Hi all, would you all be kind enough to tell me your physical symptoms you feel with IBS, I’ve had IBS for a long long while and can’t work out if you just have stomach issues or other symptoms too. I’ve had a really bad flare and just not convinced it’s my IBS. Any feedback as always would be gratefully received. Many thanks my lovey friends
Physical symptoms of IBS????: Hi all, would you... - IBS Network
Physical symptoms of IBS????
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Cimmy
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My main symptoms are: cramping, constipation and bloating but I occasionally get trapped gas and acid reflux too
I’m the same but I have terrible nausea, it’s getting me so down, I need to eat but can’t eat because I feel nauseous so it feels a viscous circle, I just don’t know what to do with myself, I’m on medication for the nausea but it doesn’t touch it, headache, sweats and the list goes on 🤦♀️🤦♀️😞😞
I forgot to mention nausea too, I always feel nauseous with the pressure that is on my stomach but just keep forcing myself to eat and drink and move about
Nausea is the worst thing about it I think. Wishing you well
Linda
Hi Cimmy, I get a lot of nausea. I agree it's very difficult to cope with. I prefer pain to nausea.
Crazyfitness put a post on the other day about some research into IBS and in it she listed the various things you can have with IBS, just thought you might like to check it out, if you didn't see it. Link below.
healthunlocked.com/theibsne...
I hope crazyfitness doesn't mind me linking her post.
Hi Maureen, Thankyou for your reply, I’ve had a look at the list and I didn’t realise there were so many symptoms attached to IBS, but I glad I read it as I fit 80% them, I just glad you let me know about it, it has helped so much knowing I’m not going mad, I’ve had many many tests and just kept thinking it can’t just be IBS but reading the list has shown me it can, it is such a relief. Take care and many thanks
Linda
I would add overproduction of mucous, itching and irritation
I don't get mucous, but I do get this prickly heat feeling quite a lot. I think it's when I have liquid running through me and is being soaked up by the solid. Makes me kind of edgy though! I often get it when I have just been to the toilet and trying to get cleaned up and out of the loo. But it keeps making me feel like I should continue going and it takes all my concentration to try to ignore it and get out of the toilet as quickly as possible.
Does anyone add insomia? I find i have not had a deep sleep in ages.
Well, I always put poor sleeping down to other life issues, but I have been woken up or held up falling asleep by the irritating (in a physical sense) need to go to the toilet, and awoken early in the morning with urgency. And of course the triple feedback loop of say depression, IBS and poor sleeping is a system where each cause becomes an effect and each feeds off the others....
Yessss! I didn't know it had to do with the IBS but? Good to know thanks ☺️
Hi Cimmy, I am a relative new IBS sufferer but thought I would share my symptoms and treatment with you, my IBS started when I was diagnosed with Leukaemia and got considerable worse after 6 months of chemo , like you the nausea was awful combined with bloating and constipation or diarrhoea, this all started about feb 2019, I put up with it for months living every day on the anti sickness medication I had stored up from my chemo, eventually I had a ct scan to rule out any nasties and my GP put me on amitriptyline 10mg a day taken at night and if like magic no more IBS symptoms no more sickness or any other symptoms although amitriptyline does make you feel sleepy at first but your body adjusts. It may be worth you looking into, good luck I no just what your life is like having feeling of constant nausea.
Thank you for taking time to reply, I’ve read quite a lot about amytriptyline, and right now I would give anything a go, the nausea and bloating is so severe, which brings me down, which kicks off my anxiety. I’m going to ring my gp tomorrow and ask him to trial me on it I think. I glad your feeling better and appreciate your knowledge and reply, take care and I’ll let you know how it goes
Good Luck it’s worth a try, like you my life was pretty miserable and it has certainly made a huge difference just be prepared for feeling zonked out for the first few days and please let me know how you go.
Does amytriptyline cause weight gain? What is it exactly?
Amitriptyline was originally used for depression, but it was found to be beneficial for IBS sufferers , it has sedative properties as I have a friend that has difficulty sleeping and he takes 70mg a night. As for it causing weight game, all I can say it hasn’t had that affect on me, but I would ask your GP if that’s a concern. All I can say it has been a life saver for me I have gone from days of constant nausea and visiting the loo , to a normal life again, I can now eat and drink normally although you do have to be prepared for feeling drowsy for the first few weeks and I have heard that some IBS sufferers take up to six weeks for it to have any effect, I was lucky it worked from day one.
