IBD or IBS

[Charr83]

Hello, not one to usually do a forum post but really would like to hear other people journeys similar to mine.

For months now I have really been suffering with horrendous pains in my stomach, gripping and twisting inside and back pain. With flare ups with diarrhoea, even waking in the night. I bloat and look bigger than I did when I was pregnant!

I have had 3 Calprotectin tests from GP 1st 360, 2nd 50 3rd 190 so my GP advised she believes me to have IBD.

I waited a month for gastro phone appointment, who adivices ‘Oo just sounds like IBS’! I am waiting for a camera test then she will see me in four months!

You would leave a animal in this pain!

[Valbaty54]

I'm afraid 'waiting for the camera test' is not unusual at the moment! I've been waiting 5 months for a routine colonoscopy as they are still catching up from Covid. Your calprotectin results are mildly raised - they often go up into the thousands if inflammation is really bad, but you have other symptoms which could be IBD. Don't take ibuprofen type painkillers as they can make things worse - just paracetamol. Watch for any blood in the stools as that is a key difference between IBD and IBS. Hope you get help soon!

[Charr83 in reply to Valbaty54]

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me.

Have you ever experience pain down left side? I’m suffering bad with it today

[Valbaty54 in reply to Charr83]

Yes, I do have left-side pain sometimes as that is my problem area of inflammation. At the moment, my colitis is pretty well under control with infliximab infusions, so I haven't had any serious pain for a while - just a little background 'humming'. I do have bloating though, looking as if I'm going to have 20 kittens. Having to get up in the night is another sign your colon is not happy. Have you had blood tests showing inflammatory markers raised? In the meantime, while you wait for tests, try a low-fibre diet which is things like white rice/mash/chicken/white fish/eggs. Keep a food diary for a couple of weeks and see if any particular foods (usually certain vegetables/spicy stuff/thick skins) cause problems. Keep notes of how many time you 'go' as it's all evidence for diagnosis. Hope you get sorted soon as pain is very debilitating, isn't it!

[Charr83 in reply to Valbaty54]

Thanks so much you have been so helpful. I had blood done and the bloods showed raised ALT and GGT they said, nothing about inflammation of anything else. I am currently keeping a food pain dairy so will keep that up 🙂