Please help...

[Sax1991]

Hey, so long story short, since i was 15 ive had mild ibs attacks which caused the typical cramps, and watery poop, wasnt to bad i got used to it, apart from.those bouts i was regular, and fine woth bowel movements. Then 19 for the first time ever, i was constipated, and felt like i needrd to go so bad but couldnt, seen a dr, he gave me supposertorys, me being 19 and stupid refused to put anything up that end of me...eventually i foeced out this large mass about the size of a coconut...thats where me and my life with my bowels changed forever....ever since that day nothing has been right. I never ever feel thr *urge* to go to the toilet anymore, ever. Full stop. I just can tell, i get a sensation that stuff is near the end of the line so to speak and to go to toilet never that urgent feeling or well yoy guys know what i mean. And then when i did wss like rabbit poo for years and id go maybe once a week, two somtimes. Or i could go 3 weeks, two weeks with nothing. But it becsme normal i lived with is dr tried lactalose anf movicol etc didnt work just sparked the ibs cramps so left it and that was life. In the last 2 years (im 26 now) the rabbit size poops had upgraded to golf ball type balls. So anyway, 5 1/2 months ago, i had THE worst ibs cramps id ever ever ever hsd in my life before the had been unbearably painful, but this was on another planet, it felt like somone was literally crushing my insides with a vice, i was physically sick with the pain, sweating mearlt passed out i was so close to going a and e just for any help, but i didnt because i genuinley thought theyd be annoyed with me wasting their time with just ibs, but ive never experienced anything like that in my life, and i can honesyly say i know have a genuine fear of that happening again all the time. So after rhat episode i had 2 days of bloating, then went back to *normal* about 5 days after that while at work, i had this horriboe strange pain and feeling like somone was pulling my intestines down from inside me ah i cant explain it in words, and i know that sounds crazy, but id never expeeinced ir before i had to leave, and eventually, it left. And i had this feeling in my stomach of almost really intense emptyness, almost like a strong hunger feeling but way way more, so i thought id eat, i was wrong..way wrong...soon as i did 20 minutes later ibs cramps...and it was even worse than the one before...i passed out, the obly way it stops is when you pass the loose stool...and it just wouldnt come...eventully after about 2 hours and nearly a whole pack of buscopan...it stopped with a little bowl movement. The next day i recovered...tried to eat bam...again Same thing.. no word of a lie every time i ate for 2 months it triggered ibs cramps, literally after 5 minutes...so i self medicated on buscopan, untill evntually, the ibs cramos stopped andnit turned into everytime i ate, i felt sick, so sick i couldnt eat, then that lasted to where i am now. Currently im at a stage where i can eat, barely, but im so insanly bloated, constantly, and i feel like i cant breath, or get a full breath, and right under my ribs, its like there is somthing inflammed there, its horrible honestly you cant get confortable you cant rest, you cant eat, bevause if i eat it settles for 30 mins but comee back twice as worse. So i seen a doctor i got perscribed laxido and omerprozole, and still nothing has changed except that i just have a really loose bowl movement once a day after i wake up, i did notice taking the laxido has helped dull down the strength of the breathlessness, i stooped one day and bam it was really intense again so i keep taking it for that For years ive been going to seek medical advice they dont investigate they say constipation soon as i explain my symtoms and thats it get perscribed laxatives and on my way.....im so sick of feeling ill i almost feel hopeless this is like my last hope of help is that if somone has any idea what could be happening, or has been in a similar situation

[ShootingStars]

Hi Sax1991, This sounds awful. The cause could be so many things. I had some of these symptoms and I had several causes. Please don't give up hope! You just need the right doctor and the right diagnostics to find out what is going on. Forget this doc how just throws medicine down your throat and doesn't get to the bottom of this.

I hope after all of this you've seen a GI specialist by now? You need to see one and get a bunch of diagnostics pronto, if you haven't. So many possible causes need to be ruled out. You should request an immediate colonoscopy and possibly an upper endoscopy to see exactly what is going on inside you. You could have an obstruction, or even cancer, and the only way to tell is by looking inside. You should also get some biopsies for Crones and Coeliac Disease while they are in there. Stool should be tested for bacteria, fungus and parasites (I had something show up on this test. See below.). Test for H.pylori. Fully test your thyroid. If you have thyroid disease, you entire metabolism will slow down and can cause symptoms similar to yours.

Over 20 years ago is when my gastro problems started. An episode of not going for 2 weeks made me go to a GI doctor. Back then, they prescribed "drink more water and eat more fiber". So I did. Life went on and things improved. Sometimes I'd be constipated but never again for two weeks, other times I'd have diarrhea. 10 years later, my problems increased. I had new and different GI problems. Long story short, I ended up having Hashimoto's, autoimmune thyroid disease. Once I started taking thyroid medication and improved my diet, my symptoms slowly went away as my thyroid hormone levels became optimal. I had a stool test this January. Something was found, I was treated for that, and things improved even more.

To test for thyroid disease, these are the exact tests you need done all together: TSH, FT3, FT4, and thyroid antibodies TPOab and TGab.

[Sax1991 in reply to ShootingStars]

Wow thank you so much for your response, I asked for a specialist and he said there is no point as if be waiting for a long time and I asked again but he just didn't refer me. I had a normal blood test for intolerance to gluten and stuff all came back fine, and I asked about thyroid as alot of symptoms I have are what comes up for thyroid dysfunction but the normally blood tests said I was fine? "/ I will go back and insist to see a specialist thank you again honestly it's nice to be able to talk to somone who has had similar issues

[CazO46]

Hi Sax1991, you really have had a difficult time 🙁 I agree with shootingstars you really need a proper diagnosis so you can get the right treatment. I ended up paying for a private consultation with a gastro consultant who wrote to my GP to refer me for an urgent CT and colonoscopy. The consultation was £200 but it was worth it to get the ball rolling. If that's not possible for you I would see a different Dr and insist on further investigation. You could take someone with you for moral support and another pair of ears to remember what Dr says. I wish you the very best and finally some answers to what's going on.

[keithfre]

I'd suggest that while waiting for your specialist appointment you read Prof. Whorwell's Take Control of your IBS. Might provide some reassurance and it will certainly arm you with information for discussing your condition with medics.

[Hidden]

Hi there,

It is a nasty place to be in. And worth seeing a doctor or specialist about to check there is no underlying physical cause.

If there isn't, then consider reading my blog: SickofIBS.com

I have recovered from IBS. I am not managing my symptoms. I don't have them anymore. I learnt to understand the triggers and address them.