Interested in IBS symptoms

[MidWest104]

I’m trying to learn more about IBS as my GP has suggested this is the cause of some problems I’ve been having but it doesn’t sound typical to me. I’d love to hear from anyone who has something similar & can set my mind at rest that there’s nothing more sinister going on. It may be that I’ve just misunderstood how IBS presents itself.

I’ve been struggling with lower-right abdominal pain since March 2019. It’s a permanent dull ache that has been constantly present for over 5 years now. Sometime it eases off a little but it never goes away completely. When it’s bad I can think of nothing else & it can keep me awake at night. Having had a look at a ‘map’ of the body I would guess that it’s at the lower end of what I believe is called the ascending colon. When it’s bad it then feels like it radiates up the colon, as if there’s some sort of inflammation. (I’m not a medical person so I may not be using the right words here - one of the problems I’ve had throughout this whole process is finding it quite hard to describe what I’m feeling & even struggling to pinpoint exactly where the pain comes from). But it’s not sharp or cramping pain which I think is what I always imagined IBS to be.

I haven’t had too much trouble with bowel movements although I would say everything is a bit more sluggish in that department. Whereas I would have had a good BM every day, I now sometimes skip a day or two & sometimes what I get is small & pellet-like. But I’ve never really felt that anything I’m experiencing is affected in any way by what I eat. I’ve put my slight changes in BM down to age (I’m in my mid-50s).

Back in 2019-20 my then GP ordered a number of tests: a pelvic US which looked at ovaries etc (all normal), an abdominal US (which showed a well distended gall bladder & several mobile gallstones but otherwise normal) & an MRI of my hip area because I was also getting pain in the adjacent hip & I wondered if it was somehow related (all normal too). I realise looking back at these results now that nothing ever seemed to look directly at my colon, presumably because I have always said that my pain doesn’t seem to be affected by my food or digestion.

Since then, the pain has increased & I have been back to various GPs about once a year asking for help. Blood tests about 2 years ago showed that I now have very low iron (although I’m not apparently anaemic). At first I was put on a big dose of an iron supplement for 4 months which brought my levels up to normal (although not, my GP said, what they might expect given how much iron I’d been taking). When I stopped taking it my iron levels dropped again & they are now the lowest they have ever been. None of the GPs have been concerned by this & don’t seem to think it necessary to work out why my iron levels are so low. I have a pretty varied diet & eat red meat & most of the other foods that are apparently rich in iron so I’m fairly sure this deficiency isn’t diet-related. My other main symptom is awful fatigue which I’m guessing is related to this. I’ve started taking an iron supplement which hopefully will help with this (but last time I got constipation from it so I’m just taking a small amount for now).

The result of all this was that my GP thinks I have ‘a little bit of IBS’ & referred me to a dietitian. I get a phone call every 6-9 months & I’ve been experimenting with eg low FODMAP, eliminating wheat & dairy, adding lots of golden linseed. Nothing has made the tiniest bit of difference to the pain & I’m still not convinced that what I’m feeling is food-related.

I did a stool test to check for blood & that was negative thankfully so my GP doesn’t think there’s anything sinister there. He also said that if it had been anything bad I would have known about it by now! Presumably meaning that if I’d had something like cancer it would have got to a point after 5 years when it would have become very obvious. He declined to order a colonoscopy because, as he said “you really wouldn’t want to have one of those”.

So, I suppose my question is (& I am so sorry everybody for such a long post, but it’s really been helpful for me to write it all down for the first time!) does this constant dull ache sound like a typical IBS symptom? And am I missing something I can try to sort this out? I’ve put up with it for more than 5 years now but as it gets worse I’m struggling more & more, especially as the fatigue gets worse. I’ve actually just given up work as a last resort - hopefully just a career break - in the hope that some rest & self-care might help. I used to love walking but I’m struggling with that too now - how much would I love to get back to that!

Thank you so much everyone for letting me get all this off my chest!

[xjrs]

You could try a good probiotic like Alflorex which has been studied for IBS to see if the pain has been caused by a gut bacterial imbalance. If there is a dominance of bad bugs in the gut, these can oversensitise intestinal nerves. I've tried many probiotics over the years and this one worked best on intestinal pain for me.

My post below may be of interest regarding the constipation:

healthunlocked.com/theibsne...

[buggins55]

It's such a worry isn't it, I wonder if it's a form of constipation (something that sometimes increases as we get older and our systems slow up ) that's causing some of your problems apart from discomfort and different forms of pain it can also cause fatigue and lack of energy (but the lack of iron will be responsible there as well. i've had IBS for many years and have never found a food trigger not everyone does by any means and the symptoms are many and varied, iron supplements are well known for making things worse constipation wise but try researching them as i believe there are others out there that are easier on the system, it's difficult to know what to do for the best but learn all you can and try things until you find what suits you I've done the Zoe app and learned a lot about fibre we all think we have enough but that's often not the case anyway take care and know that you are not alone in this and many of us have to live with this and know how life altering it can be

[MountainHare1]

I don't think you are missing anything at all! IBS is a general term used by medics to describe issues to do with the gut. Anyone who has IBS will experience similar symptoms to what you describe and more. Having had IBS for the past 7 years, the symtoms of IBS constantly changes. Also stress and anxiety that goes with IBS constantly changes too.

I am lucky in that I don't get too much fatigue as I am very active in going for walks on a daily basis, yoga and swimming when I can. Ironically when I am not very active I feel more tired. May I suggest that if you are unable to go for walks, try some other form of activity that will get your moving. Start slowly, no pressure and build up gradually. If this works, you may be able to get back walking again.

I too don't think food affects my IBS but I think it is more to do with how much stress and anxiety I am experiencing on a daily basis. There have been times when I don't think I am even anxious or stressed, however my body tells me otherwise.

I have written a post on Self Care which may I suggest that you read. It is only about 2 weeks old and already I feel I need to update with new information that is helping me with managing IBS and that could help you.

Take care and remember you are not alone! x

[Sharz1705]

Hi,

I can't add much more to what the others have already said in their replies, other than I would go back to ask about a colonoscopy. Not sure why you were told 'you wouldn't want to have one of those.' I had one last year and was grateful. They didn't find anything, thankfully, but the process was ok. It was more the preparation than the procedure if I'm honest. And at least I then knew there was nothing serious going on.

All the best.

[bella1999]

IBS symptoms are different for everyone. I had IBSC for 5 years then it suddenly changed to IBSD which I've had ever since. I get pains in odd places but not constant in my abdomen. Symptoms change too. Food does affect mine but stress and anxiety is also a big factor. I've recently had another colonoscopy and while the prep isn't pleasant the actual procedure was fine - I was given a sedative and felt nothing. They can also do a CT scan .

I also have gallbladder issues which are settled at present but which do flare up and can cause a lot of pain in the area you mention but also chest beck shoulder and back. Maybe your GP should look at that again. Ask for a referral to a GI Consultant if you havent alresdy got one.

[EnikoF]

I second that you can have pain around the appendix if you have gallbladder issues. I had distended gallbladder and pain the same area you mentioned. After they removed it, the pain went away but they then had to do another surgery (resection of the colon) and it came back. Probably due to adhesions.