Is this ibs or something serious please help me guys.

[Hash87677]

Hi there everyone you may have seen me here a lot of times. I have now had ultrasound of my abdomen, 4 blood test and stool test which was FIT test which all came back absolutely normal. But I was obviously scared about being it the c word. But the dr reassured that is not that. And also today I had really liquid stool which were brown please help me. Thank you

[Liz1234ty]

Hi there - you might want to push for a colonoscopy if you have not already had one. Not because anything serious had been missed as i am sure the tests you have had have ruled that out based upon your doctors confidence but because it might lead to a more definitive diagnosis of what could be amiss.

[Hash87677 in reply to Liz1234ty]

I'm 17 years old I forgot to mention

[Hidden]

I think it’s anxiety giving you those symptoms

[Hidden]

Try cutting out dairy - take lactose free milk/cheese for two weeks and see the difference it makes. If yr tests have all come back clear its nothing sinister...

[xjrs]

If the doctor is saying everything is fine then you have IBS. There is no point in worrying. You have been through all the required tests to ensure that you don't have anything serious. You might want to look back through your previous answers to find out what you need to do to help yourself. Here is my old post to you to save you looking for it:

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.

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:

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 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:

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-...

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.

[Carrjan in reply to xjrs]

Thanks so very much for putting up this really helpful post. Please keep repeating it every now and then, to help sufferers. I think it sums up what may have Happened to me (as long as my CT scan proves negative) and is a great comfort.

[xjrs in reply to Carrjan]

Thanks for the feedback Carrjan. There is a reason for everything and it's a case of finding the reason for you and trying to fix it - though this can prove difficult and the research isn't fully there yet. Best of luck with your CT scan.

[Patient001]

Have you tried psyllium husk or any fiber? I would try it for 2 weeks. Fiber is one of those supplements that doesn't work right away and can make things worse before you get better, so don't quit in a day or two. Works great for me. It even helped with acid reflux, which I wasn't expecting and nowhere on the internet does it mentioned this (or perhaps I overlooked it), but it helps. Psyllium husk is not cheap though.

[Hash87677 in reply to Patient001]

I got my psyllium husks from pakistan there get delivered here in uk. My nan sends it.

[Batteria]

Ibs is EXTREMELY serious. It ruins your life. Don’t be fobbed of with the anxiety excuse. It is not psychosomatic. It is somatopsychotic. The physical condition causes the mental anguish. Not the other way round. stay calm and read up as much as you can. You’ll find a solution even if it means making your own diagnosis. I was sent to a different psychiatrist three times with ibs and they all said there was nothing wrong with my mind. Con amore Bx