Flare-up rant....

[runswithdogs]

Does anyone else ever feel like they have two types of IBS running in parallel? And other ailments that you're convinced are related to your guts?

I've mostly controlled my day-to-day IBS with what I eat. I went through all sorts of testing over the years including the colonoscopy and the diagnosis came back IBS. I avoid those FODMAPs foods that I've identified as triggers, corn products, prepackaged foods etc. If I eat something I shouldn't, I have gut pain within a half hour or so and diarrhea (incontinence if I don't move fast enough). After my body gets rid of the offending material I'm back to normal. This is predictable and mostly manageable for me.

But over the past year I've been keeping better track of when I get hit a flare-up from out of nowhere, usually every month or two. Maybe these major flare-ups always existed but were masked by the other IBS issues when I was eating things I shouldn't have. I'll start having gut pains and can't trace it to any obvious food I've eaten. I can be really bloated and gassy, or have extreme diarrhea. It's usually followed up by extreme pain in my major joints (hips, knees, elbows, shoulders), and often with redness and episcleritis in my one eye. And this past time I noticed that a few of my lymph nodes were swollen.

Everything points to autoimmune from what I can tell. I've had some blood tests for autoimmune indicators, nothing came back abnormal. And I'm on the waitlist for a rheumatologist (and perhaps it's time for another visit with the gastro-enterologist). My family GP said it's really weird - that normally folks with arthritic type reactions have flare-ups that last weeks. Mine lasts days.

It's very frustrating. I've missed a couple work days this week due to a flare-up. My work is really good about it, but it's always frustrating with these invisible illnesses. And it's frustrating because I feel that stress does have an impact on the severity of my IBS. One of the ways I reduce stress is through running, which is impossible when the joint pain is so severe.

Anyhow, today is a much better day and I look forward to everything returning to normal. Hope everyone is well out there - take care of yourselves.

[Hidden]

Not that I know very much about the condition, but could this possibly be fibromyalgia? Some of your symptoms certainly seem to fit and I know IBS can be part of it. There are quite a lot of people on here with fibro, perhaps one of them will come back to you .

Rosie

[runswithdogs in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Rosie. I wonder the same thing sometimes. Or rheumatoid arthritis. The short duration is odd, but then again, I wonder if symptoms develop or worsen over time and maybe I'm only at the start? I'm 34 and have been suffering the IBS for ten years or so, lots of time if these things can morph.

[runswithdogs]

Thanks for these. I started watching one yesterday. Might be a few sittings to get through them all. From what I heard sounded very interesting.

[runswithdogs]

Ah yes. Enders book is a great read, thank you.

Dietary adjustments has helped 90% of my IBS which I am very thankful for. I exercise regularly which at least helps indirectly by keeping stress levels down. Hopefully with continued work I can improve these big flare-ups, or at least reduce my symptoms during them.

[runswithdogs]

All the power to you if you can do hot yoga - you're built of stronger stuff than I am. I tried it once, spent most of my time lying on the mat and drinking water. Despite drinking litres of fluid I felt hungover for the rest of the day. My boyfriend loves it, it's much too hot for me. Regular yoga is great though. Or a nice sauna or steam without exercises.

[Carrollar]

I feel your pain I really do. I think I have always been used to the idea that I will be really sore and stiff in the joints if I do any mild exercise (in my case riding my horse which I wish I could do every day) and people just tell me I'm unfit. I have asthma too, and terrible weakness and fatigue, people have mostly told me I'm unfit all my life until I went on some really good antidepressants (having tried many before) and realised what it might feel like to not be sore and out of breath all the time (but certainly not cured by any means).

I am on my third day off work this week thanks to this current diarrhoea flare up and I am bored and overwrought. I seem to have so many little ailments it's ridiculous and I think people assume I am a hypochondriac, but the fact is that a lot of these supposedly minor ailments are linked and likely to occur together - lucky us! I can't even sleep as I've got crazy restless legs! Oh but I can't go out cause you know, the poo.

I personally feel that all of my little things are linked to my nervous system, IBS being linked to serotonin in the gut etc, and why the antidepressants help me with that, I do have a history of depression, which I often joke about 'well you'd be depressed too if you were super tired and sore and felt like you were going to poo yourself in public places!' oh how we laugh. I get horrible nauseating migraines too so again, I'd think nervous system.

The trouble is that nobody seems to want to study my many fascinating ailments as a whole. I have enough trouble getting anyone to believe that IBS is actually pretty debilitating in every day activities (again, pooing yourself at work, just not cool) and that just driving to work is dicey let alone trying to get any work done.

I turned this into my own rant I'm sorry, but I really sympathise with you as my body seems to constantly turn against itself.

[Carrollar]

That's interesting I shall watch the video when I can. I have actually been using B12+ transdermal patches recently which I felt helped with my energy levels and at least did not interfere with my bowels like other oral supplements (plus I have little faith I absorb oral supplements). I am also using a Vitamin D3 spray that goes under the tongue (again, trying to bypass the bowel where possible) which I also feel has helped and living in the UK and working in the office has got to affect ones D3 levels.

Thanks for linking the video!

[Esteratsky]

Hi Runswithdogs .... I am sorry you are having these problems, similar to what I have been through .... please ask to be checked out for Colitis, hope it is not because I've got it and it is awful. Hope all is well with you soon.

[runswithdogs in reply to Esteratsky]

Thanks Ester. How is colitis diagnosed? I had a colonoscopy a few years back and it only showed very minor inflammation in the small intestine somewhere. Biopsies were clean. It's probably time for a visit again with the gastroenterologist. After the major improvements on FODMAPS she told me I didn't need to see her anymore. But these flare-ups are different from the other IBS issues I have so maybe it's time....

[Esteratsky]

Hello runswithdogs ~ better the short discomfort for piece of mind. They have scheduled me in for a colonoscopy next month. Finally we will know whether it is the Colon after all and not the small intestines. All the best of the season and I hope it will be a healthy 2016 for you!