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IBS and really bad fatigue?

Posted , 15 users are following.

kinder145101
kinder145101

Hi guys,

I've had all the tests, no one can find anything so its IBS.

However my flares last ages, like months and this flare is particularly damaging to my over all health - I"m exhausted every day - I feel hung over like I've been partying the night before when I haven't!

Anyone else feel like this?

I just have no energy, I"m a single Mum and I need energy.

If I go see my Dr he wont help - he's told me he can't help me anymore.

Every mornign i wake up in pain, then my tummy rumbles all day and when I eat anything i get gas and more pain!

I'm so over this - anyone else can relate?

any help?

I"m taking probiotic specifically for IBS and a multi vitamin.

​

2 likes, 27 replies

27 Replies

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  • an0chick2
    an0chick2 kinder145101

    Posted

    Have they checked your thyroid? Or have you been checked for Celiac? Maybe start there. Or look into other food intolerances.
  • susand1408
    susand1408 kinder145101

    Posted

    Have you tried symprove? Also try cutting out dairy. They often test for gluten but not dairy. Also caffeine alcohol and spicy foods can cause issues. Also do you suffer from heart burn. If you do try to get a medication like Lansoprazole. Has your Dr looked into seeing if you have Cfs (used to be known as m.e). Ibs is a known symptom of it. I have both.
  • LL568
    LL568 kinder145101

    Posted

    sad it's horrible that feeling. Whenever my doctor used to ask is always say the easiest way to describe it was like a hangover too!

    The only thing I've found that gives me energy, is coke.

    Have you seen a gastroenterologist? Or had blood tests to make sure your levels are all okay?

    Hope you manage to find something to help! I'm at the dietician and doctors tomorrow so if they tell me anything, I'll let you know smile

    Big hugs! smile x

    • kinder145101
      kinder145101 LL568

      Posted

      LEt me know what the Dr's say .... My Dr is actually amazing, he's just at his limit I guess - as with most Dr's and IBS.
  • aveline
    aveline kinder145101

    Posted

    Wow, HUGS, Kinder!  You may need to change doctors. Are you deficient in anything, like vitamin B12?  Or maybe you're too stressed to feel healthy right now? 

    I can relate somewhat - it's generally stress that triggers IBS but then how to NOT feel stress???  And, as a single Mum, you may find it even harder. You sound like you're doing what you can to help yourself. My suggestions would be to keep a food diary of EVERYTHING you eat and how you feel. Try removing the probiotic (maybe the multivitamin, too) and get probiotics through foods (Keffir, sauerkraut, kimchi...whatever forms you will eat). See if YOU can find anything yourself.  You don't have to eliminate anything yet, just look closely for patterns.  (I tried to further "heal" my Coeliac son with probiotics that had hidden gluten and made him worse for 3 weeks before I realized!!  Not that you have Coeliac Disease, but do you feel worse with wheat/gluten, or maybe dairy or soya, etc...?)

    Then, see a doctor - a new doctor - to get the answers you need to heal, feel better for yourself, and to be three for your child/ren!

    Good luck!!

     

    • kinder145101
      kinder145101 aveline

      Posted

      I've started my own company too and not coping as it's reall busy .. so stress.. gawd I just want an iron stomach!!!!
  • Missjosefina
    Missjosefina kinder145101

    Posted

    I've posted a couple of times on here about restricting your foods. Some people suggest we wait for a real prescription that will aid our symptoms. But I think we need to do things for ourselves.

    Like for the last two days, I've not stuck to FODMAP after having a bad flare up. from eating hidden onions and thickeners in a bbq sauce. The symptoms kept me off work for four days, but I carried on eating fodmap and I was symptom free on Friday and Saturday.

    But Sunday I ate a cheese burger and today I ate some chocolate. My stomach is bloated, my skin itchy and I've been on the loo for the last two days.

    We need to help ourselves when it comes to our Ibs...as you point out, it's only IBS because the docs can't pinpoint what it truly is.

    I'm going back to eating low FODMAP foods tomorrow and removing myself from the loo! wishing you a speedy resolution to your problems

    ...maybe food restrictions could help you too x

  • david44367
    david44367 kinder145101

    Posted

    Hi Kinder   yes  I can emphasise with you and dosnt seem to matter how many Doctors Consutants etc you go they basically cant do much it would seem  One friend who is a Doctor said they call it IBS  because basilcally they dont know really what it is wrong with you

    At least we have a forum here we can discuss somethinjg which we havnt had before and that does help because you know your not alone 

  • grandmaw
    grandmaw kinder145101

    Posted

    Hi, I know exactly how you feel, I have IBS and dont know what triggers it off over than curry's and spicey food.  I always feel shattered and then the next day my stomach is so sore and the cramps are awful and as you say you eat something else and hey bingo here it go again, the worse part I find is that you can suffer with IBS most of the week and then constipation comes along, apparantley its part of the symptoms!!!!  So you take laxetives and before you know it your stomach hurts and so sore because you havent been and then the good old IBS start and its start from the begining again, I just dont know how to get out of bed the next day as I said my stomach hurts and sore, and that makes my back ache, its a horrible circle.

    Someone said that stress dont help but I cant get away from that as I suffer from anxiety and depression, so it just makes it worse, I hate when you arrange things and then have to cancel because you feel bad.

    Hope you can work out what trigger yours off, but they say there is nothing they can do other than medication, and that dont stop it, so what's the point in taking it.

    • kinder145101
      kinder145101 grandmaw

      Posted

      LIke you I suffer anxiety too, not depression so much but this is definitely starting to depress me...

      gosh ... we need a magic happy pill that isn't drugs!

      A happy stomach and mind pill ... someone invent one please!

