I am 23 Female, was diagnosed with IBS around 3 years ago after all the tests ruled out Chrons and IBD. Since then I have been left to figure it out on my own. 2 years on codeine phosphate for the pain, with no gut lining tablets. Any pain medication starts a flare up, flare ups can go on for days- weeks. I have a tens machine which can be amazing, only if you have it on 24/7😅. My bowel movements are soft and diarrhoea like but I feel both constipated and like I have the runs all at once. Intense morning nausea and fatigue, happens before bowel movement aswell. I suffer with anxiety and depression and was taken off propanlol due to asthma. I feel like I’ve lost control of my health and no matter what foods I follow (Low formal diet) I still feel the pain and discomfort regardless of what I eat or drink.
Any suggestions on what else I could be trying?
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CarbQueen
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Hi. I am sorry to hear what you are going through. Having lived with IBS for over 7 years I can relate to all that you are experiencing!
I have made a conscious decision not to take any kind of medication whether it be over the counter or from the doctor wherever possible. I recently had to go on a course of antibiotics and it caused a few weeks of BM problems.
Having IBS isn’t easy but I advise that you look at making lifestyle changes and not to focus on what medication do l need to relieve this or that.
I try to eat as healthy as l can but sometimes chocolate gets in the way! 😀
I also spend a lot of time going for walks in nature and also do physical exercise such as yoga and swimming! All of this helps me get out of being in a funk of depression or anxiety!
Make time to love yourself by spending time on self care. You are loved by your family and friends.
Have you tried following the FOD Map diet, they recommend following under a nutritionist, but there are a lot of trigger foods that we don't realise. 100% recommend giving that a go, also easier said than done (something I struggle with) is getting the anxiety and stress of it all under control as that could also very likely be causing a lot of your symptoms x
I had similar symptoms to you for a long time and had various threads on here over the last few years which I thought was IBS and hemmoroids but it turned out I have ulcerative colitis,do you bleed? U was eventually referred to the colonscopy department and had various checks and now I'm on tablets that come from a specialist clinic...at last there is light at the end of the tunnel(maybe the wrong thing to say that😅) what I'm saying maybe get a second opinion if you think something is not right x
I could have written this myself it is so disabilitating and depressing. I have fecal accidents now and my anxiety is so bad not knowing when it is going to happen. I take Mebeverine and Loperamide, If I'm going out I take the Loperamide melts they work much quicker and Propranolol for my anxiety. It is a vicious circle the brain effects the gut visa versa so it's a no win for me. I also take Buscapan when the cramps start. Stay strong as you are not alone we are all here to support each other. Sending you love and hugs. Xx
I feel that anxiety, depression, and IBS are all linked together. Lifestyle changes as mentioned by MountainHare1 can really help. Two books - “When the body keeps the score” by Bessel van der Kolk and “When the body says no” by Gabor Mate have some suggestions that you may like to think about.
i have exactly the same, flare ups that used to last a day or two but now maybe nearly a week at a time then about ten days when im ok.Gastro dr said IBS because 3 Fit tests normal i dont feel normal,i dont know when its going to flair with loose motions and mucus and cramps.Have bought Alflorex am going to see how i get on with them as all the medication Dr has given me hasn’t helped.I will post on here and let you know if they help.In the meantime keep your chin up were all in this together.x
Hia, I've been put in Amitriptyline and it's been a game changer for me. I started on 10mg but now on 20 and my bloating and pain have reduced significantly. I'd recommend giving it a go.
It sounds like you might be IBS-C (constipation) with overflow diarrhea which is where liquid food seeps around impacted stool. You may also have visceral hypersensitivity which is causing the pain. The latter may be caused by a gut bacterial imbalance.
All of this happened to me. I can highly recommend Alforex probiotic which has been scientifically studied for IBS. This helped me greatly with the pain and increased my tolerance for fibre which I needed for the IBS-C. I would recommend a 3 month trial of that initially. If that doesn't go far enough with the pain, speak to your GP about Linaclotide, which reduces IBS pain and helps motility for IBS-C sufferers. Maybe get the doctor to confirm the constipation. They can often tell by feeling your colon and feel it loaded with stool. Good luck.
