Is this IBS?

[Randallthecat]

Obviously I know this isn’t a substitute for a drs opinion and I will be talking to the GP this week.

do these symptoms sound like IBS? For ages now I have been constipated generally which started when I took a long term course of iron tablet. I’m still having issues with low ferritin but I can’t take the tablets any longer due to the constipation, I just can’t poo. I eat bran and drink water but it’s not helping.

Anyway now I’m off the iron tablets I still remain constipated except when I eat bready products. About 18 hours later I’ll have big stomach cramps, urge to go to the loo and it’s diarrhoea. This will go on for a few hours then I’ll go back to constipation. My stomach is bloated as soon as I eat bread products (worst trigger is home made pizza) and I’m full of wind for a day or so.
I don’t eat lots of refined carbs during the week, bran and natural yoghurt and berries in the morning, protein and veg for any other meals.

Any IBS advice would be gratefully accepted!

It could be coeliacs disease. Low iron is a very common symptom as you don't absorb nutrients when having a gluten diet. Also the obvious bowel problems are the main symptoms of coeliacs disease.

Sounds more like coeliac, get the Dr to do a ttg blood test. They should rule everything out before they fob you off with IBS. I was told it was IBS for years and I actually have bile acid malabsorption and also still undergoing tests for other things after an endoscopy.

Can coeliac develop in later life? I’m 48 and up until I started with the iron tablets everything was normal.

Symptoms can develop at any age yes and then hindsight can show you oh actually that was a symptom! My ds was diagnosed 10 months ago and only began having toileting trouble 18 months ago when he was 9 years old before this no toilet issues whatsoever. However then after doing research we can attribute other things to him having coeliacs such as headaches, dizziness, difficulty gaining weight, pale skin, low iron, muscle pains, high liver enzymes - all lesser known symptoms of coeliacs disease. A lot of people think it's only gastro issues, it's not.