Hi all hope you are keeping well. To cut a long story short, I have had all the usual tests, scans, bloods, cameras etc and seen various specialists and tried all the powders, oils and tablets etc, but i still have daily stomach issues.
I can pass waste pretty much daily but constantly have in various combinations/frequency: stomach aches / cramps / bloating and excessive wind on a daily basis, and never feel like my bowels are clear even though they should be. To me it just feels like I have stomach issues 24/7 and what with suffering health anxiety i worry its maybe not IBS.
It’s the usual story when you have been checked out pretty much fully then the doc/specialist just say it’s a form of IBS without really saying why and what causes it etc.
So my question is basically what symptoms do you guys go through on a daily basis and is it really everyday ?
Any insights into your daily battle would be most welcome thank you. Keep safe all.
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mrhealthanxiety
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Hi there! 😁 hope you’re keeping safe during this strange time that we’re all going through!
I have IBS-D and recently started experiencing all the symptoms again (I’ve assumed it’s the stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic) I get cramps, bloating, diarrhea, extreme fatigue. Once a flareup begins it can last anywhere between a few hours and a few weeks!
I’ve had all the tests, bloods, stool, colonoscopy, everything and everything came back normal, no signs of anything to indicate crohns or UC, so it was just put down as IBS.
What I find helps is keeping track of the foods you eat to find out what triggers the symptoms. It’s tedious but once you get into it it becomes second nature. At first you may have to eat foods on their own to be able to tell what is the trigger of your symptoms. For me it’s things like broccoli, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, sweet corn, milk (however, yoghurt does not trigger it, so that’s a bit of a weird one for me), sweeteners (I cant have any fizzy drinks such as coke or Fanta due to this), and coffee. Things like chocolate and other sweets I can eat, but only in small amounts.
During flare ups my go to food is basmati rice, mushrooms and steamed/boiled chicken. It’s not the most flavoursome meal but it does the job and I can actually digest it normally. Obviously it depends on the person and the type of ibs they have. If you have IBS-C it would be wise to swap out white rice for brown rice as it has not been stripped of any fibre and will aid normal digestion. But also don’t forget to drink plenty of water.
Another thing I can suggest, and this has been an absolute life saver for me when I get cramps/bloating/wind/random uncomfortable gurgling.. peppermint tea! I don’t let the teabag sit in there for too long, as peppermint tea relaxes the intestinal muscles, slowing peristalsis, and could lead to further constiparon if you have too much of it.
The best advice I can offer you is to be in tune with YOUR body. You may go through times where you feel at your wits end, and it’s so disheartening when you KNOW that something is wrong in your body, but no doctor is able to give you a definite answer. It’s important to remember that your IBS doesn’t define you until you give in and let it do so. If there’s any other questions you have feel free to ask me and I’ll do my very best to answer them 😁
Thank you very much for your detailed reply. It’s tough as I seem to have symptoms everyday - maybe have a 2 day break randomly but that’s about it. It seems crazy as I eat well, don’t drink and exercise on a regular basis but all seems pointless when I still get IBS.
I guess what I find hard to accept is that as it’s almost daily, and due my health anxiety I feel it just can’t be IBS (never had blood in stools and have never lost weight) and despite all the checks it plays on my mind it must be something more worrying as such, even though I have been well checked over during the last 15 months.
Also oddly I always thought a high fibre diet was good, but my consultant told me to cut down on veg and salads as they high fibre makes things worse apparently and I should actually be on a low fibre diet ??? Which seems to go against what we have always been told about gut health.
I try and keep a diary and see if any foods are a trigger (it’s been confirmed I’m not celiac). I take 2 x peppermint oil tabs a day and will as the tea too.
Once again many thanks for the reply and I wish you well.
If you experience constipation, I wonder if the peppermint tablets and the pepper mint tea daily are causing some of your symptoms! I know if I have too much of it I end up feeling a bit bloated and get some painful gas!
As well with the high fibre diet, that’s what you should technically be on if you have chronic constipation, but don’t forget that with increased fibre intake you should have increased water intake. I try to get about 3 litres of water daily, except for when my symptoms are bad.
It is really tough, especially as there is no single test that gives you a negative or positive result for whether you have ibs or not!
Thanks further reply, TBH I only started peppermint oil tabs after last seeing my specialist about 6 weeks ago when he recommended low fibre. I did go through a stage probably before my stomach issues started of drinking 3 litres a day but that’s tailed of now to about a litre - imagine if for me the simple answer was to increase my water intake again !! 😀 def worth a try you never know ! I eat 3 main meals a day and light (healthy) snacks in-between. Thanks again and wish you well and hope you’re not too bored during lockdown ! 👍🏻
Your specialist may be on to something. Your individual gut flora may not react well to a high fibre diet. Some people do get constipation from too much fibre. The recommended guidelines are for the average person only. There are different types of fibre also. Some cause constipation.
The whole high fibre thing doesn't always work with IBS. Since Christmas my IBS has switched from D to C...no idea why 🤷 so I was taking Fibogel to help things but ended up at the docs because the C had caused really painful piles 😟 doc told me to lay off the Fibogel because it is a bulking agent, same with wholemeal and high fibre bread. Linseeds, 1 or 2 tablespoons a day, has been recommended to me although I don't manage it every day because I don't always fancy porridge for breakfast. Also try to not eat between meals because your digestive system needs a rest between your main meals.
