IBS... can you get IBS when pregnant? info about ibs needed..

[blueamema]

Anyone out there got IBS? how did you/do you get it?
where can i get research about it?

have been looked at/poked/investigated since I was 3 months pregnant (when symptoms started) by docs/Gynaecologist etc

dd is now 14mths and am still no further on... and seems to be getting worse.

gynaecologist said yesterday that it may be IBS, but could also have a laparoscopy (look into womb)to rule out endometriosis. Have been sent home to think about it!!!!

Has anyone been through anything similar during pregnancy??
Have had that many tests done now, with no real positive outcome, that I am starting to get a bit fed up with it all!!!

I've had IBS for years,aswell as a few food intollerances.I was sent for lots of tests and ended up having a flexible sygmodiscopy(sp),where they sedate you and check everything around the bowel area with a camera.I normally have a very upset tummy,but when being pregnant,everything slows down and I get the most awful constipation,although this is very common,I know.
What sort of tests have you had done?
Try Googling IBS-there's lots out there.The IBS Network are also quite helpful.hth

I've had IBS for about 10 years now, was diagnosed during my last year at uni, possibly brought on by stress and several courses of anitbiotics (infected wisdom tooth which I had to wait 6nths to have extracted). I still got it during pregnancy, diarhea still, never constipated.
My dr diagnosed me from my description of symptoms (sudden diarhea, very painful cramps etc) and prescribed antispasmodics which have stopped it getting as painful and reduced the cramps, although I still get it. Peppermint oil can help some (didn't me) I also have aloe vera juice and linseed. I do know the symptoms can be very similar to endometriosis which my SIL suffers from.
I hope they dignose you soon.

Also a long term IBS sufferer (from a family of IBS sufferers). In women it is often linked to hormonal changes (pregnancy, periods, etc). I had a pretty rubbish time in my first and last trimester constipation, trapped wind, all the usual symptoms.

I have improved significantly since DS was born, but I think it is acutally down to not having to do stressful job anymore!

Lots of options you can try like food exclusions (I have a friend who went wheat-free and now IBS-free and my brother avoids red vegetables.... weird I know!), anti spasmodics (worked for me for a while), peppermint oil (didn't work for me but has worked for people I know). The final resort which my father and brother use are Proton pump inhibitors whichare designed for ulcers, but have significantly helped with their IBS. Adding linseed to your food is also thought to be good for your gut.

I agree with bubbaloo that you should take a look at the web there is lots of info. Also get yourself a sympathetic GP...it can make all the difference.

Just shout if you have any specific Qs as I am ure between us we can help! There are as many answers as there are variations in this condition!

PS there is a good book call Understanding your Irritable Bowel.

poor you blueamema-could be hormones or stress. agree you need sympathetic doc and worth trying peppermint tea-it is calming. I ve had ibs since ds born over 10yrs
wish you luck

I was in hospital twice last year because the doctors thought I had either kidney stones or a pelvic infection. It turned out to be sever attacks of IBS each time. However, the pain was so bad that I was given morphine.

After about 6 months of daily pain and discomfort, I now take liquid aloe vera every day. After about 3 weeks of taking it, my pain stopped almost completely. So far I have not had any major flare ups at all since taking it, and if I do feel any bloating, I just take a double or triple dose and it goes away. It has been absolutely incredible not to be in pain almost every day.

severe

Thanks all for the kind words!

I have had all sorts of tests done? kidney scan when pregnant/seeing a physiotherapist at the moment as they think it could be ligament damage around my pelvis!/just been for an echo and had a 24 hr tape/had many, many internals/scans (lost count!) Had internal up bum where they inflated me with air!! (not sure why!!), but that wasn?t fun.
? And lots of other stuff!

Have just been looking at some related web sites and I must say some of the symptoms are very similar to IBS!

Apart from the fact that I am tired all the time/get out of breathe all the time? / find sex painful afterwards (not during??) (Sorry to have to go into detail) and am in incredible pain when ever they do an internal (swabs around my cervix area!?!)

Its not there all the time/comes and goes ? got worse after birth and hasn?t got better since (14 mths ago!)

Sorry for all the???!!!??

But as you can tell this whole thing is baffling both the doctors and gynaecologist.
But mainly me!

Will have a proper look at thread later and write done all your suggestions for remedies to see if they can help at all.

P.S Mumptious ~ where can i get a sympathetic GP from?? I have looked everywhere!

blueamema - that is a good Q. I just kept changing my GP until I found one that was prepared to listen. As I have a family history it was less of the unknown so nowhere near as difficult as your situation .

The book I mention is by Dr D B A Silk who is the top man on IBS based at the Central Middlesex Hosptial, you can get it from the following website for £9.99 www.ibs-research-update.org.uk/IBS/publications1ie4.html
Where do yu live as it might be worth seeking out the local expert and trying to get yourself an appointment?

I have just taken a look at my copy and there is a short chapter on issues surrounding sex, which affects two thirds of female sufferers. He describes deep pelvic pain after sex (not during) and also talks about how hormones levels affect attacks.

My daddy who has been through every test under the sun (We are grateful as it means we didn't need to suffer too!) said that being pushy is the only way to get noticed.... sadly he is right and it was only because he returned to the doctor every time he felt unwell that he was diagnosed properly!

It is baffling, but mostly because the symptoms vary so significantly from sufferer to sufferer.

I hope that you feel better soon and that our advice helps.

I have although not associated with pregnancy. I have never really known whether I have IBS or Pelvic inflammatory disease. It has always been diagnosed as the latter, and was supposed to have the op you are talking about, only I got the letter two days pre op and we read it as it being in a months time! I have also had IBS on and off for many years, when I am stressed I can be going several times a day. Stress is thought to be one of the major causes of it I think. Main symptoms are irratic bowel habits (constipation - diarrhea), wind pains and cramping. There should not be any mucus or blood without straing with the stool.

There is a medication for it, buscapan which it might be worth asking your dr for if it is impinging on your life. Would also maybe be useful as a way of knowing whether to have the laproscopy - if the meds don't work then one diagnoses can be scrapped. I don't know how keen your GP will be on this mind - they are often reluctant to treat the cause of IBS - the spasming of the bowel with the buscopan. But you could give it a go. Good luck.

Littefish - can Iask you how much aloe vera juice you take - my DH has just been diagnosed with IBS. A friend has recommended aloe vera but not sure how much. DH much better when avoids wheat, sugar and dairy - but hoping to widen this soon.
Thanks

Hi, I was really interested to find this post. I had IBS a few years ago for about 8 months and then it disappeared as quickly as it came. Thank god because it was agony. 3 weeks ago, I started taking aloe vera gel for general health and did not realise it was good for this too. On Saturday - sorry TMI but I need some help here - I got the same need to rush to the loo as I used to without the pains only to find watery mucus and nothing else. This happened about 4 times that day (I was at a wedding!) and then totally stopped again and nothing since. I am currently CD27 & 10dpo, I am TTC and am hoping that AF won't turn up tomorrow but I wondered if this incident could be related to hormones in any way or if any of you have had anything similar? thanks so much.

Hi Katiemum. When I started taking the aloe vera I stuck strictly to the recommended dose. It was about half of one of those little pill cups you get in hospital - about 30ml?????? twice a day. I now just do it by eye - it's about an inch in the bottom of one of my glasses. I add apple juice as it really helps to mask the taste.

Mrs MrJnr - sorry, I can't help, but someone else may be better informed - however, it sounds a bit more like a tummy bug than IBS to me, but then everyone's symptoms are different.