says that I tested positive for Strep A bacteria/had BV, gave me Flagyl gel, said I should be fine. I was still swollen and uncomfortable after doing the Flagyl, so I returned to the gynecologist. She says again that everything looks fine, and turns out did not reswab me to make sure the bacteria was gone (I went in to be swabbed per her direction..what.)
The first time she said she didn't see any discharge and that everything was great, but I did have a lot of discharge continued to have discharged until the flagyl treatment. I also had been examining myself with a mirror and a light and had noticed that I was really red towards the bottom of my vaginal opening and starting to have some paler skin on the left side. I have looked at bartholin's cysts and it doesn't look like it's that, but I'm definitely puffy kind of in the area of the bartholan's gland and just all around my vaginal opening in general. So when she said I looked healthy and normal, I felt like she didn't even pay attention. The next time I went in, she tried to say I looked healthy and good again: I asked her to get a mirror and I specifically pointed out all the areas of concern, and suddenly she started to suggest that maybe I had some condition that was lifelong and chronic and I would have to take amitriptyline for or elavil, etc. she also said that we can get a biopsy if I wanted to but didn't say what for and didn't seem to think I needed it.
I feel like she's not really helping me, and the fact that she said I looked great and then went to having this horrible thing that could last the rest of my life... I was very frustrated. Also, I was completely fine before using lube that I think I was allergic to. We tossed it and we barely have had sex in general anyways since then. I've used boric acid suppositories and probiotics repositories which don't normally cause me any problems. Over time I've noticed the spot has gotten paler and larger, but it isn't itchy or really painful. It doesn't seem like it's a different texture, but it's kind of hard to tell. It's definitely just very noticeably pale. And the spots that are red and puffy are still red and puffy. I just started my period 3 days ago, and I was kind of hoping that maybe it would clear things up. I just checked again though and that spot is very pale and I'm still puffy. I want to post a picture but it's kind of a mess due to being on my period..
All I know is like there's just slight discomfort that feels same as when I had BV. I'm kind of convinced I still have it, but she didn't swab me again.. I've had some yellowish discharge prior to my period, but now I can't tell since I'm actively bleeding.
If it's not BV, does anyone have any suggestion on what could be causing this swelling and also change in skin color? I don't normally have that skin color down there, and I'm not normally swollen. This all started in February, and I feel like it can't possibly be a chronic health condition to pop up so randomly..? But then I keep saying things about vulvar cancer and I'm worried. I haven't had sex in weeks, And at the time that we did have sex last, it wasn't very comfortable. And prior to that it had been weeks because of what was going on. I feel like I'm scared to have sex now. But more than anything I'm scared something is seriously wrong. I feel like my gynecologist doesn't really know what she's doing either because she was about to let me go saying that everything was fine when clearly there was a whole bunch of stuff going on that wasn't fine. So much so that she referred me onto a urologist (who said it was nothing she could help with) ..
Oh and also, at my second appointment she said I didn't have group a strep. I had atopium bacteria.
I'm frustrated and need help.
Willing to post pics albeit maybe not the tidiest pics, if that would help.

Hey SIBO community. It's been about six months since my last update, and I cover a lot in this one.
Big prayer and shoutout to Jake Pickers family. Since I heard Jan of her passing I thought to dive more into the community stuff and share (like she did) finding of what worked and what seriously isn't working.
Video here:
https://youtu.be/JjsR3XYwTiI?feature=shared
Mostly things that are not working: riflaximin with flagyl and bismuth is the worst, however I did get a sinking stool instead of floating. But I feel as though I have brain cancer, and my eyes are so sensitive to light and my dizziness is through the roof.
Creon sorta helps with weight but that's about it, so does birth control honestly so could be both.
Dieting is terrible, doesn't work. I was lactose, gluten free and vegetarian and I think that was at my worst. So I eat mostly anything but red meat and fatty foods and bare with the symptoms, if I'm gonna die, I'll die with eating the good stuff.
I believe yes, this is totally a motor disease like nerves are dead or something... so ginger and artichoke have been added and I found, they still do nothing lol
D lactic acidosis... I'll start on another video maybe interviewing a doctor on this because my blood test was totally negative on this when I was at my dizziest
My thoughts is that h2s is the culprit that makes us feel drunk and insane and the world is ending, and there is water under our feet when we walk... yes I feeeeel this often (your nottttt alone!!)
Give a share or upvote on the vid to those that are suffering
My next video will be after the flagyl/riflax/bismuth protocol!

Hello everyone! I wanted to post this in hopes that somebody who is maybe spiraling with healthy anxiety will see it and take comfort, or at least have one moment of relief. I also hope this will encourage someone to maybe consider other options before taking Flagyl (Metro). Disclaimer, this reaction does NOT happen to everyone. I am not advocating against Flagyl, and I’m not encouraging anyone to not trust doctors or medicine. This is me just piecing all of the parts of my health puzzle together and comparing to other people’s experience, specifically women who were given Flagyl for BV. If you’ve also experienced any of these side effects or different ones after taking Flagyl, I’d love to hear about your experience.
I am diagnosed with OCD and my Dad died last May of cancer, so I have been having a bad go with healthy anxiety in recent times. In January, I went to my annual check up and complained of UTI symptoms.
QUICK SIDE BAR ABOUT THE UTI SYMPTOMS: At the time, I was taking 100mg of lamictal (lamotrigine) a day. I started to notice these symptoms after going up on my meds. I brought this up to my doctor to see if this could be the cause of my UTI symptoms because I was told Lamictal could cause kidney issues. She basically said it could be, but didn’t have any additional knowledge on the matter to offer.
At my annual, all of my labs looked good and she said my pee sample didn’t show UTI but we could swab for anything else. It came back with results of an abnormal amount of Gardnerella, and I was prescribed the oral version of Flagyl (Metro). Every time I would take a dose of flagyl, I would feel that feeling you get when you’re coming down with the flu. Achey and tired and bleh. I reached out to my doctor when I started to experience more discharge than before I started it (before flagyl, I just had water like discharge and it was a little too wet at all times down there. After flagyl, I started having yellow-green discharge) and pelvic pain. I also had dark orange urine. My doctor assured me that the darkening urine is a common side effect of Flagyl, but that I could discontinue and do the gel if I preferred. Me…being lazy tbh and just wanting to get this over with…continued on with the Flagyl and finished it. Towards the end of my treatment, I developed a boil on the left side of my groin. It was like a warm, itchy red lump. I messaged my doctor and came in. By this time, the boil had popped on its own and was going down, but she prescribed me Doxycicline to knock it out. I had done a quick and bad shave job a few weeks before the boil, and we chalked it up to that.
After my flagyl and doxy treatments both ended and the boil went away, I took a picture of my down there region to see how everything was looking. Basically just self inspecting because these two new issues that I’ve never experienced before were putting me on edge. When I looked at the photo, I noticed several moles (not abnormal but very noticeable) that I’d never remembered seeing. I resorted to Dr. Google which is mostly ALWAYS a bad idea. But, I did, and I came to the conclusion that with all of my symptoms combined, I probably had cancer or at least a really bad disease. I was a mess, experiencing anxiety, no, PANIC, in a way that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. It was like nothing could stop it. I felt a constant sense of dread and was crying very often.
I went to my doctor as she graciously let me come in again within a pretty short notice to check out my “lesions” and she assured me that they’re not abnormal and she understood my anxieties, but that we’ll check them out again in a year, with me doing regular self-exams every 3-4 months. I asked if I should go to a dermatologist and she said not at this time.
After this…I went along with my life. I started school and was pretty distracted. Until, my BV came back. And soon after my doctor’s appointment to get swabbed and diagnosed again, my boil came back, as well as butt pain/split butt crack skin. At this point, my anxiety was out of freaking control. I was having panic attacks on and off genuinely all day every day. I felt stuck in fight or flight mode. I took it upon myself to go to a local dermatologist, and paid out of pocket. She told me it was folliculitis, and the split butt crack was likely caused by all of the moisture from the BV. She asked what medications I was currently taking, and told me, without me asking, that Lamictal can mess with our estrogen. Additionally, the moles also looked okay to her, and she also suggested annual check ups. She prescribed me a whole month of doxycicline and topical Clindamycin and suggested laser hair removal.
At this point, I am begging my doctor to do a pelvic exam (she does my OBGYN stuff as well) as I am concerned I have cancer from all of these wacky symptoms. Also during this time, and since starting Flagyl, I am pretty constipated. Even more so after I have a split in the butt crack skin. It genuinely made me so tense down there (whether it was anxiety making me feel tense or actual issues down there re: butt, who knows.) Anyway, she says she’s sorry to hear about the boil, and will refer me to a dermatologist to further investigate the recurring boils, then suggests it could be a very painful skin disease. This is all over the portal, btw.
I spiraled. I literally traumatized myself with google searches, reddit searches, facebook group searches, etc. I basically made everything I was experiencing fit into this potential diagnosis and didn’t realize that not all of my thoughts and feelings weren’t 100% facts until my body left panic mode, which has been within the last month.
Part two in the comments after I eat dinner.