    • SugarGirl
      SugarGirl kinder145101

      Posted

      I had a similar issue, IBS was constant, I got exhausted after very little activity, I was tested for thyroid, liver/kidney, anaemia etc etc.... It was awful, changed Des because my usual Dr wasn't in and the new Dr prescribed an anti anxiety medication and vit d (turns out that was super low) and I now feel better than I have in years. I was sceptical about the anti anxiety medication because I didn't think I was stressed but it really does help, something to do with pain and serotonin in the gut. My dispenser at the pharmacy also has IBS and takes the same medication for it

      Maybe you should let the Dr know you have anxiety as well as the IBS?

    • rachel16448
      rachel16448 SugarGirl

      Posted

      Hiya, sorry I know this forum was 2 years ago! Can I ask what the medication you were put on was called please? I think it’s my anxiety causing me to be so ill with this dame ibs that’s making my life so awful sad 

      Thanks

      Rachel xx

  • kinder145101
    kinder145101

    Posted

    Oh you guys are so awesome thank you so much!!!

    My bloods were all fine, but i had low iron stores - I had a colongraphy and that showed nothing but a kidney stone - 3mm ... so IBS was the only cause of all the upset.

    Getting to see a Gastro in New Zealand is almost impossible unless the Dr really think you need to see one, given all my bloods and colongraphy was fine they wont let me see one!

    I'm not Celiac - I've been tested.

    It's just so draining ... I have been eating a lot of pizza, bread and drinking too much coffee - but why is it this bad!?

    • an0chick2
      an0chick2 kinder145101

      Posted

      You could have non celiac gluten sensitivity which causes the same symptoms as Celiac but without the damage to the small intestine but it can cause anemia.
    • an0chick2
      an0chick2 kinder145101

      Posted

      The only test would be cutting out gluten completely for 1 month then reevaluate how you feel.
    • LaurieEyeBee
      LaurieEyeBee kinder145101

      Posted

      The fact that your tests have been fine so far but you are still sick should make it even MORE important that you see a gastro!! Have you by chance heard of Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth? You should ask for a hydrogen breath test. Do some Googling on this. I have it and I am fairly exhausted (along with many other symptoms). CHeck "SIBO."
    • an0chick2
      an0chick2 LaurieEyeBee

      Posted

      I second this. If you're feeling so sick there's a reason. IBS is a diagnosis doctors make when they can't find anything wrong. Just because they haven't found anything doesn't mean that there's nothing. You should seriously look into your diet. Dairy, soy, gluten, and corn are amongst the most common food intolerances and A LOT of people have food intolerances (myself included). You would write down EVERYTHING you eat and write down how you felt afterwards. Or start of with a bland diet that doesn't include processed foods or those major food intolerances then after 2 weeks add them see how you react. The low FODMAP diet is a verrrrrrryyy popular diet for IBSers. A lot of them have very good success with it. It does eliminate gluten too so maybe just eliminate gluten first to see if that's the culprit before you go on a stricter diet. Hooe you feel better soon! Also check your vitamin D and your b12. (Can't remember if you said you had checked them before) There's a reason for you feeling sick. ..don't give up until you find your reason. Doctors suck at investigating. You need to research, research, research! There are so many tests and so many illneses that I don't see why doctors give up so easily. They're supposed to be there to help you. Not to rush into giving you a diagnosis. Have you had a colonoscopy? Have they done an endoscopy? These things look at your insides and there is no test to replace those.
    • gillian15107
      gillian15107 kinder145101

      Posted

      Hi there

      My sister spent 6 years of her life tiered, ill, and in constant pain, saw a consultant and had tests done which showed nothing.  Her IBS is caused by insoluble fibre. Within 3 days of giving up wheat, grains, beans, nuts etc with a high fibre content she said she felt like a different person.  This is not to do with gluten - its the physical structure of the food.  Its thought that if some people have a sensitive digestion as the fibre passes through it 'picks' at the stomach lining causing irritation and symptoms.

      For me, my triggers are garlic, onion, shallots, spring onions and some fruits.  Sugar doesn't seem to help either.  This is why some of us suggest going on the FOMAP diet - it helps you sort out what it is that is upsetting you.

      Good luck

    • rex_44766
      rex_44766 LaurieEyeBee

      Posted

      Hi Laurie - have you had a SIBO test? If so how did it go and what was advised? Only asking as I'm doing the test tomorrow and its 3am in Oz and all I can drink is water. Lots of conflicting info over here. We have a huge university doing tests for $50 yet in looking at their diet sheets they are way out of whack with other institutions. Only recently discovered SIBO and to me it makes a heck of a lot of sense and it looks like it can fix leaky gut? I did read Norm Robilardes book a few years back but tooooo thick to understand his fermentation formulas! You do tend to get a little bit more knowledge each day but this moves the goal posts a bit.
    • LaurieEyeBee
      LaurieEyeBee rex_44766

      Posted

      Hi Rex - I see your reply was long enough ago so you would already have had the test. I've had 3 of them. Two were with my nearby gastroenterologist, same guy who's done my colonoscopies and endoscopy. Pretty much involved drinking a lactose (I think) solution and breathing into a meter every 15 minutes for a couple of hours. They show the results on a graph. I think it's pretty similar to a breathalyzer test the police give if they suspect drunk driving. These tests were 8 months apart. Both positive. Both times treated with Xifaxin and worked a miracle, the second time for well over a year. Third breath test was at our big university hospital - I asked for a referral as symptoms came back this spring and Xifaxin didn't work. Same basic principle except they actually catch your breath in a plastic bag. I see the doc on 9/15 but my reaction, with cramps and diarrhea, indicates SIBO. Guessing they'll treat me with something different and hope it does the trick. This new doc also mentioned the Fodmap diet.
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