Irritable Bowel Syndrome is ruining my life

[EvenBetter]

I've had intestine trouble my whole life, in my early 20s it became IBS, but didn't bother me too much.

After a series of disasters at airports (sunstroke-diarrhoea, winter vomiting virus-diarrhoea, SE Asia-diarrhoea and now terror of this happening again results in nervous diarrhoea) I'm terrified of going anywhere warm.

In the past 5 months my tummy has started bloating way worse than it does every single day, there seems to be no reason for it, I constantly feel ashamed, can't fit into my clothes, can't have a normal sex life and also get nauseous.
It stopped this and went back to it's normal bloatedness , being flat when I wake up, but now it's BACK, I look at least 6 months pregnant.

I'm 5"7 and about 8.5-9 stone, with a HUGE gut. Should I bother going to the doctors??
Will they just say some crap like 'eat more fibre' or 'it'll sort itself out'?
Can't live like this, I'm seriously considering telling them I'd rather just not have any intestines since they can't perform their sole function.

I'm not on any medication for IBS, I have antispasmodics and immodium which I only need on holiday

Have you had it checked out? I've had IBS since I was 17 but it got so bad a couple of years ago that I was having to dash to the loo 10+ times a day. It turned out not to be IBS but bowel cancer. Now it's more likely not to be cancer, but that was my only symptom. There are other bowel conditions not as serious that present with diarrhoea, but you wont know which it is you have unless you check.

How old are you now? If it's been a while since your diagnosis might be worth another trip to GP?

Aww thank you for the replies!
Sabriel, are you ok now?
I'm 27 now, I thought maybe it was due to my metabolism changing or something, or just a fun new way my intestines have created to torture me, but I have a new doctor surgery (moved house) and no shame left, so Ill go and show them my gut without sucking it in, it's so distended that they'd have to do something!

Yes thanks. Had surgery and chemo last year. Obviously not out of the woods yet but so far so good

Sounds horrible :( Do you have any other symptoms apart from bloating and diarrhoea? Any blood/mucus in your poo or tummy pain? It's just that my DD was misdiagnosed with IBS for 5 years and it turned out to by ulcerative colitis. She has dreadful bloating along with multiple bathroom trips every day and bloody poo. Have you ever been referred to a gastro-enterologist? Definitely think you should go to your GP and ask for a referral. You shouldn't have to suffer like this. You would need various tests doing but it would be worth it I'm sure if they could help you with these distressing symptoms. It's been going on a long time now so if your GP starts on the whole 'eat more fibre' routine, don't take any fobbing off.

Also have you ever been tested for food allergies?

have you been tested for coeliac disease? the bloating is a common coeliac symptom (looking 6 months pregnant is usually the description - and I know, because that's how my 4 year old looked before he was diagnosed).

ask your GP for a blood test for coeliac.

Agree about getting tested for food allergies.

I get simular stomach issues, which I still havnt got to the bottom of. Serious bloating in the afternoons, bubbly belly, uncontrollable wind, and needing to rush off to the loo frequently.

It is embarrassing, and has only been something ive suffered with in perhaps the last couple of years. I notice it more when I eat certain foods, like onions, peppers, processed bread etc.

Maybe you have an underlying food intolerance which makes your symptoms worse?

Could you be lactose intolerant? Try illiminating certain foods eg dairy products and see if it makes a difference.

hiya have you tried drinking alow vera gel? i had IBS and lived on a cocktail of fibre and immodium for years. then i was recommended aloe vera gel - starting by drinking just a little and gradually build up to about 30-40ml very first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything. happy to say that unless i'm super duper stressed when i get some symptoms back i'm IBS-free now! worth a try and totally natural - just build up gently. :) good luck and I hope it sorts itself out xx

I think u need to see th gp. Just to get it checked out. Its probably nothing but its better to get it checked now rather than later.

@edith where can i buy the gel?

yup i agree - always best to get it checked out, as you can't be too careful. i had mine checked and it was IBS, so quite right - I should've said.

you can get aloe vera from most health food stores. i drink the forever living stuff as its the best quality.

@edith thanks. I will have a look in the health food shop in town.

My gp did the coliec(spelling unsure) test and when that came back negative said it must IBS and left me to get on with it.

I was diagnosed with IBS for 10 years. When I took matters into my own hands and paid for a full body scan, it turned out I had a pancreatic tumour (benign, thank God) which had to be removed straight away in a seven hour op!

TBH, I don't think that IBS exists, its just a fall back acronymn when GPs can't be arsed investigating properly.

