What to expect from GP- IBS related not pleasant

[MonsteraAddict]

I am someone that avoids all things medical and so feel like I need to be prepared for what might happen.
This will be the first time I have been to the GP for this issue. I am 42 years old - female.

I have been unable to eat anything other than broth and plain potato, plain pasta for two weeks. If I try anything else, my stomach blows up, pain is awful, nausea overwhelming, sweats, headache and faintness.
Even though I am eating practically nothing, I still have awful diarrhoea 20- 30 times a day and immodium is no longer even slowing it. Although I am not in discomfort when not eating, I am weak and fatigued. Work is hell at the moment.
Im going to call the doctor because im out of ideas and nothing is helping.

What can I expect from the GP? Im worried about toilets etc I feel disgusting and so ill.

I know some of you also suffer, and you always have helpful advice.

I would expect them to say that it doesn't sound like IBS...

I have lost weight but I hadn't until I stopped eating.
This is something that has happened a few times over the years but only last half a day. I also have symptoms first few days of period, so I believe it to be IBS that has got worse suddenly?

What will the GP do 😥

I will call in the morning for an appointment. They are pretty good.

Get an urgent gp appointment. Or this could warrant 111/an a&e visit if you can manage it.

Is it overflow diarrhoea? I’ve had IBS with diarrhoea and for me the best thing was to take Fybogel.

No not overflow. It's like my digestive system eliminates anything I eat or even drink. Im having a lot of water with electrolyte sachets to keep me going.

I have two teens and they have always been given appointments when needed. I also have been to the GP for a chest infection etc I only go when I've exhausted other options, like the pharmacy, for myself.

I think I've lost about 10lbs but I am a size 18 so not massively evident.
Im drink a few litres a day of peppermint tea and water.

I had something like this last year. Felt GP wasn’t too interested, just put me on a testing pathway and prescribed various drugs - including antidepressants.

I did blood tests, FIT tests and eventually had a colonoscopy. Luckily given the all clear from that which led to a ‘it must just be IBS then’ diagnosis. I have researched and tried to adjust my diet to minimise symptoms but it’s not great, and when I’m stressed or anxious (often about the IBS itself!) it can be much worse. If I had the money I’d look into going private to reassess the coeliac side of things or find a better solution, but I did find that a diagnosis of IBS isn’t unusual in women of my age (early 40s and in perimenopause). Not saying everyone has it, but it certainly seems common enough to not be unusual. TBH it feels like just one of several things that’s slowly going wrong with my body since entering my 40s…

Anyway you should definitely speak to your GP and if you can, prepare a diary of what you’ve eaten when, how much etc, and the subsequent consequences (timing, severity, frequency, other symptoms) so they can try to identify any pattern. Good luck.

Stop the peppermint tea too. It could be causing a problem as well. I used to drink flat cola when ill but after years of this I found latterly it was causing my problems.

Pasta is made from wheat. You’d think if you were going to have a problem it would be coeliac related. How are you with boiled rice (from scratch not a pouch for the micro obv)? What about chicken?

What else are you eating or drinking? Chewing gum? (Contains artificial sweeteners, as does full fat lemonade etc despite not being “diet”)

Yes - i haven't had any peppermint tea today as felt too ill.
Not eating anything else at all - or drinking anything else. I will stop the little soup pasta I put in the bottom of the broth. I could only manage 100ml tonight - stomach bloated out and stayed in the bathroom.

Just hoping this is something that can be helped.

I submitted an e-consult to my doctor with similar symptoms, although yours sound worse. They called me in for an appointment that afternoon, and the GP arranged for me to submit a faecal sample to be tested for bowel cancer, food poisoning/infection and something else. Not exactly delightful but not painful or difficult. It wasn’t any of those things so they said it is IBS but they haven’t provided me with any help really on finding the cause.

The GP will no doubt ask for a stool sample. Imagine that will be the first thing. If they end up saying IBS after investigations, look into SIBO. It’s a bit of a contested diagnosis, some gastroenterologists believe in it, others are unsure. It can be alleviated with antibiotics and is diagnosed with breath tests.

Thank you for replying and letting me know what the next steps might me. Do they ask for blood tests?

How have you been doing this for 2 weeks? I had horrific food poisoning on holiday and would have got seen if it had gone for more than 48 hours. 20-30 bowel movements a day is really a lot and you’ll be losing a lot of water.

https://www.whatsupwithmygut.org.uk/

This website might be worth a look. It was produced by all the major gut charities to help people struggling to get a diagnosis. It had quite a nice flow diagram with things your GP might do, and questions they might ask.

Is it pretty much right after eating OP? I occasionally have IBS flare ups within an hour of eating, very similar symptoms to what you describe but usually just for the rest of that day fortunately. 'Dumping syndrome' was mentioned in passing at one GP visit but never investigated further, I assume because it doesn't happen all the time or give me ongoing probelms.

I would be asking for stool tests for calprotectin and bacterial agents.

It sounds like IBD - Crohn's probably - rather than IBS. My daughter's symptoms were constant diarrhea and vastly reduced appetite. Later she started running fevers and vomiting randomly.

The other thing to consider is BAM (bile acid malabsorption), but they should rule out IBD first.

I had similar symptoms and by a process of elimination found out it was barley causing my problems.

I know it's horrid but please keep drinking and eating. I was too ill to do either and I ended up in hospital with kidney failure.

Going to the toilet 20-30 times a day and rapidly losing weight sounds like C Diff. You need to see a doctor urgently.