Constant pain.Is this Ibs?

[debbiejayn]

I have had constant lower abdominal pain for a week..Bowel movements variable but I have a slight rectocele so used to that..The thing is that the pain is constant..even at night..I've not really had ibs before apart from a slight bloating after contracting Campylerbactor last year..Saw my GP yesterday and he is convinced its IBS.. I'm full of gas apparently..I was diagnosed with overactive thyroid a few months back and am taking tablets for that but GP doesnt think its connected..I had a colonoscopy a few years ago and T last year.Doc did bloods .when I had thyroid thing. Everything fine..CA125 etcThe thing is.can you have constant lower abdominal pain with ibs?Its not cramping its just bloating and churning..thankyou

[Kennydog]

Yep. My gut is like it quite often. Gurgling and cramps. Usually when ive ate something i shouldnt.eg. onions, garlic and some types of meat or any dairy. I usually take a couple of "buscopan" tablets to ease the cramps. Still get the gurgling tho. P.s. mine all started through food poisoning.( contaminated food)

[debbiejayn in reply to Kennydog]

Thanks everso for your reply..I think I just worry that all the stuff you read online tells you constant pain is not normal .mine seems unrelated to food,bowel movements..etc..And also Ive read that it's rare for someone to be diagnosed when over 50 which I am...Doc prescribed Colpermin which I will pick up 2moro and see how it goes..! Thanks again.D.

[Kennydog in reply to debbiejayn]

Goodo. Let me know how you get on with the colpermin.

[Maureen1958]

Hi, an overactive thyroid can give you diarrhoea, I believe. I came across it when I was googling for myself some time ago. I was just wondering if that might be having something to do with your bloating and churning. It may not be caussing lots of diarrhoea but perhaps upsetting your tummy somewhat. Just a thought!

[debbiejayn in reply to Maureen1958]

Hi Maureen..thanks for your input.. I think it could be due to my thyroid too..I have been messaged by administrator of British Thyroid site..He thinks my thyroid could have been pushed into underactive by the medication..apparently that can cause abdominal pain My GP thinks its IBS but I think it's too much of a coincidence when I've been on meds for thyroid.Thanx again D.

[xjrs]

I'm not sure your doctor has recently done the full suit of tests needed for IBS. You don't get diagnosed with IBS from 'a hunch'. Up to date blood and stool sample tests are needed:

nhs.uk/conditions/irritable...

Pain dominant IBS is certainly a possibility. This is what I have (including IBS-C - though I think my constipation was caused by nutritional therapists who treated me for something I didn't have).

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 probiotic have helped me with this intestinal pain.

You may also find assistance with anti-spasmodic medication such as mebeverine (Colofac) or enteric coated peppermint.

Here is some other information about IBS that I have shared with others in this group in case any of these tips are of interest to you:

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 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.

However, in your case it may be due to a gut bacterial imbalance - see below.

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 excess gas, pain or disordered bowel movements. The fact that you had Campylerbactor last year is a pointer to this. Some bad bugs can produce by-products such as hydrogen sulfide which can contribute to pain. 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. In fact in your case I would start with something like Alflorex prior to trying any pain medication, since it might deal with the pain on its own.

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 and Kings College fodmap apps, they 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.

You can find some info on self management here:

theibsnetwork.org/the-self-...

[debbiejayn in reply to xjrs]

Hi..thankyou for all the Info.. I have tried merbeverine without any improvement.. I cant take buscopan ,amitriptyline and a whole raft of other drugs due to closed angle glaucoma..I did have a lot of blood tests when diagnosed as hyperthyroid but probably not all the relevant ones for IBS.. To be honest I'm beginning to think it must be something else..I've had relentless pain since Saturday last week which seems to be getting worse( never having had ibs before)..its keeping me up at night..I've just managed to get into a clinic on Thursday with a Gastroenterologist Its going to cost me but I cant go on like this.. D

[xjrs in reply to debbiejayn]

Glad that you will be getting seen soon. Good luck.

[Maureen1958 in reply to debbiejayn]

Let us know how you get on Thursday.

[debbiejayn in reply to Maureen1958]

Thankyou..I'm so scared.

[Maureen1958 in reply to debbiejayn]

Try not to worry too much, I know that is easy for me to say. Try and put it out of your mind till Thursday comes, if you can with all the pain. What are you taking for the pain?

[debbiejayn in reply to Maureen1958]

I'm taking paracetamol and codeine...it spaces me out a bit but takes the edge off the pain..

[Maureen1958 in reply to debbiejayn]

Paracetamol don't do a lot, I know from experience. I have not tried codeine as they can make you constipated, so I tend to steer clear of them.

[debbiejayn in reply to Maureen1958]

I dont like taking them but they're the strongest non prescription you can get I think..I just keep thinking I had a full CT scan last year when I got hospitalised with food poisoning and that came back clear..Also has a colonoscopy a few years back and that was ok..My husband reckons it's some kind of a reaction to my thyroid meds ..we shall see.

[Maureen1958 in reply to debbiejayn]

I agree with your husband, it's too much of a coincidence, I'm sure everything will be fine.

[debbiejayn in reply to Maureen1958]

Thankyou..I will let you know.

[Blueboy1946]

I see you can't take buscapan which doesn't work for me anyway..

Try tablets containing simeticone as the active ingredient.

Works for me every time..

Good luck..

[debbiejayn in reply to Blueboy1946]

Thankyou..I will give it a go...