What does protein malnutrition feel like?

Holy **** that is awful! You poor baby. Was is neglect on your part or a very short common channel? You mentioned it was an initial episode of diahorrea?

First time it was due to needing a longer CC. I was crapping well over 20 times a day and the part of that that IS my fault is not telling anyone because I was scared of losing my ds. I was lucky to come out with my life and my ds.

Second time was a series of horrible life events over a period of a month, but I caught it before it was so horrid at least. Still my fault but it's a fog. I had my mom in CCU, once she was out within a week my dad was in, he passed and then my daughters were in a nasty car wreck the first day of his funeral.

Moral of the story for me is that I am no longer normal and I have to realize that everyday, any day. I have to take care of myself.

I remember the latter events and wondered if you should go and buy a lotto ticket after that horrendous luck. I was crapping about 10 to 15 times a day and have never felt so washed out and hideous. I just can't imagine living with that daily.

You're spot on having a Ds means putting your health first above all else. A hard lesson for many of us. Be well dear one. Thanks for sharing your situation.

 Kirmy, 

Thanks for this sobering thread. Threads like this are part of what makes this such a wonderful board. There is a startling amount of support available, but it would all be a lot of rah-rah-rah, without the constant reminders from vets like you about what we are really getting ourselves into. It is so much more than my surgeon's informed consent. That was just about possible complications at the time of surgery, with a note added about needing to take my supplements to avoid serious malnutrition. But you guys bring it to life, and make it possible for me to REALLY know what I am getting myself into, with my eyes truly open. I sure hope I avoid protein malnutrition. But this thread makes me realize that it can happen to the best of us, who have the best of intentions, and that therefore it needs to be watched out for. This paints so much more of a picture for me than the idea of numbers trending down, which is of course important as well.

Thanks again!
Lisa

Kirmy,  (this is an aside question)
How much calcium do you take / need? I am always suprised to hear people say that they are experiencing loose stool once they are several years out and taking the amount of calcium to keep their lab trend in good range.

I take 8 Vita Cost Bone Booster tablets four times a day ( I know I know it is lots)....and always get one stuck in my maw.  It is the iron that gives me the mega skitters but I can live with that.  Luckily for my my iron is trendeing quite high so I am only taking 8 irons once a day.  It is like eating a wad of plastic shopping bags....bleeeerrk!!!!

I'm not quite 2 years out so I'll let you know if I develop arse cement.

That is an interesting product. The pill must be enormous. What happens with all the folate? Is excess just peed out?

I'm going on the assumption I'm peeing out the folate but 'I'll get back to you on that after my next blood draw! I swear by the supplement. My PTH was really high and is now normal and my calcium is high normal as too my adjusted calcium. It worked a treat for me but I suspect I'm over supplementing so next bloods should be interesting.

 Holy **** this is what I'm going through right now.  I was avoiding the fact that I indeed do have bacterial overgrowth because of other people's opinions of using Flagyl.  Why do I give the time of day to such pious anti-antibiotic **** heads?  I say that needing to rid myself of constant, chronic diarrhea is not a ******g vanity issue so shut the **** up.  And I don't want to hear anymore talk from anyone who cries 'abuse'.  The number of people on OH that are Flagyl abusers are miniscule.  And those whom consume fishzole are just plain, flat out, ******g idiots.

I'm not certain that I am showing any visible signs of protein malnutrition yet, but I have let this carry on for almost 3 weeks now and I KNOW that I am dehydrated.  My body has been lusting for protein.  I've upped to 100g in whey isolate and another 60-100+ per day in meat.  A couple days I tried stuffing myself with complex carbs too in hopes of clogging up the pipes a bit (a very easy thing to do during Thanksgiving).  It didn't help and  I lost 5 pounds this past week during Thanksgiving and now sport a lovely hemorrhoid.

I have also been dealing with insatiable bouts of hunger, even after JUST eating.  What is up with that?  I'm not sure if it's related but it is very annoying.

Headed to the Dr. this morning and demanding Flagyl, labs, and something to ease my poor ass.

and that's my story :)

~GG

I'd say that chronic diarrhea is a good enough reason to take Flagyl.  Farting isn't!  Taking Flagyl to indulge in white flour carbohydrates is also not a good reason.  If you had IBS or crones disease you'd be hospitalised by now after three weeks of 10+ bowel motions a day.  Take your flagyl only when needed and work hard on prevention.  Get plenty of active yogurt cultures into your diet and keep the sugar out for as long as you can. 

Remember constant exposure to an antibiotic can cause growth of resistant bacteria not to menation  loss of helpful bowel flora.  So the more you use it the more you will lose it so to speak.  Be mindful and use it only as required.

Good luck.