Recommend IBS treatment clinic for 14 year old?

[Mangojade]

Hi everyone, my son has very severe IBS which hospitalised him this year. He’s missing so much school, the doctors have now given up on us.

Can anyone recommend a very good clinic in London/Surrey that treats children? I believe he needs microbiome tests/food intolerances etc as well as support with appropriate nutrition.

Many thanks!

[Linley]

Hi! sorry to hear about your son especially at his tender age. So I and other IBS sufferers on this wonderful site know how to help you. Has your son had a colonoscopy as this rules out all other possibilities? Is his symptoms IBS-D or IBS-C related? Is there anything going on at school that may be contributing to his condition as where there is IBS there is anxiety?

[b1b1b1 in reply to Linley]

Yes, your son definitely needs to have a colonoscopy. Doctors generally don't "give up" on children who are very ill.

[Mangojade]

Hi there thanks for the replies. He’s had colonoscopy, endoscopy, cat scan and x-ray! All showing no abnormalities and diagnosed IBS-C. They put him on big doses of senna and have told him to stay on it but it gives him agonising cramps and diaorrhea. They don’t seem to have any other suggestions other than this. We’ve tried dairy free and wheat free to no avail. I’ve had him allergy tested and no allergy to egg/soya/wheat/dairy. We’ve tried movicol and micralax enemas and he’s also had a phosphate enema in hospital but nothing seems to help.

He’s seeing a psychotherapist but it’s not the answer. He definitely has stress issues so I’m starting him with a hypnotherapist soon.

I want to start the Fodmap diet with him but I need guidance and I think he could do with his microbiome being tested.

Any good recommendations for an IBS specialist gratefully received!

[Linley in reply to Mangojade]

Thanks for the information re your son. For Fodmap advice the best place is the IBS network who are the number 1 charity for IBS suffers. Suggest you continue with the hypnotherapy as it may help the anxiety. Good Luck and let us know how he fairs

[b1b1b1 in reply to Mangojade]

For fodmap info go to the Monash University site. It is in Australia and is where the diet was invented. There are also detailed books about it by Patsy Catsos, available on Amazon.

[Hidden in reply to Mangojade]

There is a forum on here I think it's healthy eating forum that might have the fodmap diet on it, if it's not on there you might want to look at the pinned posts in here for it. Alternatively you could private message admin on this forum and they might be able to help you find it.

[BabsyWabsy in reply to Mangojade]

I have seen these people at the Allergy / Free From show in London. They are based in Letchworth. Expensive, but very convincing. taymount.com/

[b1b1b1 in reply to Mangojade]

Also, it just occurred to me that there are pediatric gastroenterologists. You may want to look for one of those.

[Ameliarose140214]

Hi My son was diaganosed with ibs when he was 16 the hospital said they didnt want him to go through the usual test as they went very pleasant and sent us on our way with a pain killer, we were totally in the dark as you just never heard of ibs like you do today, when he was 24 he went to work in Japan for a year and was so ill with the food he said he actually thought he was going to die his boss out him in touch with York intolerance testing which is a quick blood test which is 99% accurate he found he had intolerances to cows milk eggs, yeast and wheat once he cut these out his life has totally changed pleaselook into this online test I also took in 2 years ago and found I have the same intolerances it's expensive but totally worth it to see your child happier gaining weight and looking well again. Good luck

[Maureen1958 in reply to Ameliarose140214]

Hi Ameliarose, just wondering if you have the same intolerances as your son, do you have IBS or IBS type symptoms? Maureen.

[Ameliarose140214 in reply to Maureen1958]

Yes I have ibs but was never given any advice or guide on how to deal with it i didn't realise that what I was eating was causing the problems yeast and cows milk are my worst triggers

[Maureen1958 in reply to Ameliarose140214]

Thanks for getting back to me, I was just curious as you didn't actually say anything about having IBS too. I did the York test myself some years back but I don't think mine has anything to do with food.

[ElephantEars11]

I would take him to see a psychiatrist. I am only sorry that I waited so long to go. Have you heard of the Specific Carb Diet? It's definitely worth a shot.

[Hidden]

Hi there. I imagine how distressing this must be for you - and for him. It sounds as though you have looked into IBS a great deal.

Once you have has food intolerance testing, this article may be of interest to you: sickofibs.com/diet/ibs-can-...

I have completely recovered from IBS, and wish I had known all this earlier. I hope it will save you time.

Alison

[Lulububs]

Hi

Im so sorry and feel for ur son i have had ibs since i was 5-6 years old, used to b stress but then it become food but could never put my finger on what.

I eventually got hospitalised 2 years ago with massive impaction( ie not pooping for 2 weeks) .

I eventually saw a gastro and a naturopath who did intolerance testing and it turned out it was cowsmilk and gluten...

Also i had a stripped lining of gut through copious amount of antibiotics, has ur son had alot of antibiotics?

Anyway i gave up gluten, went soya milk and started taking digestive enzyme, probiotics and peppermint capsules and within 2 weeks i was so much better, within 6 months i had put on half a stone( i was so skinny) and was pooing every day and felt amazing.

So mayb it worth just taking this chance? Eliminate the gluten and dairy and make sure u look at his gut health( ie probiotics, digestive enzyme, magnesium tablet(500mg) and see if this helps him...

Gastros are useles really they just say everything ibs and have no idea why? Or what it is.

I only found out through naturopath.

Anyway it now two years on and i have had mayb two flare ups and that because i forgot to take tablets when ran out so it been pretty good and i see a good future ahead