https://paulnystrom.com/tags/gi/Recent content in GI on Paul NystromHugoen-usSat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://paulnystrom.com/posts/lower-gi-bleed/Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://paulnystrom.com/posts/lower-gi-bleed/<p>With rare exceptions, there are usually no clear answers in the ER for what causes lower GI bleeding. We have tests to check hemoglobin, which measures the amount of red blood cells you have. (When you donate blood, this is usually what you&rsquo;re donating. Donating plasma or platelets is less common.) We can also check clotting factors such as platelets, as well as a test called INR, which assesses how well your blood should clot. We generally perform CT scans of the abdomen as well, but we rarely find a definitive answer.</p>https://paulnystrom.com/posts/hows-that-working-for-you/Sun, 07 Dec 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://paulnystrom.com/posts/hows-that-working-for-you/<p>People are very unwilling to let go of their opinions. I see this most commonly when it comes to abdominal pain. I have many discussions with patients about abdominal pain. I do large workups for abdominal pain regularly. Many of the patients I see have already had extensive workups by gastroenterology— they’ve had blood tests, cameras shoved down their throats and up their butts—but no one has any answers. I have patients with ulcerative colitis whose GI specialists tell them that diet has nothing to do with their disease. It is baffling to me that this became the standard teaching for most of the GI doctors I’ve interacted with. How is it possible that things going wrong in your gut are not related to what you put in your gut? It seems like the most intuitive thing imaginable, yet we ignore it.</p>