I’m writing this in desperation as I have had all I can take from my stomach issues. I have had them for 2 years now and I thought I had IBS even though I had never been officially diagnosed but it has gotten worse and worse to the point where I can’t go one single day without feeling ill and horrible. I have bloating, acid reflux, nausea, excess gas, cramping, general discomfort and I’m always unable to completely evacuate when I go to the toilet and its more often than not difficult to get out and there’s mucus in my stool a lot of the time. Recently though it has all been so much go worse and my anxiety and stress levels are through the roof which I know doesn’t help but I don’t know what I’m meant to do when I feel like this every day. I can’t go to work and keep taking sick days off/having to leave because I feel too unwell and I just feel like I am not myself anymore and don’t have much to look forward to. I thought I might have IBS, especially when other tests came back clear but why am I feeling so ill when I’m not even eating dairy/gluten/foods that are high in fodmaps etc? I am really safe with what I eat and sometimes I can get it when I don’t eat anything at all. Does anyone know what could be happening to me?
Can’t do this anymore : I’m writing this in... - IBS Network
Can’t do this anymore
Are you seeing a gastroenterologist? If not, try to do that. A dietician who is familiar with the FODMAP diet may also be able to help you. I understand it is very difficult. Have you been checked for SIBO?
I feel the EXACT same as you so just know you are not alone. Unfortunately our anxieties and worries often play a big part in physical symptoms. Would it be worth speaking to a therapist? As I know there are IBS therapists/therapy treatments out there?
Hi there I suffer the same it’s caused lot of anxiety which makes you stressed and so gut problems get worse , it’s so easy to get obsessed with bowel movements . I go take movicol every day and optifibre and it has helped a lot , I still get bad days have no diagnosis as of yet but I do find eating low fibre works for me , you need to persist with getting treatment that works for you x
Sorry to hear you are going through this.
Definitely sounds like you would benefit from seeing the gastro team. My husband had similar symptoms, and after a colonoscopy was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis which is now well managed with medication.
From my experience, anxiety can also cause so much of what you are explaining- it’s a horrible circle as the symptoms cause anxiety and the anxiety can cause the symptoms.
We have been through this discussion before. The advise doesn't change, it remains as before. What you would be better doing is concentrating on taking productive measures and definitely pushing your Dr to diagnose the problem. You are worrying about a problem without getting a diagnosis first, that will eat you alive unnecessarily. Eight months have gone by and you are no further on. Put that energy into getting a diagnosis, at least the stress will be worth an answer. Yes it is hell to live with IBS or any other stomach problem but unless you put in the hard yards you get know where. It is pointless asking questions here as we are unable to diagnose anything. That is down to your doctors. Once you have a diagnosis fixing a problem becomes a lot easier than guessing a solution for an undiagnosed problem. It may well be plain and simple stress, you don't know yet. The longer you leave it the worse it get's. Take action now.
Hi Cheyne I disagree with you she should be asking advice from people on here but I do agree unless your persistent and push you get nowhere . I’ve had similar problems for 18 months and been in chronic pain and I’ve badgered pushed and been a pain in the arse to get tests . It’s taken a long time as the nhs here is back logged . I’ve found the advice on here invaluable when I’ve been going out my mind worrying even just a bit of reassurance can bring comfort , so I will still ask for advice on here from others and so should everyone else whilst waiting for doctors to do tests x
I agree with you pansy. Cheyne is right in one sense And wrong in another. We may not be medics but we are here to help. I’ve learned a few things on here that doctors weren’t aware of. And doctors have thanked me for passing on the info. I am on lots of different fora but this is the best one. Con amore Bx
Thanks batteria I’ve learnt more from people on here than my own doctor 😂x
You can certainly get good advice on here but you can't get the right advice unless you bother to get a diagnosis to know what you are dealing with. Whether that be not bothering or not pushing your Dr for the answer the out come is still the same. You are seeking an answer to what you don't know you may or may not have. Heavens forbid it is something far more serious and goes undiagnosed.
Don't worry you aren't alone in feeling like this. I've had this for over 30yrs and there have been many times I've felt I just can't do this anymore.If you haven't seen a gasterologist then go to your GP and tell them your symptoms and insist on a referral. Are you taking any meds like an anti spasmodic for spasms etc?
I am so sorry to hear your plight. I can sympathise. I've suffered for 45 years. It's not easy to live with. It can ruin your career, relationships, friendships, holidays and stop you leaving the house to travel. It's very difficult to track down a food intolerance because depending on your digestion rate it can take anything from 12 hours to 4 days for something to get to your large intestine and cause problems.
