Is this normal for IBS?

[MapleSyrupIsBetterThanGoldenSyrup]

I’m a bit clueless with ibs so not sure if this is normal or not. It’s still relatively new to me and I would appreciate any help

Tonight I was eating dinner and my friends wanted to get fish and chips. I knew it was a bad idea for me as it’s oily, but usually I just get some diarrhoea and cramps- it would be bearable, albeit very unpleasant. And I don’t want to be the one who always has to be difficult so I decided to have it tonight and expect some IBS and discomfort. I haven’t had IBS symptoms for the last couple of days so i thought I might get away with it and I’ve had oily food before and it definitely makes things a little worse, but it doesn’t trigger my symptoms like other things.

about 4 minutes into eating the fish and chips, I suddenly felt a horrific pain in the bottom of my stomach- round about my belly button I think. It was in the middle and on both sides and it felt like I was being stabbed in different places. I’ve NEVER had pain like that before- I tried to ignore it because I thought it was trapped wind pains, but eventually it got so bad that I couldn’t and I actually had to crawl upstairs to the bathroom crying. I couldn’t even stand up it was so painful and I thought I was dying at one point. I’ve never experienced pain like that in my life

I went to the toilet and it was normal and wasn’t diarrhoea and since then the pain has got better. it still feels a little bit sore but it’s not even 10% of what it was before.

i have recently had an ultrasound of my gallbladder to check for stones and it was clear so I know I don’t have gallstones. I also had my blood tested for everything and there’s no inflammation or pancreas or gallbladder problems.

is this normal for IBS? I’ve had the nausea and cramping and the diarrhoea and constipation but I’ve never had extreme pain like this before

Just noticed your update OP - Blood and clots is NOT a sign of IBS!

you need to speak to a GP asap - and ask to be sent for a colonoscopy.

IBS sufferers need to be aware of this too as it can exacerbate the condition. Google FODMAP foods. There is a list of low to high FODMAP foods. Best to avoid or limit the high ones.

FODMAPs are a group of sugars that are not completely digested or absorbed in our intestines. When FODMAPs reach the small intestine, they move slowly, attracting water. When they pass into the large intestine, FODMAPs are fermented by gut bacteria, producing gas as a result. The extra gas and water cause the intestinal wall to stretch and expand. Because people with IBS have a highly sensitive gut, ‘stretching’ the intestinal wall causes exaggerated sensations of pain and discomfort

Put simply, FODMAPs are a collection of short-chain carbohydrates (sugars) that aren’t absorbed properly in the gut, which can trigger symptoms in people with IBS. FODMAPs are found naturally in many foods and food additives.

The pain and toilet adventure totally
normal for me.

however the blood you need to go and get seen asap. I’ve had mucus and that’s fine apparently but blood is a no no.

Have you had a faecal calprotectin and faecal elastase tests done (of your poo)? I have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency and I sometimes get symptoms within minutes of eating. Fish and chips is the worst. I have struggled to eat it for years and it was only after I was diagnosed that it made sense why (I can't digest fats).

@MapleSyrupIsBetterThanGoldenSyrup I had this a few months ago - pack a hospital bag and go straight to A&E, you need to be on an antibiotic drip, and you'll need a scan. Its possibly ulcerative colitis.

I’ve seen a doctor and had a calprotectin test already for the IBS, but I haven’t seen a doctor about the pain started yesterday as I presumed it was all related to the IBS. If it has stayed as bad as it was yesterday I’d have gone to the doctors today instead of uni but the pain got a lot better/more bearable overnight.

I can’t say for certain where the blood/mucus
came from. It looked like a period, but my period finished several days ago, and I haven’t had any spotting or discharge since it finished. It was completely finished by Sunday so the blood today seems random, and it only happened when I went to the toilet this morning. I’m know I pass something but the only thing in the toilet was the blood and mucus so it must have been that, but it was exactly like a period so that’s why I’m not sure! The pain has been on and off today but not nearly as bad as yesterday thankfully, it seems to have got a lot better.

I was getting a lot of pain at the right but also at the left and middle too so it doesn’t even seem to be one specific bit. It’s just been on/off all over my abdomen. IBS really is awful.

Bright red clots of blood in your stool or instead of stool is not IBS, its ulcerative colitis!

I had a similar (although a bit less awful) issues a few weeks ago and then tested positive for covid. I just thought it was a flare up. It was awful. I hope you feel better soon.

that sounds awful! Hope you’re feeling better now. I actually had a scope several months ago which didn’t show any UC, that’s how I was diagnosed with IBS x

Unfortunately it's normal for me. Anything like fish and chips, curry, creamy pasta, brown bread, seeded bread, mayo, I can be in the toilet in minutes.

Oh covid can be nasty! I hope you’re recovering and feeling better now. I hadn’t even thought of covid because I had it earlier this year and I was fine last time I had it thankfully. Thank you for the suggestion.

Sorry just seen about the blood, that's not normal for me, I get it on wiping after 55 trips to the toilet. It not like that.

I have this with IBS, it's always immediately after I've eaten something.

The pain is horrific, I get the eggy burps and diarrhoea. It doesn't usually stop until 3-4 days after I've eaten the food. When this happens I usually do a full detox, I don't eat, I just drink lots of lemon water for 24 hours. It usually clears it up quicker.

I feel for you OP

Ok, so a little bit of an update!

it’s definitely not blood from my back passage thankfully- it’s vaginal. But my period has stopped already and has been for days so I have NO idea how this fits in with the symptoms that started last night like the stabbing pain and diarrhoea and the ibs. I’m so confused now!

I don’t mean to drip feed, but I’ve actually just realised I’ve been having a lot of pain recently in my tummy. It started a week or two ago and the pain is like a stitch- it comes and goes and it feels like I’m being stabbed in my abdomen and my sides. I hsd it badly when I was out walking last week and I was doubled over in agony and was crying in the street. But then it went away. Sorry for the drip feed, I had dismissed that in my head and I’ve just remembered it and realised it was very similar to last night.

Oh dear, I think you need to see a doctor really.

Yeah I’ll call my gp tomorrow and try to get an appointment. I don’t want to waste their time if this is just IBS/my period but I’ve never had anything like this before and I really dont understand what is going on!

Good idea to see a GP.
make sure they test your urine too.
I had abdomen pain (that moved around my abdomen but was mostly lower right side) and it was a urine/ bladder infection that had gone untreated for a while.
hope you find some answers.

Last time I had that reaction it was due to a bottle of banana milkshake. I curled up sweating on the floor almost passed out with the pain followed by violent diarrhoea and jelly like mucous.
Docs told me it's definitely ibs but exacerbated by a possible dairy intolerance.
Any changes, straight back to your doc.

Honestly it is for me. I’ve had awful pain like you describe, it’s on a par with labour pain. Sometimes the pain is so bad I start vomiting and it doesn’t stop until I’ve brought up everything in my stomach. I’m very careful with what I eat, but sometimes an unknown ingredient will slip past the radar. My last attack was because of Asda oven chips, fuck knows what was in them.