Nothing stops stomach pain

[PinkCrayon123]

Hi, I'm new here. I've been diagnosed with IBS. I have been prescribed Amitriptyline but it hasn't helped stop daily stomach pain. Cocodamol nor Buscopan has helped either. Does anyone have any other suggestions of how to help relieve stomach pain. I don' t get bloating but the pain can be unbearable on an almost daily basis. Thanks.

[jimister]

Have you had inflammatory bowel disease ruled out?

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to jimister]

Thanks jimister, no I haven't. Would that be via a CT scan? Thanks

[jimister in reply to PinkCrayon123]

It would be better to have a Colonoscopy, where they can have a look, also take biopsies.

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to jimister]

I'll make an appointment and ask my GP to refer me for a colonoscopy. Thanks for your help

[jimister in reply to PinkCrayon123]

Something else I thought of. Have you been tested for Coeliac disease. You do normally suffer with loose stools if you have this but not always. Do you find the pain worse after you eat bread or wheat cereals. It maybe worth ruling that out, and it is just a blood test.

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to jimister]

Hi, no I've not been tested for that. I don't find the pain worse after bread or wheat cereals but it may still be worth me asking for the blood test to rule it out. Thanks for your help

[edwangy]

I've had exactly the same for 2 years, pain never goes away and nothing helps it. I've been told it's caused by diverticular disease which has caused a narrowing in my colon, I also have a ' bendy colon' which causes slow transit and results in too much fluid being reabsorbed resulting in hard stools. Are you constipated?

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to edwangy]

Thanks for your reply. I get constipated only sometimes but I think that's only because I take docusat every day. Without that I'd probably suffer with constipation more. Before taking docusat daily basis suffered constipation regularly. How were you diagnosed - was it after a CT scan or similar?

[edwangy in reply to PinkCrayon123]

I had a CT scan, colonoscopy and a proctogram. The proctogram also showed a small rectocele and some ' telescoping' of the sigmoid colon

[xjrs]

You may be like me, IBS-C with visceral hypersensitivity. Linaclotide for IBS-C and Alflorex probiotic have helped me greatly with the pain.

If you also want some dietary tips regarding increasing fibre so you don't need the docusat, let me know.

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to xjrs]

Thanks xjrs. To be honest I didn't realise there are different types of IBS. I've just been told I've got IBS. Very interesting to learn of IBS - C with visceral hypersensitivity. Can you buy Linaclotide and Alflorex probiotic over the counter or is it by prescription? I'll have a look at increasing fibre but will come back to you on this if that's ok?

[xjrs in reply to PinkCrayon123]

Linaclotide is on prescription. Your GP may not have heard of it, but it will be on their list. It was recommended to me by my gastro. It helps calm intestinal nerves and is supposed to speed up transit. It doesn't help me with the constipation - I use dietary measures for that, but it does help others with it. When I started taking it, it reduced my pain by 50% to 60%. When I added in Alflorex, it reduced my pain to zero - it only comes back when I am challenging myself with new foods - sometimes this settles or I have to continue to eliminate that food. Visceral hypersensitivity (pain) can be caused by a dominance of bad bugs in the gut which Alflorex probiotic can help with.

It is expensive - though you can get it cheaper on a 3 month trial or by subscribing:

precisionbiotics.co.uk/view...

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to xjrs]

Many thanks for this information. If it works I don't mind the expense.

[xjrs in reply to PinkCrayon123]

By the way, the full pain effects of the Linaclotide can take up to 10 weeks.

[edwangy in reply to PinkCrayon123]

I take linoclotide but it doesn't help at all with the pain.

[Alysm in reply to edwangy]

have you tried Alflorex, after seeing it suggested here, it really worked for me

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to Alysm]

No I haven't. Does Alflorex need to be prescribed or can I buy it from the pharmacy? Thanks

[Alysm in reply to PinkCrayon123]

no it’s not on prescription. If you see one of the answers above, they give a link to where you can buy it

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to Alysm]

Does your ibs flare up if you are stressed?

[edwangy in reply to Alysm]

Like I said before, we're all different

[PinkCrayon123]

Thanks so much for your help

[Dodo21]

Hi, I am sorry to hear you are in such a nasty pain. Is it stomach pain or intestinal pain? Is the pain like in waves (cramps) or constant?

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to Dodo21]

Hi, thanks. It near enough constant but sometimes it's like spasms.

[Dodo21 in reply to PinkCrayon123]

If it is spasm and intestinal pain, you could try Colofac. @Pharmacy, over the counter. But, first of all, ask your doctor for further investigations. Maybe try to have your stomach, your pancreas and your appendix checked as well. IBS can be also treated with special diets (like the low fodmap one). Moreover, there is another condition, called SIBO, which is frequently linked with IBS and it is caused by bad bacteria proliferation in your GI system. GPs unfortunately don't know/do much regarding all this sneaky issues, try to be referred to a specialist and 🙏 do not underestimate the problem. Xx

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to Dodo21]

Thanks very much for your advice.

[BLuebellGirl2]

I have the same problem but my stomach pain is mainly at night. My GP has just prescribed Alverine Citrate 60mg and when pain really bad I take 2, 3 times daily which cleared it up. Meanwhile I take just 2 at night, just in case.

[PinkCrayon123 in reply to BLuebellGirl2]

Thanks very much for this info.