What is IBS

[Edgar77]

A simple question,but seems to me IBS is lots of different conditions all under the same name for the Docs convenience. Eg. BAM, SIBO. Diverticulitis. Coeliac disease. Gall stone problems. Pancras problems ect ect. They do the standard tests then if no answers they give up!

[Maureen1958]

IBS is exactly that, anything that they can't say is something else, so what is left, is chucked into the IBS bucket. But BAM and coeliac disease are treatable, at least to some degree. SIBO, in my opinion, is made-up to make other people rich. When I was diagnosed over 35 years ago, I was told just to get on with it. I don't think I even had a name for it, I think I called it a funny tummy! Then the IBS Network was set up in 1991 and the term IBS became better known. But at the start IBS seemed to me to be unexplained runny tummies, but along the way consitipation was added to the mix and now indigestion and anything else they can't find a home for!

[FRreedman]

Exactly as Maureen1958 says, IBS means anything that can't be placed anywhere else, but we know you are not right and we have no further tests or knowledge at our fingertips.

[Adam_skaarz]

As far as I understand it IBS is a shorthand term used to refer to a collection of symptoms for which we currently don't understand the pathology rather than a name for a specific pathology/disease. Gastric dark matter basically, we gave it a name for convenience but that name is not indicative that we actually know what it is.

[winfong]

As I understand it, that is the state of the art on a lot of diagnoses - cancer, schizophrenia, autoimmune diseases ... So, at least we're not alone. 😉

[Carlettejaque]

IBS is caused by the wrong or bad bacteria in the gut. It happens when the gut microbiome become a disrupted by antibiotics, illnesses and the wrong sort of diet e.g., processed foods and fast foods. If your good gut bacteria is over taken by a proliferation of bad gut bacteria then it can affect the whole of your digestive system. It can cause stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhoea and indigestion and acid reflux. Some companies extol the virtues of their pre or pro biotic drinks but most bacteria in these drinks are destroyed by stomach acid before they get to where it's needed in the large colon.They really aught to produce a product that puts the good bacteria in a suppositry.

Changing your diet can over time give you back your good gut microbiome but the problem is once you have IBS you can't tolerate the foods you need. If you try you could get vicious cramps and the runs. It's a vicious cycle. So you are preventrd from doing it.

IBS also causes leaky gut. Certain foods like tomatoes and potatoes have something in them that litterally sratches the gut lining. In a healthy gut other foods contain gut lining healing abilities which counteract that. But, once you have leaky gut it allows particles of undigested food into your blood stream which can make you feel lousy.

Irritable bowl syndrome is now more understood and other stomach issues like diverticuli shouldn't be lumped into it. Every ones IBS is unique to them which is why it's hard to diagnose. Blood tests will rule out anything sinister but there are no blood tests for IBS. Stool tests could diagnose what kind of levels of bactertia you have in your gut but you would probably have to go private for that.

I heard on a tv news item that researchers are now looking into feacal transplants as a cure but donars have to be screened for any diseases they may pass on through their faeces. There are not many donars with a good gut biome around. They are having to look for people who have always lived of the land.

But for now the best option is sticking to the low Fodmap diet (althougb you might not be sble to eat all alloeed foods)and avoiding things like alcohol, fizzy drinks, onions, garlic, oats, hot spices and anything greasy or fatty, anything that you know will cause problems. I can't eat red meat.

You could get tested for intolerances. I did. I'm dairy, yeast, duck and dextrose intolerant plus a few others.

The top intolerances are dairy, yeast and wheat.

I hope this is useful to you.

[bktk in reply to Carlettejaque]

Wouldn't fancy a feacal transplant 😨

[Carlettejaque in reply to bktk]

Ah, but would you turn it down if you knew it would cure you for life? After all it would just be like an enema.

[bktk in reply to Carlettejaque]

Put it like that probably give it a go to be cured from having embarrassing and totally disgusting accidents would be heaven. Sign me up 😉

[Arkus in reply to Carlettejaque]

Thank you for a extensive description of IBS. I have started probiotics and it seems to help.

I wouldn’t give up on that product since their isn’t much else to promote good gut bacteria. There are foods like Sauerkraut with bacteria in them which may be helpful.

[Arkus in reply to Arkus]

“there isn’t much help….etc”

[Carlettejaque in reply to Arkus]

Sauerkraut is Cabbage which is a big no no for IBS.

[Arkus in reply to Carlettejaque]

Thank you! I’m not a fan of sauerkraut anyway….!

[Karendeena in reply to Carlettejaque]

Great explanation. I can add from my gastroentorologist that you can get on a 'ferris wheel' of the gut brain axis, with the stress of one causing symptoms of the other!

[junee123]

I'm new here with symptoms still being checked out at the GP and hospital. It's really helpful to read other peoples experiences although at my stage, without a diagnosis, I don't know for sure which group to join - IBS, IBD or a third, which escapes my memory!

I have just been looking at another very helpful website - Guts UK, a charitable organisation that has a lot of other potentially relevant diagnosis as well:

gutscharity.org.uk/

which has some useful leaflets and research going on.

[Frasina in reply to junee123]

It is good to join them all! Hopefully, once you are diagnosed you will feel better knowing others suffer with the same condition..

[Trec]

You are incorrect as Coeliac disease and Diverticulitis are diagnosable conditions and gall stones and pancreatic problems are also not included in the IBS mix. WhenI was much younger IBS was referred to as a spastic colon but became IBS when the word spastic became unacceptable. The very words Irritable Bowel Syndrome means basically any bowel condition which causes the bowel to become irritated which can cause differing problems for different people. It is a catch -all diagnosis when tests show no indication of another cause of the symptoms which is why we all suffer from such varying responses to food which is also dependent on the stress/anxiety we are going through at any given time.

[angelwings52]

I saw a gastroenterologist for over a year, got tested for everything and was told that all he could say was IBS, an umbrella term, as he'd ruled out everything else, and I would just have to learn to live with it. He spent a while apologising for not being able to do anymore. That's the frustrating thing about IBS, it's different for everyone and what works for you probably wouldn't work for someone else.

[Karendeena]

Edgar 77 I agree, that's what they said to me a 'functional bowel disorder'