Is this normal?

[Vamvakou]

Does anyone suffer from daily cramps and backpain? I've been having these symptoms for weeks and they are debilitating...the bloating comes and goes and my stools are normal....Can anyone relate as these symptoms are worrisome. Thanks

[Hidden]

Yes, everday after lunchtime i have stomach ache which goes into my back, I take paracetamol after the Doctor said I could not keep taking Naproxen else it would cause other serious issues, the Paracetamol work after about an hour but I can take up to 6 a day

[Vamvakou in reply to Hidden]

I have these cramps all the time...ugh

[Iesgobdafydd]

I don't think I ever thought of my aches and pains in my gut and back as cramps, but pains, gas and fairly normal stools were the main symptoms of my IBS (and I had low energy most of the time and got sick a lot). My pains were worst when standing around cooking, chopping veg or stirring saucepans. My digestion is now back to normal. I believe the underlying cause behind my IBS was TMJD, which I am still dealing with, so fatigue and pains in a variety of places are still with me.

[Vamvakou in reply to Iesgobdafydd]

Thanks for your reply....its reassuring knowing there are others out there with similar symptoms....its scary when you have these pains 24/7 .....Mine too are worse when I'm standing...I stand alot at work. I get nausea and bloating on and off as well...I wish this would just go away.....

[xjrs]

For some time I experienced IBS in the form of back pain. Some people can experience particular aspects of IBS such as the ones you are getting without necessarily having disordered bowel movements. Here is some information about IBS that I have shared with others in this group and may assist you with pain:

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 in some people. There is an interesting infographic on this here: gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/....

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.

In terms of the 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-...

[Vamvakou in reply to xjrs]

Thank you so much for your response...I will consider these options and hope for some relief!!!

[dogzrule in reply to xjrs]

Hey thankyou so much for all this amazing info. I didnt know it can come from ptsd from childhood. That makes perfect sense. One thing i always wondered about with fibromyalgia & ibs cealiac & diviculitis etc was it didnt seem to be people sick with these things a hundred years ago, i dont recall girls at my school being in pain. And i didnt see older ppl doubled over in stabbing pain that is so debilitating but maybe they just hid out when they were sick. Sometimes i cant walk into a shop to do my weeklu shopping because the thought of food makes me physically sick & it seems like theres such a limited amount of food that isnt going to make a person sick. But now u mention rice & bland food, i realize there probably IS plenty of bland food but it makes you wonder how we are getting enough vitamins & minerals, folic acid, protein etc if we are eating fodmap or white rice. Coles in my town sell a few pkts of fodmap soups but its not like theres a whole aisle dedicated to ppl with dysentry, ibs, diviculitis, and all the many digestive issues we suffer. Im 60yo & this started about age 48 but i had a madman move in & he was a headbutting stark raving lunatic who thought i had a camera in my eye! And that sent me over the edge, on top of my childhood traumas. Taken me 6years to even get so im not swearing at myself & calling myself the obsene names he called me for 4 years. My dr thought i was bunging it on when i told her i had dysintry & constipation & in pain al the time. Until i went to a specialist & they verified what id been telling her. She thought i wanted pain meds. Anyway i just mainly wanted to say thanks 4 that info about neurons & early childhood ptsd. Cheers from gold coast Oz

[xjrs in reply to dogzrule]

Sorry to hear about your experiences. There's a couple of people I've met in person who have IBS and when they've told me about their past I can understand why they have it. When I was on the highly restricted diet I made sure I took a full spectrum multivitamin and mineral supplement since as you say the nutrition from these foods isn't enough. A good psychotherapist can help with past issues, PTSD and the like which can help mentally going forward but sometimes the physical toll still lingers. Hopefully you are getting the help you need now and are finding some relief. It's amazing to hear from people world wide and even though we are from different parts of the globe we are all affected by similar things.

[dogzrule in reply to xjrs]

So right regarding people all over the world are going through similar things. It is quite amazing since the internet has been around, its made me realize i'm not the only one who has trouble letting go of past traumas. Even if i am looking for info, how good is it having Its like having an up to date encylopaedia at your fingertips.

I guess for as good a service the www is, there is a dark & wicked side to it & we have to be vigilant if we have young kids or if we are easily led by bad influences, we have to get our scruples to guide us thoughout our lives so we dont go down a rabbit-hole we can never get out of. As long as we can hold our head up high & believe in our worth, we will take the best of any situation we are faced with & turn away from anything that belittles us & brings grief to ourselves & other innocent people.

It makes me think about when someone has had ptsd its easy to get caught up in our own troubles & feel less valuable & it makes it harder to be watching out to protect other more vulnerable younger people & people that may not be very smart around scammers & on places on the Before i had my second ptsd episode i used to volunteer at a community hub where there were people who were homeless & sick & i found it lifted my spirits when i could help another person. It took my mind out & away from my own worries. Maybe if there was a way to reach out & look after kids on the web I could stop being stuck in a place i cant get out of - it makes you crawl into your shell wen youve been scarred tho & its scary opening up to caring about other people. Its not so threatening giving advice or doing helpful service on a forum like this. It is good to be able to take baby steps!

Thankyou again

[Popps2]

Hi. You are certainly not alone! I also get stomach cramps that radiate into my ribs and back. Buscapan is my friend at these times😕. Mine has a lot to do with diet so I need to be really aware of food triggers. It is pretty miserable. I can go days where I'm fine and then will be in a lot of discomfort for a week or so. If I have eaten something that has set me off I can feel delicate for what feels like forever. I hope you feel better soon.

[Vamvakou in reply to Popps2]

Thank you. .

[Vamvakou in reply to Popps2]

I've had these pains constantly for the past 3 months!! I was starting to worry.....I didn't realize flare ups could last this long😔

[Popps2 in reply to Vamvakou]

Yes they can last for ages. If you haven't done so already look at fod maps and keep a food diary to see if you can see any triggers. You may need to eat bland for a while to let your tummy settle down and then you can slowly increase different foods to try to find out the culprits☺ if it doesn't settle I would go to the gp. Before I was diagnosed I had cramps pretty much all the time as I didn't know what the problem was and didn't link it to food, and so if you are eating or drinking something your body doesn't like your tummy will be really irritated.😕

[Vamvakou in reply to Popps2]

Thanks again!!

[Bethers2000]

Yes I always suffer lower back pain when I’m having an episode !