I'm not seeking answers, really. I just need to talk to someone who won't get upset by my circumstances. The people in my life that I normally confide and find comfort in, are very quick to upset and worry, as we have very suddenly lost 7 people in our family over a short amount.
I finally understand the spirit of winter. On my family's most festive night of the year, Christmas Eve, shortly after I tucked my kids into bed to wait for Santa, my sweet, dear father suffered a heart attack and quickly departed. He was my best friend in the world, and the only constant in my long health journey as a childhood cancer survivor. It was always my daddy who was holding my hand for every scary moment that I went through.
I have a complete left elbow replacement that I received at 14 years old, due to bone cancer. I've never had any complications with the joint, or any other treatment/ procedure.
5 years ago, I underwent maintenance revisional surgery to replace bushings and bearings. No biggy. It had been 11 years after the initial elbow replacement and those pieces were expected to wear out. Everything went perfectly. No complications whatsoever.
Spring of 2023 I started experiencing a whole lot of psychical and mental hurdles, many of which were treated as unrelated. I was having -lightheadedness -daily, heavy nosebleeds -weakness -vomiting -bloody stools -extreme fatigue -vision changes -confusion -chest pain -daily fever above 99 -no appetite -frequent urination, that was difficult to pass -constant headaches -teeth falling out -high heart rate -enlarged, ITCHY lymphnodes -peripheral nerve damage -sudden drops in blood pressure
I ended up having to quit my job over the summer because ending up on the floor, covered in vomit, and pouring blood from my nose- was becoming a DAILY problem.
I was referred to a Gastroenterologist, Neurologist, and a Sleep Specialist.
The Neurologist and Sleep Specialist were at a loss after months of testing. One of them told me "you're an anomaly. You should go buy a lottery ticket when you leave here today"
The Gastroenterologist found that I had a C. Diff (clostridium difficile) infection, unexpectedly. I am only 31 years old, had not been on antibiotics for 5 years, and had not been hospitalized in the last 5 years. Every provider Ive since informed of my infection, has been alarmingly confused about how on earth I got a hospital super bacterial without any predisposing factors.
So I thought that all of my previous and continuing health weirdness was because of the infection that I kept mysteriously getting. (C diff infection came back 3 times within 6 months)
BUT THEN, December 9, 2023 I suffered a catastrophic failure of my prosthetic elbow replacement. I was pushing a chair in, underneath the table, and the elbow loudly snapped and went limp. It was excruciatingly painful. I have a very high pain tolerance and this pain had me on the ground, writhing around.
A few days after the incident, I got in to see my orthopedic surgeon who has been caring for me since 2006, when he discovered the tumor in my elbow and performed the initial replacement.
The surgeon suspected a PJI (Prosthetic Joint Infection) caused the joint failure and urgently sent in orders for all necessary diagnostic testing. Lots of blood work, radiograph imaging, and a joint fluid culture.
From what I understand, the standard of care is to perform a joint fluid aspiration within 48 hours of suspected infection, so as to begin necessary treatment ASAP(as soon as possible). Otherwise, the surrounding tissue suffers irreversible damage.
Well, to no fault of my doctor, I did not get the joint fluid aspiration until 78 DAYS AFTER infection was suspected.
A few days after, it was confirmed I had a positive Strep infection on the fluid culture. Started on immediate Keflex for the PJI(Prosthetic Joint infection) and Flagyl for another suspected C Diff infection.
Part 1 of surgery happened just a few days after infection was confirmed.
THE PLAN WAS: debridement and and implantation of antibiotic spacer,
6-weeks at-home antibiotics via PICC(long-term IV line),
Part 2 replace with new hardware after infection is gone.
It was initially believed that the breakage was localized and uncomplicated. They didn't discover just what poor condition the elbow was in until they had it open to observe. Nearly every single component was damaged or completely shattered.
The real problem with this is, I have a custom elbow- half of which, is so extremely fused to my bones that they cannot get it out.
****This is where I'm at now. One week post-op of part 1. I'm at home on IV rocephin, in a splint, and waiting to follow up with the surgeon tomorrow.
He has been in collaboration with other specialists over the past week, so I am eager to learn what they have come up with so far. There are talks of creating me an all-new custom piece, that would require the bones being cut out several inches further in both directions.
Im not so much worried about the elbow at this point. I feel like the antibiotics are trying to take me out. I thought I was having a cardiac event because of the rocephin. Went to the ER, got an EKG, and sent home.
I am curious about the toll an untreated PJI takes on the body, especially the circulatory system.
And I wonder what role the C Diff infection plays in all this.
There's so much that I want to discuss with my actual providers, but they act like I'm speaking another language when I start questioning possible correlation. Does any of this make sense to y'all? I'm hardly making any sense to myself these days on all these meds

