Never been in so much pain!

[Tashh]

Hi, I'm 18 and currently attend sixth form. After many trips to the doctors and once to A&E due to severe stomach pains, I was thought to have IBS. It's ruining my life, my education, my social life. I have a flare up now, and it's worse than ever before. The stomach pain is just not going away after taking many medicines such as mebeverine, silicolgel, buscopan, I just don't know what to do anymore. I've had a couple of hours sleep for the past 4 nights, have been sick about 4 times and not eaten anything but a few spoonfulls of pasta!! I feel like this isn't worth dealing with anymore and I feel like it is making me quite depressed. My parents don't understand, they believe it feels like some poxy stomach bug and never come in to check on me. It makes me think nobody cares. I've had two days of school and now I'm being forced to go back in with this amount of pain. I need help. I don't know what to do anymore. How am I going to survive going to uni this year when all I have is this bringing me down every month, how am I going to even get the grades to get in. I've even been thinking about suicide, which I know isn't good at all, but I feel like it's the only option as the pain is unbearable. Please help me:((((

[patientj]

Hi Tashh, I've been in a similar position to you before, although for me it wasn't the pain but a mixture of factors that got to me and made me think about suicide as well.

I can't cure the pain, but the first thing I would recommend is getting some professional help to deal with the anxiety and depression you're experiencing. The doctor can prescribe drugs but in my opinion you really need some sort of therapy/counselling to help you express your problems and learn to cope. When I was feeling the same way as you, I kept on putting this off because the feelings passed, I thought I could cope, and I didn't want to be a burden. However, when I eventually did seek help, it really helped me manage better and even led to dramatic improvements to my IBS.

You can get counselling through the NHS but waiting lists can be long and the sessions might not be long enough, so you might want to go private instead. It may even be worth seeing if there's anything your school can do to help.

[Tashh in reply to patientj]

Thank you for responding!! I understand your point, but does it cost money to go private? I know that I do need help expressing my problems, but like you I always put it off because I feel no one would understand and I can't even understand myself sometimes. I will check for councilling in my school, thank you again for your advice.

[patientj in reply to Tashh]

Unfortunately, it does, and prices vary considerably across the country. Some do provide discounts for students, though. However, whether private or on the NHS, they will help you understand things for yourself and flesh out all your underlying concerns. The sheer scale of things I learned about myself through therapy, CBT and mindfulness really helped me to put a whole load of issues into perspective and worry a lot less.

It sounds to me as though you are reluctant to speak to your parents about this, so even if your school can't provide counselling, maybe you can find an ally in one of your teachers who can broach the subject with them for you. And if you need to go private, counselling-directory.org.uk/ provides a searchable list of registered and qualified counsellors and therapists around the UK.

[Tashh in reply to patientj]

You have helped massively and I can't thank you enough! I will try and find some councilling or talk to the doctor about it and see what can be done.

[Volvic]

Hello, I'm 17, and I've been through similar symptoms as you, I've been in this state for 6 months, I'm also depressed and my anxiety is sky high I haven't left the house in those 6 months except from hospital and doctors, I also thought of suicide and yeah no one understands unless they've been through it, I found that mebeverine and buscopan are rubbish, you should try the peppermint tablets, im not sure what they are called, if you fancy a chat you can always message me as I'm going through a similar thing, good luck..

[malizme]

Hi have you been offered a colonoscopy? It sounds like you need further investigation and this procedure will do that. Worth asking your doc about it and soon. Don't despair

[Sengeanya]

Get straight back to the doctors. Explain the severity of the pain

[Algorfa]

Hi Tashh, I had the same experience as you. One day my mum came home to find me rolling around my bed screamibg in pain, i felt like some was pulling the inside of my tummy out, i went to A&E and they thought i was a urine infection but i went to my doctors and told him i go too the toilet 5/6 times a day so he put me on mebeverine which stopped me going to the toilet as much but for the pain i just ate smaller meals. I still get pain now but i have just started taking yakult probiotic and i havn't had any pain. Please don't give up. You need to see a doctor. The doctor will send you for a colonoscopy and will request a stool sample, stool samples will show up if you have parasites in your system if so they can help you get rid of them and feel better. Peppermint tea is also good for pain. It will get better you just need to get the right help, fo to your doctor request tests, i.e. colonoscopy, tell your doctor how it is effecting you, both physically but emotionally to, they will help you. Good luck.

[wizzie2090]

I'm 64 and having the same issues as you are. I haven't been anywhere, except the Dr & the ER in 3 years. I just started on a low dose of Linzess (USA) and it lets me sleep a little more, but does nothing for pain and constipation, yet. Yes, I too have been told to get psychological help, but when you can't leave the house, it's difficult. Try to get help with everything asap! When you get to be my age, it seems no one cares.

[Hidden in reply to wizzie2090]

Hi there Wizzie,

I care. I don't know you, but I've been there. Unfortunately non-one seems to know and no-one seems to care whatever age we are - because they don't know what to do. IBS is one of those conditions that doesn't get much funding because it doesn't kill you. I gave up going to see anyone because they just looked at me as if I was mad.

