IBS

[abxrose]

I'm 20 years old and I got really sick in June of this year, it turns out my appendix was being blocked by feces. I wasn't recovering from the appendectomy, so I went back to the doctor who then diagnosed me with IBS. I'm on Mebeverine 135mg three times a day. Nothing seems to be changing, I get abdominal pain, I'm always bloated, constipation. It was also confirmed that I am iron deficient, and now I take Ferrous Fumarate 210mg three times a day also, keeping in mind that these can make you constipated. I think my next option is to try a food intolerance test. Has anybody ever done one, are they useful?

I feel completely lost, I'm not the same person I was a few months ago and could really use someone who can give me any sort of advice, thank you x

[pseudenim]

Hi there, I'm not sure if I'll be able to help but I'm 20 too, so it might be comforting to know you're not alone. It seems a lot of people with IBS are 40+ but that's not true at all.

Firstly, it sucks that you're in this position. I'm sorry you find yourself stuck and lost here, I know how alienating and confusing it is. Just know that there's loads of people here and even if we can't fix it, take comfort in the fact that we're in the same boat as you.

I too have IBS-C (constipation) and found a few things help me out:

- Hot water bottles (and lots of them)

- Glycerine suppositories for emergencies, its gross but so helpful if things get bad. You can buy them from most supermarkets pretty cheap

- I try not to take loads of painkillers, as I think I'd just end up pumped full of them all the time and making things worse, especially since they can cause constipation. If you can avoid painkillers please do

- Ginger & honey or peppermint tea help to soothe the stomach and the nausea

- Just generally trying to relax. If you get frustrated and angry, you're only going to make it worse. Try to stay calm and relaxed during the worst of the pain, and take it easy the rest of the time. For this, calming music or even meditation might help (try the app called Headspace)

I hope you manage to find ways of coping, don't leave your doctor alone until they're sure there's nothing else wrong with you. So many docs write symptoms off as IBS to make it easier for themselves, so keep pushing for tests and a true diagnosis.

I was severely ill (and I mean trips to A&E and the lot) for over a year when I was first diagnosed, it is absolutely horrific. You will find ways of getting by though and it will get easier for you, I promise. Try not to think about what you were like before, it'll just make you sad. Focus on getting through each day or hour or even minute, if you have to.

Best of luck!!

Emily

[pseudenim in reply to pseudenim]

oh, and don't bother with a food intolerance test, it's a load of garbage. I cut out gluten and milk/dairy which many people find works for them. Also look into the FODMAP diet, it has mixed reviews but has really helped some people.

[abxrose in reply to pseudenim]

Thank you so much, I'll keep it all in mind

[pseudenim]

Jesus wept, i never claimed to be a doctor. None of us do, if you're jumping on me because of my personal advice, you'll have a job on yelling at every other person on here for doing the exact thing that I am. From personal experience, intolerance tests are overpriced and tell you a whole lot about nothing. Apparently I'm intolerant to 80+ things including tea, coffee, sugar, salt, onion, marjoram, and a whole host of other things. Even if that is true, it'd be impossible to cut out or reduce all those things.

If a test worked for you then that's great, and you can recommend it, nobody is stopping you.

If you would like to read my comment back, you will see that I point out things that work "for SOME people". At no bloody point did I say "I'm a doctor and you must do this". I feel that your response was a knee-jerk reaction simply because a food intolerance test worked for you and so you took offence and got rude with a stranger on the internet without good reason.

Please consider your comments in future, I never told anyone to do anything and never claimed my experience or opinion was better than that of a professional. I was trying to be helpful.

[Hidden]

Hi there, there are quite a few younger people on here as well that will also be able to resonate with you as you are only young, I've seen people comment on here about their children with IBS, that's really sad as they are suffering at such a young age.

I've not gone for any intolerance testing myself as someone I worked with a few years ago had just successfully completed her training to become a dietician and I asked her about intolerance testing and mentioned a particular company (I won't mention which one but it has been mentioned on here before and it's well known) and she said that the results of these tests were pretty inconclusive and said it's better to follow a dietician or look at your diet yourself as there was no proof that the intolerance testing worked.

I, like pseudenium below, have been cutting certain things out of my diet (I've had IBS for 20 years now and am 58) and so far have found out for definite that I cannot eat raw carrots, raw or cooked onions, sweetcorn. I have also removed Lactose from my diet and it looks like that has made a difference, caffeine also seems to affect me so I am going for caffeine free, I only found out yesterday after leaving them out for a while that dates also affect me (boo hoo as I love them). I am also reading through the FODMAP's list and looking at menus before embarking on the diet.

Also, in relation to constipation, what has worked for me is soaking a dessertspoonful of linseeds (same as flaxseed) in around a 3rd of a mug of water for an hour or more then drinking it. I have also found out purely by accident that this also helps with the pain; reason it was by accident is that I didn't need the linseed for a while as I wasn't constipated but then I noticed that I kept getting tummy pain and put two and two together and realised that it was because I wasn't having the linseed, I reintroduced the linseed and tummy pain gone!!

Anyway, not all of the above works for everyone but it's all worth a try and it's natural so you are not ingesting anything nasty or synthetic.

Very best of luck to you.

[abxrose]

Yeah, I have a table spoon of golden linseed with my muesli every morning, I think it helps

[Nicki1984]

Hi take a look at FODMAP and also keep a food diary. There may be foods that you have become sensitive to. I cut out dairy and wheat initially then looked into FODMAP I found it made a difference. I have done a food intolerance test before it was expensive but peace of mind for me. Otherwise following FODMAP and noting down your trigger foods is a good place to start xx

[Susan1-2]

I found going on an liquid elemental diet for two weeks restored good flora and gave my bowels a rest. It is expensive but worth it. I talked to a nutritionist before starting the diet. You have to be disciplined to get through it. I don't have gastritis anymore.