I have recently been experiencing weird cramping pain in my lower abdomen got hospitalised with bad pain right hand side suspected appendicitis but ultrasound scan came back fine. I had myself absolutely up a height with anxiety whilst being in hospital and ever since I've been having these kinds of symptoms - weird cramps that move across from one side to another, a weird pain that felt like trapped wind in my ribs, constipation (altho had had codeine for pain so this is a side effect but I was also taking laxatives at the same time to counter act it) then severe diarrhoea, stomach gurgling, no appetite (which is normal cos I don't eat much and when I do its just shit nothing like fruit or veg) painful wind in my stomach, feeling absolutely exhausted and my stomach feel bloated . I used to go to toilet every day but now I don't. Spoke to my Dr today who prescribed buscopan an suggested it sounded like Ibs. Have to take x2 four times a day and I'm wondering if that's a lot?
Does anyone else suffer these types of pains or symptoms? Or anyone have any experience with buscopanm.?
Thanks for reading x
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Secret4706
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Does indeed sound like ibs. Read everything you can on the subject and take notes. Everything you do helps a little bit. A hypnotherapy cd on ibs will help. You can play it as often as you want
to. I have suffered for more than forty years and am virtually symptom free. I’ve recently taken Up drumming And find the beats and rhythm seem to soothe my bowel. Look after yourself. You deserve better.
Thanks for your kind reply. I know stress and anxiety makes it worse but can't help thinking it's something bad. Glad to hear you have found something to help
Assuming you do have IBS, here is some 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 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 excess gas, pain or disordered bowel movements. There is an interesting infographic on this here:
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 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.
If you are also suffering from pain, you may be suffering from visceral hypersensitivity (functional abdominal pain) - there is info about it here:
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.
If all of the usual IBS remedies fail and you are experiencing diarrhea, it is worth getting tested for BAM (Bile Acid Malabsorption), which can cause constant diarrhea - there is a separate test and treatment for that. Good luck.
Hi thanks. The NHS link states that there actually is no test for Ibs. Had bloods done in hospital few days ago for suspected appendicitis and came back clear.
IBS is diagnosed by a process of elimination. They check for other things such as inflammatory bowel disease, cancer etc. (which are statistically less likely, but they need to check).
When they tested you for appendicitis, they may have been looking for different things related to appendicitis and not digestive disorders. It is worth asking your doctor to run the NHS tests mentioned specifically related to gut problems unless your doctor can categorically state that you have had these gut related blood and stool samples taken.
Hi it’s awful do you get the Pain as soon as you swallow any food. The tight cramping type.
2 buscapan 4 times a day is the maximum dose but I find it helps to take that for a few days to calm done a flare up of symptoms. Colpermil peppermint oil capsules also help me
Hi thanks for msg Dr prescribed x2 4 times a day. Haven't had many yet she said to just take it as I needed it I might not need the full dose every day.
Buscapan does nothing for me, but somebody mentioned colpermil peppermint capsules which helped me, but the best thing that I swear by is any gel capsules that contain the active ingredient simeticone.
Simeticone breaks up the trapped wind and gas bubbles and eases the stomach pain and bloating..
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