It sounds like IBS, but it can be leaky gut or Candida over growth. Somewhere along the line you have altered your gut microbiome. It can be that you don't have enough good bacteria or an over growth if bad bacteria. The cure is to eat a very varied diet with no processed foods or take aways. But and thus is a very huge but, to do that with IBS is almost impossible because it's going to give you pain, wind and diorrhea if you do. Life sucks with IBS. My advice is to make a good diary, list not just foods but ingredients too. See what comes out as a regular enemy. You may have multiple intolerances. I have dairy intolerance, that's an easy one to discover, I have yeast, duck, sunflower oil and dextrose intolerances. The sunflower oil was the most difficult to discover as its in loads of stuff, so is dextrose. Dextrose, even just a tiny bit can put me in bed for days with the world spinning.
Go back to the low Fodmap diet but exclude oats, tomatoes and ALL fruit for 2 weeks. Only eat cooked carrots and spinach and potatoes and DONT eat pasta. Pasta can clog you up.
See how you get on. Let me know if you improve.
I honestly feel for you. I have very similar issues, although I never get nausea. Yesterday in utter despair I rang the doctors surgery, the last 12 months no appointments available except over the phone discussions and only face to face discussion in an emergency !! I related my problem graphically to the receptionist as I was bleeding from a 'pile', rather worryingly. She promised a doctor would ring me back within 4 hours. Luckily my doctor was on holiday and a Locus rang me back within 10 minutes !! She arranged to see me in two hours !! She was amazing with a thorough 45 minute check, gave me new medications, scrapped the original medications, arranged emergency blood test to test everything on their blood test lists and promised if anything was untoward, I would get emergency surgical treatment before the end of this week. I am now awaiting a phone call from her. So, I am suggesting you see a different doctor. I hope this helps.
I have now been referred to a gastroenterologist too, something else I was asking my original doctor for and it never happened !!
If you can afford it get a full stool sample test for everything. Google healthpath they offer many good solid tests. I recommend them. Also google just for tummies another very good web page with lots of info for ibs sufferers. IBS is a horrible condition and has multiple ingredients to make it what it is. If you can get to the bottom of it you are winning.
So a good diagnostic tool is paramount. A think a stool sample is key. Then treatment. Probiotics are good, try just for tummies or VSL 3. All the best!
Hi.Obviously it is difficult for anyone to diagnose. However, you must see your primary care doctor and request a referral to a GI surgeon for a colonoscopy. I have been through a very similar journey and have been diagnosed as having a "redundant colon" which is where the large intestine (specifically the colon area) is longer than normal. This results in many of the symptoms you describe.
However, the sudden addition of mucus is something that requires further investigation. Please let me know how you get on.
I had severe anxiety issues since 1974. After I was diagnosed then with what was called spasdic gut. The condition today called IBS is quite a modern description of spastic gut. In the eighties I had so much trouble with IBS mental health issues with severe agoraphobia and clousaphobia I was refereed to a 6 months treatments for cognitive therapy with a psychologist. Anxiety over IBS conditions, make the symptoms go on for longer than they should. My own doctor told me, its a viscous circle where anxiety, strained or tight muscles just lead to cramping not going away without some stress and relaxation therapy. Once you been properly diagnosed with IBS, you can start to relax a bit. It's not a disease its a syndrome. I have had it along with diverticular for a long time now. For me when I worked it was bad. In 2009 I was taken out of the works scene, as I had work related stress disorder. Stress and hurried snacks at work is the very worst scenario you can have. Some like me had to change my lifestyle almost completely. Best of luck with it. But try relaxation of tummy muscles, by deep breathing and allowing you to feel the tension in your tummy. Let it go😉
I really feel for you.I felt just like you 20 years ago and was so miserable with it all .I am just wondering if you have been checked for H .Pylori as this has very similar symptoms to yours.all I can say is it does eventually get better and you will feel like life is worth living again.best wishes to you and you are far from alone feeling this way.
I started having diarrhoea in October 2020 it got gradually worse until the doctor got me a colonoscopie in December 2020 which was clear ive done countless blood samples stool samples and urine samples allclear ive had a cystoscopie and camera down my throat (sorry forgot the name of that ) ive also had ct scans all coming back clear. I was off work for over 6 months as I had diarrhoea almost constantly for 90% of that time to the point I was to scared to even go to the local shops incase I needed the toilet I think worrying about it brought it back on worse i ended up virtually a prisoner in my flat .
I now take laparamide ( hope I spelt that right) which I take daily and it works well enough to have got me back to work and I think the fact I'm no longer stuck at home worrying about it has helped no end i still have small episodes of it but its far more controllable .
Hope that may be some help
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