IBS and me

[Pipwilkinson83]

My name is Pip and I have been suffering with 'my pains' for 10 years now. I guess the only thing I can pin it in was a bout of food poisoning when I was on holiday all those years ago. My condition is getting worse with my age and I am finding it harder to cope with.

After 10 years of being shoved from pillar to post gastroenterology to gynaecology, I don't know what much else I can do. My symptoms are chronic pain in my guts in the lead up to my menstrual cycle every month, this is accompanied by severe vomiting, back pain, headaches and nausea. I do and never have had constipation, diarrhoea, bloating and all of the symptoms that normally come with the condition.

Diet make no difference as when I get ill everything I eat or drink makes me bad. When I am not ill I can eat anything and be totally unaffected. It is so frustrating!

Last month was a all time low for me, I was found by my mam on the bathroom floor, I had spent all morning being sick and in pain and I just couldn't move, I was admitted into hospital and given morphine. I get ill like this for 2 weeks out of every 4 and I am finding it so hard to keep hold of my life, my job, my future.

My family love and support me but I cannot put this on them all the time but there must be something to help me, this is not living! I sound so desperate and for once I will admit that I am. I have been referred to another gastroenterologist at another hospital in February so hopefully someone will be able to help me.

[brad]

hope you get better soon i understand every word you are saying

take care

[Hidden]

So sorry you are suffering like you are.

I was diagnosed with IBS in 1996 following a bout of food poisoning, the food poisoning I had was different as I was never sick and didn't have the runs but felt really ill for 2 weeks and hardly ate a thing.

I have tried various things like peppermint, which doesn't work with me, colofac and various other things and the only thing that seems to help with the wind and pain I suffer is Windeze. I find a hot water bottle helps alot with the pain. I have also recently cut out broccoli, cauliflower and red grapes all of which I love and was eating every day. This does seem to have helped quite alot.

I visited a dietician in November and she is going to contact me again once her colleague has been trained, around 5 months' time.

Anyway, best of luck and I hope your visit to the gastroenterologist in February helps you.

[k1utz]

Hi Pip. I'm really sorry to hear you are going through a tough time. I have been suffering for coming up to 7 years and what really drew me to reply to your post is because I can pin it on a bout of food poisoning all those years back - I believe this really 'sparked' up my problems and from then on, there were many other frequent occasions of food poisoning (about several times a year at least) that seemed to make things worse everytime. Probably took it's toll on my gut and antibiotics probably worsen things too (despite getting rid of the immediate food poisoning).

Also, my symptoms seem to get far worse in the run up to my (fairly irregular) menstrual cycle. I too get back pains and nausea and all those terrible bowel problems!

Stress and anxiety, particularly in recent times (chronic pain can be such a battle!), definitely plays a role in all this. I too understand it can be so incredibly difficult on all the family and those closest to us - all these issues probably don't help much in this viscious cycle!

I guess this was just a message to say know that you are not alone, please try and stay as strong as you've already been through all this, and the very best of luck for the future. We are fighters!! take care, Georgie xxx

[Davies30]

All I can do is say what helped my ibs.

I took a colon cleanse supplement, herbal cleanse supplement, garlic oil, berberine, msm, horestail, raw pineapple over a period of time. Maybe 2 months.

Also a good pro biotic every night.

I repeated a couple of times over 6 to 12 months.

I saw about 20 doctors over about 5 years and none of them helped or diagnosed the cause. So decided to treat myself.

I still get an itching anus but my IBS has gone. I continue to take msm, berberine and horsetail as it sits well with my make up and makes me feel good. Example, horsetail helps my brittle nails.

[Davies30]

By the way I saw gastro, trop diseases a number of times. All were pretty useless if I am honest and all said completely different things.

I only arrived at my cure through completely trusting my instinct on what herbs to take.