Is colonoscopy vital for diagnosing diarrhoea?

Q: I am a 40 years old man suffering from acute diarrhoea for the last month and a half. It was diagnosed as amoebiasis and I received treatment for the same at a local hospital. However, subsequently I got my stool culture done and it showed E.coli. I was prescribed Amikacin 500 for 5 days but it did not help in treating diarrhoea. My doctor now has put me on Vibact, Dompan and Sartogyl-o and has asked me to undergo colonoscopy. Is there any alternative to colonoscopy?

A:Diarrhoea that goes on for more than 2 weeks is called chronic diarrhoea. Most infections including amoebiasis and E.coli do not cause chronic diarrhoea. Therefore, it is important to find the cause and colonoscopy is an essential investigation for you.