98% sure I have bile acid. Experiences?

[Cheesecake17]

For many months I have put my issues down to post ibs which I definitely have : I tried some proper garlic last week in a pasta and my guts died the next morning. I also stay clear of onion and fizzes. However. I've been waking up with bits of bile on my pillow and my retainer is filled with yellow and green sludge (gross sorry). I had a normal but loose stool this morning which, like most days was half orange and for the first time I smelled strong bile when I wiped. Is this curable? How can I get tested?

[weegmack]

You’re having a terrible time of it! I would say it’s not quite normal to be bringing up bile in your sleep. You should ask your GP to get you a Bile Acid Malabsorption test. I don’t really know how they do it, but definitely worth asking.

I can’t eat garlic or onions either - I’m intolerant to them. So just don’t eat them anymore.

You say you think you have post-infection IBS. Did you have food poisoning at some point? It’s also possible you have acid reflux, which you really need to get checked out too. X

[Cheesecake17 in reply to weegmack]

I took some antibiotics but only two of them and suffered awfully since May. I'll confess, December was a good time, I went 5 weeks without using an imodium but January I flared again due to anxiety. I think it may be acid reflux as I get heartburn sometimes. The bile is only evident on my pillow few times a month but yeah I'll definitely get onto it. Thank you x

[weegmack in reply to Cheesecake17]

I know antibiotics are a great invention, but I truly hate them! They really don’t help us people with IBS 😞.

Can I ask if you’ve had any tests? Like colonoscopy or food allergy testing? Xx

[Cheesecake17 in reply to weegmack]

I feel you! Amazingly I had 2 rounds of trimethroprim in 2017 and was fine but 2 weeks after got a tummy bug which ruined me. I believe this is what sent my guts mad. I've had cbc, gluten intolerance and a stool test. Petrified of colonoscopy due to the after Effect - you had anything done?

[weegmack in reply to Cheesecake17]

I got a really bad gastro bug when I was 11 and I got IBS after that 😕. I’m 45 now! I’ve had phases of both IBS-D and IBS-C. I had the flu in December and it sent my guts into some sort of nosedive. Awful.

Do you use Imodium a lot? I’m a bit wary of it, because it seems to cause constipation, which inevitably leads to diarrhoea. Reason I’m saying that is that I was having diarrhoea a lot some years ago. I had a food intolerance test and they told me I was intolerant to wheat, garlic, onion and anything related to the garlic and onion family! I stopped eating those things and it helped a lot. Though I ended up not pooping for a few days, then having terrible pain and diarrhoea. Turns out I was in a constant state of constipation and was suffering with “overflow diarrhoea”. So basically, when the gut is moving our poop along, it moves like a caterpillar. If we’re very constipated, it bashes up against the poop that’s in the way and eventually it comes out as diarrhoea. I was horrified when I was told I would need to take Movicol! I was terrified it would make me worse, but it made it a lot better. I still have flare ups, but keeping myself regular seems to help me.

I’ve had a few sigmoidoscopies and endoscopies (because I’m lucky enough to also have acid reflux 😬😬). I didn’t have any ill effects from the sigmoidoscopies. Xx

[Cheesecake17 in reply to weegmack]

11!! Damn, thays bad. However, I can only imagine you having more time to understand your body more.. I'm curious, are you female? Periods are another pain as I tend to get worse in that week 😑. It's like having a child to look after haha.

What's movicol like? Does it have side effects? I heard colestipol is the best to treat bile acid but that it results in constipation. Imodium definitely constipates me but only usually for a day. I go usually 1-2 days once a day. I felt a weird sensation in my upper stomach today too after having a little oatmeal and peppermint tea.. It was like I was salivating and feeling throat sick but not quite nauseated. Ugh.

Is a sigmoid more or less like a colonoscopy? And is there any scans I can get instead? 😂 I'm such a child! I'm 26 btw

[weegmack in reply to Cheesecake17]

Yeah I’m female 😬. Periods are definitely worse times. However, I have a Mirena coil in and it’s made a difference....it’s definitely made period time less horrible for my IBS!

Movicol has been fine for me. I started it very slowly - half a sachet every other day, then half a sachet everyday, then a sachet a day. It was a bit ropey at first, but then it settled down.

I know that feeling you describe - it’s such a horrible sensation. I put that down to me having reflux and a hiatus hernia.

Though I think you should look into Bile Acid Malabsorption before you try anything else. It would be best to find out if you have that because that could be the root of your diarrhoea. Are you in the UK or USA?

Sigmoidoscopy goes part of the way of a colonoscopy- basically up your left hand side and stops. A colonoscopy goes up and along. I’m thinking you should ask for a gallbladder scan also. So, ask for the gb scan before you ask if you need a sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.

I’m really sorry you’re suffering so much - you have a your life to live and it’s important you tell a doctor that this is really affecting your quality of life ♥️

[Carlettejaque]

This sounds more like a case of GERDS. Acid reflux . A lot of people get it with IBS. You should really see a GP to get it checked out. Zantac helps with this but it's been temporarily recalled so you could try Omeprazole short term or other over the counter ant acids. Ot helps to put a slice of toast onto a sandwich bag to put on your bedside table. If you wake up in the night have a nibble on it and it might help. Avoid tomatoes as they are very acidic on the tummy.

As for the IBS try an exclusion diet. Starting with dairy first and never touch alcohol.