Do I have IBS?

[Kazurengan]

I am a 24 yo male, recently I've been quite anxious and stomachs cramps nearly everyday

I've done colonoscopy and blood tests few months ago

And apparently everything was normal

There are days when I feel perfectly fine sometimes I don't poop for an entire day

Other days I have to use the toilet like 4-5 times

I believe it's due to my anxiety although I don't feel anxious when I'm at home and still have to use the bathroom many times some days

I don't do any specific diet since I didn't have any of these problems when I was a kid

I feel the symptoms got worse since last year

[Meleber]

Hi, I think it's up to a gastroenterologist to find out if you have IBS. But anxiety and problems with your defecation can be an indication that your gut isn't working well. Ask your GP for a referral to a gastroenterologist who has experience with diagnosing IBS.

[Rice333]

Sounds like ibs as That's how mine started 3 years back.....could be one of many foods ....dairy..etc I have none dairy milk, butter & and so on .If it is food or dairy its a mine field unfortunately my friend ..mine is under control now but its not easy I'm sorry to say ..hopefully you may not have ibs .

Anyway good luck .you and all the best .

[Andann]

If you are in the UK at the moment I am not surprised your health worsened lately. There's often an anxiety component so it's a good idea to investigate that as well as diet. I remember at roughly your age being anxious about my work situation and vomiting when I arrived in the morning; once I realised why and talked to people about it it stopped. Also going somewhere tranquil like a Greek Island ...and eating a largely organic and Mediterranean diet stopped my bowel problems. So, yes, investigate all angles.

[ouch421]

Easy for me but at 55 i wish I told me at 25 to try not to obsess about non daily movements and cramps they are normal. Your body knows what its doing.

also Lockdown is a disaster for anxiety....try to just distract with other thoughts. Look up nhs constipation for reassurance. Try to avoid meds at your age. Good luck.

[Zedi39]

Hi

You mentioned some tests but have you had stool sample tests as well?

They can help to rule out any other issues - GPs (from my own experience & what I’ve read) tend to do blood tests and stool sample tests to rule out coeliac, cancer, etc. and then if those results come back clear, the likely diagnosis is IBS.

There is no test for IBS as such. It’s more that they eliminate every other possibility and then that is what’s left.

As well as the anxiety (are you getting any help for that?) have you looked at your diet?

I’ve had to remove dairy, caffeine & fried foods and while I’m better for that, I’m still not right.

Which is why I’m hoping for my dietician apt to come through soon! In the meantime though, I’m trialling a brand new way of eating in an effort to help my gut microbiome - basically, introducing a heck of a lot more plants to my diet, including seeds, whole grains and nuts as well as the obligatory and obvious leaves & veg. The point of this is to get a variety of fibre into my body.

Obviously, I’m not an expert so can’t say much more than that but it’s having a positive effect so far, particularly with abdominal discomfort and my bowel movements.

There is some good info in the NHS site re: IBS. Worth checking if you haven’t already.

But most importantly I’d suggest you get back to your GP for tests.

Good luck!