Weird IBS symptoms - any sound familiar?

[DaveT81]

So I've had IBS for about 2.5 years now. Started after a neurologist told me to cut out cheese and alcohol or a few months. Once I re-introduced them my problems began.

Anyway, I've got to a point where the symptoms were mostly manageable by 20mg Omeprazole before my morning meal. I'd occasionally get bloating or gas if I ate something that slightly disagreed with me but generally been alright.

I have been gluten, wheat and mostly dairy free for about 18 months now and that has also helped, albeit marginally.

But over the past week or so I've had much more trouble. Feel bloated almost constantly, had very liquid-y bowel movements (but not diarrhoea) and just generally long periods where I feel as if food or gas/acid is being pushed back up my esophagus.

Problem is that I also have atrial fib, and I'm very much vagally inclined so if my stomach is irritated then my heart naturally follows.

Last night was so scary for me and I'm trying to make sense of what I was feeling. I got immediately more gassy and bloated when I lay down to go to sleep. So my heart started to play up too; long pauses, increased hr, etc. The pauses were much longer than usual (almost 3 seconds) and I was having really strange sensations in what felt like my esophagus. Almost like a tingling/pressure, as if something was lodged in there. It just constantly feels like my insides are moving.

Also, the last 2 days I've been at work and had to run to the bathroom about 25 minutes after eating my breakfast as I felt like I was going to soil myself. The result was (as I said already) very much like liquid. I don't feel 'ill'. I have a lot of ongoing health issues, ME included but this feels like a progression of the IBS now and it's really affecting other aspects of my life.

Do any of these things sound familiar to any of you guys? Thanks...

[asbayford]

Very familiar, so sorry to hear you are suffering. You may have new food intolerances - for example; in the past 9 months I suddenly became lactose intolerant, egg yolk intolerant and pepper intolerant. These never bothered me this time last year now i rush to the bathroom when i eat them! You probably already know about the low fodmap diet? That thing has saved my life! Gluten,wheat,alcohol and dairy free is a good place to start but there are so many other high fodmap foods that could be doing this to you. (Although egg yolk and peppers are not fodmaps, they are well known to cause distress . I hope this helps

[DaveT81 in reply to asbayford]

That's pretty scary, new intolerances. I sometimes feel as if I'm intolerant to anything that I swallow!

Initially, I dived straight into the fodmap diet but found it too stringent. I am going to try a new type of supplement for a while when I get it (ordered this week) and if that sucks I may look at that once the pandemic is over and we can shop normally.

[farmergiles]

Hi Dave, Your symptoms don't sound nice at all. I know it's a difficult time but have you had any consultations regarding your oesophagus ? I've been taking Omeprazole for years to combat acid reflux which it does well but I'm concerned about prolonged usage of any medication (about which I get conflicting messages from the medics). I'm interested in your wind / bloating problem as I suffer the same but it had never occurred to me that it could be a side effect of Omeprazole !

Good luck Dave. I hope you get to the 'bottom' of the problem soon, (if you'll excuse the expression)

[DaveT81 in reply to farmergiles]

I've been concerned about the long-term use too. I work in I gastro dept at work and the senior nurse there told me it's fine. But I've read medical journals stating the negative side effects of using omeprazole long-term. Problem is, nothing else has fully worked as well.

I am planning to try good bacteria supplements for a while and see if they help but I will keep you updated.

[BlackCat16]

My flare ups are the same! I also get the gas and acid going up my esophagus and feeling like something is stuck sometimes. I have a hiatal hernia, ibs-d, essential tremor, and Pruritus ani..I’m sure all get triggered by stress..recently started on anti anxiety medicine that is also used for ibs so we will see! I have learned that I need to avoid tomatoes, this includes ANYTHING with tomato paste and such so most sauces and soups also any peppers do it to me as well. I will get bad pains in my stomach and gas, followed by the D. I’ve looked into histamines and how high levels can affect your body..I tried a anti-histamine once for my Pruritus after years of creams and steroids and this was the only thing that seemed to work. I haven’t tried taking it again with my other medication, trying not to take too many things, but I may have to. Good luck finding relief!

[DaveT81 in reply to BlackCat16]

Yeah it's an awful feeling on its own, and if that is what's kicking my heart off I'd love to get it under control but it feels like an impossible task.

Sometimes I'll get a sensation like something is pulsing in my chest and then I'll feel a huge bubble of gas release or 'pop' inside my stomach.

The smell is rancid as well. Feel like a dead animal crawled up inside me. Sorry for the graphic detail!

[Graham62a]

Hello

Do you eat and raw vegetables, fruit, salads?

For me plus Brown read would ferment in my stomach, I could feel and hear it fermenting, I take peppermint tablets first thing in the morning, plus for me co-codamol tablets 3 times a day help me with the problems, other big issue is stress, at times we do not know we are stressed? Try and look back at the times you were had and see if you were stressed?

Have a look online at a company called zipvit, they have great products.

On the bloating I have wolverine citrate tablets from my doctor, when I feel problems I take 4 of these, sorry I suffer with ibs(d)

Hope this helps.

Graham