IBS getting me down

[She3po]

I've had 'IBS' for about 6 years now, it fluctuates between stomach pain and diarrhoea to constipation and nausea. I've kept diaries to find triggers but it doesn't seem to correlate to anything though I think it's linked to my cycle. It's at it's worst straight after I eat.

It makes me dread socialising though I've made a conscious effort not to let it stop me, I've told most of my close family so I don't feel the need to run off home at the first hint of pain and overall I thought my positive attitude towards it had actually alleviated some of the symptoms. However, after a meal with family last night I had to leave as I felt so nauseous and shaky, luckily the dc were flagging so we used that as an excuse and dh knows when it's time to leave for me. Just feel a bit deflated, really don't want this to rule my life. :(

Thank God chocolate doesnt cause any symptoms :)

Sorry for the rant, don't want advice particularly just wanted to let off steam.

Just read another thread and it's given me the kick up the bum I needed. There are people in worse situations then this by far :( I just needed some perspective and a little rant. No longer feeling sorry for myself.

I know how you feel as fellow ibs sufferer mine is related to anxiety and lactose intolerance I think. I hate the panicky feeling when I am out and I know there is no loo around that seems to be the biggest trigger of my symptoms . Just letting you know there is someone on the same boat !!

Thanks Kaz, the anxieties like a visous (sp?) circle. Is the IBS making me anxious or the anxiousness giving me IBS

I have had it for years but since I changed from the combined pill to mini pill Cerazette I have been fine. Could be a coincidence though I guess.. hypnotherapy meant to be very good, there is a specialist centre somewhere (Manchester?)

Has it suddenly got worse? Have you seen the GP?

I've had IBS since I was 17. Last year I suddenly started having to go to the loo more often, especially after I'd eaten. It got worse and worse and the GP kept telling me it was just IBS. It actually turned out to be bowel cancer :(

I was just about to post about my recent experience & spotted your thread, so hoping this might be you too :)

Have you had a blood test for Heliobacter Pylori?????

I ask as for years I've been fobbed off with an IBS diagnosis & dealt with it accordingly & managed to keep it mostly under control with diet etc etc

more recently the heartburn side of it has been going crazy - my old GP insisted this was stress & IBS too

Usual GP on Maternity leave so now have a new one - she'd looked at my notes & asked if I'd ever had a blood test for H.Pylori - I said I didn't think so, but she checked & turns out I hadn't - years & years of it & I hadn't had a simple blood test

Blood test results back today & I DO have H.Pylori - NOT IBS & GERD

So insist your GP checks you for this before accepting IBS diagnosis - its curable with specific anti B's :)

If you HAVE had this test, then look into a herb called "Cats Claw" I found that very helpful for my stomach & always took it if I needed antibiotics -

also the Viridian stomach floras are very helpful - I also found lactose aggravates it, so stick with lactofree milk & mature cheeses etc

during a flare up, wheat & all diary would make it worse, & wearing tights would also cause more problems

Would you consider seeing an osteopath? Not all but some osteopaths can help. My SIL had severe IBS. She dated an osteopathy and in months she went off travelling the world with him ( something she couldn't dream of doing as she was attached to her loo and too worried to do it). Now she gets about 2 attacks a year usually through crap diet and sees an osteopath every 6 months to keep on top of it.

If you look into this - phone a few up and speak to them, they specialise in different areas so some are better than others in helping in this area.

I've had IBS for decades. The one thing I've learnt is that it's a label the drs give to people when they don't know what's wrong and it's not life threatening.

Mine is very much affected by stress. A family meal would cause that. If I go anywhere for a night away, it causes me upset. I often look l like I'm 8 months pregnant. Then it dies down and people say "oh haven't you lost weight". I haven't - I just bloat up at certain times.

It's very distressing. You just need to find out what triggers yours and cope with it the best way you can.

I was diagnosed with ibs at age 14 , struggled to eat out for years. After a bad bout 25 years on it had turned into coeliac disease so don't presume it is just ibs that can cause the symptoms.

Sorry I haven't been back to the thread, had a very busy couple of days including a family bbq at our house, followed by really bad constipation and a burst hemorroid (if thats possible), ouch!!!

Earthdog - I'm not on any hormone contraceptives, thanks for the recommendation though, my dh is keen for me to see someone about this.