My main symptoms are:
- Nausea... nausea... nausea
- I have day with constipation follow by diarrea
- Back pain
- cramps
- anxiety...
Hi, this could be me writing this, the nausea is getting me down, I also get shakes then my anxiety kicks in big time which then creates more symptoms, it’s such a viscous circle, just wish it would end🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️ Wishing you well and thank you for your reply
Catch 22 not eating can also make you feel sick and dizzy. Trick is to eat several small meals. That way I personally find it easier to get nutrients and not feel as nauseous. If your not eating food because of nausea and not because of a physical problem ie because of a blockage or you physically vomit anything you swallow, then it's just a perception. Blending soups that you make yourself helps because you know exactly what's in them. The list crazyfitness linked as symptoms for IBS is a good indicator of some of the issues we sufferers endure but it no way indicates how it affect people individually in everyday life. After 4 years of dealing with this crap I'm actually learning to live with it and accept life will not be the same without compromise. You have to make the most of the hand you have been dealt for whatever reason. Only you can make a difference.
Blood test are a good indicator of where you're at nutritionally but a limited poor diet which many of us suffer from or malabsorption from other issues means supplementing with stuff you're not getting from food. I find the liquid supplements are better for me as these can be absorbed directly from your mouth. I take B12, ferritin and vit d (During winter) this way. I also supplement with folic acid every 12 months.
Before any of this is undertaken speak to your doctor as you may need blood tests and other interventions in relation to the mental health side of IBS, anxiety depression, irrational fears of what may happen. These also need addressing. I am a believer in one diet alone doesn't suit everyone, it's very much trial and error.
I have good days and bad days and things can change relatively quickly.
For me personally it's the fatigue that is the worst. I can deal with the pain, diarrhea and nausea. I struggle with it when it's coming out of both ends mind. Joint pain can be a bitch and mouth ulcers usually mean I'm low in something. I've got photos of symptoms not on the IBS list of doom but random accounts of stuff happening for no apparent reason.
Last time I kicked off at the gastro doctor and he listened so I'm in the middle of waiting for the next episode but sadly the NHS has a bigger priority right now Covid. So I feel interest from any doctor in regards to IBS will be low down on their list of concerns.
Hi vicklou , thank you for your very informative reply, I am at the moment really struggling with this, I’ve had so many tests in the last couple of months plus a few trips to a&e where the symptoms have been to hard to handle. My doctor is far from sympathetic, his answer to this is to throw more tablets at me, but that’s not the way to go I feel. I’m very fatigued and nauseous dizzy and shaky. Just don’t know what to do any more. Then I become more anxious which adds to the symptoms and the list goes on. I do appreciate your time and reply. It’s so nice to know I’m not going mad and I’m not alone take care
Linda
Nausea but only in the morning.
Also mild abdominal pain that moves around, in my case it's at the center and on the right usually, but like I said it can move.
I also have huge relief of symptoms soon after going to the toilet and I never have symptoms at night.
My type is pain predominant and I don't really have big changes in bowel habits, my stool usually looks normal and my toilet trips are regular, but my flare ups can last several months so I have to watch out what I eat.
Hope this helps!
Hi thankyou for your reply, I too am having a flare which has lasted months, which I find so difficult to deal with, my nausea is there most of the day on and off, I wake up in the morning full of dread wondering what the day has in store for me, so my anxiety kicks in early and I spend all day feeling panicky which then setS my stomach off, I just want to feel well. Many thanks again it’s so good to know other people’s take on this horrible condition. Take care
Linda
hi cimmy , welcome to my world , ive had ibs for 30 years not badly but the last 3 months have been a nightmare ihad a heart attack and a massive haemmorage and lost 4 pints of draculas tea, ihad 8 weeks of awful constipation and then .....wow diarrhoea sorry for the spelling , for 5 weeks and when i say the runs imean the runs anything up to 8 times aday, even at night, i feel well but terrible stomach pains and no way can i go out, the doctors say its my ibs because im so anxious who wouldnt be but i think its the medication im on. ive had afit test and thank goodness that came back negative. ibs is horrible very debilitating , the doc gave me alverine they were really really good but they are prescription only good luck keep off anything witha skin or spicy.