Have you tried stopping your codeine phosphate and taking a laxative to clear you out ? You may have overflow when your backed up .just try it and see what happens with the pain .it's all trial and error but from personal experience when I take codeine phosphate it actually gives me a horrible tummy ache and most people get constipated on that stuff ..I certainly wasn't constipated though and I'm no doctor and all you can really do is try .when is the last time you had a colonoscapy? As perhaps you need another one of those incase things have changed or they missed anything. Gastro don't seem to understand how distressing it can be living with IBS and how debilitating. You need to try and keep pestering till you get answers .believe me I have been in your position so completely understand and hope you can get it sorted and have some answers .kind regards
Hi CarbQueen, so sorry to hear what you've been experiencing. On the diet front, do research on Google for which foods provide what (avoiding the whacky sites!) and experiment to find what your suits your gut - there's a wealth of information and you'll get to know which ones are worth pursuing. Probiotics have almost eliminated IBS pain for me and enabled me to experiment with more foods. I've tried many over the years and found it necessary to change them from time to time - at the moment Bio-Kult Everyday are doing the trick but what suits one person can be upsetting for another, and the same goes for medications. I've had some awful experiences with some of them and now just take Laxido and, occasionally, a small amount of Fybogel according to need. Keep experimenting, keep researching and you will get there. Hope things improve for you very soon. Best wishes.
Hi I have had chronic ibs for years and recently be referred to a new consultant I had the camera up not nice and also a ct scan all clear. Then they did a test to see if I had something called Bile Acid Malabsorption. You are given a pill to swallow you wait an hour then have scans then come back after a week for more scans.
I was diagnosed with this was told it is quite rare but I am in a facebook group for bowel and bladder problems and it seems quite common. Ask them to test for that it means your colon dose not absorb bile acid causing diarrhoea.
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It can be controlled with medication they give either sachets or pills called Colestyramine.
so sorry to hear you’re struggling. I was also put on medication without stomach lining tablets.
I really think these had a negative impact on my gut.
Recently went to a new lady GP who also suffers from IBS who assured me all my symptoms were common with IBS.
For the constipation, she gave me lactose syrup where you can measure it out. She said food was trial and error, everyone is different.
She also recommended amitriptyline which I had recently stopped taking, thinking it might make symptoms worse. In fact she said amitriptyline helps with IBS. I’ve started taking it again and I’m sleeping better and my symptoms seem to have eased.
I am sure you are aware that stress plays a big part in how our gut reacts. I take time out to meditate to calm down as I am a constant worrier.
Good advice is given on this website, so you’re not alone.
I had constant pain with my IBS too until the doctor prescribed peppermint oil to go along with the mebeverine I was already taking. Stopped the pain almost immediately. I get flare ups of pain and discomfort from time to time still but it was pretty much constant before that so maybe give peppermint oil a try.
Hi there, I feel your pain! I have suffered with ibs for about 30 years and decided long ago to give up the medication. A few months ago I came across an article on high oxalate foods causing low down pain and cramping - I researched a bit more and it’s actually quite common so I cut out high oxalate foods and unbelievably my pain disappeared, I have now introduced a few back slowly and in much smaller portions occasionally I get a twinge so I cut down again it seems to be working for me! I have also suffered with mainly diarrhoea and 4 weeks ago I bought the book super gut by Dr William Davis where he suggests to stop eating all grains - my diarrhoea has now stopped completely, there is a lot more in the book about repairing the gut and I’m now working on that! After all these years I feel like I’m and at last getting somewhere!! Giving up certain foods has been hard but the benefits have been so worth it for me!
I have very similar symptoms the feeling of being constipated yet having 10 to 15 soft bowel movements a day without any relief. Do avoid the mistake I made. Having attempted different diets I eventually started to eliminate foods. Eventually I stopped eating and got by on nutrition drinks. My weight dropped from 160lbs to 85lbs and I ended up in hospital with malnutrition. I began eating after this but I don’t think my body ever recovered from the lack of food. There will be a way to get long term relief from your symptoms. IBS is a catch all term for serious conditions which do not have any obvious cause through disease or immflamation. A GI doctor will only examine you for IBD or signs of cancer. After that it is forums like this where you will find real examples of how people cope, overcome the fear and work together to help us all to a better life. I wish you all the best and would love to hear from you again on how you are progressing. Best wishes
I suffered for about seven months with similar pain and symptoms. Since stopping gluten consumption, taking twice daily digestive enzymes, probiotics and sodium butyrate (VERY beneficial) I've climbed out of the misery and am feeling much better. Your gut biome may be all jacked up and needs support to heal. Hydrate thoroughly, and keep electrolyte drinks handy. I think the "Body Bio" brand from Amazon, the butyrate/calcium/magnesium supplement, was instrumental in my recovery. It's stinky, but once it's down, no issues. My health practitioner suggested these supplements along with hormone replacement (I'm male, 60) and overall I'm feeling terrific. Blessings to you and prayers for your recovery. You can do it!
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