31, female, 5'4, 178lbs, marijuana smoker
Current Health Problems: -PJI -C Diff -fibromyalgia -overweight -bipolar -Adhd -history of bone cancechemotherapy
Medications: -iv Rocephin 100ml - scopolamine patch -oxycodone 10 - gabapentin 600 -prozac 40 -seroquel 300 -heprin (for PICC) -Vyvanse 30 (when I have class)
All Vaccines up-to-date Including COVID,Flu, Pneumonia
Allergy: Vancomycin
I've been feeling alone and anxious while dealing with these issues. My father was always my comfort while dealing with my past health complications, but I lost him the night of Christmas Eve. So, reddit, since you've been getting me through so much else lately, I figured I was ready to ask for help on this one.
I received a complete left elbow replacement at 14 years old, due to bone cancer. I've never had any complications with the joint, or any other treatment/ procedure.
5 years ago, I underwent maintenance revisional surgery to replace bushings and bearings. No biggy. It had been 11 years after the initial elbow replacement and those pieces were expected to wear out. Everything went perfectly. No complications whatsoever.
Spring of 2023 I started experiencing a whole lot of psychical and mental hurdles, many of which were treated as unrelated. I was having -lightheadedness -daily, heavy nosebleeds -weakness -vomiting -bloody stools -extreme fatigue -vision changes -confusion -chest pain -daily fever above 99 -no appetite -frequent urination, that was difficult to pass -constant headaches -teeth falling out -high heart rate -enlarged, ITCHY lymphnodes -peripheral nerve damage -sudden drops in blood pressure
I ended up having to quit my job over the summer because ending up on the floor, covered in vomit, and pouring blood from my nose- was becoming a DAILY problem.
I was referred to a Gastroenterologist, Neurologist, and a Sleep Specialist.
The Neurologist and Sleep Specialist were at a loss after months of testing. One of them told me "you're an anomaly. You should go buy a lottery ticket when you leave here today"
The Gastroenterologist found that I had a C. Diff infection, unexpectedly. I am only 31 years old, had not been on antibiotics for 5 years, and had not been hospitalized in the last 5 years. Every provider Ive since informed of my infection, has been alarmingly confused about how on earth I got a hospital super bacterial without any predisposing factors.
So I thought that all of my previous and continuing health weirdness was because of the infection that I kept mysteriously getting. (C diff infection came back 3 times within 6 months)
BUT THEN, December 9, 2023 I suffered a catastrophic failure of my prosthetic elbow replacement. I was pushing a chair in, underneath the table, and the elbow loudly snapped and went limp. It was excruciatingly painful. I have a very high pain tolerance and this pain had me on the ground, writhing around.
A few days after the incident, I got in to see my orthopedic surgeon who has been caring for me since 2006, when he discovered the tumor in my elbow and performed the initial replacement.
The surgeon suspected a PJI caused the joint failure and urgently sent in orders for all necessary diagnostic testing. Lots of blood work, radiograph imaging, and a joint fluid culture.
From what I understand, the standard of care is to perform a joint fluid aspiration within 48 hours of suspected infection, so as to begin necessary treatment ASAP. Otherwise, the surrounding tissue suffers irreversible damage.
Well, to no fault of my doctor, I did not get the joint fluid aspiration until 78 DAYS AFTER infection was suspected.
A few days after, it was confirmed I had a positive Strep infection on the fluid culture. Started on immediate Keflex for the PJI and Flagyl for another suspected C Diff infection.
Part 1 of surgery happened just a few days after infection was confirmed.
THE PLAN WAS: Pt 1debridement and and implantation of antibiotic spacer,
6-weeks at-home antibiotics via PICC,
PT 2 replace with new hardware after infection is gone.
It was initially believed that the breakage was localized and uncomplicated. They didn't discover just what poor condition the elbow was in until they had it open to observe. Nearly every single component was damaged or completely shattered.
The real problem with this is, I have a custom elbow- half of which, is so extremely fused to my bones that they cannot get it out.
****This is where I'm at now. One week post-op of part 1. I'm at home on IV rocephin, in a splint, and waiting to follow up with the surgeon tomorrow.
He has been in collaboration with other specialists over the past week, so I am eager to learn what they have come up with so far. There are talks of creating me an all-new custom piece, that would require the bones being cut out several inches further in both directions.
Im not so much worried about the elbow at this point. I feel like the antibiotics are trying to take me out. I thought I was having a cardiac event because of the rocephin. Went to the ER, got an EKG, and sent home.
I am curious about the toll an untreated PJI takes on the body, especially the circulatory system.
And I wonder what role the C Diff infection plays in all this.
Is it completely insane if I request that they test the joint fluid culture for c diff when they perform the next one?
There's so much that I want to discuss with my actual providers, but they act like I'm speaking another language when I start questioning possible correlation. Does any of this make sense to y'all? I'm hardly making any sense to myself these days on all these meds

Edit: I did not initially realize this was specifically a hip replacement sub. I apologize. My brain is close on all of these medications.
I have been feeling anxious and alone for almost a year.
I have a complete left elbow replacement that I received at 14 years old, due to bone cancer. I've never had any complications with the joint, or any other treatment/ procedure.
5 years ago, I underwent maintenance revisional surgery to replace bushings and bearings. No biggy. It had been 11 years after the initial elbow replacement and those pieces were expected to wear out. Everything went perfectly. No complications whatsoever.
Spring of 2023 I started experiencing a whole lot of psychical and mental hurdles, many of which were treated as unrelated. I was having -lightheadedness -daily, heavy nosebleeds -weakness -vomiting -bloody stools -extreme fatigue -vision changes -confusion -chest pain -daily fever above 99 -no appetite -frequent urination, that was difficult to pass -constant headaches -teeth falling out -high heart rate -enlarged, ITCHY lymphnodes -peripheral nerve damage -sudden drops in blood pressure
I ended up having to quit my job over the summer because ending up on the floor, covered in vomit, and pouring blood from my nose- was becoming a DAILY problem.
I was referred to a Gastroenterologist, Neurologist, and a Sleep Specialist.
The Neurologist and Sleep Specialist were at a loss after months of testing. One of them told me "you're an anomaly. You should go buy a lottery ticket when you leave here today"
The Gastroenterologist found that I had a C. Diff (clostridium difficile) infection, unexpectedly. I am only 31 years old, had not been on antibiotics for 5 years, and had not been hospitalized in the last 5 years. Every provider Ive since informed of my infection, has been alarmingly confused about how on earth I got a hospital super bacterial without any predisposing factors.
So I thought that all of my previous and continuing health weirdness was because of the infection that I kept mysteriously getting. (C diff infection came back 3 times within 6 months)
BUT THEN, December 9, 2023 I suffered a catastrophic failure of my prosthetic elbow replacement. I was pushing a chair in, underneath the table, and the elbow loudly snapped and went limp. It was excruciatingly painful. I have a very high pain tolerance and this pain had me on the ground, writhing around.
A few days after the incident, I got in to see my orthopedic surgeon who has been caring for me since 2006, when he discovered the tumor in my elbow and performed the initial replacement.
The surgeon suspected a PJI (Prosthetic Joint Infection) caused the joint failure and urgently sent in orders for all necessary diagnostic testing. Lots of blood work, radiograph imaging, and a joint fluid culture.
From what I understand, the standard of care is to perform a joint fluid aspiration within 48 hours of suspected infection, so as to begin necessary treatment ASAP(as soon as possible). Otherwise, the surrounding tissue suffers irreversible damage.
Well, to no fault of my doctor, I did not get the joint fluid aspiration until 78 DAYS AFTER infection was suspected.
A few days after, it was confirmed I had a positive Strep infection on the fluid culture. Started on immediate Keflex for the PJI(Prosthetic Joint infection) and Flagyl for another suspected C Diff infection.
Part 1 of surgery happened just a few days after infection was confirmed.
THE PLAN WAS: debridement and and implantation of antibiotic spacer,
6-weeks at-home antibiotics via PICC(long-term IV line),
Part 2 replace with new hardware after infection is gone.
It was initially believed that the breakage was localized and uncomplicated. They didn't discover just what poor condition the elbow was in until they had it open to observe. Nearly every single component was damaged or completely shattered.
The real problem with this is, I have a custom elbow- half of which, is so extremely fused to my bones that they cannot get it out.
****This is where I'm at now. One week post-op of part 1. I'm at home on IV rocephin, in a splint, and waiting to follow up with the surgeon tomorrow.
He has been in collaboration with other specialists over the past week, so I am eager to learn what they have come up with so far. There are talks of creating me an all-new custom piece, that would require the bones being cut out several inches further in both directions.
Im not so much worried about the elbow at this point. I feel like the antibiotics are trying to take me out. I thought I was having a cardiac event because of the rocephin. Went to the ER, got an EKG, and sent home.
I am curious about the toll an untreated PJI takes on the body, especially the circulatory system.
And I wonder what role the C Diff infection plays in all this.
There's so much that I want to discuss with my actual providers, but they act like I'm speaking another language when I start questioning possible correlation. Does any of this make sense to y'all? I'm hardly making any sense to myself these days on all these meds

So since Feb of 2022 I’ve had chronic yeast Infection with some bv thrown in there sometimes. I will be given meds and it will go away for a week at most and come back fully. I’ve been given fluconazole and itraconazole (for the yeast) and flagyl for the bv. I’ve seen two doctors who just say oh it’s a yeast infection keep taking these same meds(these meds are all my military hospital carry as I don’t live in the states atm) My symptoms are normal thick discharge sometimes light coloring but recently it’s been yellow/green and super thick and sometimes a burst of watery discharge. Ever since Feb 2022 my periods have been worse as in heavier flow, horrible cramps to the point of almost vomiting, pain during and after sex, and ovulation cramping is intense too. My doc has run multiple test I’ve been negative for HIV, gonorrhea, chlamydia, trichomoniasis the whole time and only positive for yeast and sometimes bacteria. I have no idea what it could be as the internet says it can be PID to cancer and I don’t know what to ask my doctors to check. I’m just tired of feeling this way for a year now with no relief.

