How long did Diagnosis of ibs take

[Azzab85]

IV been suffering with what I believe is ibs for years but yet my doctor's are prodding and poking me every which way they can.

They seemed a bit reluctant to actually say I've got IBS but all my symptoms are the same as someone who has IBS.

IV been for 3-4 endoscopy all come back clear they've helped me in for dietitians I've changed my diet and yeah I'm still having the same issues.

it's got to the point where I'm crying in pain and agony some days as I'm spending 12 hours throughout the day on and off the toilet feel constipated but have diarrhoea at the same time all of this has given me hemorrhoids as well as I have to sit on the toilet and strain a long time.

I have no social life and basically I'm shut in some days I bleed at least once a week for my back passage.

Besides buscopan and fybogel they haven't give me anything else and it's getting to the point where I just can't be bothered with it anymore and feel like I'm not being listened to.

I feel like this is never going to end and I'm never going to get a proper diagnosis how long did it take people to get there .

Thanks for listening

Aaron

[FRreedman]

IBS is a name given to a set of symptoms that are not attributable to any known disease or illness (It is a name given, instead of saying I don't know what is wrong with you). As long as you are being treated for the symptoms and are not suffering in pain, then you do not need a diagnosis.

[IBSNetwork Partner IBS Network]

Have you looked on our website ? Huge amount of information and fact sheets theibsnetwork.org/assets/fi...

[xjrs]

In the UK there is a set protocol for diagnosing IBS which is by ruling out other things - this includes stool and blood tests - getting the results of these should be a matter of weeks:

nhs.uk/conditions/irritable...

Here is some information about IBS that I have shared with others in this group:

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 and your bad bugs are under control with a good probiotic. 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.

If 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 only) & 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.

You can find some info on self management here:

theibsnetwork.org/the-self-...

[pgiese]

It won't do any harm to start following the FODMAP diet (as others suggest) and keep a food/pain/episode diary. Even with a diagnosis, managing IBS is mostly about managing your diet. The initial weeks of the FODMAP diet may be boring, but they often reveal unsuspected food culprits. I have had success with the herb damiana as a tea or extract.

[Sybil23]

I am not sure there are definite answers for IBS as not enough is known . I have had IBS for about 50 years an just treat the symptoms. I don't have constipation I have diarrhoea so take Buscopan and Imodium. I can go on for weeks on end but unfortunately there is no magic cure