Tallulah - it hasn't suddenly got worse, same as usual, it just really got to me this week for some reason. Hope your well after your diagnosis.

Rockinhippy - thanks for the info on H. Pylori, I've never heard of that connection before, just associated it with stomach ulcers. I'll be going to the gp this week about the piles so will definitely mention it. What's really interesting is dd2 (11mo) suffers quite a lot with her bowels and it can be passed on via bfing. Didn't manage it with dd1 whose fine. Is it strange that I would like to have it so we could both find an actual problem with a solution?

Pancakeflipper - I would definitely see an osteopath, thanks for the recommendation, I will look into it. Sounds like dating one would be ideal, pity I'm married :o

Mossi - i think its anxiety too, I can't find any food triggers as I can eat the same meal twice and be fine on one occasion and not the next. It's worse when I'm out, especially socialising but it can flare up at home when it's just me and dh. It's the diarrhoea and pain that worry me the most but the nausea after every meal gets me down.

Danthe4th - coeliacs is always on my mind, as is chrohns. I hate the term ibs as others have said it's the label you get when they just don't know :(

Thank you to everyone for the advice and just for sharing, it's good to know it's not just me.

She I thought that too, but quite recently my BIL also took very ill with diareah & sickness & lost a lot of weight & off work, which as he's self employed NEVER happens - he's been ill & having problems for a while before that too & they put that down to IBS due to business stress too , but this time round he went private & his also turned out to be H.Pylori ....

I hadn't considered mine might be the same, because I've never been as ill as he was for years, & also previously thought it was ulcers

& my own DD also has had stomach problems for years, s triggered by food additives & stress, they are not sure whether IBS or Chrohns - hospital reckoned they'd need to test her during a flare up to diagnose chrohns, but after years I've now learned her triggers & how to deal with the symptoms quickly .........

I have an appointment next week & will be asking my new GP to test her too...so very interesting one of your DDs also has similar problems too

I have it too. It runs my life for me . DS starts school in Sept and I'm so scared about how I'm going to get him to school on time while juggling toilet visits. At the moment I just don't eat breakfast if we have to go out early, but as I'm already underweight I don't see that as a long term solution.

The hospital are going to test me for Crohns, but TBH I think it's just stress. I can eat fruit and wholemeal food if I'm not constantly on the go. But 95% of the time I'm hungry and trying to figure out what to eat that won't bloat me or send me to the loo.I've also ended up with painful anal fissures as I have to go to the loo so often, drives me up the wall.

It did seem to be triggered by a trip to China 8 years ago when I got a God awful stomach bug that the doctors never managed to diagnose. My consultant said nasty bugs can mess up the stomach for years.

pancake Agree with the osteopath. I saw an excellent osteo / sports massage guy last Autumn and he said I was very knotty in my lower back area. Once he'd squashed and crunched all the stress out my IBS got better. He was off sick for a while so I haven't seen him in ages and my lower back is crunched up again. I must call the clinic again this week.

Meglet I've been getting up at 6 - 6.30, to get the loo thing out of the way before the School run - thats worked for me, though not deal if you need more sleep .......& thinking back I was ill in China too & not been right since

Rockin - dd was also born with a congenital bowel defect that was reapaired at birth but complicates the issue further!

Meglet- my solution is to skip breakfast which I know you said is not ideal but it gets me through. I had fissures after dd2 and cannot get rid of my piles one year later! Anusol is great though at easing the pain.

Sorry to resurect an oldish thread but I need a whinge. I'm currently in the hell that is constipation! Quite unusual for me as it's normally the opposite problem causing me grief. it's my own fault as diet has been poor last week due to lack of hob and don't really like fruit. I've taken lactulose today and heading into a hot bath, but the pain is intense, two haemorrhoids and a small tear from my last pg (one year ago) have resurfaced and it's agony. :(

i feel you pain
i have been so ill since saturday the pain had me rolling on the floor but i have not had a day off work just stayed near a toilet
had this feeling about 2mths ago too which lasted 5 days

went to the doctors yesterday and nurse said i just had a dodgy tummy maybe food poisoning but i am sure its IBS i have kept a diary incase it happens again

also not been to sleep properly since Saturday and do not feel like eating dh made a speg bol on monday night and the pain was too much i threw up so been on toast and fibre drinks