Hi,
I was just wondering whether this is common, or are there other things that my GP should be ruling out before settling on a diagnosis of IBS?
After cutting out most sources of gluten, the only real symptom I have is bad bloating to the point that I look pregnant.
I had a private test to rule out Fructose Malabsorption and would be willing to have more private tests to rule other things out, but I would like to know what is available on the NHS before I go down that route.
Thanks
Drs normally advise ibs once everything else has been ruled out. Normally you would have blood tests, colonoscopy and possible an endoscope. If nothing is found on these tests then it's ibs.
What tests have been carried out!
Before I was given an IBS diagnosis I had a barium enema, endoscopy, colonoscopy and abdominal ultrasound scan, then finally after many years a coeliac disease test. I suppose it depends on what your symptoms are as to what tests you are given. Do you have a lot of pain, diarrhoea or constipation, and wind, which a lot of people with IBS have? It's a very complex condition, and affects different people in different ways!
Hi I had all the same tests endoscopy, barium enema , sigmoidoscopy scans etc and I too have all the signs of IBS, very test was negative and confirmed IBS. I have done dairyfree , gluten /wheat free diets but nothing helped.
I have such a bloated tummy from
The afternoon onwards that I look bigger pregnant than my daughter who is 6 moths pregnant !
Frustrated and fed up . I have gained 2 stone in a year cos of my meds .
I would urge you to have all the tests listed above .even then docs hum and ha about it .all the above are available on the NHS plus lactose intolerance . I then went privately for a comprehensive stool test ,that revealed large and small Bowel yeast infection and parasites that no other tests had revealed and proved to be the root cause of my IBS like symptoms . Essentially the internal and virtual scans look at the state of the internal plumbing .blood tests look for abnormalities in blood counts ,all very good for eliminating nasties and the stool test looks at what is in what goes through the pipes and what can be deduced from that .Sorry to be so explicit but IBS is a very slippery customer and the more you learn about it the more complex it gets ! So insist on all the tests if you have not had them .There are more which others have mentioned on this site .
Huston, where did you have the comprehensive stool test please?
After years of tests and getting nowhere I finally bit the bullet and found a very good nutritionist on the net .Her name is Tracey Randell and she runs the IBS clinic that is based at No 7 Harley st London . Sounds expensive but my first hour and a half consultation with her which went through my full medical history in minute detail cost £180 and she put me on FODMAPS elimination diet ,and ordered the comprehensive stool test from a lab called GENOVA diagnostics and acid urine test from Biolabs in London .the tests cost around another £ 180 and I did them at home The 3 day stool test was a bit of a performance . Tracey's second consultation to go through the results and devise a plan of action to eliminate the yeast overgrowth and parasites and to restore good bacteria and gut health was a one and a half hour phone discussion and cost £90 . I am now on a pile of meds and no sugar diet for 8 weeks to first eliminate yeasts and then to kill parasites . These meds will cost around £500 .i will have one more consultation in 6 weeks time to check progress etc .in the meantime if I need advice or support I e mail Tracey and she responds almost immediately at no cost .I reckon I will spend the best part of £1000 by the time I am done but this is the first time in 15 years of the NHS and a GP who seems to know little of IBS that I feel I have found someone who is prepared to spend the time and personnel attention to help me overcome something that has been ruining my life .
If you want to know more just google her leave her a message and she will ring you .she will talk to you on the phone for around 20 mins free and if you think she can help you ,you can go from there .It sounds a lot of money but in comparison to what IBS has cost me in pain and anguish if she can even get it under control and teach me how to manage it it will have been worth it ,! Hope that helps .ps after the first consultation you can do all subsequent discussions by phone if travelling to London is expensive or difficult .
Hi Huston, I have just found your post from 4 years ago describing your visits and appointments with Tracey Randell. I am having huge bowel issues that I cannot solve. Long story so won't bore you with details. I am just wondering how you feeling now and if you thought that it was worth spending about £1000 to go and see her. I am at my wits end and don't know how to cope and really need some urgent help. I do hope you are able to answer this after all these years. Many thanks indeed in advance.
I was diagnosed with IBS after flexi sig, CT scan and ultrasound but found out at GP last week only after asking specifically that I have not had a blood test for coeliacs, so much for the Map of Medicine healthguides.mapofmedicine....
GP sent me off for a TTG even though the doctor knows I've been on low Fodmaps and haven't been eating any gluten for months. Continuity of care has been atrocious and I am requesting a copy of all my medical records. I've had enough.
I Went to my GP after about 6 weeks of tummy pain to be told I have IBS. No tests at all! Mine started after an evening out in a restaurant, very bad diarrhoea and pain for the next week, put it down to food poisoning but 4 years later still suffering. I normally go about 4-6 times a day, have pain and bloating, then about every 6 months or so, have episodes of intense pain where I really don't know what to do with myself!! Dr has prescribed mebeverine, no real relief. Not sure where to go from here!!
hi piksie63 . if i were you i would insist on getting test done to rule out anything else. ibs is only a general term used when there's no explanation for tummy troubles.
Thank you for your replies. I had blood tests and an endoscopy to rule out Coeliacs. I was told I had gastritis and H pylori. The H pylori was successfully treated with one round of antibiotics. I was told that I had one of the Coeliac genes which would make me more susceptible to gluten intolerance.
Thanks for that information Huston. I used Biolab for my Fructose Malabsorption test and their stool test was one of the tests that I was thinking about getting, so it's interesting to hear about your experience of having it done. Did you speak to your GP about the results? Are any of the medicines that you need available on the NHS?
Matusadona, you can refer yourself for Biolab's tests. You just need to provide them with details of a Doctor who they can send the results to.
Hi all really push for tests of you haven't an answer to your health problems.
If been labelled as having Ibs for 13 year.......I recently broke down in the docs and asked for a celiac blood test which came back positive
I've since had the endoscopy and a colonoscopy to check my plumbing and take a biopsy.
It was confirmed yesterday I have got celiac disease so I'm about to become gluten free
I waited to long to get my answer for sure
interesting to read all this as I have been diagnosed with IBS after 4 years of tests and visits to 3 gastroentrologists - my only symptoms were lower left abdo pain, morning diahorrea, nausea and fatigue. no multiple trips to toilet, no bloating, bit of wind.... I initially had a few gynaelogical examinations to rule out ovarian cysts... then I had a barium enema, endoscopy which checked for helicobacter and celiac??, and sigmoidoscopy. Because my symptoms dont fall into the usual IBS category my GP is not convinced but tests including bloods havent shown up anything else..... Anyone in a similar boat??? worth going gluten free even though all tests negative????
I'd be wary of tests I've had endoscopy, scans,stool, h pylori test, blood tested for everything inc ovarian cancer markers...all paint me as a picture of health!!! The blood test in particular said I'm not lactose or wheat intolerant (I beg to differ) as I've since avoided wheat and milk and my symptoms have mostly disappeared :-). I've heard York test is good think it's £250. I can't afford it so have experimented on myself just eating rice and added stuff.
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