Rumbles and grumbles: Hi, does anyone else find... - IBS Network

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Rumbles and grumbles

Liz1234ty profile image
19 Replies

Hi, does anyone else find that the main symptom they suffer from are stomach and bowel rumblings and a sensation like their guts are moving and squirming around? For me it is not painful but often wakes me up at night and the noise can last for hours and hours and occurs most days - over the past 9 months of this I have really begun to heat it.

I don't have constipation and rarely have diarrhea so that rules out a number of treatments and the colofac and later buscapan prescribed by my GP has not worked. I've also tried anti-wind treatments in case it is gas but these have not worked either and peppermint tea, ginger and apple cider vinegar have not helped.

My GP is at a loss to explain my symptoms as it is not typical of IBS. I did wonder about diet and will try Low Fodmap diet (eventually) but so far eliminating diary, coffee, alcohol, spices and trying bland foods (all done one at a time) has not revealed any pattern.

Has anyone else managed to treat or cure a constantly rumbling, gurgling and squirmy digestive system? Any advice, tips appreciated.

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Liz1234ty profile image
Liz1234ty
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19 Replies
b1b1b1 profile image
b1b1b1

Does it cause pain? If not, and since you are already under a doctor's care, I would wait a bit and it may just improve on it's own.

Liz1234ty profile image
Liz1234ty in reply tob1b1b1

Strangely it does not cause pain, more of an uncomfortable and weird sensation. I do keep hoping that it will settle on its own but it has been almost 10 months now so I'm starting to worry about when it will end. While it is not medically serious it is very unpleasant and it would be a relief to find something that can sooth or resolve it so that I can sleep properly at night and can get back to normal.

b1b1b1 profile image
b1b1b1 in reply toLiz1234ty

Don't eat late in the evening; my gastro says nothing after 9 pm.

Ari3 profile image
Ari3

Check for H Phylori

jv50plus profile image
jv50plus

My stomach rumbles and grumbles a lot, but has no nasty side effects, although my husband thinks its funny! I ignore it. I believe it has done most of my life with no consequence. Good luck

Whateverhaha profile image
Whateverhaha

Ive had IBS for two years and just recently developed your exact symptoms. I usually get this about 4-7 hours after my last meal.

My GP thinks its IBS and I visited a gastronoligist in America and he said it could be my intestines reacting to IBS. His explanation was that different intestines react differently to food and disorders. I guess they probably dont know what the exact cause is.

Liz1234ty profile image
Liz1234ty

Hi - thanks so much for all your advice and good to know that other people suffer from this. It is highly annoying but i can appreciate it is not serious. Would be nice to get rid of it (I mean get it back to normal). I have been thinking about the H Phylori test. My GP says symptoms don't ft but I think people can react differently to the same disease/problem. Just look at all the range of symptoms present on this forum. Luckily I can afford to get the test privately.

Flik22 profile image
Flik22

Hey I have incredibly noisy bowels ( not tummy) often wakes me up early hours of the morning! Mine often lead to diarreah as my anxiety kicks in horrendously!! I wish I could just accept our bowels make a noise!! Xx

Liz1234ty profile image
Liz1234ty in reply toFlik22

Hi, interesting you mention anxiety as I think the noise is just really annoying but the worst thing is perhaps this squirmy butterfly feeling that accompanies the noise as either gas or food or fluid whatever moves through the bowels. It is a bit like the feeling that accompanies being nervous such as an exam or job interview. I think that contributes to anxiety as the 'gut brain' is saying danger/beware/alert!

Have you found anything that helps?

My GP recommended a daily dose of Imodium. In higher doses it stops diarrhea but lower does can calm an overactive stomach/bowel he reckons. I have been hesitant to try it in case it leads to constipation but perhaps worth a go?...

Flik22 profile image
Flik22 in reply toLiz1234ty

Yeah I wish I Could see it as annoying, I sometimes try and laugh at it but usually my brain goes aarrgghhh noise means the runs ! And hey voila it happens! So when it does happen I instantly think the same and it's goes on and on!! If my noises wouldn't lead to diarreah I'd probably cope with laughing at it!!! I've tried daily loperamide, it worked like a treat for a while but eventually my body overrides it! So I started taking more and then ended blocked so stopped taking it and then with in a couple of days I'm back to square on again! Can't seem to win!! Haha!! Xx

Tam1987 profile image
Tam1987

Hi I have had a few of the same symptoms at the start of this year and the grumbling was one of my first symptoms and 3 months ago was diagnosed with hpylori it's a bacteria virus millions of people have it but doesnt cause symptoms so tbey dont know until tested, doctors were puzzled for a long time, didn't show up in many blood tests I had bit showed in a stool test you get alot of weird symptoms with that, from rashes to rumbles twitches aches honestly it's worth seeing if it is that or sibo is the other thing I was tested for.

