I am 32 and since I can remember I have not had a normal bowel movement. I get pain before I go and after and consistency was just off. Doctor sent me for a blood test and it came back with thyroid issues - not what I was expecting.
So that was it they gave up and said it was IBS. And offered nothing further.
I have been taking anti diarrhoea tablets for 3 months now - 2 each evening and even with this I'm "going" every day sometimes twice. This has started to stop working. I notice with my menstrual cycle my IBS is horrendous and I don't want to leave the house
Does anyone else have IBS and hypothyroidism?
Written by
baffled2015
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Hi I have under active thyroid and been diagnosed with slow transit and I get loading of the bowel. I 1st went to see a gastro dr because of diarrhoea and pain. They dosed me up with 8 Co codomol a day to stop it. They then after many months decided to take an x ray and found I was impacted and the diarrhoea was 'over flow' and stopping me go to the toilet was not helping just making it worse. Being told 'it's just IBS' is not helpful if you don't feel well, ask questions. I was told in hospital 'oh it's just anxiety ' then got a letter after being discharged that i got food poisoning. Doctors are not always right. I'm 33 and had difficulties the last 4 years.
We were told that anywhere between 3 bm a day and 3 a week is normal. So if that side is working keep with it.
Have you been checked for gynaecological stuff? It could be a cause rather than effect. You may have candida build up in your bowel which is affected when you have a period.
Loads of people on here can sympathise with your situation. Many of us have had doctors who just don't understand or know what treatment options are out there for IBS. I honestly believe that many older doctors don't even realise there is a wealth more advice in the NICE guidelines on how to treat IBS than there was when they were probably trained - there are a range of other treatments available nowadays from dietary interventions to alternative drugs so perhaps you should go to your doctor (or find an alternative if you can) and work through the treatment options with them.
You seem to be suggesting that your hypothyroidism is linked to you IBS. I don't know enough about the condition to say whether that's a possibility or not but it is a question you have and at least deserves some investigation. Hasn't your doctor prescribed anything for your hypothyroidism? Has this improved things?
You said you are "going" twice a day. Do you mean you are going to the toilet twice a day and it's always diarrhoea or that as well as going to the toilet normally you still have the runs twice a day as well? Going to the toilet 1-3 times a day is seen as normal; granted most people won't experience your other symptoms but it sounds as though the drugs may have normalised something.
There are likely to be several causes of IBS ranging from the bacterial mixture in your gut to how your brain and gut interact. There is even research exploring whether there are biochemical changes at the cellular level which cause an impact; for example, research has shown that IBS patients express more proteins linked to the experience of pain in their gut than controls do.
Have you tried fodmap diet.i take normacol as a fibre substitute for wholemeal n high fibre veg.fruit.i take mebeverine before meals which slows down digestion. Going twice a day is normal.less tea coffeee fizzy drinks and lower sugar intake all usually help.i guess you have had lactose test.im suffering bad week.probably stress related as sick daughter an exhausted worried wife. Hope this helps .graham
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