I add linseeds to yoghurt and also Rice Krispies (gluten free). It beats having porridge every day. and they were recommended by my gastroenterologist who takes them every day. Apparently he has suffered with the same problem so at least knows how I feel. You can also add milled flaxseed to cookies or fairy cakes if you have a sweet tooth.
It's probably down to food intolerances and the wrong diet. A lot of specialists suggest a high fibre diet but most IBS symptoms are caused by high fibre. Follow a low soluable fibre...the Fodmaps diet and try excluding certain things starting with all dairy/lactose and you must check all ingredient lists for it as even small amounts can cause problems. Yeast and wheat can be problematic. A dietician once told me not to eat fruit except for the occasional blueberries and half a banana. I can't tolerate dairy, yeast, sunflower oil, dextrose and can only use rice milk to drink.
I would suggest your fist move should be to exclude the dsiry and take out high fibre. Take care, stay safe.
For my understanding - if a certain food causes my IBS to be worse - how long would that food take to make it worse ? Ie if say I had a certain food on a Monday would I feel the effects on the Tuesday, Wednesday, Or it doesn’t work that way ? Thank you
Yes i wonder that too, how long do the symptoms occur after eating. I think with me its a least a day or two because i am constipated and nothing moves for days, so just sits there causing pain
Yes it’s def not easy to work out what’s causing it ! 🥴
I have same thing it started taking psyche meds then going on ppi for acid reflux been the worst year of my life the pains terrible. I’m taking a low FODMAP fibre it bothers me but I have to take it I take half a scoop in early afternoon then at supper time or around then. I also started taking slippery elm and marshmallow root with aloe Vera I buy them from Naturalpathic but can just buy them separately. The aloe alone will help you with constipation. I take probiotics twice a day too. When it wasn’t so bad I took bio k here in Canada fermented milk it really helped and no fats. I had cookies today I’ll be in bed tomorrow. I should toss the rest. Sugar is a big no no. They can’t figure out what they did to me as I was fine before even when I dropped the psyche meds it didn’t go away. They were the thing that capsized it to start I think my tummy med is a big part of it I feel like my life is over it’s that bad. Acid reflux never goes away. I try to do some light crossbody movement yoga poses as they do help with gut motility & massage my tummy when need too I looked upon on YouTube I think it’s a gut thing for sure and trying to remain calm keep food simple. I’m really angry this happened I don’t know about you but it’s changed my life 100%
I've been struggling with this for a couple of years now and have a good gastroenterologist who has run colonoscopy, endoscopy, food transit study and CT scan. Thankfully nothing scary showed up and I feel more at ease at least. I take prucalopride which helps with gut transit and occasional bisocodyl as recommended. He also referred me to a dietician who recommended I try low FODMAP. This has helped a little as well as has small meals and plenty of fluid. I am not "cured" and still have some bad weeks but I am at least coping. It's a far cry from losing a stone and not being able to pass anything.
Hi and many thanks for your replies with some good suggestions, it just seems weird having these symptoms everyday single day (symptoms vary at various times of the day but seems worse mid afternoon onwards as guess that’s due my breakfast and lunch working through my system), but I struggle believing IBS can really cause this everyday, and that’s where my health anxiety kicks in, as despite having all the major tests done over the past year or so I’m still not cured and non the wiser really and start to think negative things.
I normally wake up each day with stomach ache, may or may not have a B.M and even if I do it feels like Ive not been, I may then have burping/reflux during morning, cramping/bloating in afternoon then finally in evening fullness/bloating/cramping/ aches lower left side and stomach and real bad constant wind. May have a few better days in between.
It’s frustrating as I eat well, don’t drink, don’t smoke, run and work out 3-4 time a week but still feel unhealthy due to my stomach/digestive system. Im 45 years old but I’d say this has really got me down at times and makes me shy away from things now (back in the days when we use to be able to go outside !! 😃).
I'm in my mid fifties and otherwise very healthy with no weight issues. It's hard accepting that "it just happens" but I have found that accepting this has helped me deal with it. I am not forever searching for an answer, just trying my best.
Hi, just wanted to but in on this. I have had IBS for 35 years now. It started out about every other day but changed after my son was born (he is now 27) to daily. It was originally IBSD but has change to mixed or alternating over the years. I think back sometimes and wish it was D still but then again no form of IBS is better than another. C is just as difficult to deal with and when you have both together very confusing. As Edgefield said, you just have to do the best you can.
Thank you, yes maybe I make it worse at times by worrying it’s something more sinister (Health anxiety) and spending too much time thinking about it, at times I find myself thinking “oh it’s
not been as bad for a few hours” for it then to suddenly get bad again..... I wish you well Maureen.
Yes, I do. the prucalopride is helpful and it has certainly eases things. I am constantly aware of my gut transit; from eating something, sometimes feels like food is stuck, burping, to stomach entry , often feeling like a weight under my ribs. I can then feel the food/ waste traveling through my system. I often experience pain in different parts of the system, bloating, discomfort, difficulty emptying bowels, some days numerous BMs and other days none, unable to move anything and then I know I am in trouble. In an average fortnight I probably feel ok about 4-5 days after the system clears, usually with additional Bisacodyl and then pretty grotty on the other days.
I think the Low FODMAP, low in insoluble fibre , gluten and lactose free has helped alongside the medication if that helps. Its advised that you see a dietician for this though.
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