IBS sufferers - please read!

[dinosaurus]

I have suffered from IBS for many years on and off. For the last few weeks it has got progressively worse, although to be honest, constipation and bloating is a regular feature of my life. Over the last few days it has got more and more painful and I'm just wondering if this could all be down to IBS. Although I have general and very uncomfortable bloating (even before I have eaten breakfast) it is far worse on the left hand side and just doesn't go away. I have also had almost constant pain/burning in my left lower back that kind of radiates around my hip bone and down my leg. Now I know (as a bowel expert) that the colon is on the left side and this could all possibly be down to gas but its just getting worse and worse. For the last few days I have eaten very bland foods which I know are safest for me such as pasta. I've continued exercising, drinking plenty of water and nothing particularly stressful has happened to me recently but its not getting any better! I know I should probably go to the doctors but they can be so useless and I'm sick of being prescribed Fybogel or lactolose! Has anybody else experienced such sudden flare ups of IBS which go on for days with no relief, or, is pain in this area sometimes associated with something else?

How are you doing ?

I suffer with IBS and do get pain like a stitch on my left side sort of under my ribs , and alot of wind ... when im having a bad time , back ache and bloating are all signs of IBS .

I have had flexsigmoidoscopy to rule anything els out in that regon

hope your ok

My husband suffered for years with IBS and tried everything to help his symptoms. He has now been "cured" for the past approx 6 years due to a self hypnosis course (he bought the CDs over the internet). Sorry I don't have the details anymore however this method was actually being trialed by NHS and found to be very successful. Google is your friend.
Hope this might help if it's a bad flare up of IBS.

Could you be gluten-intolerant? This can be difficult to pin down as some people are not celiac but just sensitive.

My IBS went away when I stopped eating wheat and tomatoes.

When it was really bad, I used to get crippling cramping pain in the lower left area of my abdomen - enough to make me go pale green and cold sweaty and I would need the loo ASAP.

However - if your pain is ongoing, you might have diverticulitis - if constipation is a part of your IBS, the bowel can form little "pockets" (diverticula) and sometimes these can get infected. If the infection carries on, they can burst and cause peritonitis, just like with appendicitis.

So - have you a fever or any other symptoms apart from the radiating pain? It might be worth a call to NHS direct if you don't want to see a doc, but in reality I would go to the GP or A&E as soon as possible to rule out the possibility of diverticulitis, as the peritonitis aspect is EXTREMELY dangerous (my Mum nearly died from this and needed a colostomy)

Not wishing to be alarmist but it is potentially serious.