A life with IBS

[randy1963]

I have had every cancer fear known to man. Doesn't mean I won't get cancer. I'd guess once per day or more I give it a passing thought. I am 58. This has been going on since I was 18. About 1 in 2 people get cancer... but one in two also don't EVER get it.

My thoughts on IBS. If you don't have anxiety disorder, you don't have IBS. IBS is a spastic/anxious disorder--IBS C is a motility disorder. Gluten is an allergy. To say they are the same thing shows medicine just doesn't care much. If you are the sort of person who notes and rechecks a pain... you are a great candidate.

If you have IBS, I would bet you also have considered fibromyalgia more than once, have a history of prostatitis or CPPS, or have back spasms. If you haven't, I don't think you have what I call IBS.

IBS pain moves around--it is worse if you notice a spot and keep checking to see if that spot hurts with your mind. The flexures (splenic and hepatic) are notorious pockets of painful gas. A lot of IBS pain comes from associated diverticular disease--made worse by FOODMAP or high fiber--but ultimately safer for colon cancer--which, let's face it, is the 900 kilo gorilla in the room. If you don't have gas and bloating--you don't have IBS IMHO.

About 1 in 55 people die of colon cancer. More than 70 pct of those are over 75. Facts. Can you die at 28 of colon cancer? Sadly yes. I've known a son of a friend personally. He did nothing wrong--barely smoked or drank--ate a lot of veg and fiber and had bad luck. How common is that? Maybe 1 in 10,000 or less. Could you be the one? Yes. Can you be the 9999? Yes. In your town of 10,000, someone loses... and dies of colon cancer at 28. But 9999 didn't lose. The fear neither causes winning or losing--but it does hammer your quality of life.

IBS probably has no implications for cancer. None/zero. Don't smoke. Don't drink alcohol--known carcinogens. Avoid things like dying your hair. Avoid working near benzene or in mines. Avoid being over 30 BMI. Avoid processed meats like salami, sausage, peperoni, etc. Eat more fruit and veg than anything else.

My pains are often worst at the flexures--trapped gas--squeezed by exciting. I also lock muscles into place so long they spasm. Sometimes I can feel my colon literally shaking like a bag of jam. Muscles nearby often hurt. Pain radiates to hips, collar bone--sometimes even the fronts of the shoulders--not destructive pain--just scary ever-present pain. And then it is gone. Or it progresses to a panic breakdown. I've had every possible outcome... some good, many bad. If it doesn't hurt on waking up--probably IBS.

When to be afraid enough to act:

A. Blood--especially streaky blood in poo demands an explanation.

B. Rapid weight loss with anemia --requires explanation.

C. Symptoms without anxiety or history of anxiety/panic or similar.

D. If medical tests don't frighten you and do give you comfort.

Otherwise, treat it as a physical manifestation of mental health--and anyone who doesn't think mental health has profound physical manifestions--simply doesn't understand much about mental health.

My opinions--not advice. Be well.

[Baenav]

Was a good post and one to contemplate. Academic reasoning would certainly have sympathy with your thesis - probabilities abound and wherever an individual lies within your reasoning is just a percentage - could be fortunate or just plain unlucky. I suppose the issue is how to disconnect one’s anxiousness from the realms of reality. If one’s IBS emanates from irrational thinking then addressing that cause is required, but the mind is a strange and unique thing - this is not easy. Physical pain caused by fissures, gas, bloating and other ailments is another thing - pain can be addressed, but the underlying cause also requires attention. When it is not, the circle is joined with more anxiousness leading to more pain, more frustration and even greater anxiousness. The issues might also be multi-faceted - address the so-called underlying cause; say it is diverticular disease, but there is something else - say gastritis, the diagnosis can be misleading. Absolutely agree; test, test again. Up down and in between can all be mapped. The gastro-intestinal roadmap needs to be fully understood for reliable diagnosis - that alone can relieve anxiety and help with IBS. Some additional thoughts.

[Hidden]

You make some good points but surly you have to die of something. Most will die of old age unless of course we get some horrible illness. I was like you and worried about this. I’m 52. It started from my mum who had complications from DV. Also I had contracted h pylori so had the classic ibs symptoms and others like weight loss, anxiety, spasms, gas pockets in my guts, etc.After antibiotics and a year later it was followed up by a endoscopy and a colonoscopy. All was fine and bug cleared. Mild DV but we all have that over 50 probably!

I got to the point of buying lots of home test kits and in the end the colonoscopy showed no polyps.

It’s the polyps that can turn nasty after 15 plus years.

Go book your colonoscopy get the green light from pylori and cancer and enjoy the food you love. If they find a polyps then go back in 5 years. If not it’s 10 years. Stick to this and your live forever young