IBS Struggle

[Bassem1979]

Hi All

Am new to the IBS network reading through the post are really helping me. At present am having a really bad flare up currently on day 9, the worst at the min is my trapped wind struggling to get it out which is causing me a lot of pain and feeling sick.

I seem to have a combination IBS some days diarrhoea and some days constipation. I can’t seem to work out what my triggers are which is also getting me down, for about 20 years now I ve never had a “Normal Bowel regime” but since the start of Covid and getting a promotion at work I think the stresses have Exacerbated my IBS.

At the minute I don’t have a life, I also have health anxieties which I know does not help because I think really is all this pain and symptoms IBS and not something more sinister.

I have spoken to my GP this morning, my stool sample came back negative, she going to refer me for another scan as I have gallbladder issue too. She wants me to do a bowel screening test and following them results then maybe a colonoscopy. (It’s all very frightening).

Does anyone else have trapped wind that last days and struggle to get it out ? It scares me I have a blockage because passing wind should not be so difficult should it?

If anyone has any advice it would be much appreciated am struggling now with all this.

Thanks for reading.

[Meleber]

Sounds like me, constipation predominant IBS with overflow diarrhea and yes, trapped wind. Not necessary to be frightened right now despite all the symptoms you suffer from. The anxiety can be related to the problems with a dysfunctional bowel and stress can make it somewhat worse so try to 'relax'. Maybe you can get some medication in a low dosage to calm you a bit. It's good to read that necessary examinations will be done. Maybe you should get a referral to a gastroenterologist. I've had a colonoscopy twice and they weren't too bad, you will get a light sedation. Only the preparation in advance to clear/clean your bowel/colon is not so nice, you can read the info here on the forum.

[Bassem1979 in reply to Meleber]

Thank you for the reply In a nice way it’s good to hear that other people going through the same thing.

I know I need to try and relax until I get a proper diagnosis.

The feeling of not always having emptying your bowels is such a horrible feeling and the feeling of needing to pass wind and not able to ☹️

[Meleber in reply to Bassem1979]

Do you take a laxative already? I use half a tablet bisacodyl several times a day and/or cascara sagrada to keep things moving in my bowel. Also have to mind what to eat. I need to stay away from hard to digest food, insoluble fibres and mind my daily fat intake.

[Bassem1979 in reply to Meleber]

Hi

So do you take a laxative a day ? I was worried to take a laxative every day incase it did more harm than good.

I normally take one a week and try and go my self the rest of the week.

Would you advise to take them daily ?

[Meleber in reply to Bassem1979]

Hi, I'm not in the position to give advise since I'm not a qualified physician. I can only say what I do and use. For a good advise you should talk to your GP or gastroenterologist. But yes, I need to take them several times a day due to constipation with overflow diarrhoea. Bisacodyl can be quite harsh for your bowel especially when you have incomplete bm. I learned the hard way, caused severe pain. That's why I cut the 5 mg tablet in half, works much better, less harsh.

[Bassem1979]

Yes that’s what I normally take and I understand what you mean about how harsh they are… when I take 5mg once a week then am in a lot of pain and am on the toilet for a good hour. I ve tried senna that does nothing for me, I will try to take one every other day and see if that helps

Thanks for the advice

[Meleber in reply to Bassem1979]

You can try to cut the tablet in half, it can be done with a sharp knive but watch, mind your fingers while trying 😉. Cascara sagrada is also an option, bit more gentle and I think there are more gentle laxatives available.

[Justbreathe55]

Sorry you're having such a rubbish time it does sound like constipation as Melber suggested it can cause horrendous trapped wind. Have you tried taking anything for the trapped wind? I find wind ease / deflatine something along them lines helps. Also if I know I'm going to eat a big meal I take activated charcoal before and after eating which I find helps. I have to take daily laxatives I can't go naturally anymore 😪 but if I have to take them forever so be it, anythings better than the equivalent. I hope you get some relief soon.

[edwangy in reply to Justbreathe55]

What laxatives do you take? Do they cause cramps

[Bassem1979 in reply to edwangy]

Hi Yes I take them about once a week I take bisacodyl 5mg and yes it does give me stomach cramps.

