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Lopylou79 profile image
17 Replies

Hi found this forum today hope I can get some advice please? I have been very ill for nearly 3 months 2 of them I have remained off work. I suffer with going to the toilet upto 10 times a day which is generally not very nice and undigested. I am bloated all the time look about six months pregnant. Cramping pains pretty much all the time but seem to be worse through the night as wake me around 3am. Mild Indegestion dizziness and nausea. Almost constant headache. I feel the need to sleep most of the day and have very little energy and when I try and tackle small chores around the house it knocks me out. I have had 2 lots of blood tests a stool test and ultra sound and nothing has been found. Although this is good to be nothing bad it does not help my situation. I have tried removing wheat and lactose from my diet. I have tried a bland diet. I eat half the amount I used to eat however none of this has helped and although you would expect to lose weight I am not. I am now waiting for a referral to see a dietician and gasterintologist. As my GP has now run out of ideas. For a short term fix she has prescribed me mebeverine 135mg 3 times a day and fybogel twice a day. And to increase my fiber intake. I have been doing this for 4 days now it does appear to be helping my stomach pain and reduced my visits to the toilet to 3-6 times a day. However indigestion is now almost all the time. Can anyone help that can relate to this please? Any ideas to help me move forward. I'm now struggling with my depression as I just can't go anywhere or do anything and feel I have no quality of life at the moment. I have two children that are now on school holidays and my husband soon deploys to Kenya for 4 months. I look forward to any help. Thanks in advance.

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Lopylou79
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17 Replies
alicemarsh profile image
alicemarsh

Hi lopylou - we are all here for you. There is a lot of help out there. The FODMAP diet is worth trying and also get as many tests as you can as there are different reasons for stomach problems and all IBS is not the same. When you have more info then we will be here for you. I hope the dietician and gastroenterolgist are helpful. I am glad the meds you have been prescribed are helping - we have all been thorugh this in different degrees - hang on there and it will improve. Knowledge helps so look on the forum every day and you will get ideas too, of what helps. Best of luck - alice

Lopylou79 profile image
Lopylou79 in reply toalicemarsh

Thankyou for the reply. My GP has mentioned the Fodmop diet but has said she dosnt recommend me doing it alone. She thinks the dietician may suggest it. It just feels never ending now as I have been home for 2 months now and don't feel I can leave the house very often or for lengthy periods of time. Just was asking if anyone could relate to the fact my GPs tests have all come back with nothing and does it really make you this poorly? Thanks

winmox14 profile image
winmox14 in reply toLopylou79

Yes luv it can make you very ill , it took me 'self - eliminating 'foods during the 8 yrs it took to discover wat I can tolerate , still , don't no all the foods I can tolerate . It's so frustating wen you cannot go out due to the pain!

winmox14 profile image
winmox14 in reply toalicemarsh

I discovered onions were making me ill , just had one of the worst flare ups , it zaps ur energy !!!!!

winmox14 profile image
winmox14 in reply towinmox14

The Fodmap diet is excellent tho , it can help calm your tummy down , chia seeds are good , & slippery elm on ur foods .

patientj profile image
patientj

It sounds as though you are on the right track and your GP is doing everything he or she should be. The dietician and gastroenterologist should really help.

I'm curious - did your IBS start around the same time as your depression? There's some evidence that anxiety and depression can trigger not only bouts of IBS, but the illness itself, so it might also be worth seeing a therapist or counsellor to help get in control of things. Even if you don't think your IBS was caused by that, the fact that you're currently getting very down because of your symptoms could be one thing making things worse.

This could also be partly responsible for your indigestion. IBS and indigestion can both be caused by smooth muscles in your digestive system not responding as they should and this is sometimes affected by mood. There are drugs that can help reduce the indigestion such as omeprazole, but I think you're probably already on enough. I think addressing your mood might be a better solution all round.

Lopylou79 profile image
Lopylou79 in reply topatientj

Hi yes I have suffered with depression on and off since I was 14 I am now 37. The past few years I have found life very challenging and in April accepted that I may need some help so my GO put me on fluexotine and I visited a phsycologist. Around 4 weeks after taking these tablets my symptoms began then a few weeks later I felt so ill and was so frequent to the bathroom with a seconds notice that I stayed off work. At first the GP felt the tablets had reacted with naproxen that I take for my back and had upset my digestive system. So I was taken off all meds. As weeks have gone on I have had the odd day where I feel things are getting better I can go out and think about going back to work but then the next day I am back to living on the toilet feeling sick and weak and crying most of the day. Rather than a quick fix as I know there never is one. I was just reaching out to see if anyone could relate to being pretty much house bound for so long and wether there bloods stool and ultra sound had come back showing nothing. As this is very deflating (good as would obviously not want anything bad to show up) but clearly something is not right and I'm just so fed up now.

BettyA profile image
BettyA

I"m so sorry you are going through this. There is the FODMAP diet, but when I was going through a really awful spell...my daughter suggested I go on a totally GRAIN (not just wheat) free diet and even though it took a couple of weeks, it worked like a charm... This can be called a Paleo diet.. you just eat meat, veggies, and fruit. Period. Gluten free did NOTHING for me... Anyway, I wish you good luck... You've been through enough!

pam1000 profile image
pam1000

Hi loupyloo. My symptoms are very similar to yours except I am not going to the toilet like you but get pain and bloating. I am also being treated for bad anxiety and this can cause all the symptoms like yours. I'm also on mebrevine but not fybogel cos that causes me more wind and pain. I follow the fodmap diet and also have had cbt which has helped me to calm down and thus my IBS eases. Have you tried counselling or hypnotherapy because this may help your depression which could also eleviate your ibs. Good luckx

Boodaloo profile image
Boodaloo

Hi,

Just wondering if your symptoms had a sudden onset, it came about gradually over several weeks?

