Severe problems for over a month. Does this sound like IBS? Please read.

[ifiweopfjwfjwef]

I'm sorry for this long post, but I would be very thankful if you could read this and if anyone else have gone through similar problems and it turned out to be IBS, let me know.

I am male and I just turned 40. Almost two years ago I started having bowel movement trouble. I was often constipated for several days and then when I finally did go to the bathroom, the stools would be quite soft, the consistency was somewhere in between normal and diarrhea, and often very pale. I also occasionally woke up with a faint stomach ache which would go away later in the day.

I saw my house doctor about this in early 2018 and he ordered a bunch of blood tests. He said the results came back proportionately normal. He also had me do a fecal test to check for possible blood in my stool, and it came back negative.

He speculated that I may be suffering from some kind of food allergy or possible IBS. Nothing was further investigated though.

I tried experimenting by eliminating various food out of my diet, and while the stools would improve for periods, and then go back to being worse, I didn't feel as if it had anything to do with what I ate. It just kept changing for no apparent reason.

Earlier this year, I saw my doctor again regarding my constipation problems. The doctor took new blood tests in April, which according to him showed nothing abnormal. He took a blood test to check for gluten intolerance, which came back negative. He also prescribed a granule mixture medication. The granule is not dissolving but more of a gravel-type consistency and it is supposed to be swallowed whole together with a glass of water. This is to regulate bowel movement.

The medication worked great at first, and I was going to the bathroom basically once a day once I started taking this medication.

The stools consistency also seemed to improve (not as loose as before).

However, approximately a month ago, I started having:

-Stomach pains, not just in the morning but throughout the days.

-An unexplainable feeling that resembles a hunger sensation, although I don't think it's real hunger because the stomach doesn't growl. Sometimes, this sensation would be reduced when I ate something, but it quickly returns.

I tried to eat a lean diet, like boiled fish and rice, and I cut out acidic drinks like orange juice. Nothing improved. The doctor prescribed Omeprazole which he said may reduce the stomach pains in case it's caused by excessive stomach acids. I have been taking it, along with probiotics, but nothing is helping.

As the days went on, the problems kept getting worse. I started feeling nausious, kind of like a motion sickness. The hunger sensation was now constant, and wouldn't go away anymore even when I ate. I would also get stomach pains whenever I DID eat something. I was also badly constipated and over the counter laxatives and Magnesium Citrate did not help.

I finally decided to contact a clinic who specializes in digestive diseases and they performed an EGD and colonoscopy on me monday July 22. They did not find anything, no inflammations, Crohn's disease, ulcers, tumors, polyps, etc. Everything looked good. They took two biopsies to check for Celiacs disease and some type of infection, but the biopsies both came back negative.

Right after the procedures my intestines / abdominal area hurt a lot, worse than before I had the procedures. But I figured that was because the instruments they used may have irritated my intestines and it would get better after a couple days.

I do however still, nearly a week later, experience abdominal pain. The pain is beneath my belly button, not just on one side but all over. It's not a very strong pain, but it's uncomfortable, kind of like a cramping feeling. That hunger feeling is also persistent and when I do eat I feel full right away, like I'm bloated. So I feel the false hunger feeling and bloated at the same time. It's the best I can explain it.

Does it sound as if I am suffering from IBS? From what I read online, IBS symptoms flare up and stay for a few days, but this is just not going away. I have tried cutting out fruit juices, dairy, fibers, fat, carbs, lactose, gluten etc. Nothing is helping. I am on the verge of being underweight so a very lean diet doesn't work for me anyway. While I was eating boiled food (which also didn't help) I dropped down to 132 lbs (I'm nearly 6 feet tall). I have since then been forcing myself to eat fatter food and managed to gain a few pounds back. The lean diet was not improving my IBS-symptoms anyway.

Right now my stools are very hard too, and I go approximately every other day.

Is it likely I would develop IBS when I was nearly 40 years old, and would the symptoms stay for a whole month? How do you diagnose IBS? Is it even possible? I get the impression the doctors are just guessing it's IBS and they don't really know. What else could it be that I am suffering from and any suggestions on how I get it to go away? What can I try?

Did anyone else here develop these problems so late in life, and did the symptoms ever stayed for over a month for you?

Please, any suggestions are welcome.

[Laxmik]

Have you tested for food intolerances? Have you tried following the FODMAP diet?

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to Laxmik]

No I haven't. How is that tested?

[Laxmik in reply to ifiweopfjwfjwef]

It’s a blood test. Please ask your doctor. You can develop food intolerances anytime. Even if you were eating that same food for long. Look to download the monash app for guidance for the FODMAP diet. It’s not free. But it’s very useful. In IBS is not just what you eat but also how much of it you eat. The monash app tells the food you can eat and quantity you can eat safely.

I would say don’t let stress effect you. Stress is a major trigger for IBS and all digestive problems. I got ibs at 36. You definitely can get it at any age. If I recall correctly it’s either before 40. Or then after 60. You need to find a good doctor. The diagnosis of ibs is an exclusion diagnosis. All doctors eliminate the sinister causes of your digestive issues before giving you an ibs diagnosis. Besides food stress and anxiety effect Ibs a lot. The gut brain connection is very important.

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to Laxmik]

Thank you, I'll ask a doctor about this test.

I didn't know that it also had to do with the amounts consumed. I figured either I'm intolerant to something or I'm not. Do you have any idea how long a certain food have to be excluded before I can rule out that is causing / not causing my bad reactions? If I was for example attempting to not consume dairy products to see if that is the cause, how long do I need to stay away from it before I know?

