Does this sound like IBS? Advice please. (Sorry, long)

[OxyMoron]

Hello, don't post here often, but thought you might be the ones to help tonight.

Basically, I've had a whole string of minor health problems over the last 3 months. Infections, eczema flare up, gastroenteritis, and the odd virus, all one after the other, usually overlapping. As a result I got extremely tired and run down. Things have improved over the last 2 or 3 weeks (dh on holiday, I've been trying to do as little as possible, rest up and recover) but I am still having intermittent problems.

The problems I'm left with now are digestive. About a month ago I was feeling constantly nauseous, like bad ms, and got to the stage where I was really only taking in water. I tried really hard to start eating again (more of a mental battle in many ways), firstly by eating anything I felt I could keep down, then by trying to move onto more nutritious stuff. I'm still losing weight, so obviously not eating enough yet, but it's much better than it was.

Now I find that I still have times, usually in the evening, where I don't want to eat and the thought makes me feel sick. I seem to be alternating between slight constipation, and loose poo (but not so loose I'd call it diarrhoea). I have a slight pain in my lower left abdomen, but very low, right down in my pelvis, iyswim. I sometimes feel bloated, am much more windy than usual, and am also still very tired.

From looking on NHS direct site, it seems to fit with IBS, but I'd say all symptoms are mild. Is it possibly just an after effect of the gastroenteritis? Although it was 2.5 months since I had that. Basically I'm just wondering if this is a temporary thing. The times I feel bad seem to be getting further apart, and less severe each time. Don't really want to go to the GP again unless it's really necessary as I've been so often lately I'm feeling like a total hyperchondriac!

So what do you think?

TIA

I don't think it's IBS as afaik IBS wouldn't make you not want to eat. I wonder if you could have developed a temporary milk/lactose intolerance after your gastro bug. Defo worth speaking to the doc. Are you stressed in general?

Thank you mummytosteven.

I am not particularly stressed atm, but am still more than usually tired. Dairy is normally a very small part of my diet, and I don't think it causes a problem (though haven't really checked recently). I was wondering if it was white bread that set me off today? Or is that crazy? lol
Have generally been trying to eat high fibre as that makes me feel a bit better, but still get these episodes.

I've been similar and had GE in October. Prior to that would get cramping, sluggishness, bloated feeling etc but have been taking probiotic tablets from Boots since and that has eased a lot. Also drinking more water/fruit smoothies and eating better has helped (went a bit out fo the window over Christmas so need to pay more attention again).

Hi, If you've had anti-biotics you'd probably need to put back 'good bacteria' into your gut as antibiotics strips out all bacteria from your gut. This can make you feel bloated and get thrush and other lovely things...Try acidophillus (heath food store) but also would get it checked out with doctor. Hope you're feeling better soon.

oh - and bread can cause a problem because of the yeast...

Have you looked at diverticular disease? I had a really bad attack about 8 months ago. Severe pain in lower left abdomen (about the sort of place I can feel ovulation pain). I felt constipated, bloated, but also had loose bowels at times.

I still have some degree of pain most days, although it is usually manageable.

It might be, IBS is different in different people. It could also be an ulcer. And it could also very possibly be gallstones. I had lots of your symptoms when I had them.

I'd go to the doctor's and get it checked if I were you.

Thanks LIZS and annobel.

I didn't have any of these symptoms prior to the GE. My diet is normally pretty good, and I have now managed to get fruit and juices and water back up to a reasonable level (OK, could do better on the water!). I didn't have oral antibiotics, only eyedrops for stubborn conjunctivitis. Doc gave me erythromycin for eye infection if it needed to big guns, but I didn't take them as it was just after GE, and side effects of erithromycin were far too similar for me to want to risk it!
Am taking yakult atm, but can't remember which particular bugs are in it.

Sorry, crossposts.

Off to look up the other stuff, Littlefish & calligula, but thanks for replies.

It doesn't sound exactly like IBS, but maybe that could be triggered by the gastroenteritis? I'm not convinced IBS is a single disorder, iyswim. Just the category they put you in that means "your gut is broken. we can't fix it. go away."

The lack of appetite doesn't fit with IBS. The other stuff does.

given that there seem to be lots of things this could be, definitely think you should be seeing the docs over it, rather than suffering in silence.

I think it could be IBS. I know someone who has been diagnosed with this and has very similar symptoms. He often cant eat for days because it makes him sick and has terrible stomach pains. He has had every test under the sun, and they have settled on severe IBS because it can be so debiltating.

Well, that's the thing you see, I've always thought of IBS as severe, but what I'm experiencing at tthe moment feels more like a collection of niggles.
Also it seems to be getting better (albeit slowly) on its own, hence wondering if it's some sort of temporary sensitivity.

IBS doesn't have to be severe. I have a reasonably mild case. Doesn't really cause me pain, although it did when I used to work in the City.

It doesn't generally get better on its own, though, that's true. I'd probably blame it on the gastroenteritis. But go see a GP if it's worrying you.