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Is this IBS?!

Posted , 8 users are following.

ElleJ22
ElleJ22

Hi,

I have had a problem for almost 2 years now.

It started off with me feeling really sick, loose bowels, bit off food for a few days.  It went then went away (I assumed I had a virus).  However it kept coming back, getting more severe and lasting for longer periods.  The nausea so overwhelming I struggle to eat, causing me to lose so much weight, even waking me up at night.  I also have more wind than usual.  In particular it seems to be right after my dinner at times, I begin to feel really sick and have lots of wind.  It can happen with anything I eat.  Some times I eat the same food and I am fine, and other times I am not.  My bowels are much lighter in colour than they use to be, really loose and sometimes the urgency to go.  When I am feeling really sick I can go several times. 

I have had lots of tests done in hospital (Barium Swallow, Endoscopy, CT Scan of head, MRI of small bowel, Ultrasound scan, Gut Hormone Test, H.Pylori test, Coeliac test, Thyroid test, XRay of Stomach - showed inflamation of small bowel), they concentrated mainly on my stomach due to me feeling sick however all tests have been negative. 

A doctor said it may be IBS however they have not even checked my bowel to see if anything else could be wrong.  Should they not investiagte my bowel before just diagnosing me?!  I was given Buscopan which didn't help me at all.  I do not have any pain or cramps or bloating or diarrhea.  I do not believe it is IBS!!  Help?!  Should they investiagate further?  What other tests could be done?

0 likes, 23 replies

23 Replies

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  • Lotsofpain
    Lotsofpain ElleJ22

    Posted

    it does seem they are concentrating on your stomach rather than your bowel .  Light stools imply things through your system quite quickly   you could ask for a coloscopy just to be on the safe side

    I am not a medic though

    • ElleJ22
      ElleJ22 Lotsofpain

      Posted

      Thank you for your reply. I am seeing my doctor next week so I'll ask about a colonoscopy to look in further detail.

    • ElleJ22
      ElleJ22 Lotsofpain

      Posted

      Hello,

      Just an update on my situation. I had bloods done and it has shown up that my cells that fight infection are lower than what they should be (think this is my white blood cells), however my doctor doesn't think it is related to the nausea and softer bowels I'm getting but wants the bloods redone. I have handed in two Stool samples. One checking for infection is clear and the other for calprotectin which isn't back yet. I have been referred to the Gastroenterology department again and was told it would be them who would arrange a colonoscopy if they feel it is needed. So that appointment is next month so I am going to ask for it myself. As soon as I feel sick my bowels are all over the place! Thanks again for your suggestions.

      Lorne

  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 ElleJ22

    Posted

    I didn't have my bowel scanned either nor my stomach but I was diagnosed with IBS.  I had stomach pain as well as bowel habit changes and nausea.  Your symptoms sound like IBS.  When all tests are negative, IBS can be diagnosed. You could have a colonoscopy if worried.   Ask your doctor if he thinks you need one.  I was told I didn't need my ultrasound, stool tests, Celiac and urine sample done again because my symptoms hadn't changed in three months and had no new symptoms.  A previous doctor suggested doing them again because the ultrasound showed nothing remarkable and so they had diifficulty in diagnosing me.

    Normally, a bowel scan is done if you have symptoms untypical of IBS and red flag symptoms.

    • ElleJ22
      ElleJ22 pippa58442

      Posted

      Hi, thank you for your reply. It just seems a lot of people with IBS seem to experience pain or cramps and diarrhea whereas I don't get any of this. Just feeling really sick is the main symptom.

      I think I will speak to my doctor about a colonoscopy as I don't need to eat a particular food to do this to me. It is anything.

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 ElleJ22

      Posted

      I did notice that you said that you had loose stools with urgency and had lots of gas with the nausea.  These are IBS symptoms especially if they come and go,
  • Guest
    Guest ElleJ22

    Posted

    Nausea, gas, loose bowels (that isn't diarrhea?), urgency, frequency, worse after meals.... are all symptoms of IBS. But if you never get diarrhea or constipation, it seems very atypical of IBS. You did mention loose BMs which is essentially the definition of diarrhea, so maybe we're just confused on the terms.

    IBS isn't a disease, it's just a collection of symptoms. If you have the above symptoms at least 3 times a month, 3 months in a row, most doctors call that IBS. But as a collection of symptoms, it can have so many different causes. Main ones are diet, stress, and gut bacteria. It's not diagnosed with bowel probes or investigations, because in IBS there's nothing physically wrong with the bowels, as there is in things like celiac, chrone's, or colitis.