[Laxmik in reply to ifiweopfjwfjwef]

I think you should see an effect in anywhere from two to six weeks.

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to Laxmik]

OK, ty.

[Monkeypuzzler]

Have you had a test for Sibo? Also look into Candida.

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to Monkeypuzzler]

I didn't know of these but I'll look into it. Thanks.

[damiante]

hello, did you tried a good probiotic and also why don't you get another doctor opinion there must be another doctor who can tell you really what is going on, hopefully you will get better, take care

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to damiante]

I have been taking probiotics for a few weeks now but so far no improvements. Last night I was hit by a bad abdominal pain / cramp attack. I mean it was REALLY bad, by far the worst yet since all of this started. I cannot connect it to anything particular I've eaten. I've been eating pretty much the same stuff for the past couple weeks. I was given some samples of a medication called Bentyl (Dicycloverine) which I took and it reduced the cramping pains from 8/10 to maybe 3/10.

[damiante]

if i was you i would see another doctor and a gastroenterologist just to see if you really have this ibs, i was told the same thing from my regular doctor, i had ibs and i was having cramps,pain in my stomach, diarrhea i was going up to 14 times a day, it lasted for six months than i went to another doctor and was referred to gastro, i really watch what i eat, no coffee, tomatoes, dairy, no milk, no bread, no pasta, no stir fry, i do take one a day prilosec, see another doctor don't just take the word of one doctor..take care

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to damiante]

Did your problems just start out of the blue, late in life? Eating coffee, tomatoes, dairy, bread etc for many years then all of a sudden your body was sensitive to it? If I'm suffering from a food intolerance of some sort, it means my body suddenly became intolerant after eating the same things for nearly 40 years.

[damiante in reply to ifiweopfjwfjwef]

i still don't understand when a doctor diagnose a person just by symptoms, even my old doctor told me that i had ibs, not true, when i changed doctor and i went to a gastro i had h-pylori first i took antibiotics after i did a gastroscopy and i was diagnosed with peptic ulcer, i still take pills, but i believe some doctors really care and some don't know what they are saying, i still think you should go for a second opinion

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to damiante]

I think the reason the doctor suspected IBS in my case is because I just underwent both colonoscopy and upper GI. He says there was nothing found, no ulcers, inflammations etc. I will however get a second opinion because my problems got really bad while I was vacationing in the United States and I ended up doing the colonoscopy & EGD over there. Now I'm about to go back home but since the problems persist, I will have to seek medical attention from a gastro clinic once I'm back home again, so I will however automatically get a second opinion that way.

If my body had H. pylori, the doctor would have seen the infection while doing the colonoscopy, right?

[damiante]

yes, h-pylori bacteria it's in the stomach, but it might be what you eat as well, take care

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to damiante]

The clinic has informed me that the biopsies for celiacs disease and H. Pylori bacteria has come back negative as well, so if the symptoms are caused form something I'm doing it must be in my diet.

[damiante in reply to ifiweopfjwfjwef]

Hello, i was reading your post, i have that same feeling as you during the day then i put something in my mouth and it goes away, have a banana it will calm down the pain, i think it's related with food then, i read you will see a gastro centre, i am sure they will be able to help you, and with a proper diet you will feel better, take care

[darinfan]

The hunger feeling you mention - is it like your stomach is really empty and a kind of gnawing (maybe even burning) sensation?

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to darinfan]

Yes, it's identical to the gnawing feeling of a really empty stomach, but without the typical growling sounds an empty stomach normally makes. I can reduce this sensation by eating, and it will usually calm down for anything between 30 minutes to a couple hours, then it's back again. One time when I didn't give in and just kept on waiting for 6-7 hours without eating, the hunger feeling turned into a horrible abdominal spasm-like pain or cramp which went on for at least 2 hours until I finally managed to get rid of by taking Bentyl (Dicyclomine).

[fodder4me]

Pretty much what I suffer look online fod map diet - I still suffer now and again but the fod diet has really helped me. Try to keep calm and busy. I also take a protein drink (only avail in aust) because I lost a lot of weight, when I went onto the fod diet. I have managed to put on a bit of weight. Mine is anxiety related. I have suffered gut problems for many years. I am now 68 and it has got worse with age. Hang in there, I know all about stomach pains etc. Try and keep a diary and look back over it and you may find something else upsets you also. I cannot mix too many food varieties and also eat at meal times and smaller meals. No need for the download as it( costs) you will find monash stuff everywhere and Pinterest has great recipes, ideas and more talk. Good Luck

[ifiweopfjwfjwef in reply to fodder4me]

Thank you so much for replying and sharing your experiences.

I am now back home and my problems persist. I have now been referred me to a gastro center by my crappy house doctor. I am hoping this gastro center will be able to help me with some sort of elimination strategy in diet / FODMAP diet, to find out if something I'm eating is making the symptoms worse.

The wait time to see someone there may be anything from a couple weeks to a month, so I'm praying the symptoms at least don't get worse before I get some help. The reason it's taking so long, and why my house doctor was so unwilling to send me there, is due to me seeking this help under my country's public healthcare, so anything that is costing my government money will be difficult to get help with.

If I was rich I would spend money on private care which is fully possible, and just get the help I need right away, but I sorta used all my savings on the selfpay healthcare in the United States to get the colonoscopy and upper GI as I feared my doctor at home would refuse to let me do these procedures under the public healthcare. I had to rule out that the symptoms were not caused by something like gastritis, ulcers or cancer.

Now that that has been cleared out, I hope the gastro center will do their part and help me figure this thing out, because I cannot imagine going on living with these problems, which appears to be getting worse and worse, for the rest of my life.

Again, thanks for your words and support.