Just thought would share wat happened to me and see if theres somebody out there with suggestions to help a guy out suffering advice etc which would be appreciated.
I went on to Spain January last year came back within weeks started taking really unwell wakening up through night diarrhea spasms like stools way not right [Actually yellow] was losing bit weight cramps were unbelievable
Reffered to GP eventually passed onto gastro DR through private healthcare got looked into quite quick who told me anxiety yes anxiety was bringing this on was put on anti spasm tablets was told it would reside and will be something I eat and my anxiety was making it worse without a single test being done
Covid kicked in and I refused to accept this I new it wasn't anxiety the anxiety in me was simply worry on what the hell was wrong with me I asked for second opinion got speaking to gastro DR in London on zoom within this one chat before any more he said Ive to take tinizadole as sounds an infection Ive picked up never proven but likely strong tablet wipes the floor in your gut good and bad bacteria said I need camera both ways as was in pain few different areas was getting really upsetting I couldn't get this in Scotland so travelled to clinic this guy was based in London as have family there stayed few weeks got camera and low n behold he said Ive inflammation few different areas in digestive tract lower bowel and Ive suffered from post infectious irritability he advised in time it will heal nearly a year down the line Im not running to toilet and don't get diarrhea but I constantly extract muscus on my stool stomach cramps constipated that gurgling noise is just there anything I eat sleep suffers and bloating classic IBS presumably post infection
My question is will this ever go away is there anybody out there who can give a bit of advice what I would do honestly to get back to a bit of normality
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Celtic79
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Wow, so glad the London gastro took you seriously! IBS usually cant be cured but can be well managed! The low fodmap diet, a low fodmap dietitian guidence and food diary can help up to 70% of IBS cases, its a tough diet but it has been a miracle to a lot of people. Wishing you health and that you can get this awful illness under control x
Yeh its so hard for me always been able to just eat what I want I find it really difficult to eat stuff really a don't like lol but I know it has to be done . Working form home aint helping coz am not burning anything off with normal things would do through week swimming football etc
its so easy to go off track with this I think Im gony get in touch with a dietician about it more get foods that will be enjoyable to eat but the right ones because it aint worth the struggle pain wise
You shouldn't have had to go to those lengths. There is a set protocol in the UK for diagnosing IBS. Did any of the recommended stool and blood tests in this link get done?
If you 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 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) 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. The year before last 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.
By the way, my IBS started after food poisoning from a trip to Mexico. If you have picked up a bug, I'd give the Alflorex probiotic a go first. It has been scientifically studied for IBS and contains a strain that has a good chance of kicking any bad bugs into touch. It is the probiotic that has helped me the most.
Im willing to try anything it really gets yeh down doesn't it a feel restricted in what a can do just end up wanting to lie down my family will say this isn't you but its hard trying to explain to people as its not visible the pain
I will absolutely look into the probiotics side thanks again .
Yes my blood samples were fine the stool was checked for faecal calprotectin said was ok and he had sent multiple biopsies were the inflammation was seen inside me camera wise and all came back with none of the more serious stuff to worry about
I genuinely still hoped the inflammation would go away but a year down the line its not so need to accept its what it is and deal with it
Glad they have run the right tests and they came back OK. IBS is diagnosed as a process of elimination of other things.
Just wondering what your diet is like? I attended a microbiome online course run by scientific researchers. They said that low carb/fibre/high protein diets can cause an excess of hydrogen sulfide in the gut. The excess of hydrogen sulfide can compromise the intestinal layer, which allows contaminants to cross into the blood stream. This can in turn raise inflammation markers. I was put on such a diet by nutritional therapists (I would not recommend them) to treat something I didn't have. As a result my inflammation markers went sky high. If you can get your symptoms under control with a good probiotic, one of the best diets to reduce inflammation in the body is the Mediterranean diet. There is info about this here:
If I'm being honest with myself my diet is ok at best
As said I think Ive lived in last year in expectancy that this will "just eventually go away" in mindset well im active etc never had anything wrong with me so it will be fine but im accepting I need to really pay attention to this as its my stools that show me my insides are definitely not right with the mucus on them and the lower bowel pain
I know diet is extremely important so will look into this over the weekend
Hi there, my son has post infectious ibs and has suffered for 5 years. It flares up worse when he has dairy , alcohol and chilli. He currently lives in Thailand and has learned to live with the condition. He had the camera and found lots of inflammation. He was told it would take 5 years to settle down. He has had the runs ever since because he is not prepared to change his diet. He did have gardia and cryptosporidium from travelling around India and had to take 3 lots of antibiotics which destroyed all the good bacteria in his stomach. He did try probiotics but nothing ever seems to stay in his system long enough to be absorbed. I really advise you to find the triggers in your diet and avoid them. Keep a food diary to help you. It will be worth it in the end. Good luck.
Gardia that was a serious suggestion when I told the Dr I had been away in Spain hence the tinizadole he said this would wipe away all bacterias including gardia but I mind having such painful sore stomachs right after this with it wiping everything out you that was my worst period out of the lot its as stated elsewhere what Im left with its unreal how much this affects sleep also I feel like a zombie some days honestly
Do you know if you was tested for h pylori?I was fobbed off by two GPS for over a year before they found it.
My symptoms included
Gas, wind (worst towards to evening) bloating, gurgling, feeling of moving pockets in stomach, some mucus with mixed stools. Smelly stools, gripping or turning feeling in guts. Feeling of stretching after BM. Weight loss and anxiety (due to the bug lowers the serotonin in your body) mood swings.
If I recall correct my various stool samples were to check for h pylori above also multiple blood samples everything came back ok when he said I had inflammation in "few different areas" inside my digestive tract I was terrified when he said had sent away multiple biopsies but again good news came back ok but its what I'm left with its a genuine struggle really gets me down
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POST INFECTIOUS IBS going on a year...
Is this IBS, or something more? What tests are needed for diagnosis? 
IBS without bowel symptoms?
IBS?
amitriptyline for ibs?
