Hello,

My 17 year old niece has been experiencing gastro symptoms: bloating, pain, vomiting, fatigue, and as she told me "feeling like crap". My sister told the doc that I have Crohn's.  The Internist did lab work and told my sister that the labs showed elevations in three inflammatory markers, but he didn't think it was necessary to go to the next level.  I don't know which markers.  The doc suggested that they embark on a process of elimination with food, and the use of probiotics (VSL), before going to a specialist.  This is causing her not only physical pain, but also emotional fear that something is wrong with her.  A red flag for me is when you have to call the doctor multiple times to find out what the labs showed, especially when there are abnormalities.

Please give you opinions, but I think it seems like a theory of chasing one's tail.  How do you treat a possible gastro issue without knowing what, is anything is going on. He is reluctant to refer her for a upper and lower GI scope.  

Does anyone think I'm crazy?  She will head off to college next year and it seems reasonable to know what the heck is going on.

Does anyone know a really good GI doc in South Florida?  I remember reading about a doc at the Cleveland Clinic in Ft. Lauderdale, but I can't recall his name.

THANKS!  

Lisa