I have had digestive issues for years, intermittent diarrhea and upper abdominal pain for years. My mom died in 2018 at 61 with c diff and metastatic neuroendocrine cancer. I have been seeing all sorts of doctors for the past 4 years trying to find out if I could have the cancer, I’ve had endoscopy, enteroscopy, colonoscopy, pill capsule study, ct scans, galium pet scan, bloodwork, urine tests, stool tests, etc. So far out of all that the only thing was the GI found mild ulcerative colitis and mild chronic proctitis. I saw a functional medicine endocrinologist and they ordered a GI Map stool test which showed C Diff toxins A and B (along with ecoli and some high inflammatory markers). They gave me flagyl which tore up my gut and after one day I asked for Dificid, which I am now on day 4 taking. My stomach is still hurting, and the diarrhea seems worse than before I started treatment. I have been eating very bland food: rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed veggies, sauerkraut, oatmeal, nuts, some fruit for prebiotics, collagen, no calcium, no dairy except a small bit of heavy cream, no sugar, cut caffeine to one small coffee every other day (so not to get withdrawals), I’ve been taking Align and Culturelle. I tried S Boulardii but it started making me itch so I quit it. I don’t understand why my gut is still torn up. I’m also very concerned that the c diff will come back (if it ever goes away) because spores are everywhere. I’ve been trying to bleach everything and it’s making me miserable and ramping up my OCD, my hands are raw from washing them so much and I’m very on edge with my family, afraid they will do something unsanitary. The GI said that colon inflammation makes the perfect environment for c diff, but I don’t know what else I can do to heal my gut. I feel like I’m doomed to end up dead or without a colon. Please help

(I'm not even going to try to format this. Too tired.)
Was diagnosed 2/12 after about a day of pain that became intolerable quite quickly. 7 days on Cipro/Flagyl. Was not given any real education, so I didn't change my diet at all until the nausea forced me to, then started researching, found this sub and immediately switched to clear liquids, eventually liquids and finally low-fibelow-res. I think before I got off liquids the pain got bad again. Gastro recommended another scan, so back to ER on 2/23 where they saw no sign of diverticulitis. So I decided to continue rest and keep on low fiber diet. I was pain free for almost a week! I was starting to plan how to slowly add fiber in at the end of this week. But the pain started again Saturday night, just mild. Figured I overate. Yesterday, Sunday, was worse. Today is back up there at a 5/6 after Tylenol. While I can move around, I don't want to. The pain is all encompassing because it's triggering my anxiety big-time. I'm in my early 40s, a breast cancer survivor and my first post-cancer mammogram is tomorrow. The anxiety is already big, and this pain is making it sky rocket. I don't want to go to the ER. I'm so tired of everything medical. I don't even want to call in. I have this big fear that if I call in I'll miss my mammogram tomorrow, and it's the only time my husband will be able to go with me because he starts training for a new job next week. I'm just so close to crying and giving up. Not the first time I've been in this place, probably won't be the last. But guys, I'm just so over poor health (I'm chronically ill with multiple conditions.) Tired of living in a very sick body. Thank you for listening.

Starting a new treatment can be overwhelming, especially when faced with a long list of medications. It's tough to understand what each drug does and why it's needed. I wanted to share information from my own treatment to give you a clearer picture, not to scare you, but to empower you with knowledge. This way, you can hopefully face your (or your loved ones) treatment journey with a little more confidence.

What is Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL)?

Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma, or DLBCL, is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma, accounting for about 30% of cases in the U.S. It's known for its rapid growth in lymph nodes and can also affect other parts of the body like the spleen, liver, bone marrow, and various organs. Typically, DLBCL starts in the lymph nodes of the neck or abdomen and is marked by the presence of oversized B cells. People with DLBCL often have B symptoms, which include fever, night sweats, and significant weight loss over six months.

My Story

For years, I used a gator mounted sprayer to apply glyphosate, the most commonly used herbicide globally. I suspect this exposure is the source of my cancer. Research from the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences links glyphosate to a 41% increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
My Stage 4 DLBCL had spread to my stomach, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, liver, and three soft tissue areas. I had lost 70 pounds in half a year and had fevers and night sweats. I was actually trying to slim down and thought I was succeeding (Hah!) until one morning I woke up with jaundice. A tumor was blocking my liver's bile duct, leading to a dangerous buildup of liver toxins in my body. I went through four ERCP procedures, with only the last one working by a specialist, and a failed attempt at Percutaneous Biliary Drainage. I was sent home but had to return a week later due to an inflamed gallbladder. That's when I was unexpectedly told by a nurse that I had lymphoma before I could discuss it with my doctor.
My oncologist diagnosed me with Stage 4 DLBCL but reassured me that it wasn't an automatic death sentence as it's aggressive but responds well to aggressive treatment. She considered CAR-T therapy, a form of immunotherapy, as a potential treatment - however, my insurance company required me to first try a treatment called POLA-R-CHP.
Going through treatment is more than just the physical battle. It's interesting; a lot of people offered to shave their heads with me as a sign of solidarity. Yet, when I really needed someone to talk to or help me out, not everyone was there. This experience showed me that real support isn't just about big gestures. It's about the little things, like checking in regularly and offering a helping hand when needed.
On the emotional front, things have been tough. I've started seeing a therapist who mentioned that I might be emotionally numb, which means I could fully process everything that's happened only much later. My fight against cancer includes more than just the treatments - there are follow-up scans, and I need to get my port and stent removed. The moment I found out I was in remission was as quiet as when I first learned I had cancer. It's a stark reminder of how fragile life is and how important it is to value the people in our lives. Big changes can happen without any warning.
Financially, this journey has been incredibly hard. Even with great insurance, I ended up using all my savings, taking money out of my 401k, and maxing out credit cards. The treatments spanned over two years (Jul '23 to Mar '24), meaning I had to meet my deductible and out-of-pocket maximum twice. Now, as I'm getting back to work and my financial situation begins to improve, I realize how lucky I am. But it also highlights the importance of advocating for yourself and having multiple backup plans.
Cancer treatment is as much about handling day-to-day life as it is about fighting the disease. The best kind of support comes in many forms. It's about showing up in the ways that really count, especially during those quiet moments of struggle and recovery.

Medications used in my Treatment (POLA-R-CHP Therapy)

I underwent POLA-R-CHP (a modified combination of drugs) to treat my Stage 4 Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL). It is used to improve outcomes over the standard R-CHOP regimen that is based on the POLARIX trial, which demonstrated a statistically significant improvement over R-CHOP at 2-years, which represents an advancement in treatment for selected patients.

• POLAtuzumab Vedotin-piiq (Polivy)
  • Antibody that specifically targets the CD79b protein found on B-cells, aiding the immune system in destroying these cells
• Rituximab (Rituxan)
  • Monoclonal antibody that targets CD20 protein found on B-cells, aiding the immune system in destroying these cells
• Cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
  • Kills rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells
• Hydroxydaunorubicin (Doxorubicin Hydrochloride)
  • Interferes with the DNA inside cells, preventing them from dividing and growing
• Prednisone
  • Corticosteroid used to reduce inflammation and suppress the immune response

Medications Used for Symptom Management

These medications were crucial for managing my side effects and ensuring the effectiveness of the treatment regimen during therapy.

