Help! I’m 30 f in need, doctors not interested but told It could be ibs-C I’m really not sure what to do it scares me!

[Tam1987]

5 months ago I started getting rumbling and pain in my abdomen bottom left side, but was pooping normally, taken to hospital suspected appendicitis xray showed I was totally blocked up with poop bloods normal so home with some laxatives to help relieve it, worked a treat,few weeks later I started getting mucus and blood on my poop like streaks the first time I go,and still getting it now on and off, I’ve been to the doctors 10times over and over and they seem convinced there’s nothing wrong had lots of blood tests and everything has come back normal, I’m constantly constipated so I have to use movicol, I have no pain whatsoever just abit of discomfort after with a bad headache 🤕 but like today I’ve had to go 3 times with small amounts, i also get this twitch or throb/spasm down the bottom like something is in there actually feel like a baby’s kick lol I’ve tried to cut lots out from my diet and eat lots of fruit and veg but I don’t dare cut much more out cos I’m only little 6stone and not even 5ft, I also get lots of mucus, is anyone having or had similar to this ? It’s starting to scare me now because I keep thinking there is something more serious that the doctors are not checking, they haven’t offered me any other scans or procedures in the 5months I’ve been on at them? I am a worrier and do suffer with anxiety, I’m a single mum of 2 girls 6 and 4 and when I have bad days I feel so guilty, hardly want to do anything or go anywhere cos I feel so embarrassed I haven’t even managed to tell my partner about it, doctors say they think it’s IBS-C but won’t do no Futher testing just keep supplying me with laxatives ! thanks for reading

[Helenbperks]

Hi Tam,

Have you had a fecal calprotectin test? This will identify any inflammation going on in the gut?

Have you had a thyroid function test?

Do you suffer from bloating?

Have you kept a 7 day food and symptom diary?

I ask these questions as I am a registered nutritional therapist in the UK and I work towards root cause resolution with my clients all of the time. I often write to their doctor/consultant in order to request certain tests, otherwise we test using private labs if the NHS aren’t able to offer them.

Laxatives are definitely not a long term solution. You need to address the root cause.

I hope this helps.

[Tam1987 in reply to Helenbperks]

No they haven’t offered me anything they said there not worried as the blood is not coming from higher up so the doctor said last week she even rang to see if she could get an appointment for the camera up? But I didn’t tick all the right boxes for that.

Thyroid came back normal,

Haven’t had the fecal thing I’m not sure,

I’m not a massive eater because of my size but it is or has been always normal for me before the last 5months, yes I do get the bloating normally I have a flat toned tummy, I’m so worried about why my food won’t digest properly, sometimes I can eat different things that make me feel so full and stuffed it makes me feel sick and not wanting to swallow properly if that makes sense

Thanks for your reply

I have had an awful bowel movement this morning and feel really unwell today been 3 times 1st had streaks of blood then 2nd and 3rd time were normal poop, feels like my head is going to explode, I’m starting to think it must be something I’m having daily that kicks it off cos I can go about 5 days normal when using movicol and suppositories then it starts again back to square one have been using suppositories just in case I have piles/hemmeroids and it does stop the blood but when I stop using it just comes back

[Helenbperks in reply to Tam1987]

I’m so sorry you are having these problems and that you are feeling so unwell. It is dreadful, I know as I have been there!

Ticking boxes in terms of whether you meet certain criteria in order to have access to certain tests is a protocol that follows the theory “one size fits all”. Every one of us is different! Our DNA, our genetic predisposition, our reaction to foods and environmental toxins, our case history,.. therefore testing should be patient-centred. What I mean by this is listening to the patient and THEIR symptoms and THEIR experiences.

I would go back and challenge this decision and explain you feel you are not being listened to and your quality of life is being effected.

You mentioned you are a worrier, emotional stress impacts the gut-brain axis and gut issues also effect the gut-brain axis, in other words thoughts effect the gut, the gut effects your thoughts. Need to break the cycle. Whatever you feel relaxes you, include this in your daily routine.

I have my clients follow a 5 ‘R’ protocol - Remove, Replace, Repair, Reinoculate, and Rebalance. Each client will follow different recommendations based on THEIR case history, THEIR health objectives, and what THEIR lifestyle enables them to incorporate.

I really hope you see some improvement very soon.

[Eastbourne11]

There is a blood test now for IBS, so ask for it. Bran helps me, start with a full teaspoon full a day and work up from there. It is very cheap and natural. Think what happened 5 months ago, did you take antibiotics which may have upset your intestinal flora. We have to be our own doctors nowadays as GP's do not seem to listen to what we say! They just keep taking the money. Good luck.

[Tam1987 in reply to Eastbourne11]

I’m going up tomorrow for another appointment, everything I eat seems to give me tummy ache or like I have something laying at the bottom of my stomach and I have been really itchy tonight, seems as though I could be allergic to something so going to ask them to test me see if I am allergic to anything, I have felt much better today than I did Monday when I wrote the first post, but now woke up feeling bad again, yes I’m going to ask for the ibs test tomorrow and see if they will send off a sample of my poop as they have no yet done, yes I did take some antibiotics and it did really upset me i had the flu virus really bad and after it left me with earache in both ears and tonsillitis And blood blisters on the back of my throat not sure if any of that has anything to do with it

Thanks for your reply I will try the bran thing xxx