What is IBS like and how is it diagnosed?

[stressed2007]

I have been ghaving extreme p\in for months - a recent gastrophapy and colonoscopy (sp?) later and bar a small ulcer above my stomach nothimg has been found. It is not the chrones disease that was suspected. Biopses all clear (not colitus, diverticulitus etc). I am doubled up in pain tonight with a fever/chill. Any ideas what this might be and how this can be diagnosed? Thanks

Me too - no particular advice but was considering A&E yesterday. Agony in appendix area, but all tests that I had a couple of months ago for the same thing were clear with no sign of infection. I don't have any of the serious diseases, so good. But... Still hurts like hell. Doc gave me some v.strong IBS medication which is basically valium, which is usually quite effective, but hasn't worked today and yesterday. Yesterday it hurt so much that my whole body went into a kind of cramp and I couldn't breathe. I had to call dh to come home as thought I might be having a heart attack (I think I was actually just having a panic attack). Anyway, it's been at least 2 yrs on and off now, and I'm quite worn out by it.

my goodness this sounds exactly like me! Also pain in appendix area but have not had appendix for 20 years - how strange. I am also exhausted.

I had lots of pain, discomfort and bloating for years. I think my doc must have been really good as he referred me to an nhs dietician. She told to cut out most fibre + fruit, and eat a low residue diet - no bits or stuff that will irritate the gut.I can eat 'forbidden' food occasionally ( I feel decadent eating wholemeal bread!), but not when stressed. Eating in peace really helps too.

She said some people need more fibre to balance it out, whereas some people like me need less fibre. It's probably TMI but I can assure you I'm not bunged up by avoiding fibre either. Was also told to drink mineral water, not tap.

You might find it useful to tweak your diet a bit to see if any food makes you worse.

coelliacs have similar symptoms.

My brother has this and he suffers if he eats white bread & rice plus a few other food and food combinations.

here, read this

no it is not that as it says it can be found on a biopsy and mine have been clear (thank goodness)

That is very interesting. I hadn't even thought of having a test for coeliac disease. Perhaps that would be the logical next step.

but what tests did you have? It says on the site that Doodle2U posted that if biopsies are clear you do not have coeliac disease.

I was tested for blooming everything.. bloods, cameras, ultrasounds.. literally the works!

when all came back clear.. I had a DX of IBS..

It's as painful as being in labour, been rushed into hospital twice with them thinking it was my apendix ( before I then thought it was IBS when it was my apendix LOL.. again thanks MN folk who nagged me to go get seen.. )

my advice.. keep going back to the docs.. eventually you'll find some meds that work to the point of you being able to carry on, dietitians are great.. but the best thing that worked for me.... cut out the stress!
If I'm stressed I get ill. If I'm not.. it's never so bad.

stressed2007. IBS can be stressed related and you have named yourself stressed. I had terrible IBS before I married DH. I was stressed I was never going to find a partner or have a baby!!!!!!! So different people, different problems, different symptoms. I felt bloated, pain in my tummy (not near my appendix) which felt like someone was twisting my insides. Lots and lots of smelly wind. Constipation. Unable to eat a variety of food but over eating due to stress. Heart burn. Only one tip I will pass on. Give your self time to go to the loo, take a magazine to the loo and relax and read it.
Others will give you other tips.

I've just had blood tests and ultrasound. Nothing invasive. Probably time to take a look inside. It would be good to have a dx of something treatable. I'd rather follow a diet than deal with constant pain.

agreed - well good luck with the "cameras". You may get a proper DX - so far I have had nothing but still in a lot of pain.

I recommend the aloe vera juice from health food shops (you might need to shop around for cheapest but go for purest) - a slug of that every morning before I have anything else except water works a treat for me - tastes like sh*t but is very effective.

Will try it for sure.

However I don't have this pain all the time -it used to be say once every 2 months but now it is about once every 10 days for between ovrenight - 2 days. Does that sound typical? Thanks

stressed2007 - sounds like me, I don't have it all the time, or only very mildly, with bouts of severe pain every couple of weeks.

I may give Aloe Vera a go in the meantime.

yes it would be interesting to stay in touch to see what DX is eventually - you can CAT me whenever - do you mind me asking how old you are?

I'm 36, how about you? I'll come back on here and report progress, though am not especially optimistic about ever getting a dx given how things have gone so far!

btw, to answer your first ever qun about IBS, when I saw my GP to talk about this a while ago, she said that she would automatically have assumed IBS had the pain been on the left hand side, as that was typical. As my pain was specifically on the lower right hand side, she thought IBS unlikely, and was more inclined to exclude other things. IBS was the residual diagnosis if nothing else could be found.

I am 39 and this only started last year. Yes my pain is on the right and alternates with pain above my stomach which threw my medics too - but I have found you within 5 mins with similar symptoms so it can't be that uncommon. With no DX yet I also have no idea what brings it on - there seems to be no pattern to it.