Have all the symptoms of IBS but is it something else?

[grouchiest]

I have had what I would call a successful ileostomy since 1968 which cured 4 years of misery with ulcerative colitis. I could eat everything, just not ridiculous amounts of hard to-digest-fruits and veggies which have cause several painful blockages over the years (scar tissue or gluttony?) At ER I was given Demerol or whatever controlled the pain til my blockage cleared.

I've had gut problems on and off since 2014 which I am still investigating...still no answers. Lately problem has escalated. No pain after eating during the day.Tested negative for celiac. I try to have dinner no later than 7:00 and usually pain wakes me up around 4am. Perfect timing for BM. While I am eliminating into my pouch the pain is most concentrated around the end of my small bowel stoma. Dont sleep after this.

Just had a long-waited-for CT scan and will get results on Friday. Relief only seems to come from serious painkillers which being an a anxious and addiction prone individual scares me. Any thoughts?

[Liz1234ty]

Hi, stress and anxiety can exacerbate gut pain and problems. Simply as a management strategy has your consultant mentioned amitriptyline? It is an antidepressant at high doses but at low doses calms down nerves and movement in gut so can reduce pain and it helps me sleep too. Might help you while investigations continue but can take a few weeks to really kick in

[grouchiest in reply to Liz1234ty]

Hi Liz, Don't know if my response got posted but in case it didn't ...thank you for the recommendation ...sounds like what I need for the pain and lack of sleep, I will definitely check it out, cheers

[Liz1234ty in reply to grouchiest]

I hope it helps. It is a clinically proven treatment for ibs but can take awhile to adjust to.

[IBSNetwork Partner IBS Network]

Hi there,

Have you tried keeping a wellness diary to understand your triggers and symptoms?