Nerve Problems (Pain, Numbness)

• Gabapentin (Neurontin)

Nausea and Vomiting (Sickness, Vomiting)

• Fosaprepitant (Emend)
• Palonosetron
• Ondansetron (Zofran)
• Promethazine (Phenergan)

Infection Prevention (Virus, Infection Defense)

• Acyclovir (Zovirax)
• Levofloxacin (Levaquin)
• Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim (Bactrim)

Pain Management (Discomfort Relief)

• Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
• Lidocaine-Prilocaine (Emla)

Gastrointestinal Symptoms (Digestive Issues)

• Dicyclomine (Bentyl)
• Metronidazole (Flagyl)

Blood Clot Prevention (Clot Risk Reduction)

• Apixaban (Eliquis)

Diarrhea (Loose Bowel Movements)

• Atropine-Diphenoxylate (Lomotil)

Allergic Reactions (Itching, Swelling)

• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl)

Inflammation (Swelling, Redness)

• Dexamethasone (Decadron)
• Methylprednisolone (Medrol)

Tumor Lysis Syndrome (TLS) Prophylaxis (Tumor Cell Breakdown)

• Allopurinol (Zyloprim)

Hydration & Electrolytes (Fluid, Mineral Maintenance)

• Sodium Chloride (Normal Saline)

Febrile Neutropenia (White Blood Cell Drop)

• Pegfilgrastim (Neulasta)

My Questions About Managing Side Effects & Daily Life Impact

Will I lose my hair, and when will it grow back?

Hair loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy treatments like POLA-R-CHP. Typically, hair loss is temporary, with regrowth starting after treatment ends. In some cases, hair may begin to return even before treatment completion. My hair started to regrow slowly while I still had 2-3 infusions remaining.

How do I manage bladder irritation and changes in bowel movements?

Hydration and following dietary guidelines are crucial for managing symptoms such as diarrhea or constipation. Communicate any significant changes to your healthcare team promptly.

What can I do about feeling tired?

Feeling tired after treatment is pretty standard, and it can stick around for a while. To deal with it, mixing rest with some light exercise works well. Using strategies to save energy and prioritize what you need to do can help too. From my experience, the tiredness would usually last 2-3 days after treatment, and then I'd feel mostly okay - however, even when I felt ready to tackle tasks, I'd quickly run out of steam. For example, setting up Christmas decorations, I was only able to do my small tree and 2 strands of lights on the house, which ended up taking three days.

What's the risk of developing peripheral neuropathy, and how is it managed?

Peripheral neuropathy, a potential side effect, may lead to treatment adjustments. For moderate to severe symptoms, treatment may be paused and resumed only if symptoms improve. Treatment with polatuzumab vedotin should cease permanently for the most severe cases.

How are infusion reactions managed?

To mitigate infusion reactions, pre-medication may be administered. Should you experience a reaction, the infusion could be temporarily halted then resumed at a slower rate once symptoms subside. Severe reactions might necessitate stopping the treatment for a reassessment. My reactions were mild, like hot flashes and itching, though others may experience more severe symptoms. It's critical to report any changes in symptoms during the infusion, no matter how minor.

How is a low blood cell count managed during treatment?

Managing a low blood cell count might include blood or platelet transfusions. Febrile neutropenia, a fever with a low white blood cell count, is more common with POLA-R-CHP, so using growth factors like pegfilgrastim is advised to help manage this risk.

How do the costs of POLA-R-CHP compare to other treatments?

Considering the cost-effectiveness of POLA-R-CHP against treatments like R-CHOP is important. POLA-R-CHP might be more cost-effective in the long run due to potentially lower costs for follow-up therapy and routine care, but individual situations can differ. It's important to talk about treatment options and costs with your healthcare provider to make informed decisions.

How effective is POLA-R-CHP compared to other regimens?

POLA-R-CHP is shown to be an effective first-line treatment option for DLBCL, possibly offering benefits in preventing relapses and saving on costs for second-line treatments. However, how well the treatment works can vary based on individual patient factors and disease characteristics.

Additional Links

Here's a curated list of resources, studies, and helpful links to provide the latest information on POLA-R-CHP treatment to hopefully help you understand the disease better and find support throughout your treatment journey.

• More Information about DLBCL from Macmillan Cancer Support.
• Understanding Lymphoma - DLBCL - Offers an in-depth look at DLBCL, covering symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment, along with patient experiences.
• A Phase II Study of Glofitamab Plus Polatuzumab-R-CHP for High-risk DLBCL - This study is exploring a new drug combination for high-risk DLBCL patients, aiming to improve safety and effectiveness.
• DLBCL Resource Center - Provides comprehensive education on lymphoma, support resources, and updates on the latest research.
• Will Pola-R-CHP Be the New Standard Upfront Treatment? - Experts weigh in on whether Pola-R-CHP should become the go-to first-line treatment for certain DLBCL patients.
• Polatuzumab Vedotin for Front-Line Treatment of DLBCL - Showed that after two years, 76.7% of patients treated with Pola-R-CHP didn't see their disease get worse, compared to 70.2% for those on R-CHOP. The study compared the safety and higher costs of Polatuzumab Vedotin, suggesting similar safety for both treatments but raised financial concerns.
• Safety and Toxicity of Pola-R-CHP vs. R-CHOP - Discusses the safety profiles of both treatments, emphasizing the importance of prophylaxis and monitoring for potential toxicities.
• Cost-Effectiveness of Pola-R-CHP - Addresses the financial impact of adding Polatuzumab Vedotin to the treatment regimen, a consideration for patients and healthcare systems alike.

Schistomiasis/Unknown Infection
Age 37
Sex F
Height 5’5
Weight 145
Race N/A
Duration of complaint: June 2022- present
Location: Georgia
Any existing relevant medical issue: N/A
Current medications: Praziquantel
Include a photo if relevant
Hello Everyone:
I have never posted here, but I feel like I’m at my wits end. In June 2022, , I went to Africa, west Africa, to do research. Before all of this, I was in perfect health. While there, the Director of the program gave us a moringa seed. We all ate the seed and I immediately had violent diarrhea. The diarrhea got into my vagina and urethra and I basically stayed in the shower for days at a time. The diarrhea was uncontrollable. After eating the seed, I became weak, almost passed out and could barely stand. I ended up leaving the program early and went straight to an urgent care. I later found out that the fish we were eating was coming from a contaminated water source and we were bathing with water from a well, that we were told was clean water. So the seed caused the diarrhea and whatever was in the diarrhea has caused a severe infection that we’ve been treating with antibiotics since June 2022. The doctor at urgent care did a urine sample upon my return and said that there was a lot of blood in my urine and that I had picked up some type of bacteria.m while in Africa. She prescribed Flagyl and I started to feel better. Two weeks later, I started noticing urinary symptoms. I developed issues passing urine, microscopic blood in my urine, flank pain on the left side, urine with an odor, and severe urgency and frequency. I have been on more than 10 different types of antibiotics and am now on my third week of Praziquantel after an urgent care doctor and ID doctor mentioned Schistomiasis and a co-infection from the diarrhea to me. All of the testing, (blood, urine and stool sample) done was negative but there was a high clinical suspicion that this what it is. The doctors said the testing here isn’t the best but blood in urine is the biggest indicator and I’ve had blood in my urine since I’ve returned Africa. One doctor in October of 2023 mentioned Schistomiasis. I had never heard of this and no doctor I went to before had ever mentioned this. I’ve had every type of blood test done, STD testing, renal exams, CT scan, MRI, two cystoscopies and the last one revealed swelling at the base of my ureters. Apparently this parasite is causing severe inflammation in the urinary tract. I am taking the praziquantel (last dose tomorrow) but want to know how long should the treatment be since this has been going on since June 2022 upon my return from Africa. I’m afraid 3 weeks isn’t enough. This has disrupted so much of my life, I cry all the time because I was perfect health and only visited my doctor once a year for wellness exams. I forced myself to power through and finish my PhD and graduate, in so much pain, but this has taken a mental, physical, and emotional toll on me. For about two weeks here recently, things returned almost back to normal, then suddenly the symptoms (small volume of urine, flank pain, urgency and frequency returned). Interstitial cystitis, bladder cancer, TB, Renal TB, kidney cancer, strictures, and kidney and bladder stones have been ruled out. CBC tests show high levels of white blood cells, and high RDW. I just need direction so if any doctor can chime in, I’d be most grateful. The doctor mentioned a coinfection with both bacteria and Schistomiasis, so once I’m finished with the praziquantel, she wants me to take another 10 days of Macrobid. Any help is appreciated.