Lopylou79 profile image
Lopylou79 in reply toBoodaloo

It was over about 3 weeks then boom I was doubled over stuck on the loo and had no energy.

Sherri50 profile image
Sherri50

I was your age when I had my first bad flare up followed my very bad anxiety attack. I will be sixty this year and have often wondered over the years if mine wasn't hormone related. Very bad flare ups over the years sometine weeks at a time. This past Feburary I was going through a very rough time with my IBS-D. I decided in March to try Bioidentical hormones to help with other symtoms that go with getting old. I was surprised after 3 weeks to discover I hadnt had any flare ups and going to the bathroom normally. Im on my second dose and have had one minor flare up when I ate something I shouldnt have. I've lived with this for so many years that I dont trust anything 100%. I take half of a lomotil in the morning after a bowel movement and have since I was in my 30s. I also drink only water now. Carbonated drinks are a trigger for me as well as anything containing fructose corn syrup. This forum has meant a great deal to me in not feeling alone with this. So hang in there and keep us posted.

linedance profile image
linedance

Hi loupyloo. Could this be related to anxiety about your husband's deployment to Kenya?

Lopylou79 profile image
Lopylou79 in reply tolinedance

I have been with my husband for 18 years and although every deployment is hard and time dosnt make it easier I have never been ill like this befor. I have been ill since the start of May and at that point he wasn't due to go away until mid September so it wasn't on my mind at the time. I have had allot to deal with over the past year. Which is why I accepted help back in April and started taking anti depressants and saw a physiologist. However a few weeks later I became ill and gradually got worse. From talking on here and to family it may seem that my anxiety and depression may be adding to my condition. But I don't know how to resolve this as the longer time goes on mentally I actually feel worse. I don't get sick pay so money is tight it's the summer holidays and I can't do anything with the children I am missing family parties as they are 120 miles away. With no diagnosis or solution I can't find a light at the end of the tunnel. Sorry to see so glum. But I actually struggle to want to get up every day. My husband is on leave this week and next befor he deploys so he encourages me to get up. I was a party girl happy go lucky but feel so drained lonely and lost the past year or so. So yeah depression is possibly paying a very big part x

MinaFox profile image
MinaFox

I am so sorry that you are feeling this way! it is so hard to not be able to live your daily life as you were! My experience has no been anywhere near as bad as yours sounds but i understand how upsetting and frustrating it can be! I am sure that the Gastroenterologist will be able to offer some advice! Try out different foods, see what helps and what doesn't , soluble fibre foods might be good and hot water, and mint tea and some mango in the morning before you eat other foods can all help bloating! Having stomach issues is severely draining! I was feeling really good yesterday, lots of energy and wanted to go home and do a work out but then i had an awful flare up and lost every bit or energy i had, and just went home and got my in my PJ's! Also - I know it hard but i full believe mental attitude helps toward this so speak to friends and family and try and plan some things (at home even) that are fun but that don't revolve around food or drink or anything to strenuous, but something that helps you to feel normal! I feel that things like that can really help! stay positive! and i am crossing my fingers for you, that you WILL be better soon! xxxx

linedance profile image
linedance

I find that exercise always makes me feel better, even if sometimes I have to force myself to do it. I attend various classes, rather then working out on machines on my own, as these seem to have a feel good factor and are also a way of making new friends.

Lopylou79 profile image
Lopylou79

Hi so 4 months on and life has only improved in the sense I have returned to work on a part time basis. I have had my colonoscopy and Ct scan and have been told I have a kink in my small bowel and there is a cyst on my ovary. However neither will be removed as could cause more harm than good. However I have read and found that people are saying they were told the same about the kink and pain and life got worse until they were operated on! Has anyone else got or had this? He has also said I have a severe case of IBS. So to move forward I am awaiting an MRI scan in Jan to ensure there is nothing else the CT missed and seeing a dietician in Feb. I am taking mebeverine buscapan and Imodium. I have totally removed food that is fried and cooked in oil. No chocolate. The occaisional spice. And very small meals. For example if I have jacket potato for dinner I can only eat half of it. Sometimes I may eat the other half an hour or two later. My husband has been home for nearly 2 weeks and he's on leave till 4th Jan so I finally have support and he is doing most of the house work and running around after the kids. BUT I'm feeling very frustrated! I was 37 full of life loved to party and have fun. Now I look forward to finishing work at 15.00 coming home having a shower putting my pjs on and laying on the sofa watching a film! I still get scared to go out as I don't know if I will need the loo. Also I get very worn out and I just feel allot of pain I would rather be at home. I feel sorry for hubby as he has just spent 4 hard crap months away and he's come back and I have no umph. He seems fine as he's more of a chill person than me but I just want to be me again! I'm also anxious about Christmas we have the family coming on 23rd till 2nd. We have a bar in our garage where we play games do karaoke have drinking games. Stay up between 00.00 and 04.00 depending on how the night is going. I will not be able to do this. I can mange about 3 drinks any more and I get drunk and it makes me really poorly. I also need my bed even though I don't sleep well at night sometimes I still like to be in it by 23.00 at the latest and the earliest I get up is 7.30 but later If I'm not working. Ah thanks for reading my waffling on. It's my day off so going to try and get some more sleep.

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