I had an EGD in October, a small bowel series this week and am scheduled for a colonoscopy right before Thanksgiving. I have been diagnosed with vitamin b12 deficiency, vitamin d deficiency, low calcium, lower than normal WBC and a high MCH value. My physical symptoms are, when I am in a bad phase, 6-12 loose BM's, abdominal cramping, joint pain, fatigue and general nausea. The endoscopy showed gastritis and duodenitis. I haven't heard from my GI doctor about small bowel series since it was just done earlier this week. I wanted to know if it is normal to have 10-12 loose BM's the day after a small bowel series and again the second day after a small bowel series the same amount of BM's? I still have a lot of cramping and nausea too. It seems if they run any test my symptoms worsen after. Do any of these symptoms indicate IBD or possibly something else? My GI doctor also tested my blood to see if there are any antibodies present that may indicate celiac - no results yet.
Q: Multiple loose stools after small bowel series - is this normal?
Thanks for writing, Id.
Yes; it is common to have loose stools after a SBFT (small bowel follow through), especially if you are already having small bowel "issues." People who are already inflamed may find the contrast material--or any substance, even food--irritating, and excessively stimulating to the bowels.
About your lab tests: the MCH (mean corpuscular hemoglobin) value is the amount of hemoglobin in an average red blood cell. A high MCH suggests a type of anemia known as macrocytic anemia; lack of folic acid and/or vitamin B12 is often a cause of this type of anemia.
The vitamin deficiencies (vitamins B12 and D) and the electrolyte deficiency (the low level of the mineral, calcium) you describe are often seen in small bowel disease, such as seen in Crohn's disease, celiac disease, or in some other malabsorption problems related to small bowel disease.
As for the low white blood cell count (WBC), it would help to know if you are taking any drugs that might be causing a lower than usual value.
Good luck with your upcoming colonoscopy.
My best,
Hope
You certainly are having your share of
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