Liz1234ty profile image
Liz1234ty in reply toTam1987

Hi Tam, I have actually ordered a Sibo test kit which arrived today. I'll try that first and then the H Phylori which Ari3 also suggested. Did you get tested on the NHS or privately? If privately where did you go? My GP won't test for it since I'm not in pain. Did the treatment for the virus clear up your symptoms? Did you have Sibo? Sorry, many questions!

Tam1987 profile image
Tam1987 in reply toLiz1234ty

I got tested on the nhs bit it took them from January till a couple months ago to test me for it, I was just having on going problems going to the toilet (number2s lol) been passing lots of blood I had triple treatment lansoprazole, claramithacin how ever you spell it and amoxicillin for it due for a retest now but I'm still convinced there is something else wrong but had a colonoscopy and nothing was found but still blood loss bit of a mystery, for me if I'm honest, they said I haven't got sibo but I'm going to retest for that too because alot of people developed it from hpylori so I've been reading on forums x

Liz1234ty profile image
Liz1234ty in reply toTam1987

Thanks Tam. I have heard the same about sibo (and also that the tests are not that reliable in the sense that they can give you false negatives so it is worth retesting). I got my test privately as the NHS would not provide it. I think since I don't have regular diarrhea the NHS is reluctant to act. I have also heard that probiotics can be beneficial after taking lots of antibiotics - perhaps that will help you?

mickeymerc profile image
mickeymerc

I get it all the time in fact it doing it now. I do get relief from it if I drink colloidal silver water half a cup usually does the job but it always returns

Liz1234ty profile image
Liz1234ty in reply tomickeymerc

That's interesting - I have just looked it up (not heard of colloidal silver water before) and I see that it can help kill germs so guess that you have some sort of bacterial infection/issue. Have you tried probiotics? I did see that In 1999 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that these colloidal silver products were not considered safe or effective but presume that you have had no ill effects from it. Where do you get it from?

mickeymerc profile image
mickeymerc in reply toLiz1234ty

I used to buy it of amazon but I bought a silver generator and make it at home now it’s much easier and cheaper I also use charcoal tablets they work like you would not believe also you can be got off Amazon

dg8867 profile image
dg8867

I've had I.B.S d/c for 4 years now. Mine started from an intestinal infection. After about 1 year after from taking anti-biotics, my stomach had gotten very gassy. I found that when your gut flora (good vs.bad bacteria) is off balance the bad bacteria flourishes on many types of sugars from the foods and drink we take in. This can be from normal sweets, to natural sugars like in milk/dairy, fruits, and vegetables. As the bacteria digests these sugars, the side effects from the waste the bacteria makes is alot of watery stools with alot of gas. The fact that you have alot of gas and rumblings in your stomach shows your gut flora is off balance. This can cause other issues like diverticulous, a pocket formed in the wall off your large intestine.This pocket catches your waste and causes intestinal infections at times. I tried many things to control the gas, and I have found what worked for me was a few things. First, cut out caffine as much as possible, for some reason caffine seems to aggrevate it more. Secondly, I took pro-biotics, some in pill form like ultimate flora, which comes with up to 50 billion count bacteria. The pill form pro-biotics, are a dormant form of bacteria and have a harder time surviving past your stomach. Not to mention that over the counter pills are much more expensive. so I have also taken live culture food as well. I found keiffer, a liquid type yogurt worked best. It is full of all the essential bacteria we need.You can also juice cabbage or eat kimshi which helps kill off bad bacteria while it feeds and replenishes the good bacteria. Thirdly, I found that when I eat my main meal for the day, I was taking 1-2 tablespoons of liquid imodium when I ate. The liquid form works best at once per day especially taken at the time you eat.The imodium takes some of the liquidity from what you are digesting, thus removing the gas which comes mainly from the liquid digestion process. Be careful not to take too much imodium as it can cause bad constipation. It is mainly a trial and error thing, to find your own balance. It took a few weeks before it was noticeably gone for me, and now I am doing way better. If you try this , I hope it helps you as it did for me, best of luck, and I hope you to feel better, and enjoy your life more again!!

Liz1234ty profile image
Liz1234ty in reply todg8867

Hi, i am really pleased that you found a solution and thank you for sharing this advice. I am currently trying VSL#3 but had to take a break from it due to holiday abroad so I've not yet given it a fair chance, although I have to say that in the few weeks I took it before holiday there was a slight improvement but since returning from holiday and starting taking it again I've not noticed a difference. i will try the keiffer and kimshi you suggest. Not sure i can face giving up caffeine again (my morning wake up drink) but if my symptoms don't improve soon i will have to try a more restrictive (and healthier) diet.

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