Hi Pam my, thank you for your reply, you have been through the mill haven’t you. I’ve been having a flare for the last 4 months and it just gets me to a point that I feel I can’t gone like this, nobody really understands how debilitating IBS can be unless you suffer from it. I too am on a lot of medication and I tend not to eat because of the nausea, so my stomach starts stressing, then I start stressing and so the circle continues. Never heard of alverine, what does it do if you don’t mind me asking, I’m on lots of meds for IBS and anxiety so just wondering how this is not working for me. Anyway thank you for replying and take good care of yourself x
Linda
I also gave cramps that feels like period pains.
I have had ibs d for more than forty decades. I had shock attacks with considerable pain and voiding in public and private and having to be helped by kind people who were previously unknown to me.
I have it 90% under control now but still suffer anxiety and have nightmares about it.
I never use the word stranger because they are the very ones who have been the most sympathetic.
The medics seem to think I’m a nuisance but that might be in my head.
I perform enemas before I leave the house if I have not voided naturally. I put two menstrual tampons in the rectum. I only suck glucose tablets during the day and eat a proper meal before I go to bed. And still, I can be taken short at any time. The BRAT regimen helps somewhat but is not foolproof.
I am a musician and play in two bands. I cannot afford to void on stage so it takes a lot of management. But if I can manage then so can you. We are all here to support you. Buona fortuna.
Hello, and thank you for your reply, my doctor also treats me like I’m mad and I’m making a fuss over what he calls “just IBS “, I thought he might be right, but no I’m not having it these symptoms are very real and very dibilitating. I’ve have had a flare for months now and do feel very down. But all the wonderful people on here taking time and effort to reply to my post has restored my faith in human kindness, so thank you again. Take care
Linda
Hi there mine started in my teens I’m now 49.my flare ups include severe pain low stomach that bad I ended up in accident and emergency ,chronic constipation,passing mucus from back passage,trapped painful wind, Farting constantly ,shooting pain in rectum,severe bloating ,pressure on bladder ,fatigue which caused me major anxiety and depression x take care hope this helps x
Cimmy• in reply to
Hi thank you for your reply, yes just your time and reply has helped, I too get very anxious and I’m very depressed, which then has a knock on effect to my IBS symptoms. I have had a few trips to a&e in the last 3 months due to pain and just feeling very unwell. It’s a viscous circle which I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy. Thanks again. Take care
Linda
• in reply toCimmy
Hi there have you thought about taking a low dose antidepressant ?as this may help as there are serotonin receptors in the gut and lack of serotonin can make ibs worse .ive found that stress causes flare up as ibs sufferers have sensitive guts that go into spasm when under stress or when eating something the gut doesn’t like .as I have ibs /c was always told to eat more fibre blah blah only makes the waste harder to pass so a relaxant like buscopan or peppermint oil capsules can help. iVe been in your shoes and many years on know that my guts enemy is stress and depression which slows the digestive system down .interestingly when I was on antidepressants never suffered at all !! The pain ibs causes is excruitating that’s why when I was younger I honestly thought I had bowel cancer .now I know it’s a chronic disease than can’t be cured but you can control it and don’t let it control you !!! Take care x
Cimmy• in reply to
Hi pansy, thanks for replying, I’m on a low dose of mitrazapine, which helps with my sleep, I have always been a stress head so I’m sure that’s what flares me up, it’s the constant nausea and pain and just feeling yuk that stresses me out then the more stressed I get the more my IBS kicks in so it’s a viscous circle. I have let this condition control me and find it very hard to control it if you know what I mean. I’ve had a barrage of test which have come back acceptable but I still can’t stop worrying that they have missed something but that’s me I suppose, just a worry wart. Thanks again, means a lot to know there are some good people willing to listen and share there experiences and knowledge. Take care
Linda
• in reply toCimmy
Hi there because of the pain I was suffering in my 20s my anxiety went through the roof which meant I got depressed back nearly 30 years ago not a lot of help for ibs .have learned to live with it but still to this day can’t believe the horrendous pain that comes with it no medication touches it. There has to be something out there .wish they’d told me it’s a chronic lifelong thing x take care and don’t stress makes it worse x
Cimmy• in reply to
My thought exactly, why isn’t there any concrete treatment for IBS out there this day and age, people shouldn’t have to suffer and suffer we do, I’m always looking for something to make me feel better, but yet have to find it, I’m exhausted by it all, just want to get up 1 day and feel good🤦♀️. The best treatment I’ve had so far in communicating with the wonderful people on this site whom have supported me and guided me through some rough times, for that I’m grateful. Take care
Linda
• in reply to
Do you get pain in night
• in reply to
Yes I did but once I was asleep no !! Think if your asleep the intestines are relaxed so no spasms x
binks• in reply to
I get pain in the night a lot. Some nights I can't get to sleep because of it. Some nights I get to sleep and then wake up - within minutes of waking the pain starts. I used to worry it was a red flag symptom but my GP told me night pain is quite common with IBS. The worry makes it worse!
