How long does IBS last for

[DebbieSil]

Hi, i've been suffering with a burning sensation in my bowels, pain on my right side and and lower back for the past four weeks, which comes and goes

I generally wake up with the burning sensation and the pains come and go throughout the day. I also get the burning sensation sometimes after my evening meal. I don't understand why I get the pain on the right hand side though.

I phoned the Doctors who said it was IBS, stemed from my anxiety ( as I had tests for this about nine years ago). Firstly they prescibed fybro mebreveyne which aggrevated it. Now they've prescribed peppermint capsules that I'm starting today.

Does anyone else suffer with these symptoms and, if so, what do you do to try and relive it as it's mentally draining, trying to get through each day with this pain/discomfort and trying to not focus on it. And how long does it take for it to settle back down?

And it's so difficult when you can't physically go to see the Doctor due to lockdown.

Thank you for any advice.

[FRreedman]

Unfortunately, there is no limit to the length of time IBS remains. In most cases it lasts for your lifetime but does go into remission. Have you tried the Fodmap diet? Ask your GP to refer you to a dietician to see if this could help your symptoms.

[mondlee6248]

Hello Debbie, does the peppermint capsules prescribed by ur doc is helpful for the IBS?? What effect u have after taking it

[Pthom50]

Hi Debbie...I get niggly pain down right hand side as well. I get dull ache and gripey pains in bowel area rather than burning sensation but we may all have different ways to describe our symptoms. I agree that its difficult when we cant have a one to one with a doc just now. When we get back to some kind of normality I am going to ask for a referral as this is ruling my life. Am trying deep breathing and mindfulness to get stress under control. Hope this helps

[xjrs]

IBS is a life long condition but there is much that can be done to help keep symptoms under control. Here is some info I've shared with others:

IBS can be due to a number or combination of factors - these can be stress (including stress from early life experiences) which impacts the communication between the brain and the digestive system. There are lots of free webinars online at the moment regarding mindfulness meditation which might help. Plus you can ask to be referred for CBT or something similar to reduce your anxiety - I would have thought online appointments are available. Exercise can play a major role in IBS in terms of reducing stress, helping your gut microbiome and regulating bowel movements.

There is also not absorbing certain types of carbohydrates called FODMAPs very well, the residue ending up in the colon and bacteria feeding off them causing symptoms. Ordinarily feeding gut bacteria is a really good thing - when you feed good gut bacteria these produce by-products that have great health effects in the gut and throughout the body. However, in some people with IBS bad bugs might have the upper hand over good - these bad bugs may cause symptoms such as pain or disordered bowel movements. This is why it’s worth trying probiotics such as Alflorex (which has been scientifically studied for IBS) or Symprove to crowd out the bad bugs and make their numbers die down. If that doesn't work you can try the FODMAP elimination and reintroduction diet. This is normally under the guidance of a nutritionist via GP referral - this may not be possible at the moment so you can read about it online. If you download the Monash University FODMAP app it will tell you which foods contain FODMAPs and in what quantities. You can eliminate all FODMAPs for 2 weeks and then introduce each type of FODMAP one at a time starting in small quantities, increasing over a 3 day period and wait up to 4 days for symptoms. I go much slower than this - only introducing a small amount (1/4 to 1/3 of a normal portion size) of the same food for 3 days and then increase if tolerable or no symptoms and cut back to the previous amount if symptoms for longer and then try to increment again . I've read your microbiome can adapt to handling a new food if introduced very slowly. Ideally you want to eat as many FODMAPs as you can since they are good for your health. Many people with IBS don't have diverse gut bacteria - it has been found that people who lack a diverse microbiome are more prone to diseases in general. In the long run, if you can get your symptoms under control, the ideal situation is to have a very varied diet - lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables, a variety of protein and carbohydrate sources including cereal fibres. This may seem a long way off, but with the right treatment all of this is possible. Last year all I could consume to control my IBS was white rice, protein and limited low fodmap veg. Using the approach above (particularly introducing Alflorex) I am now able to consume far more foods - more than I've ever dreamed of including wholewheat bread which is unheard of for me.

I see that you are also suffering from pain. You may be suffering from visceral hypersensitivity (functional abdominal pain) - there is info about it here:

iffgd.org/lower-gi-disorder...

It is where the brain interprets the normal activity of the bowel as pain - this is due to a wearing down of neurons in pain control centres of the brain which can be caused by PTSD, neglect or abuse in childhood, extreme stressful events etc. The first line treatment is nerve pain agents such as low dose amitriptyline. There is a theory that being on something like amitriptyline for 6-12 months can help the pain control centre neurons to regenerate. Note that amitriptyline can cause constipation, but this can be helpful in people who are diarrhea dominant. Unfortunately I couldn't tolerate these. Linaclotide for IBS-C & Alflorex have helped me with this intestinal pain.

You may also find assistance with anti-spasmodic medication such as mebeverine (Colofac) or enteric coated peppermint, which you are now trying.

You can find some info on self management here:

theibsnetwork.org/the-self-...

[Rossan]

Hi Debbie,

I have similar pain on the right hand side & lower back. I was diagnosed with IBS 20 years ago, but this is a very recent & severe new symptom for me in the last 2 months.

My online searches have suggested this pain is the ileo-cecal valve that connects the small & the large intestine. My GP agreed (on a phone consultation) that this is in the place I get a sharp pain, and generally aching around the right hip. Unfortunately the GP hasn't recommended any specific mediation that would make it go away quickly! You could ask your GP to try Amitriptyline which, in a low-dose, is often suggested for IBS & has helped me.

I've started the FODMAP diet in the last few weeks and the pain has so far gone down to a mild ache - a bit like a stitch from exercise - that comes and goes.

[Viklou]

IBS can last a lifetime but usually flare ups can last from a few days to a few weeks depending on circumstances, usually revolving around what you may have eaten, stress or anxiety or even possibly a tummy bug. No person has exactly the same symptoms. You just figure out a new normal and deal with it the best you can

[Gina130]

I have those symptoms and I thought it was my appendix. Dr said it was probably ibs. I suffer from bad anxiety had a bad flair up at the moment and really thought it was my appendix.

[DebbieSil in reply to Gina130]

How long has your last flare up been for? I just don't know what to do with myself

[Gina130]

At the moment I’m just having a flair up been docs today. Sometimes can last a week.