Is it IBS

[Heatherd1986]

So drs have said on several occasions I have ibs. Due to me having health anxiety I am not convinced. I get pains in the left side of my chest, burp and pass wind, become bloated have stomach pains, 1 min can be constipated and then the next have the runs also at times when I go to the loo and wipe there's feaces there without me knowing. It's driving me insane. Can anybody relate to this??

[b1b1b1]

It sounds like IBS, but double check with a gastroenterologist if you are still worried.

[AlexanderT2018]

I think I have similar things. I am more anxious now than I’ve been before and I start to worry about all sorts of things. My main thing at the moment is worrying about getting a sickness bug. No idea where this has come from. I also have the thing where I have a bowel movement in the morning and will have to check myself for hours after as i need to clean myself again. Driving me mad!!! Not sure if it’s related to IBS, or anxiety or something completely different but hopefully it’ll get better soon. Hopefully yours does too.

[LCat in reply to AlexanderT2018]

Sounds like IBS related to me, definitely. Also having to check yourself after a BM is typical for IBS. IBS is well known to cause anxiety in many people. The view ‘it’s all in your mind’ is an old fashioned view of doctors who can’t cure IBS, a view which knowledgeable GI Consultants don’t share. I don’t blame you that you’re worrying about a sickness bug. Those bugs can also be the initial cause for people who never had IBS to get post-infectious IBS. There are of course various other causes for IBS e g Malabsorption and others causes as well.

[annenic]

Totally sounds like IBS to me. Stress being a huge factor in IBS. Buscopan and mint tea will help and cutting down sugar I find helps me x

[lucylily]

Definitely sounds like IBS. Anxiety plays a huge part in making it worse. Don't know the cause and can't cure it but you can find ways to manage it. Get the tests to make sure it isn't anything else then start trying things to find out what works for you. Lopermide before I go out, peppermint tea, tumeric capsules help me and avoiding trigger foods beans, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage and anything fried in my case. We're all different but it can be managed for most of the time. Good luck.

[rozwalts in reply to lucylily]

We are indeed all different. I can have cauliflower and broccoli, also some fried foods. Most high fibre foods are a no go area though.

[LCat]

Sounds typical for IBS. For many people IBS causes health anxiety. The Vagus Nerve gets irritated by the gut which is upset from IBS and then causes the anxiety plus other symptoms like dizziness, nausea etc. There are doctors who say ‘It’s all in your mind’. That’s a very old fashioned uncompassionate view (because the doctors doesn’t know what causes IBS, nor what IBS is, nor how to cure it). This view is not shared by GI Consultants who are specialised in this area. All your other symptoms also sound like IBS like alternating diarrhoea and constipation .... that’s also typical.

[richv in reply to LCat]

Totally agree with you. Anxiety is such a strong IBS trigger and as so many of us on Healthy Unlocked know. IBS C or D is a catch all term used by a lot of the GI's because they do not know what causes it, nor what it is nor how to cure it as you have said so well.

[5catlover6]

Sounds like IBS to me. I find taking a good probiotic tablet each night has really helped me, far less bloating. Work out what food is not good for you. For instance rice, avocados, onions, peppers, sweet potatoes bring on a really bad attack, so I avoid those foods. I find if I look at a food and do not like it lands up it is bad for me.

[Wagtail17 in reply to 5catlover6]

Am currently researching probiotics on line and wondering which one is best for IBS with constipation and bloating. Would love to hear which brand of probiotic you take?

[5catlover6 in reply to Wagtail17]

I use a company called Vitacost in USA.Online and all their products are excellent and not expensive. Vitacost Probiotic 15-35 -- 35 billion CFU† - 120 Vegetarian Capsules

SKU #835003005970

Been using company for last 7 years and recommend highly. Worth the time for delivery cheapest is 9.99$ for up to 3 kilo weight of products.

[5catlover6]

I forgot cut out sugar that really is bad for ibs. Had a bit of birthday cake I could not say no would have been rude. Within about 45 mins was feeling really ill.

[rozwalts]

Sounds like IBS to me. Having said that my GP is convinced I don't have IBS. She is convinced I have cancer, and won't take I haven't for an answer.

Your best bet is to go on a low residue diet for a week, cutting out all fruit and veg, then add lower fibre fruit and veg to your diet one at a time. Eventually you will work out what sets your symptoms off, so you can eliminate them from your diet altogether.

[keithfre]

The wind problems certainly sound like IBS.

[dg8867]

yes it is called I.B.S Ive been a sufferer for 4 years now. To manage the symptoms, I would avoid caffine, to start. Caffine cause's enlargment of your blood vessels in your colon. which leads to hemmeroids. The hemmeriods came from having to push too hard to go, and from caffine. This seemed to be the cause of my issues with constant wiping, and having a hard time holding my stool in til i could make it to go. Imodium (lopermide) is very helpful as well. I take 1-2 tablespoons with my main meal each day. you'll have to go trial and error with how much to take til you find the right balance for you. If you take too much you can get constipated very badly. I just started with a smaller amount and added more each day til i found my balance. I also suggest you take a good probiotic, and drink keiffer, which is a liquid type yogurt. My I.B.S started from a bacterial infection, the antibiotcs killed off alot of the good bacteria, but i found as we get older our gut health weakens if we don't replenish it. Keiffer is a natural yogurt which carries most of the essential bacteria we need, and adding a probiotc helps this along as well. Give it a try for a month or 2 and see how you'll feel. It took a couple months of this regimine, but i feel 95% better now. Good luck to you I hope this helps!!~