Age 37
Sex F
Height 5’5
Weight 145
Race N/A
Duration of complaint: June 2022- present
Location: Georgia
Any existing relevant medical issue: N/A
Current medications: Praziquantel
Include a photo if relevant
Hello Everyone:
I have never posted here, but I feel like I’m at my wits end. In June 2022, , I went to Africa, west Africa, to do research. Before all of this, I was in perfect health. While there, the Director of the program gave us a moringa seed. We all ate the seed and I immediately had violent diarrhea. The diarrhea got into my vagina and urethra and I basically stayed in the shower for days at a time. The diarrhea was uncontrollable. After eating the seed, I became weak, almost passed out and could barely stand. I ended up leaving the program early and went straight to an urgent care. I later found out that the fish we were eating was coming from a contaminated water source and we were bathing with water from a well, that we were told was clean water. So the seed caused the diarrhea and whatever was in the diarrhea has caused a severe infection that we’ve been treating with antibiotics since June 2022. The doctor at urgent care did a urine sample upon my return and said that there was a lot of blood in my urine and that I had picked up some type of bacteria.m while in Africa. She prescribed Flagyl and I started to feel better. Two weeks later, I started noticing urinary symptoms. I developed issues passing urine, microscopic blood in my urine, flank pain on the left side, urine with an odor, and severe urgency and frequency. I have been on more than 10 different types of antibiotics and am now on my third week of Praziquantel after an urgent care doctor and ID doctor mentioned Schistomiasis and a co-infection from the diarrhea to me. All of the testing, (blood, urine and stool sample) done was negative but there was a high clinical suspicion that this what it is. The doctors said the testing here isn’t the best but blood in urine is the biggest indicator and I’ve had blood in my urine since I’ve returned Africa. One doctor in October of 2023 mentioned Schistomiasis. I had never heard of this and no doctor I went to before had ever mentioned this. I’ve had every type of blood test done, STD testing, renal exams, CT scan, MRI, two cystoscopies and the last one revealed swelling at the base of my ureters. Apparently this parasite is causing severe inflammation in the urinary tract. I am taking the praziquantel (last dose tomorrow) but want to know how long should the treatment be since this has been going on since June 2022 upon my return from Africa. I’m afraid 3 weeks isn’t enough. This has disrupted so much of my life, I cry all the time because I was perfect health and only visited my doctor once a year for wellness exams. I forced myself to power through and finish my PhD and graduate, in so much pain, but this has taken a mental, physical, and emotional toll on me. For about two weeks here recently, things returned almost back to normal, then suddenly the symptoms (small volume of urine, flank pain, urgency and frequency returned). Interstitial cystitis, bladder cancer, TB, Renal TB, kidney cancer, strictures, and kidney and bladder stones have been ruled out. CBC tests show high levels of white blood cells, and high RDW. I just need direction so if any doctor can chime in, I’d be most grateful. The doctor mentioned a coinfection with both bacteria and Schistomiasis, so once I’m finished with the praziquantel, she wants me to take another 10 days of Macrobid. Any help is appreciated.

I had what I believed was food poisoning last week followed by intense abdominal pain. I started to feel better by the 4th day, which is when I had booked a doctor’s appointment. When I went to my GP my CRP turned out to be 191; upon admission to the ER, it was apparently >200. I had an ultrasound, gynaecological exam (incl. ultrasound) and a CT scan.
They couldn’t find anything that would cause a high infection, despite a slightly enlarged right ovary (tho this was not enough to cause the infection apparently). They give me an injection of lCEFTRIAXON 1000MG FL and sent me home with a course of Ofloxacine 400 PCH and Flagyl 500mg to treat PID as a precaution (my swab tests were negative, and no fluid in abdomen; so PID was ruled out in a follow-up phone call a few days later).
Symptoms have eased and I have a doctor’s appointment on the coming Monday to follow-up on low hemoglobin results etc., but I also want my CRP checked again.
Was the “food poisoning” coincidental, and is something more sinister possible? I’m convinced I have a tumour growing somewhere and they missed it (the CT/ultrasound was only of my abdomen). I have struggled with disordered eating since I was around 13 and am petrified on and off laxative abuse has caused colon cancer.
I know I should wait and just see my GP for the follow-up (which I actually organised for what it’s worth; I need to ease my anxiety and see that my levels are back to normal), but in the meantime, what are possible causes of such a high CRP, and is it normal to not find anything?
FWIW: I live in the Netherlands currently, and as such received Dutch healthcare.

Age 37
Sex F
Height 5’5
Weight 145
Race N/A
Duration of complaint: June 2022- present
Location: Georgia
Any existing relevant medical issues: N/A
Current medications: Praziquantel
Include a photo if relevant
Hello Everyone:
I have never posted here, but I feel like I’m at my wits end. In June 2022, , I went to Africa, west Africa, to do research. Before all of this, I was in perfect health. While there, the Director of the program gave us a moringa seed. We all ate the seed and I immediately had violent diarrhea. The diarrhea got into my vagina and urethra and I basically stayed in the shower for days at a time. The diarrhea was uncontrollable. After eating the seed, I became weak, almost passed out and could barely stand. I ended up leaving the program early and went straight to an urgent care. I later found out that the fish we were eating was coming from a contaminated water source and we were bathing with water from a well, that we were told was clean water. So the seed caused the diarrhea and whatever was in the diarrhea has caused a severe infection that we’ve been treating with antibiotics since June 2022. The doctor at urgent care did a urine sample upon my return and said that there was a lot of blood in my urine and that I had picked up some type of bacteria.m while in Africa. She prescribed Flagyl and I started to feel better. Two weeks later, I started noticing urinary symptoms. I developed issues passing urine, microscopic blood in my urine, flank pain on the left side, urine with an odor, and severe urgency and frequency. I have been on more than 10 different types of antibiotics and am now on my third week of Praziquantel after an urgent care doctor and ID doctor mentioned this to me. All of the testing, (blood, urine and stool sample) done was negative but there was a high clinical suspicion that this what it is. The doctors said the testing here isn’t the best but blood in urine is the biggest indicator and I’ve had blood in my urine since I’ve returned Africa. One doctor in October of 2023 mentioned Schistomiasis. I had never heard of this and no doctor I went to before had ever mentioned this. I’ve had every type of blood test done, STD testing, renal exams, CT scan, MRI, two cystoscopies and the last one revealed swelling at the base of my ureters. Apparently this parasite is causing severe inflammation in the urinary tract. I am taking the praziquantel (last dose tomorrow) but want to know how long should the treatment be since this has been going on since June 2022 upon my return from Africa. I’m afraid 3 weeks isn’t enough. This has disrupted so much of my life, I cry all the time because I was perfect health and only visited my doctor once a year for wellness exams. I forced myself to power through and finish my PhD and graduate, in so much pain, but this has taken a mental, physical, and emotional toll on me. For about two weeks here recently, things returned almost back to normal, then suddenly the symptoms (small volume of urine, flank pain, urgency and frequency returned). Interstitial cystitis, bladder cancer, TB, Renal TB, kidney cancer, strictures, and kidney and bladder stones have been ruled out. CBC tests show high levels of white blood cells, and high RDW. I just need direction so if any doctor can chime in, I’d be most grateful. The doctor mentioned a coinfection with both bacteria and Schistomiasis, so once I’m finished with the praziquantel, she wants me to take another 10 days of Macrobid. Any help is appreciated.