• in reply tobinks
My pain is just above waist. It is continuous. Is yours there.
binks• in reply to
It moves around. Sometimes low left, low right and often around my waist. Have you been checked out?
Strange old thing IBS, how different it from
Person to person, I’m the opposite, I don’t have pain at night and I always sleep well , my worst time is on waking and all morning, have you had any medication for the sleeping?, I’m on a very low dose of mitrazapine which I take at night just before bed and it help me relax. Thank you for replying to my post, take care
• in reply to
Does the pain wake you at night
Hi Cimmy
My symptoms include sweats, trapped wind, dizziness and acid reflux. I've found buscopan killed my cramps and nausea and I take nexium for the acid which helps a lot. All in all it's hard to determine what causes flare ups but I've found that foods high in emulsifiers trigger nearly immediate cramps and diarrhoea. Bisto for example drives my insides crazy yet Coleman's pepper sauce is fine. The only difference in the two are the emulsifiers included. It's a fine balancing act but I find ibs effects every part of the body and has a direct effect on energy levels.
• in reply toMickymonaghan
Does it edge you at night
Hi thank you for your reply, I take mevbeverine 3times a day and I can’t tolerate peppermint capsules, I also take an anti sickness tablet 3 times a day and strong painkillers so I’m rattling with the pills, I like you am affected all over my body and my energy level is nil. It’s so kind of you to take time out to reply it means a lot to know I’m not alone in this. Take care
Linda
Hi Linda, I am going through what you are and the worst thing is that I believe it all started due to a medication that I should not have even been on. Medications and stress combined can mess with your microbiobes big time, and of the more meds you take the same thing. My advice seek out a couple of options, a functional Dr who can check your bacteria, then someone who can work on the anxiety aspect. Dont be in a rush to just add more to an overly worked system, have bloods done to look and see how you liver is working etc. Just my take on things..
Hi ruggerhead thank you for your reply,I have had a barrage of test, colonoscopy, ultrasound, stool test, gastroscopy, ct scans and blood work, which have showed a couple of things but nothing of any significants, so what else can it be my mind says and then goes into overdrive, I have been on so much medication for a long time and the more I think about it the more I’m convinced that the meds are partly to blame for some of my symptoms. The doctor doesn’t have time or the dedication to look into it, he just chucks more meds my way, I am waiting for a cbt appointment but because of Covid it’s going to be a long wait I think, I’m just so sick and tired of being sick and tired. Just want my life back. Thanks again for your kind words. Take care
Linda
Linda, please try and check out some kind of natural Dr, someone who looks at the disruption of your gut bacteria that all medications will do. You can be assured that it is something that is not life threatening and then set about new diets, supplements etc. Nothing should be permanent as once you take things like Chrons, IBDS, Cancers out of the equation your looking at funactional disorders, IBS being one. It is then a case of trying to reduce symptoms.. You will get there, Gut and Mind together, but the first step might be dont over work your gut with all these different medications, thats what happened to me...
trapped wind cramping pain in lower left side although i was on tablets for stomach ulcers for years now eating smaller meals and trying to find out the trigger foods drinking raw milk i found to be ok so far..
