Very, very occasionally I get really down about having IBS and for the most part I can manage it on a day to day basis! This past week however I have really struggled with having lower back and mainly experiencing the worst pain on the right hand side of the lower back.
Today I have felt really out of sorts and have been a funk all day!
Does anyone else experience lower back pain and what do you take for it, if anything.
Really appreciate any guidance and thank you so much to anyone who replies!
Take care x
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MountainHare1
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I get the same back pain sometimes. There is no pattern as to when.My solutions I have developed over the last few years and they seem to work ... even if they sound odd!
First stop is usually a hot water bottle on my lower back to relieve any pain. That is usually sufficient for milder pains.
Secondly I use a portable back massager and possibly strangely I lay down on my back and put this onto my stomach face down. I find this restores the rhythm of my stomach if used gently. It's a natural way rather than medication and it actually works.
Thirdly I have a TENS machine, a small portable one, that I attach to my lower back and use this during the day if the pain ever gets bad.
I stick with non medication solutions where possible and this routine manages things really well for me.
Getting the natural rhythm of my stomach again and relieving the pain with the TENS machine works for me.
Best of luck finding a solution. The lower back pain is quite normal for IBS I think and I hope that people on here can help you. It really feels sometimes like someone has kicked you in the back and it can make you tired and lethargic sometimes. It's hard to explain to others how you feel as well.
Yes I do. Mine is worse if I'm having a flare up. I saw the GP some time ago and she dismissed it as 'wear & tear' without any further investigation. She prescribed codeine, which I take if I have over done things, like yesterday when I had been out planting fruit trees. Not sure how much difference it makes, but it does not appear to bung me up. If your back is really troublesome, you might need to request that it is investigated.
Hello ..I think IBS has it’s own unique pattern to everyone…yes back pain is definitely one of them …l use hot water bottle & lay on bed helps relax & relieve. I try not to take pain meds as mine is IBS- C..😊
So sorry that this is getting you down. I know what it's like, I've had the back pain for as long as I've had the IBS and has got worse as I've got older. I get it mainly when I'm having an IBS episode, across the lower back. Once I've been to the toilet a couple of times, it goes. I am very active on a daily basis and I do a lot of walking, 20-30 miles a week, cycle when I can and I am an active gardener, DIYer, not overweight. But still this back thing niggles away at times. I have changed my mattress recently thinking it might help but it hasn't. I don't take any medications, but what I find helps me is stretching, every morning and evening if possible. There are many exercises on line that you could try, I know most of them as I spent many years doing aerobics. I'm always better in summer than winter. I've made a point of taking extra Vitamin D3 this winter and I do feel it has got me through a lot better all round. Yesterday I did a 10 mile walk in the countryside and this morning my back is a little achy, but not painful. I believe you love to walk too, and it's a great thing for the mind and body, keep it up, Spring is🏞️ 🌼 here
Hi, I'm sorry to hear that you're struggling. As I'm someone who lives with chronic pain, lower back pain is a issue too . I use ice and heat . Also have a back support belt , now I've found these things actually do work if used properly. I bought ice packs from Amazon . Heat packs , chemists stock them or high street shops like Superdrug, Savers, Bodycare. It can be microwaved for Heat . Also you could try a analgesic cream , deep heat or the cold ones ( ibuprofen gel . As painkillers like paracetamol and ibuprofen are not suitable for ibs sufferers. I hope this helps . Try not to feel too low , it will get better.
Hi. Sorry your in so much pain. You say the pain is the right hand side of back. This might be kidney stones. Speak to your gp if you haven't already done. Wish you well soon
Weirdly, my IBS pain was experienced as mid to lower back pain, especially late overnight/early hours of the morning when the gut is at its most active getting ready for a BM in the morning. It took me ages to figure out that it was linked with my IBS food intolerances. Particularly after several visits to the chiropractor didn't help at all.
I take Linaclotide (for IBS-C only), which calms intestinal nerves. This reduced my pain by 50%-60%. When I added in Alflorex probiotic this reduced my pain to zero and it only comes back if I am being particularly challenging with introducing new foods. However, both have made me more tolerant to a wider range of foods.
I'm thinking of doing a food intolerance test of some kind to minimise pain hopefully so am interested in how you did this for yourself please? There are many kits out there for this but how good are they?
The only way to find out is to do a FODMAP elimination and reintroduction diet, preferably under the guidance of a dietitian (who has trained in FODMAPs) from a GP referral.
If I bend over even for a short time. Eg washing my hair. I cannot straighten up and have to do it very slowly. It is very painful, But it is not my back. It looks like a back problem but it is my groin. They have looked at my bladder which seems to be over active and my uterus they are OK. So I don't know what to think.
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