Agree - my grandmother, father sister, brother and I have all been diagnosed with IBS at various times. Terms out it is an intolerance to gluten (but not coeliac disease, so negative in tests). My father eventually had bowel cancer, but after 30 years of "IBS" symptoms.

Yes, speak to your GP but keep an open mind.

I had it after food poisening and flucloxacillin, I ate bananas and porridge two meals a day for 2 weeks.

Boring as hell but it sorted it out, then I started taking probiotics.

I used to look pg.

My SIL suffered badly for decades. Not good for her as her job involved alot of travelling and she got very anxious about it all and couldn't handle it.
She then dated an osteopath and there is apparently some who specialize in this area and areas of stress in the body.

And what a difference 3 months made. She has 1 or 2 attacks a yesr now instead of a few times a week. She just sees an osteopath when she can feel her body not behaving right.

Thank you for the replies!
No, never any mucus or blood, one of my parents had coeliac disease, but I thought that to have that I'd need to have the blood/mucus and weightloss etc? The doctor once made me an appointment for some kind of check up and I was given bags of stuff to 'cleanse the bowel' and couldn't bring myself to go anywhere near them, so cancelled it! :-s
It's doing my head in, I'll have to go to the doctors, I refuse to buy trousers in a bigger size to accommodate the distended stomach!

I might look into the York food allergy test... I hate milk but can't stop eating cheese!
IBS is a non-diagnosis, it's just another word for annoying intestines, you have to hound the doctor to get something that works for your own symptoms, which are also often similar to those of cancers.
I'm scared!

I have IBS. I've found, after trying pretty much bloody everything, that soluble fibre is the only thing that helps. Fibre (like bran, etc.) just makes things much worse. It means I eat a lot of raw veg in a day.

I also find swimming helps me. I swim every day for 30 mins. These days I only have trouble if I am 'out' of my routine. Going away on holiday is a nightmare and I usually medicate through the entire trip.

I hope you find something that helps you. IBS is misery making.

Do go to the drs. Dp finally did, he had tests at the hospital to exclude other conditions, and once it was confirmed as ibs he initially tried to control it with diet. once we found his main trigger and cut it out of our diet (MSG, in his case, so it can be something other than the common lactose/wheat/gluten triggers.....) things did improve a lot, but he was still suffering and I finally persuaded him to go back to the doctor in January. The GP prescribed Mebeverine, to take before each meal, and it has changed everything. DP says the pain, bloating, cramps, and loose stools are gone. He now only has flare UPS if he eats something with a trigger in because didn't know it was there (msg is very, very poorly labelled for - complete pain in the neck actually).

point being, there are things they can do -dont just suffer, see a doctor :)

Good advice. self diagnosis is no diagnosis and can be very dangerous.
MSG look out for these too on packaging. The following work synergistically with MSG to enhance flavor. If they are present for flavoring, so is MSG.
Disodium 5?-guanylate (E 627)Disodium 5?-inosinate (E-631)Disodium 5'-ribonucleotides (E 635)

Back to IBS keep a food and poo diary this will help find triggers. Write down the contents of preprepared foods. Onions, peppers, cabbage in fact all brassicas and beans (baked, boleti etc,) and tomato.You can be wheat or gluten sensitive and not a coeliac so just because your tests come back negative it doesn't mean its not having an effect on you.

Try probiotics from holland and barrett have a multi strain variety. You may have a couple of episodes on the loo but it will help reduce the gas making bacteria in your digestive tract and replace it with good bacteria. Bread or fermentable things and the wrong bacteria make Wind/Gas. This omission of foods doesn't have to be for ever you can slowly reintroduce as you get better.

Alo Vera stay away unless you have IBS-C as this can increase the rate of motility (trips to the loo). We are all different but the same we have IBS! I dont now I found my triggers and life triggers too. Interested in reading more go to www.hypnofix.co.uk or www.ibsgone.com

Hope the above helps I am a Clinical Hypnotherapist who specialises in stress and anxiety and IBS.
Good luck all! Phil

Do get properly checked for food allergies. My long term "IBS" turned out to be a food allergy. I removed the culprit and the symptoms disappeared almost immediately. I had blood tests which were scarily accurate about my diet and identified the allergy very definitely. Such a huge relief.

The lactofree range has been a godsend for me :) I have also cut out bread, bananas, sweetners, acidic fruit, broccoli and try (but sometimes fail) to cut back on refined carbs.

Do get it checked out first. Just in case. Worry does not help at all!:)