i really can’t do this anymore

[toastiepjm]

in the middle of september i started to get really bad abdominal pains frequently. it had been on and off all year really which lead me to cut out dairy as we thought that was causing it and i’ve never liked milk, chocolate made me feel a little sick etc. it’s continued consistently all through the months up to now and the doctors have no idea what it is. they gave me meds for stomach ulcers which had no affect and stool softeners for constipation. i was originally on lactulose but it made me feel sick so now i’m on laxido. along with that i’m on buscopan, a gut relaxer and neproxin for the pain. none of it seems to be making a difference. the laxido makes me feel queasy but does it’s job i suppose. at the start of december this bubbling, popping feeling started low down in my gut and i have no idea why and it’s just been constant only getting worse. what is it?! how do i stop it?! i literally have a fear of going to the loo and leaving the house now. my gp has basically said it’s nothing and it’s all in my head but istg i would not be purposefully putting myself through this. i am so completely done with feeling like this and i can’t see a way out. i’m watching my life flash by and i’m concerned about the future and what i’ve missed of school. does anyone have any advice??

[Liz1234ty]

Hi there, the key thing to know is that there are cures and effective treatments out there but key to it is getting the tests to see if a cause can be found. It could be a food intolerance so keep a diary for 4 weeks all food and drink consumed and degree of symptoms to see if that provides a clue. Otherwise your symptoms are very real and need to be investigated. Speak to your gp but stool and blood tests are common as too are colonoscopies. Good luck. I am sure you will get it sorted.

[toastiepjm in reply to Liz1234ty]

hi thank u for your response. it’s just hard when the gp basically has given up on you lol. i’ve had blood tests done which came back clear and i’ve been tested for coeliac disease but that came back clear too. i had an ultrasound at the hospital in december but the only thing they picked up from that was it’s extremely hard to see my ovaries! it’s gone on for so long now it’s getting trickier to see a way forward. thank u i hope so

[Liz1234ty in reply to toastiepjm]

Has your gp considered a gynological rather than a bowel related cause? You should seek to rule out endrometriosis for example. Mine was only apparent on an internal scan of my womb not an external scan.

[toastiepjm in reply to Liz1234ty]

i don’t think so, they’ve only done the external scan and said everything seemed in order

[xjrs]

Sorry to hear that you have been going through it. Did they test your stools in addition to a blood test - to diagnose IBS, you need both tests:

nhs.uk/conditions/irritable...

I see that you are taking laxido. Have they diagnosed you with IBS-C (constipation dominant IBS)?

If this is the case, you are the same as me - IBS-C with intestinal pain.

I take Linaclotide for this. It helps to calm intestinal nerves to reduce pain - it also helps you go to the loo (although it didn't help me with this) - I handle constipation through diet. It reduced my pain my 50%-60%. Many doctors have not heard of this drug so it is worth discussing it with them. I then took Aflorex probiotic which has been scientifically studied for IBS and this reduced my pain to zero most of the time! Sometimes having a gut bacterial imbalance can induce pain and a probiotic such as Alflorex can help this in some people.

If you are constipation dominant I can also advise on diet if you want this information - hopefully so you don't need to be on laxatives anymore.

[toastiepjm in reply to xjrs]

they haven’t done stool tests, just blood and urine, and they haven’t diagnosed me with anything because they have no idea what’s going on with me apparently. the gp i was seeing just gave up and said it was most likely all in my head.i was suffering with constipation which is why i was on the laxido but the last two days it’s been quite the opposite which we’re putting down to the laxido finally taking effect but i absolutely hate it. i have a real phobia of being sick/having an upset stomach so it’s rather torturing.

any info you can give me would be wildly appreciated, thank you so much for your response.

[xjrs in reply to toastiepjm]

I understand your phobia. Stomach issues can be very unpleasant.

To improve constipation in the short term you can try ground flaxseed on your breakfast, starting at 1 teaspoon and increasing at 1 teaspoon every 2-3 days - you'll need to consume extra water with it.

I suffer from IBS-C. You may need to increase fibre in your diet, but when you do this you may need to do it gradually, so your system can get used to it.

