Mrs nfenan

[nfenan]

I have IBS with a serious stomach pain for two months now please I need help.

[Frasina]

If your stomach pain is constant then you need to see your GP asap as you should be able to get scanned in the first instance to rule out anything nasty. Then you may need gastro who will decide if you need further tests. GP is your starting point.

[xjrs]

Have you had all the usual IBS tests to rule out anything else?

nhs.uk/conditions/irritable...

If this was some time ago, these tests may need to be re-run. Any changes in symptoms should be discussed with your GP.

If it is still IBS, you could try Alflorex probiotic which helped me greatly with the pain.

There are different medications to help with pain too, but the medication would be different for IBS-D (diarrhoea) or IBS-C (constipation).

[Linley]

Your help should come from your GP as Frasina says only then will you know what you are dealing with. Wish you well

[Carrjan]

Help is all around. Dont despair. I use ibuprofen for the pain, buscopan to ease the spasms, diazepam ( on prescription ) to calm down while I’m suffering and my nerves are very sensitised, especially if I get pain in the night. I’ve also got mebeverine, prescribed by my GP for IBS. If it’s been a very bad day and I’ve been in despair I take a nitrazepam ( GP prescribed) at bedtime to make me sleep and keep me relaxed the next day- it has a long effect.

I saw a consultant dietitian last year, reccommended by my gastroenterologist. (i had had a colonoscopy- all neg) and thankfully paid for by BUPA. On her instructions I stopped drinking lager for a while, or any fizzy drink, (wine was ok!) to help reduce gas in the gut. I gave up fizzy mineral water and changed to still, I gave up caffiene in coffee and only have decaff now. I take pro biotic capsules with 14 varieties of good bacteria every day. I also take a pre-biotic powder in sachet in tea or coffee calked Bimuno it feeds the good bacteria and helps you build a good gut microbiome - that can take a few months. I tried to avoid eating a main meal late at night- that was hard for me and i still cant quite manage this. But the IBS eventually went.

I felt I needed more support when occasionally it came back. A friend recommended Nerva, a Hypnotherapy programme assoc with Monash University (who pioneered the Low FODMAP Diet - which I had already tried, but it didnt work for me) but they get equally good results, they say, from the hypno prog, so I tried it- it is paid for by a 3 monthly sub- and I find it brilliant. I listen to it every night. IBS has mostly gone away now, just get an occasional flare up. ( unfortunately have one at the moment but it usually lasts only a few days). Take heart - there are lots of things that work, you just have to find the right one.