Gastroenterology Q&A by Dr. Lee
What is the importance of not having red Jell-O the night before a colonoscopy?
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- How often should a person with celiac sprue have a colonoscopy?
- I just had a colonoscopy and they found two non-cancerous colon polyps and one non-cancerous lipoma (no previous polyps prior), when should I have my next colonoscopy?
- What is the importance of not having red Jell-O the night before a colonoscopy?
- I was tested and told I have microscopic colitis, it seems that i have constant dull pain at bottom rib cage, also my joints all over my body are always stiff sore, could the stiff sore joints, shoulders, hips etc, have anything to do with the microscopic colitis?
- Can Crohn's disease be manifested with constipation and flatulence (farting)? My daughter has been on Zelnorm (tegaserod) for constipation for months and it is not working and she experiences extreme bloating, abdominal pain, and constipation with some diarrhea and is miserable.
- I recently had a colonoscopy and the doctor was not able to complete it because he was not able to get the scope around a bend in my intestines. He is recommending I have a barium enema to complete the exam. How common is this?
- Is it possible to have a false negative blood test for celiac disease?
- Are cysts in the pancreas dangerous?
- My doctor told me that I have fatty liver and high cholesterol. He also said that my liver is slightly inflamed because my liver tests are mildly abnormal. He wants me to lose weight, exercise and take Lipitor to lower my cholesterol. I also read that Lipitor can have liver side effects. Is it safe to take Lipitor in somebody like me?
- My doctor called me yesterday and told me I have no gallstones but have gallbladder polyps on ultrasound test. He also told me that I do not need surgery to remove them. Is it safe to live with gallbladder polyps? Can they become cancers?
- Are people who are only carriers of the hepatitis B virus without liver disease or hepatitis at risk for liver cancer?
- I would like information on collagenous colitis; I understand it is rare and therefore it is difficult to research the disease.
- Is acetaminophen (Tylenol) safe to use for "flu" symptoms caused by interferon in the treatment of hepatitis C? Isn't Tylenol toxic to the liver? Is Motrin safer in this situation?
- I have crohn's disease and heard that smoking is bad for someone with Crohn's, however, for a patient with colitis ulcer it may be good. Is this true?
- Do you know if oat bran contains gluten? Is it OK to eat oat bran if you have celiac sprue?
- I have a very painful hemorrhoids, what can I do to help the pain?
Dr. Dennis Lee is board certified in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology and is a member of Mission Internal Medical Group, a multi-specialty medical group serving South Orange County. Dr. Lee enjoys being able to make a positive impact on his patient's lives.
"For ten years the doctors of MedicineNet have been writing articles on topics we believe are of interest to our viewers and patients," Dr. Lee says. "With 'Ask the Experts' we now know exactly what our patients and viewers want to hear."
Dr. Lee looks forward to discussing common areas of interest in disease prevention and management of chronic gastrointestinal ailments such as irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's disease. He believes patients suffering from these chronic conditions are interested in ways to improve their quality of life.
Dr. Lee enjoys building trusting and caring friendships with his patients, many of whom have been with him for years to decades.
"Last Christmas I received a Christmas card from a patient I saw 20 years ago," Dr. Lee says. "At the time he was stricken by cancer at a very young age. In the Christmas card was a picture of him with his lovely wife and child."
In his free time, Dr. Lee enjoys tennis, fishing, and eating out.
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