This is what I have for breakfast: 75g oat bran, 50g of all (wheat) bran soaked overnight in water plus 10 almonds & 1 tablespoon flaxseed ground together, 2 tablespoon chia seeds and 9 prunes plus homemade oat milk - all soaked for a further 15 mins (so the chia seeds form a gel).

There is also Shredded wheat (or GF version: Nutribrex) .

Before lunch I have 1 orange (which contains a natural laxative).

Before dinner I have one of these high fibre fruits:

2 small hard pears

5 dried apricots

90g Raspberries

2 kiwi

I bulk buy fruit and freeze where necessary to allow me to have this variety.

At other meals I have:

Quinoa

Wholewheat bread

Whole grain pastas (Spelt or GF: Buckwheat)

I also take 30 drops of ginger extract before bedtime to aid motility. You may need to work up the dose to say 7 drop increments each night.

I have been giving Optifibre a go, which has been helping but I need to be careful with the amount since it gives me gas.

Exercise can help with BMs. The government recommends 150 mins of moderate exercise (e.g. walking as if you are late for an appointment) or 75 of intense exercise (e.g. jogging) per week. I also have a bit of a walk around straight after breakfast to get things moving.

You need to ensure that you are drinking enough fluids (2 litres of fluid per day).

There is some good advice about constipation here:

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

theibsnetwork.org/constipat...

Hope this helps. Good luck.

[toastiepjm in reply to xjrs]

thank you so much i’ll bear this in mind. i already am pretty good with having plenty of fibre in my diet; as a family we eat fruit and veg with meals and only have wholemeal bread and wraps and rolls. guess it takes more than just that though

[Jayneelizabeth]

IBS is an incredibly difficult condition; best solutions to suggest: peppermint tea; Pilates (abdominal part very good); keep mobile and exercise gently much as possible, don't sit for too long in one place; linseed and flaxseed (very small amounts on cereal). Eventually all the efforts together do make a difference.

[Suecoo66]

Have you ever had a colonoscopy?

[toastiepjm in reply to Suecoo66]

no, the thought absolutely terrifies me on so many levels, especially the prep!

[eliz45]

Hi. have you actually gone to a gastroenterologist. You mentioned your gp several times but no other specialist. GPs can be very helpful. Mine is. But after a certain point they don't have the information to figure out what you have, or what is troubling you. IBS is not simple, and you need to have the series of tests that gastroenterologists do to rule out various parasites and bacteria which may be causing you all of these problems. IBS is different for everyone. Don't give up. You need more information which may very well help you in making your life easier. Hang in there.

[toastiepjm in reply to eliz45]

hi, i haven’t, how do you go about doing that exactly? i get gps have limited knowledge on stuff i just wish they wouldn’t be so “oh well not much i can do” about it all! thank you for your advice

[eliz45 in reply to toastiepjm]

Hi . Just go to your GP and tell him/her that you would like to be referred to a gastroenterologist. You can give them the name of someone you have researched and think might be good, or they can refer you to someone they have referred others to. Very often a GP will suggest that you go to a specialist because they have run out of ideas. Ask your friends and relatives if they have gone to one and which ones have great reputations etc. Just this morning I called a gastroenterologist's office I had seen years ago and wanted to see again. They said I needed a referral so I called my GP and told the receptionist I needed to be referred to this person. Now I will wait to see who I hear from. Hope this helps.

[toastiepjm in reply to eliz45]

oh right okay! i have been referred to a paediatrician at the hospital so we’ll see where that takes us. would really love some answers after five months! thank you so much for your help, it’s very much appreciated

[eliz45 in reply to toastiepjm]

Hi. I hope I am mistaken, but isn't a paediatrician a doctor of children? I was talking about a gastroenterologist that works with the digestive system. I am in America, so I am not sure how your system works.

[toastiepjm in reply to eliz45]

typically yeah, which is what shocked me when my gp said she referred me to one but apparently they cater to anyone up til you’re 20. and they have specialists such as a gastroenterologist under that.

[eliz45]

Oh, great! Now you will have a new chance to get some answers. It is a difficult time right now, but things can definitely get a lot better. One day at a time. Good luck!

[toastiepjm in reply to eliz45]

thank you for your kindness