    Look into gluten free diet. Also make sure your thyroid peroxidase antibody level has been tested and is under 9. Try as many stress reduction techniques as you can. Get super hydrated with water or herbal tea. Consider vitamin B, D, and magnesium. Perhaps a different more knowledgeable doctor.

    • ElleJ22
      ElleJ22 Guest

      Posted

      Hi, thank you for your reply.

      I should have explained the loose bowels better, apologies. My bowels are softer rather than solid like they use to be. I use to go once every 1 or 2 days however now I'll go every day and depending if I feel sick or not it can be more than once a day.

      I typically get all the symptoms every other day. Sometimes the nausea more severe than others. It is stopping me from being able to do normal things as I feel so weak when I struggle to eat I have no energy.

      I have tried gluten free, dairy free, cutting out various other foods, ingredients within foods etc and makes no difference.

      I do have a doctors appointment next week with a different doctor who I've not seen before. I will ask about my thyroid and see if it can be checked and for now I'll look into those vitamins until then! Thank you.

    • ElleJ22
      ElleJ22

      Posted

      Oh and bowels are lighter in colour too. More pale, yellow sort of rather than brown.
    • ElleJ22
      ElleJ22 Guest

      Posted

      Oh and bowels are lighter in colour too. More pale, yellow sort of rather than brown.
    • ElleJ22
      ElleJ22 Guest

      Posted

      Hi, I think you tried to reply to me on what I said back to this but it got deleted by the moderator. I was keen to hear what you said, if you could resend that would be really great. Thank you
    • corrie56290
      corrie56290 Guest

      Posted

      You seem very knowledgeable about this "disorder" so I thought I would ask you a few questions. Each time I have a flare of whatever this is, I have constant diarrhea. In addition, I have discomfort in lower abdomen and back, intermittent pain in upper left abdomen under ribs, lots of gas, urgency, occasional nausea and even some reflux. Even when not in a flare up, I have urgency and many days of loose bowels. This time, I also feel a lie grade headache. Does this sound like IBS?

      i am 60 and my issues started in my 20s with a bout of colitis when I was in graduate school and I was so sick for almost a year because the meds didn't help. I researched some natural remedies back then and a macrobiotic teacher instructed me to juice cabbage a few times a day and within a week, my symptoms abated. Each time it would start to come back, I started the cabbage juice. Jump 15 years later and I had lower back and pelvic pain for almost a year with urgency and diarrhea and went through CTs, ultrasound, kidney tests, HIDA Scan, upper and lower endoscopy, colonoscopy etc.....and nothing was found. Then in 2011, I got sick again and I had nausea non stop for 8 months and lost 25 pounds and was already thin. Again, I had all the tests, they removed my gallbladder( which by the way, had no sludge nor stones) and they still could find nothing wrong-all the same symptoms---I recovered and gained weight back but have had flare ups every few months. Still, I get very nervous and afraid something is really wrong. I had a clear MRI and ultrasound last year -all clear-plus good blood work. I am going through this again now---I am getting scoped Tuesday and having a colonoscopy next week. Soooo-I am just wondering what you think since you seem so knowledgeable----thanking you in advance...

  • erika96170
    erika96170 ElleJ22

    Posted

    It's sounds like ibs. I've got ibs about 2 years, and the doctor didn't ask for any tests..... So my symptoms are the same like yours. Take probiotics, and try to not worry, calm down, be stress free. I'm doing the same, and it's working for me, just give it a try. smile

    • ElleJ22
      ElleJ22 erika96170

      Posted

      Hi, thank you for your reply. I should have mentioned I have tried probiotics and they didn't make a difference either. I also have no stress. I had to stop working because I was so ill. So I have nothing to worry me. I have tried yoga etc too to see if it would help. I just feel when I get a really severe flare up it takes so much out my body and I have no energy. I can't keep losing weight! I will maybe try different probiotics thought. Thanks.

    • corrie56290
      corrie56290 ElleJ22

      Posted

      Try a probiotic called Gut Pro-can be ordered on Replenish PDX-it is the best probiotic I have tried
    • ElleJ22
      ElleJ22 corrie56290

      Posted

      Hello, thank you. I will definetley get looking into these probiotics. Thanks!
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