I ve tried senna they do not help at all and I don’t know which other to try.

[edwangy in reply to Bassem1979]

It's a problem isn't it. I've been using milk of magnesia for months, it works but still gives me cramps, not too bad if I don't take too much, about 10 ml. Wanted alternative as too much magnesium can be bad. All the magrogols are no good,they seem to make things worse, same with fibre. Why can't we just go like everyone else!

[Justbreathe55 in reply to edwangy]

Hi Edwangy....my consultant has prescribed prucalopride and no they don't cause cramps ( not for me anyway) they're the only ones I've tried that don't . They're not a miracle drug but anythings better than nothing.

[edwangy in reply to Justbreathe55]

Hi Kazzacrazy,

Do they work? I believe they speed up colon transit so you don't need laxatives.

[Justbreathe55 in reply to edwangy]

They definitely help me.....if they start to slow down I just up the dose slightly, so far so good 👍🏻

[Oxygen_guy]

Hi I've read some of the comments and with laxatives you can take upto 3 a day. I take Laxido sometimes if I'm constipated. Its advisable to take it before bed and then hopefully you will be able to go to the toilet first thing because your muscles in the stomach relax at night. If you feel that your still bunged up then take another one midday time then see how you feel. Then if still no joy take a third one later on. I've been taking Laxido for years and Only take when needed. As for trapped wind then there's Bisadol tablets. They can help.

[Nascar88Fan]

Yes sounds like me. . I also need to stay away from hard to digest food, insoluble fibres and mind my daily fat intake. I also sort is follow a low fermentation diet. It is hard to figure out what works and what does not and everyone is different. But for me as I am cinstipation dominant I drink natural calm with lemongrass ginger tea (helps digestion) before bed to keep things moving, lower fiber easy to digest foods like carrots, potatoes, white rice and homemade pasta. No insoluble fiber meaning I peel and de seed everything. Make sure I get 80 ounces of liquid daily and this can be ANY liquid as they all count….and yes alcohol counts as long as it is low alcohol content….foodandwine.com/news/whats-... has taken me years to figure all this out but it is working. We just need to find what works for us. Oh and I also take probiotic daily. I switch between Envive and Trubiotics as these have been most studied for constipation relief. Also forgot to add that the incomplete feeling can be internal hemorrhoids, pelvic floor dysfunction or inflamed rectum. I had all three….I have found that for me personally insoluble fiber causes all three of these to flare up. They are finding now thru studies that soluble fiber is what you need not insoluble to keep things running smoothly. Read the fiber menace or the happy bowel and I have a few others. It these two will help you understand how your system works. First one talks about how insoluble fiber is not good and second talks about the mistakes we make to not get complete bowel movements.

[Bassem1979 in reply to Nascar88Fan]

Thank you for the reply, how long did it take for ur rectum to heal ? Honestly don’t know how much longer I can cope with this pain. I don’t understand why I keep getting trapped wind felt ok majority of the day and last hour wind pains again

[Nascar88Fan]

I would eat easy to digest foods like chicken carrots potatoes white rice hamburgers. Let things heal and then add things back in slowly till you find culprit. It takes at least two weeks for our guts to learn so you would need to do anything for at least two weeks. Add back one thing for two weeks and see then add something else for two weeks etc. I know I can’t eat onions and garlic but not together. Has to be one or the other. Look at formal diet and low fermentation diet. And I am looking at the thermo diet now. Again I am not a doctor and every body is different so what works for me may not work for you and vice versa. It has taken me s5 years to figure it all out and I still have bumps in the road. Just not very often now where before I was using suppositories 3x a week and drinking a bottle of citrate twice a month. Horrible. I cook same protein for hisband and I for dinner but our sides will look very different. And if you eat anything raw I would stop immediately! That causes tons of gas and makes our systemWork harder to digest. You may have to go to a colon surgeon, I did, and he gave me the diagnosis of hemorrhoids which he banded, and pelvic floor distinction that I went to therapy for. I also had a fissure which he came me meds for. A CRS will be able to tell by looking if your inflamed or not in the rectum