Hi All,
Hope you're doing well.
In advance, I sincerely apologise for the unpleasant contents of this post.
I'm due to see my gastroenterologist on Monday week.
I already have very mild IBD (since mid 2011) in the form of ulcerative colitis, but since about March/April this year have been experiencing random episodes of diarrhoea, each lasting an hour or so. Initially, these were no more than about once every 6 weeks or so, but recently they have been increasing in frequency to maybe once or twice a week. Symptoms are: lots of noisy intestinal gurgling and 'whistling'; urgent need to get to the loo; passing loose stools and mucus in two to three episodes over a period of about 20 minutes. A little while later, maybe 20 to 30 minutes, and I have to hasten back to the bathroom to pass a further one or two very watery motions. Then everything calms down, and after a few hours I feel OK again - until the next time. I've noticed that the last two episodes have occurred about 30 to 40 minutes after finishing a meal.
These seem like textbook symptoms of IBS to me; has anyone any advice or suggestions?
Thanks!!
Kindest regards to you all,
Peter A 
Hi Peter,
Don't be fobbed off by medics with a so-called 'diagnosis' of IBS, all it means it that they don't know what's causing your problems and some of them don't look very hard to find what out what it might be either. IBS is a syndrome not a disease and anybody with unattributed bowel/digestive disorders gets shoved under that very vast umbrella.
I'm no healthcare professional, but suggest you read up on bile acid disorder (BAD), also sometimes called bile acid malabsorption (BAM) and, if you think the symptoms of it are on a par with yours (and they certainly sound as if they might be), make sure you talk about it as a possible cause when you see the gastro consultant. They rarely mention it unless you do and I've no idea why they don't as there's a definitive test for it and it's easily treatable.
A good article on this can be found at: patient.info/health/irritab...
Hope this helps.
Thank you very much, Pagan1. I really appreciate your response.
I'll report back after my appointment next week.
Kindest regards,
Peter A
Yes...Pagan1 - I take Colestipol and no longer have chronic diarrhea...these bile acid sequestrant are wonder drugs!!!
Yes sweetsusie, I've seen your posts and it's great that you keep putting them up on here.
I don't know about the US (I think that's where you are), but patients in the UK are just not told about BAD despite the fact that it's the cause of severe diarrhoea in 1 in 3 people.
I get so fed-up reading about so-called diagnoses of 'IBS', why are doctors so damned lazy when it comes to properly investigating bowel conditions?
It's the same in the US, Pagan1. My doctor didn't tell me about this..I had to research it myself...after I saw your post! You are one of few heroes in my life...for because of you...I no longer have chronic diarrhea, as I've said before!! Thank you! I don't have a clue why doctors do not get a clue about this. I even asked my pharmacist why doctors don't guide their patients towards these wonderful drugs..he said he didn't know why...gads! Very frustrating!
Well, thanks for that sweetsusie, you've made my day!