Please help

[cazza1972]

My ibs seems to be getting worse and now suffering other problems and been to that many Dr's and no one knows.. It's getting to me really bad and can't handle it anymore

[Hidden]

Hi cazza may i ask what meds your on and what type of ibs you have x

[cazza1972 in reply to Hidden]

They just have said ibs and I'm taking endep and some other med

[Hidden in reply to cazza1972]

Ok because theres different types of IBS theres constipation type diarreah type and alternating ibs thats why i asked. Im also on amitryptiline but for depression and i use Imodium as i have ibs d and that helps with the spasms i get. I was going to say it maybe the medication if you have ibs c it could be made worse by the endep but if u dont then it cant be that. Could you be lactose intolerant? X

[cazza1972 in reply to Hidden]

It's ibs diarrhea cause that's what I get.. I was taking gastro stop but they told me I can't keep depending on that all the time.. It's just getting so frustrating been suffering over 13months and no Dr can seem to help..

[Hidden in reply to cazza1972]

Oh right i hear ya yer ive suffered for 7 years and have had pretty much every test going so i understand what you are going through yer unfortunately theres not a one size that fits all have you looked at the lowfodmap diet x

[cazza1972 in reply to Hidden]

Yes I did but still didn't help much going to see a dietician Monday to see if they have any suggestions.. Have changed Dr's once again they useless here. They just say its all in my head 😒

[Hidden in reply to cazza1972]

Ok well good luck with them hope they are more useful yes dont listen to anyone that says its all in your head because its not and isnt helpful at all i found that im lactose intolerant gluten intolerant and cant have onions either i still suffer but its not as bad as it once was hope this helps x

[starryskies in reply to cazza1972]

Hi cazza,

Sorry to read that you’re going through this. My mum suffers from IBS and I see what she has to endure as it impacts on her life so badly. I hope that you get more help from your new doctor.

It’s all very well for doctors to say that it’s all in the mind, they’re not going through it! - I had acid reflux problems a few years ago which were very painful and my then GP implied that what I was experiencing was all in my mind. However,I asked her to refer me to be checked for a hernia. She did this and the barium X-ray showed that I have a hiatus hernia, which I just knew I had. My reflux problems started during my second pregnancy and the consultant whom I saw about it reckoned that this had contributed to having a hiatus hernia (where your stomach slides up through the diaphragm). So it wasn’t all in my mind after all and the pain was real. I didn’t consult with that GP again.

Good luck, hope you get on fine. Take care.

[Erinkatja]

I’ve had d type for a few months and someone suggested to me recently to take probiotics everyday. Anything to try right?

[cazza1972 in reply to Erinkatja]

Yes I'll give anything a go at this stage

[Jeff1943 in reply to cazza1972]

Cazza1972, I think what texty89 said is worth following up, ask your doctor for a test to see if you're lactose or gluten intolerant. Or you could test yourself by cutting out everything either gluten for a month and then everything with lactose.

But I have to say I have some sympathy for those useless doctors who said it's all in your head.

You see Cazza, the clue is in the name of this forum: you chose an anxiety support forum to ask for help rather than an IBS forum. Choosing an anxiety forum maybe means deep down you think your IBS is anxiety based. Claire Weekes who was a respected psychiatrist once wrote that the stomach is often the first organ to complain when we have high anxiety. The stomach and the bowel are of course closely connected.

A lot of people on this forum have quoted IBS as a symptom of anxiety.

The only time I had a touch of IBS was a few months after the premature death of a good friend and I'm convinced the IBS was caused by a sort of grieving process.

Anxiety disorder and health anxiety usually follow a longish period of stress, over work, grief, loss, disappointment, toxic relationships etc. So the first thing to do is identify whats been causing your anxiety resulting in your nervous system becoming over-sensitised. When you've pinpointed it you should neutralise it. If you need to, ask the advice of someone whose judgement you trust.

The best way to deal with anxiety is the opposite to our natural instincts. Don't fight it, fighting only causes more tension and stress. Instead, accept it for the time being. Just go along with it, agree to co-exist with it for the moment. Once you can agree to accept your IBS symptoms you stop fearing them and generating the fear and stress hormones that keep your nerves sensitised.

So when the IBS symptoms come just let every muscle in your body go limp. You are like a rock on the shore, the angry waves crash over and around you and then withdraw. But the rock endures. That rock is you.

You see Cazza, you win not by the punches that you give but by the punches you take.

[Lm92]

When I was first diagnosed with IBS-D in the 80s, it was recognized as an anxiety based disorder and was called "spastic colon syndrome". I was 9 years old and my mother was told to give me Imodium (Lomotil is the prescription equivalent) on my bad days. When I have flare ups, I still take Imodium as needed and 30 years on, it still works, is very inexpensive if you buy the generic brands, and makes my quality of life much better during flares.

Definitely speak with your doctor about it and ask for a second opinion if you feel like you're not being heard.

[cazza1972 in reply to Lm92]

I've been to see a different Dr and he is sending me for ct scan and to see a surgeon to double make sure it's nothing else.. So fingers crossed this Dr might be on the ball

[Lm92 in reply to cazza1972]

My thoughts and prayers will be with you that it's nothing else. (((Hugs)))