can I ask is ibs - d something than can go on for weeks and do you think it’s related to anxiety. 20!year old has severe health anxiety. She’s on lowest dose fluoxetine year and half and has just this past 3 months been having morning loose stools only (not diarrhoea but not formed)
Calprotectin and infection stool test normal as she didn’t have to see gp due to her health anxiety. Any ideas?
and Also pain comes for while and goes seems to be where colon bends left hand side which I’m guessing is gas
If you're sure the stool tests done were 100% reliable it looks good, no calprotectin (inflammation) or infection red flags.
Her symptoms sound more or less identical to mine when this started in March 2020.
Except I did get diarrhea flare ups about 3-4 times or so per year, lasting a couple of days each time.
Anxiety of any kind can definitely make IBS worse. I can't say it *causes* IBS, but it might.
Unfortunately IBS isn't just something that comes for a week or so and then disappears forever.
But, I am so much better now that I was 2 and 1/2 years ago. Since the summer I have 85-90% of the time had pretty good formed stools, and only gone once a day. I still get some discomfort at times low down on the left a few hours after dinner but not pain, more like a gassy stretched feeling in my colon. That usually lasts about an hour and then disappears. And it only happens sometimes, not every day.
So what I'm saying is it is definitely possible to make an improvement.
I am not certain what has caused my gradual improvement.
I have a certain range of foods which are ok for me and rarely cause problems, and I more or less stick to those.
I did the low Fodmap diet and am now still working on re-introductions of high Fodmap foods. Taking it steady but gradually increasing tolerable foods.
I have also had monthly appointments with a Homeopath, and feel that slowly and gradually the remedies have helped me. But NOT any overnight success! Very very gradual over a long period (since September 2020).
But I feel IBS can improve and hope your daughter can find something to help her. We are all different and what suits one doesn't work for someone else, but hope something helps.
Yes, stress can bring on IBS. Is there some stress management that your daughter can do...like meditation or even CBT if she can get help via videolink?
From my own experiences over 2 years, I do think IBS can improve. That's hopeful for her if she can find the right strategies for her own needs.
yes it defo doesn't go away. It eases from time to time but gets worse with age . Plus the hectic world we live in now is a big contributing factor ! I find it takes a trigger to set it off but weeks to months to ease if not triggered again
I know. The world has gone crazy I think. Most of it I give up on, but to get anything done nowadays there are so many complicated hoops to jump through that didn't used to be there! A trigger can always be just around the corner. 
I remember when Morrison's forgot my delivery. I had to spend about 4 days an hour a day on the phone to them from the middle of a field, verify my identity, explain the situation over and over to one set of new people after another, some of whom I couldn't understand etc etc. Eventually the order got re-scheduled, but a couple of days later my gut rebelled! Not the worst stress in the world but enough to get to my belly.
yep. I had a 2 year run around trying to get solar panels fixed , emails , phone calls to Holland etc etc still got no where and ended up worsening my IBS . Its getting harder to stay stable
Yep. We can be so sensitive to any upsets, I know. Yesterday my stove fuel supplier suddenly told me they've stopped solid fuel and are only doing oil etc. No warning. Hours of internet research, still not sorted with winter fast coming. Frustrating and a bit stressful trying to sort out. Price increase also about 80% from last winter ! Shocking! Order cost would be more than my monthly pension. So how do I eat for a month??
Result? Slightly upset gut this morning.
Hi there, the fluoxetine, even at a low dose, could be contributing to or causing your daughter’s issues. Did she have IBS-type symptoms before starting the medication? SSRIs can cause a whole host of digestive symptoms.
she’s benn on fluoxetine since June 2021 and morning loose stool only started June 2022. I find it strange it’s morning only. I rang gp again yesterday and he said again it’s fine as long as there’s no blood mucus or she’s not going multiple times. I was wondering apart from Mebeverine is there anything else to try. He said stool doesn’t need to be formed to be normal
It could still be the fluoxetine. If you want to read more stories of people with digestive issues due to SSRIs, have a look at survivingantidepressants.org
I often get only loose stool in the morning because that's the natural time I have a bowel movement. And I'm not sure I agree with the doctor saying loose stool can be 'normal.'
The whole point is that anything which is 'not normal' is a sudden change in bowel habits. If someone has had loose stool all their lives and are fit & well, with no other symptoms, then that's 'normal for them'. But for someone who has always had formed bm's, to suddenly get loose ones is not normal. It's a change.
Sometimes those changes can be because of eating too much fibre or getting extreme exercise, or drinking wine with sediment in it etc, but a consistent change when the person knows something isn't right, that's different.
fluoxetine itself can cause
had mine 35 years. Defo mind gut / emotionally connected
they tell me no but I strongly disagree
well I don't know who strongly disagrees but it's a proven medical fact ! I also get left colon pain when stressed
Thankyou. I have colitis and it widens with stress. My lovely consultant assured me absolutely no connection with bowel and stress, what does he know!!! Thanku for the reassurance. My poor daughter has severe health anxiety and general anxiety and i know this is causing her bowel problems
Hi I’ve had these symptoms about 7 years now but the pain in left side comes and goes . Not sure what causes it but doctor says IBS symptoms. Did Barium meal and follow through test together with Abdominal ultrasound and no all was well. The bar meal follow through passed through very quickly and my Gastroenterologist says that happen 7 years ago when I first did the test. She says since my stomach was empty from 10 onto 10 am, not even a sip of water caused that to happened as well as the IBS. It’s rather frustrating as you feel like you are being held back from operating normally
Stress can certainly make IBS worse and make flares take time to go away. Has she tried the Nerva gut directed hypnotherapy app?
From years of researching functional gut disorders (and being not much the wiser:)) you might want to look into ileocecal and Houston valve dysfunction . There are “simple” massage techniques for both. My problem is more with the ileocecal valve ( on the left. Houston valve is on the right) and I have have gotten significant relief from using the massage techniques. (If interested, use your Search engine and enter “scholarly articles on… “ and then see PT guided massage tech on You Tube). There are many, many potential causes of abdominal symptoms- this happens to be one with a semi-simple tech. to reduce the pain. I have much less pain when on FODMAP plan and using Fodzyme enzymes. Good luck bh
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