Hi thanks for the reply, I think trying smaller meals might be the way forward for me, as I don’t really eat until dinner because I’m so nauseous, I take a lot of medication so maybe something in my stomach would help. Take care
Linda
Do some of you also have "period pain" sympto
Hi yolandr, I do have bad stomach cramps and pain in the lower left abdomen, so I suppose it could be the same as period pains I suppose, but my period days are over, but still get that sort of pain. Take care
Linda
Hello I know how you feel I’m the same symptoms but I’m waiting for results to my h pylori test cause literally can’t eat anything I’m so nauseous acid reflux no energy not even been out properly for months. Can take my dog for a walk on a good day
Hi Oscar, sorry to hear your feeling bad, it sucks doesnt?, I wish I had some answers for you, the only help I can offer is a listening ear , this is a wonderful site and the people on are all in the same boat, so we are all able to support one another, the nausea and reflux are horrendous sent they, in this day and age you would think the medical profession would have some concrete solutions. Let me know how your test goes, if it’s positive they will throw lots of antibiotics at you which is good, hopefully you have a good result. Take care and keep us updated. Hope you feel well soon
Linda
• in reply toOscar091
Do you get pain in night
Hi thank you for replying I’m amber my doggies name is Oscar. So pleased I’ve found some help I’ve got all the symptoms of h pylori too at my witts end to be honest I just want my life back. I’m just waiting for results. If not can ibs make you feel so I’ll for 7 months I’ve had about 15 good days in all that time
Hi Amber, the answer is YES IBS can make you feel absolutely rotten for months, my flare has been going on for months and I like you have had a few days of feeling ok, but in this day and age it shouldn’t be like that, h pylori is easily Remedied once confirmed, so wait for your results then take it from there. It is so hard living with IBS and there are medications and lifestyle changes that help. Let me how you go with your results and let’s hope you find a solution soon, this site is a great place to be, there are so many helpful and knowledgeable people on here that are always willing and able to help. Take care Amber and remember always here if I can help I will
Linda
Have sent you a message . We are so similar with our symptoms
These past few months my symptoms got worst. I thought it something serious happen but when i had xray. The doctor said that my colon bended on my right side that cause gas to trap inside. Symptoms like bloating belly, nausea, warm upper body, tiredness, cramping. I guess i was resolve it a little.
I change my lifestyle. I eat heavy fiber breakfast. Like blended 3 pears, granola with almond milk and chia seed. 3 glasses of water. 30 min After breakfast i run/walk for an hour. Oh, i also run/walk 30 min before breakfast. Then heavy lunch. Rice sustain for the whole day. Run/ walk more then no dinner. The result is good. My body is no longer warm, no more nausea, cramping.
Hi Doona, thank you for your reply, I will certainly give the food a go, I’m glad you’ve found a solution that suits you, I would give anything to be free of my IBS symptoms. Take care
Linda
I have suffered with IBS for as long as I can remember and my mother once told me that I was still in nappies (just) when I first started with the crippling pain and fluctuations between constipation and diarrhoea.
Be cause I've never known any other way of life and my mother always telling me there was nothing they could do about it and that I had to just put up with it/live with it I just thought it was normal? I am only, now at 40 years old realising that weeks of constipation ending in cramping that feels to me, exactly like labour pains, sometimes so severe that I can go from freezing cold in the middle of winter sitting on the toilet one minute, to the next, stripped off completely naked with sweat literally pouring off my body, vomitting, racing heart violently shaking and on several occasions literally passing out because of the pain, actually ISN'T normal and I should have taken myself to the doc years ago?!
I feel like half of my health problems are due to IBS and I didn't even know? I'm only now booked for my first ever colonoscopy, which has been marked as emergency because both my iron/hemoglobin and B12 is that low that they are barely even registering so am booked to get an iron infusion in a couple of days.
I've never really researched symptoms or anything because I was told by my mother that pretty much, it was normal.
Hi Mary, my god you have been though it haven’t you, there hopefully when you’ve had your colonoscopy there will be a light at the end of f the tunnel, I’m so sorry you’ve been so unwell, IBS has a lot to answer to, it’s so debilitating and is so stressful when you don’t get any answers and they say “it’s just IBS” oh I could scream when they do that. This site has been my lifeline and the people on it are all in the same boat which is a comfort, so please be assured your not alone. Let me know how you get on with test and doctor. Take care
Linda
I get stomach ache backache feeling sick tired and flatulence,
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