WEEK from hell, had enough of being in pain

[SickofhavingNausea]

IM 25 YO MALE

For past 10 days ive had very loose stools like runny ice cream, and a few cases of watery poo, with the odd normal stool,

This morning I woke up and passed a normal sized stool then seconds later followed by agony pains all over my belly, starting in upper middle and going to the left then down then I pass water stools this carried on for 2 hours going to toilet around 15 times.

I also feel sick with this as well

Abit of background

For over a year ive been having on going belly pain mainly lower, Ive had 3 stools samples done 6 months + ago all normal, 2 weeks ago i notice I tiny amount of blood in my poo and then it happened once more next day, 2 weeks later not notice any more.

Ive had ultra sound with normal spleen kidneys gallbladder ect, I have a fatty liver

I had an endoscopy back in February all normal

Ive had an small bowels MRI 5 weeks ago and still waiting on results, "Consultant was on call for 2 weeks so he hasn't had chance to look them over"

Loads of bloods all normal, A little high CRP infection rate of around 7-10 I think in pass 2 tests

What worries me is bowel cancer or any other time of cancer,

I cant stop thinking the worse when Im in pain all the time and now with this week how bad its been

The only thing ive noticed is the 2 times ive had watery poo in past 10 days is the day before I had a "fatty" meal, Like Chinese takeaway or burger and chips, or chip shop

Last night I had a chicken burger and fries from frankie and bennys and 12 hours later I had another episode so to speak of what ive had in the past week.

Im not saying its linked as I have takeaways alot and never experiences this but It might be

ALSO 1 week ago I was in agony in bed with my belly, then I passed wind for around 10 seconds then had to rush to the loo for once again watery poo, and why I was on the loo I kept passing so much wind like ive never ever had before it was horrible

Any thoughts anyone

thank you so much x

[xjrs]

You'll probably need to wait for all your results to come through and get some guidance around what you are diagnosed with. So that you don't worry so much, please be aware that the chances of cancer at your age are slim.

In the mean time, assuming it's 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 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) 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.

[JBaird1952]

I’ve had much the same for around 4 weeks now, was taken to hospital as was losing blood , doc gave me cyclizine for nausea and movicol as id been costipated for a while. Stopped the movicol after a couple of days but I use Silcolgel to line bowel and it seems to work at last. Also a probiotic capsules from nature’s best the 10 million one. Still feel like crap but it’s starting to calm down . I had tests but they didn’t find anything good luck mate I hope you improve, cut out the fat in your diet for a while see if that will help a bit, it’s a case of trial and error. Hope it eases soon for you .

[Maureen1958]

Hi, take a look at BAM (Bile Acid Malabsorption) which xjrs mentioned in his last paragraph. I have put a link below to a good site.

gutscharity.org.uk/advice-a...

All the best, Maureen

[Pthom50]

Hi...I had really very bad diarrhea end of last year....pain/bloating/nausea...felt very rough! Docs not much use so put myself on probiotics, gluten free foods and lactose free milk. Am not coeliac but these foods are gentle on the system. I also eat lowfodmap. I was always a good healthy eaterb but ive had to get used to bland. When i deviate i suffer..hope this is not forever as am introducing 'normal' food gradually. Fast food is a definate no no for me...way too much fat. Good luck. Keep us posted

[Cats15]

So sorry to hear how you are suffering. I know how you feel! I have to say, if I ate fast food like you, I’d be almost dead. It seems like this type of food is not doing you any good and it might help to try the FODMAPS diet for a few weeks just to see if it makes a difference along with probiotics. Good luck with everything