I got rid of my IBS after a 25 year struggle with a long list of symptoms. Everyone's IBS is different but I'm on a mission to get others out of their IBS saga because we are all wasting too much of our time and energy on it.

If you haven't tried any, I would really suggest using essential oil of exotic basil to reduce some of the pain and bloating. Have a look at sickofibs.com/ibs-symptoms/... for details.

Hope this helps,

Alison

[Hidden]

Hi, please do not feel alone, this is where this forum helps as you then realise that you are not alone. I had a Colonoscopy and Endoscopy before I was diagnosed with IBS (I was diagnosed back in 1996 - please don't let that frighten you though as I haven't suffered endlessly since then, I have had good periods). I also get the stomach pain and sometimes am doubled over but luckily enough it does happen that often.

Once you have had some tests i.e. the ones I have mentioned about and all else is ruled out and the doctor diagnoses you with IBS then diet is definitely the thing to look at. I can only eat very very small amounts of onions, broccoli, cauliflower, sweetcorn (I can't actually eat that at all now as I get very bad pain), fruits with skin on and raw vegetables. I am just going through all the cheese I have in the fridge before I then embark on a dairy free diet as I have read that a lot of people with IBS find they are intolerant to dairy. I am also following a diet of root vegetables as I can't eat much else.

Best of luck but please do not feel you are alone - vent how you feel on this forum x

[Patcy2468]

Hi tashh patricia here I no what you are going through but being that young & suffering that misserable pain nausea feeling like death & never far from a toilet I feel for you I was never away from the hospital with agony pains so bad & all I was sent home with was paracetamol for my ibs untill I got so ill & had to have a urgent blood transfusion becouse I had severe anemia brought on by not getten the right nutrients & eaten gluten but I suffered so much pain with thinking it was ibs & it was never ibs but coeliac disease which is a autoimmune disease that attack it own tissue so dont rule out coeliac disease becouse it has the same symptoms as ibs but it is a more serious disease& you get so much damage in yur intestines with eaten gluten take care patricia

[Juapp]

Stay positive and go to your GP ASAP, you still might be able to be referred to CAMS (this might get you to a councillor faster) by your school so go and speak to your tutor about how you're feeling and ask for the SENCO to refer you. I'm a teacher and if you need anymore info about this message me.

[Hidden]

HI Tash,

You are at a time of your life where you are under a great a lot of pressure and in pain. I totally agree with patientj that you need to talk to someone about it. For the pain I would really suggest using essential oil of exotic basil. This won't get rid of everything, but I think you'll agree that even a small improvement is welcome. For me this really helped. Have a look at sickofibs.com/ibs-symptoms/... for details.

Hope this helps a little,

Alison

[-___-]

Hey lovely, I'm 18 also and just finished year 13 last summer and you sound really similar to me! I've had a battle with periods of unbearable abdominal pain for nearly 2.5 years now, and extreme fatigue for nearly twice that long. I understand the drain it has on your social life and school- my attendance was shocking throughout sixth form due to days where I couldn't move as the pain was so bad. But remain positive, I've finished sixth form with good grades and you can do the same 😊 I also understand the depression you're feeling- I was prescribed antidepressants but elected to stop taking them as they made me feel awful! And I am insistent that my feelings of depression (when they occur) are due to the pain and the fact it feels as though no one is listening.

If you've had any blood tests etc done then try requesting copies of these/your medical notes from your GP- they have to let you have these but might charge a small printing fee. By doing this I've seen that some of my blood test results are very close (literally on the number of the edge of the reference range) to being 'abnormal'. This has helped reassure me that something is going on and it's not just in my head!

As a young female I also understand when doctors try to fob you off with something you don't have- e.g is it your periods, are you pregnant- I've also had treatment for PID (pelvic inflammatory disease) and chlamydia- neither of which I had!

Excuse my rather long essay haha, but you just have to keep going back to your GP and fighting. Potentially try seeing a new GP and doing your own research around any blood test results that you're given- mistakes do happen and things are missed- for example on my blood results I was given adult reference ranges when there are different ranges for under 19s, and by the definition of those I would be deficient in things that could contribute to my symptoms!

I've seen a new GP today and unfortunately it didn't go as planned. But by probing around my blood results I've noted my deficiencies/borderline deficiencies and today the GP told me on a recent CT my small intestine was inflamed/swollen. She said this wouldn't cause issues but doing my research I've found out it can be a cause of IBD and with my nutrient deficiencies this could all add up. So there's always hope- don't let any GP give up on your case as you know your body better than anyone!

Sending lots of love and hugs, always here if you need a chat.

Amy xx

[Eternity78]

Do you find the pain linked to your diet ?? if yes ..keep a food diary and just stay away from the list of (harmful foods )

Does the pain get better after a bowel movement ??

Does the pain wake you up from sleep at night ?? in this case you definitely need more testing like a colonoscopy to rule out other digestive diseases such as Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis.

Do you see blood ?? then this is a red flag and needs immediate investigation.