Some quick background...Male, 63, long-term smoker, moderately heavy drinker the last few years. I've had GERD occasionally for the last several years, but in general no more than 1-2 times a month, and almost exclusively as a result of drinking too much. In the last couple of years, however, I have had occasions where I've had reflux from drinking plain water - usually in situations where I'm drinking a lot, e.g. the gym, etc.
By way of additional background, I had a pulmonary embolism about 5 months ago. That lead to blood thinners for 3 months after leaving the hospital, and no alcohol, quit smoking, reduced physical activity - I've been a gym rat for more than 30 years. At the tail end of that 3 months, starting getting some mild indigestion - not burning, more like knots in the stomach. Kinda came and went over the course of several days, and so I made an appointment with a gastro to check it out.
That first appointment was 2 months ago now. Since then, I've taken many of same drugs most others here have taken - PPI'S, H2 Blockers, antacids, etc, etc. Some helped, some didn't. Bottom line, however, what started as "mild indigestion" turned into significant ongoing reflux, and LPR. And, of course, my anxiety went through the roof. Being old, a smoker, and a drinker, I was of course stressing heavily over the possibility of cancer.
And so, couple weeks ago had an endoscopy. Results came up basically clean - no cancer, no Barrett's, no H. Pylori, etc. Nothing more than a couple of spots of "mild inflammation". Lots of time and money spent on....something(?), but hey, at least I know...right? Fast forward three days after the endoscopy, I wake up in the middle of the night with severe diarrhea, and some vomiting. Off to the hospital for a two day visit, lots of meds, and several tests including a fecal exam indicating a bacterial infection. Sent home with two different antibiotics, including the dreaded Flagyl. Five days into the antibiotics, I've got nausea, stomach aches, stomach pains, bowel movements far from normal...I'm a mess, in other words.
Back to the doctor today for a check up. Doctor tells me the "biopsy" results on the "bacterial infection" in my fecal sample could not identify any "enteropathogenic bacteria". Doctor prescribes 3 new meds for the new stomach issues -aches, pains, etc - and says if they haven't resolved in two weeks, I need to do a colonoscopy.
Ok, so...In summary, over the course of a couple of months, mild indigestion has led me to extensive GERD issues, LPR, so many drugs I've literally lost count, massive anxiety, depression and feelings of hopelessness, a basically clean endoscopy, a mystery bacterial infection in my stomach, even more new and different drugs, some type of current bowel "issue", and now...an Endoscopy???
All of which - finally, lol - leads me to the point of my post: Exactly how far down this rabbit hole do I have to go?? Psychologically, I'm really not doing well right now. And so, I want to ask...Is anyone else going through something like this? If so, how do you cope? Any suggestions, please let me know. I'm an older guy, I'm single, don't have a lot of support, and quite frankly...I'm frightened, and feeling very alone right now.

Ohhh man, have I been having a time.
History sum up: I’m 34/F, I’ve been diagnosed with smoldering diverticulitis, I’ve been on cipro and flagyl for two months now, and have a surgery scheduled 17 days from now, where they are removing part of my colon, my uterus, what whatever else is happening in there. (They are expecting to find endometriosis on top of all the other colon related things too.)
I started my colon prep for my first colonoscopy, no problem. I took dose one of a dual dose clenpiq, and it wasn’t the best but I easily put it down. An hour later, I projectile vomited all of it, against my will.
I spoke to the doctor and he had me do the miralax/gatorade cleanse. Again, no problems, tasted fine, got it all down. An hour later, I lost it all again.
By the morning, I still was not able to get my colon properly prepped, but the doctor still wanted me to come in, as he said they wanted to try and rule out cancer before my procedure.
I blinked my eyes and then suddenly I was back awake and in awful pain! Apparently they had to abort the procedure because my sigmoid is so scarred and inflamed!! 🫣😫 the scope wouldn’t even fit! The switched to a smaller one and tried to get in, and proceeded to get a little bit further, but had to abort, again!
——————
Notes from my file 👨‍⚕️ “Start of Procedure: The Colonoscope-Endoscopy was introduced through the anus with the intention of advancing to the cecum. The scope was advanced to the sigmoid colon before the procedure was aborted. Medications were given. The GIF-Q180-Endoscopy was introduced through the anus with the intention of advancing to the cecum. The scope was advanced to the transverse colon before the procedure was aborted. Medications were given. The patient tolerated the procedure well. The quality of the bowel preparation was inadequate. The colonoscopy was unusually difficult due to multiple diverticula in the colon and restricted mobility of the colon. Successful completion of the procedure was aided by withdrawing the scope and replacing with the adult endoscope.”
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I’m eager as ever to get to my surgery appointment now…. And feeling more nervous than ever. I have my scan photos if anyone wants to see, you can DM me…but what the fuck. Everyone told me I was going to wake up nice and happy.
I guess I’m just sharing to rant? To folks who understand? Or connect if anyone else has had this issue.
Le sigh

Trying to decide last minute if I really need the surgery. I am a mess about it. Opinions greatly appreciated.
Some background. 40m, decent shape, regular exercise. History of one bout of colitis and small hernia. Was on opioids, NSAIDs and cortico steroids earlier in life.
Earl 2022 - Was on mild long acting narcotic. 3mg Hydro a day. Went off the Hydro. All hell broke loose. Severe green diarrhea for weeks.
May 2022 - I went to the hospital for LLQ pain, no fever but severe chills. CT showed "mild sigmoid diverticulitis. Severe inflammatory changes proximal sigmoid colon where there is a prominent diverticula" This was the worst flare I had.
August 2022 - Colonoscopy showed diverticula of the sigmoid colon. GI doctor said "it was pretty bad for my age and may require surgery"
He suggested more fibre and losing weight. I was not very heavy but could lose about 20 lbs. I have made progress with both.
Started to have tugging pain LLQ but almost always in the groin area. Sometimes a little higher but mild.
Lots of IBS symptoms and switching from constipation to diarrhea.
October 2022 - Mild flare. Small amount of pain. Chills, no fever. Cirpo/Flagyl. Bowel rest.
January 2023 - Mild tugging pain returns. CT showed diverticulosis but no diverticulitis. No wall thickening. No striation. No complications, no muscle changes and no scar tissue.
March 2023 - mild flare up requiring Cipro/Flagyl. No fever just chills and mild ache.
April 2023 - started having right sided pain similar in character to the left sided pain.
September 2023 - Mild flare up. No fever, just chills and inflammation stool (frayed edges).
October 2023 - CT showed mild sigmoid diverticulitis. Cipro/Flagyl mix. Bowel rest. Started Rifimixin. Seemed to help.
December 2023 - same mild pain. Frequent chills. No fever. Is this just a hernia??
Dr. Is very good. I believe he's listed as a general surgeon but specializes in GI surgery. He saved my mother's life. His name is Adnan Quershi in Ontario.
Surgeon suggested taking 1/3 of the top rectum and maximum 6" of sigmoid colon. He said if the colonscopy results were not accompanied by symptoms he would not suggest surgery but because it was symptoms + scan he suggests it.
Surgery is scheduled this week. Minimally invasive but not Robotic. Having a freak out about it and considering canceling. They won't be happy on such short notice. They know I'm freaking out. They've been really great people about it. But it's my rectum and colon, so I need to get this right.
My biggest concerns -Surgery is not actually needed. It's actually hernia. -It's mild enough and uncomplicated that it's not worth it -That it will give me ED -That I'll be bound to a toilet and have to change careers to work from home after just changing my career to a field based one. -Bowel movements will never be normal and always loose and frequent. -That it will affect my fetility. If not the surgery, the narcotics for pain. I am more tolerant to narcotics due to being on low doses for much of my life due to a nerve condition. -Loosing that much rectum. Seems insane to cut out so much healthy tissue. -needing a bag because it doesn't take. -Constant tugging feeling in abdomen -Needing 6 months to 2 years to get into a new rhythm. -Catheter causing penile scar tissue. -No robot means worse complications. I live in a small town so I get what I can take.
Concerns with not having the surgery. -Keeps happening and need a bag -ongoing inflammation causes cancer down the road -Needing emergency surgery -My IBS is caused by this and surgery may cure it.
Any advice would really help me out.

