IBS?

[Hlb82]

Well I've just got back from the Dr and she said some of the pain is IBS. I'm very surprised by her diagnosis. She's also referred me to physio but she wants me to keep a food diary and monitor what I eat. Has anybody got any advice or experiences of this? A silly question, but how can I be even more aware of my diet when I'm trying to be healthy anyway? Many thanks

[Janpes]

Hello,

I have been having problems with my stomach and also they said IBS. Well I finally got an ultrasound on my stomach done and they said that a lot of the pain is because my lower left rib is rubbing on my stomach causing inflamation on my outer stomach which sends pain through my tummy area.

I also think my pain has a lot to do with food intolerance. I already am lactose free, fish free, nut free, amongst some other things.

Hopefully you find the problem and get it sorted. Nothing worse than stomach problems.

Jan

[Titanium85]

What the doctor will be looking for isn't how much you're eating and the balance of macros, (like when we're dieting), but the ingredients listed. They will be looking for a correlation between your pain levels and certain foods.

The may ask you to follow a specific diet for a short time to see if there's an intolerance.

Use my fitness pal to record food and exercise if you don't already. The app has a notes section so you can record pain levels/how you feel each day - this is what I do to monitor how my exercise affects my pain.

Good luck!

[Hidden]

I have ibs. Flares up with stress, anxiety, apples, spicy foods. Alcohol was awful but have given that up. I get a burning pain under my left rib, it gets better if I drink more water. I thought it might have been an ulcer but the Dr just said ibs. Too much protein and I get 'bunged up', too much bread and sugar has the opposite effect. (Sorry!). Bland foods seem to help. I can sometimes be very bloated, especially from cucumber and lettuce. You'll find foods which affect you more than others, it's a bit of trial and error unfortunately.

[Hidden]

My experience was that IBS was mentioned initially, as well as gastroenteritis and acid reflux, then an endoscopy revealed ulcers, and continued cramps got me referred to gynae who suspected endometriosis. I was then advised to cut out wheat and dairy, then try to gradually reintroduce things to see if symptoms returned. The end of the story is that if I avoid dairy everything is fine now, and wheat is okay as long as I don't have too much. But all the steps along the way were necessary in order to find that out. Symptoms for a wide range of things can seem very similar at the beginning. I think try days without wheat or other possible triggers and note any symptom changes, maybe cut out both dairy and wheat for a month or so and gradually reintroduce them, if you can bear it. And go back, keep asking questions. Good luck

[Hlb82 in reply to Hidden]

Thank you. To be honest I thought my aches were just part of my backache and I was blown away when she said IBS. Upon diagnosis I have noticed that cups of tea and coffee today have not settled well. I think I'll see if the same occurs tomorrow with the drinks and then I'll follow your advice and swop the, for water to see if it makes a difference.

[RG07 Maintainer]

there is an IBS website- if you go via NHS Choices it should have the link and that should give you some direction

[Hlb82 in reply to RG07]

Thank you. I had a quick look earlier but it didn't seem to be "me". However as the day has passed and I am more aware of rumbles and discomfort etc. I'm thinking that there is some of me in the description.

[RG07 Maintainer]

good luck with a final diagnosis- i had better get ready for work