Feeling ‘crap’

[heartmatters1]

Sorry about the pun, but that’s exactly how I’m feeling at the moment 😫

I’m relatively new to this bowel game. I spent a couple of nights in hospital last year as I was suffering with stomach pains for over a month. Following scan & X-ray they found I was impacted. So high does of laxatives was prescribed. They did say I had a bit of diverticulosis also . Anyway just over 12 months on my insides are in bits. Lots of cramping, back pain, constipation & loose stools.

When speaking to GP’s they just say keep taking the Laxido. Even when I say how poorly I feel.

My question is does IBS (not sure if it is that for sure) make you feel generally ill, weak, shaky? my life has just changed so much in the last year.

TIA.

Ally

[Meleber]

Quote: "My question is does IBS (not sure if it is that for sure) make you feel generally ill, weak, shaky?"

In short, yes, it can unfortunately.

You should be referred to a knowledgeable gastroenterologist so any other underlying condition can be ruled out. In the end they might diagnose you with IBS, a functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID), if nothing else abnormal could be found (with their current knowledge of how our gastrointestinal tract is supposed to work).

[heartmatters1 in reply to Meleber]

Thanks Melebar for you’re very informative response. I was considering finding a gastroenterologist to see privately, however, I have finally managed to speak to a very sympathetic GP this morning & he feels it does sound like IBS so he has prescribed me some medication for me to try for a few weeks to ease my symptoms Watch this space. 🤞

Best wishes Ally

[Meleber in reply to heartmatters1]

👍🏻hope the medication will give you some relieve. May I ask what you will be taking for your symptoms?

[heartmatters1 in reply to Meleber]

can’t remember the name he said. I have got to collect them later. I will let you know

[Meleber in reply to heartmatters1]

Thanks but there's no rush, just curious.

[heartmatters1 in reply to Meleber]

Hi Meleber

The medication GP gave me is Mebeverine. 135mg 3 times a day. Two days in & so far so good. I think it’s calming my symptoms down slowly. 🤞

Best wishes Ally

[Meleber in reply to heartmatters1]

Thanks Ally, best wishes to you too and I hope the mebeverine will give you some alleviaton.

[SingC]

Hey, Ally!

I tend to agree with Meleber. You need more certainty on what condition you are dealing with, and therefore further investigation. In terms of diverticulosis, it can lead to diverticular disease and diverticulitis, which require specific treatment in terms of diet and antibiotics. nhs.uk/conditions/diverticu...

If your GP is unsympathetic, consider switching to another GP. Bowel conditions can be absolutely disabling and a GP who is unsupportive is the last thing you need.

In the meantime, you could experiment with diet changes to see if anything helps. Increasing dietary fibre might be something to look at, although be aware that some dietary fibre can irritate the gut (e.g. wheat, some fruit & vegetables). Increasing the amount of water you drink is probably a good call, too. You could look at the low fodmap diet, but that feels a little extreme if you’re not sure you have IBS. I found increasing my physical activity a little was also helpful.

But yes, IBS can be utterly awful, especially when you’re not sure how to treat it. I was almost unable to function at work, as my IBS was severely impacting my concentration. My doctor at the time was only interested in looking for cancer and signed me off when he didn’t find any - even though I was still severely compromised by my symptoms! I found relief eventually when my husband bought me a self-help book on IBS. With my current flare-up, my GP has been unbelievably helpful and it’s made such a difference. With his help, my gut feels better than it has in years!

Hope you find an answer that works for you!

[heartmatters1]

Hi. Thanks for your reassuring reponse. It’s nice to feel I’m not alone with this very debilitating condition. I am certainly looking at my diet. It’s very confusing - am I eating too much fibre or not enough. Trial & error I suppose. I am very active - gym & walking the dogs. But, not so much lately as not feeling up to it. However, I have this morning actually managed to speak to a very sympathetic GP, who has reassured me. He said it does sound like IBS & has prescribed me some IBS medication for a few weeks to try & ease my symptoms. So fingers crossed 🤞. If that fails I might find a gastroenterologist. I might look for a self help book too as you mentioned

Best wishes Ally

[Luisa22]

IBS does make me feel generally crap, tired, weak, shaky, and like bursting into tears sometimes. I got that this morning, after waking up from a nice sleep, feeling fine, no tummy trouble, getting up for a pee, and immediately having diarrhea. I thought I'd dealt with it fine, but after wiping and bathing I suddenly got a bad attack of the shakes.

Then the other feelings started and have been with me all day. So yes, IBS can make you feel generally unwell in lots of ways.

I imagine they haven't finished all the investigations yet to eliminate things that aren't IBS, in order to give you a clear IBS diagnosis. It's all so horrible, I know going through this stuff. I wish you the very best and hope you will find an answer to help

[heartmatters1 in reply to Luisa22]

Thanks for your reassuring response. When having a flare up you certainly feel like you’ve got a terrible illness, or getting over one. I suppose it really messes your whole system up & takes it out of you. I did have tests last year, including colonoscopy - only a bit of diverticulosis found - thank goodness, but that doesn’t answer whether I have IBS. GP is treating me as though it is.

Best wishes to you. 🙏

[Luisa22]

Yes, IBS can feel like some kind of terrible illness. I know. It messes with my mind too when I flare up. It makes me so depressed.

I am sure if there had been anything else, your colonoscopy and other tests you had would have found it.