Everything I experienced/learned before and after being diagnosed.
First off, thanks for taking the time to read. I don't know if anyone will, but if my experience can help anyone, then that's OK with me.
For as long as I can remember, until I reached my 30's, I would have frequent Diarrhea. I considered 3 times a week to be pretty normal. My diet was really poor back then, and I ate lots of the garbage that kids these days do. My staples were hot fries and grilled cheese along with no small amount of soda. I struggled to keep my weight up throughout most of my life, until the age of about 28 when I started to work out, probably to cope with the death of my mother. She passed after fighting cancer for years (miss you mom!). Throughout the years, I never had a doctor take a vested interest when I told them about my frequent Diarrhea, so at some point I just assumed it was normal for me.
Around the age of 28 is also when some strange stuff started to occur. I used a supplement that had creatine and vitamin b6, and within months of finishing my first bucket of it (yes it was a literal chocolate bucket) I stared getting real bad acid reflux. I liked the effect of the creatine, so I kept that going, and purchased a different mass builder. Creatine required like 7 bottles of water a day, which was a massive change from my normal diet. Everything was hurting my throat. I switched from coke to pepsi, I couldn't drink gatorade anymore. After a while I had to just give up the Creatine, which actually went a long way towards reducing my acid reflux problems. Chocolate, citrus, coke and excessive water seemed to be big triggers for me.
I worked out pretty well for a couple years, averaging between 140-150, which is much more than the 130lb's I weighed most my adult life. I used a new mass builder called MRM (vanilla), which seemed to help with my body.
Fast forward to the end of 2019. I'm not in a good state of mind. For half a year, I've been mega-stressed. I stopped working out in March, and the stresses of my work are getting to me. December 2019, I get the news that my co-worker who splits half my work is seriously hurt in a car crash, and can't come into work anymore. Early January, I caught the flu. Around this time I started having a LOT of diarrhea. Probably after 50% of my meals, but this was just the beginning. My belly hurt, and I had to order looser underwear, wear looser belts, but it just got more and more painful. January 23'rd of 2020, I was admitted into the emergency room and diagnosed with a UTI. I was incredibly relieved they found the cause of the issue, and they prescribed me a week of antibiotics, which actually worked miracles.
I started working out again a week later, taking my MRM, and I remember being genuinely excited that I was constipated. It only took me a week to get depressed again, and I missed the weekend of MRM. On Monday, I had spaghetti for dinner, and that's literally the meal that ended my normal life. I got violently ill later that night. Puking and diarrhea, and uncontrollable shaking. I had no idea what was wrong, but decided just to wait it out, assuming I had gotten food poisoning. The next day I saw the doctor, and they ran a multitude of tests on me, checking for staph infection, and many others, and found nothing of note. The doctor just recommended I wait it out to see if it gets any worse. I started having diarrhea 2-3 times a day, but the nausea didn't really return during these first few weeks. I tried a lot of random experiments during these times with my food and nothing seemed to really help. By now a month had passed. (covid was becoming a thing). I was invited to my brother-in-law's birthday dinner, and halfway through, I had to leave and head to urgent care.
I was incredibly dizzy and nauseous, and when I got there they recommended I take a CBC panel, and a few other tests. Interestingly I tested positive Saccharomyces cerevisiae, IgG [Out of range 25.9H/25], but my doctor insisted it probably wasn't worth noting. I was prescribed a bunch of IBS medications. One of which made me incredibly ill, so I had to stop taking it immediately. At this point in time, I could no longer go into work and I had started working from home. Also, during this time, we had a covid scare in the office, and suddenly everyone was working from home. My doctor recommended I receive a colonoscopy and endoscopy, but by now all non-essential medical procedures were blocked by the government, so he put me in contact with a gastroenterologist. He tested me for H-pylori, and when the results came back negative, he decided it was best if I tried the triple therapy for stomach ulcers just in case. It's worth noting that by the end of march, I had lost over 30 pounds and now weighed 117lbs. My bowel movements were now resembled white sand, and I would poop after every meal. Even if there was a solid bowel movement, it would be white and disintegrate into sand in the toilet. I couldn't sit at a computer to work, because I would instantly become nauseous, and the anxiety of not knowing what was wrong was incredibly bad. I honestly think Lansoprazole helped a lot when I was at my worst. I had to quit the other two drugs from triple therapy because I was having heart issues where my heart would beat super fast and then slow down, along with lightheadedness. This new doctor experimented with a multitude of drugs and antibiotics, none of which really helped. Metronidazole, the generic for Flagyl did seem to help with the nausea, but that was probably just placebo effect. Some of the drugs I took during this whole ordeal (this list is missing some of the stuff due to switching docs and otc stuff): Lansoprazole, Clarithromycin, Amoxicillin, Hyoscyamine, Ondansetron.
Later that year, I was finally able to to get an endoscopy and colonoscopy! The doc called me up after it and broke the news to me. He explained that Lymphocytic Colitis was rare in people my age, and recommended I start a regimen of Budesonide. To be honest, I'm not sure how much help it was, around this time I was starting to eat better, and although the anxiety was still there, I was coping better with it (Probably around October of 2020). During this time I would routinely cut things from my diet if they gave me diarrhea. At some point I also remembered that one week of good stools at the beginning of 2020, and I ordered up some more MRM. I quit drinking soda entirely, and I think that, combined with working out regularly and the Budesinide set me on a pretty good track for the rest of that year, and pretty much half of the next year.
Since then, I've cycled between good shape, where I have basically no diarrhea unless I do something to screw it up, and medium shape, where I have diarrhea maybe 3 or 4 times a week. The medium shape is the standard for me these days. I had my first pizza again near the end of 2022, and have been back on a relatively acceptable diet ever since. I am constantly observing the effects certain foods and chemicals have on me. My current weight is 150, and I'm proud to say I have an unhealthy chick fil a addiction that isn't murdering me. At least not yet.
Of note, its easy for me to tell if I'm suffering from Lymphocytic Colitis or regular diarrhea. Lymphocytic Colitis gives me very wet Diarrhea about 30mins - 2 hours after eating, but I can feel it in my bowels almost immediately after. The discomfort is usually followed by anxiety, and I can pretty much ignore the anxiety, knowing the cause. The following are a list of foods/etc... that activate my Lymphocytic Colitis:
In Order of volatility:
#1 Garlic (also the reason a plate of Spaghetti got me started)
Caffine
Onions
Stress
Apples (I believe I'm allergic to them, they make my gums burn. Also I ate applesauce for a long time, completely thinking it was OK before bed. The results where immediately noticeable when I quit)
Sugar (I consume very little sugar, and only take MRM when I'm working out. My diet when I'm doing so is pretty clean otherwise, so I think that's why I can handle it. I also take MRM with milk)
Milk/dairy
Chicken Broth
Oily foods
Cranberry Juice
Now, for the stuff I've tried and what has/hasn't worked:
Probiotics (thought they were working, then I started having chronic trouble.)
Vitamin D (Didn't work, whichever vitamin was touted for working on autoimmune diseases.)
Working out/exercise (great)
Stress reduction (Just moved to relax myself, and its great)
Posture
OK, posture is going to get it's own section. I'm a video gamer and all my work throughout the day takes place on the computer as well. One thing I would do, and have done for an eternity, is sit with my feet up on my desk, or scrunched up in some position with my belly pressed by my legs. As wild as it is, this is one of the biggest changes I made. It occurred to me I can hear my stomach when I'm balled up, or sitting in a strange position. I now sit like a king, and it's made a massive difference.
Overall, I'm in much better shape now, and I've basically settled any lingering anxiety. I still deal with Lymphocytic Colitis every day, as anyone with this disease should, but I'm no longer afraid of it. Also, I see a lot of stuff about NSAIDS and Alcohol, neither of these things bother me. I've popped 4 advils this week to deal with a cold and I'm issue free, cold aside.
Hopefully some people can find the info in this post to be helpful. If needed, I can get exact dates, and exact drugs/dosages. I wish you all a great and healthy new year!
-Scott