do i really have IBS?

Hi,

I've been suffering with the symptoms of IBS for about three years now, and it's putting such a strain on work, study and my relationships that some days I feel like I just don't want to go on anymore. Sometimes out of the blue even if I'm just living on wholegrains and fruit and veg I'll get terrible diarrhea for four or five days. The terrible pains cause me to panic and I also get pins and needles and feel numb and sweaty. Sometimes I get a bad pain on my left hand side about an inch away from my belly button and it sometimes occurs just when I am walking around and I have to rest for it to go away. I can't keep calling in sick to work, all I do is sit in the house, nobody wants to spend time with me because I always have to decline, and my partner is sick of hearing about it. 

I've had colonoscopy, multiple endoscopies with biopsies, countless blood tests and ultrasounds, ct scans, tried low fodmap and gluten free diets. Nothing makes any improvement! Everything shows signs that there is 'nothing physically wrong with me'. 

Maybe anti anxiety medication could help...

I am 22 years old and was in high school whem my problems all started. At first it was just the pain in my side then things started to progress, now everyday I'm in pain, bloated, spending ages in the toilet. I was given anti depressants to help but it made it worse, I was prescribed all the common IBS medication none helped me.

People get really annoyed at me when i fall asleep, i used to finish school and fall to sleep even fell to sleep in a few lessons. I didnt have energy to go out with friends.

I have tried a food diary but it made no difference, I know I can't eat anything a little bit spicy but at the moment it doesnt matter what I eat or drink.

I'm going to see if I can get an allergy test to see if I'm allergic to anything, I think its a good idea.

Does anyone have any advice to give me.

Hi

I'm at my wits end with this. I went into Hospital last year ago for 2 disc replacements and since I have been home I have had as I call it morning Diareha! The doctors have said IBS I work full time and have a young family I'm 45. I am on probiotic tablets and peppermint capsules. Also medication from the doctor but I feel so tired all the time and want to stay in bed. I'm snappy and don't care about how I look it's so not like me. I work 4 days a week and really try to be strong but I'm in bed at 8 every evening as so worn out. Do you have any ideas what else I could do. I hope your a little better.

A Smith

Hi, I was diagnosed with IBS nearly 10 years ago and I've been through those symptoms you've described.  Some of the best advice I've had is to keep a food diary for at least a month or six weeks and write every single thing you eat/drink and any resulting symptoms.  This helped me to identify the foods that were causing my IBS.  I also found that avoiding all drinks and foods (including sugar free chewing gum) with artificial sweetners such aspartame really helped to control the IBS.  I did try the probiotic tablets but changed to natural live yogurt some years ago and found it was a lot better.  I would suggest that if you're on any medication, it might help to speak to your GP or a Pharmacist to check to see if they're making your symptoms worse.   Last year, I actually had Hynotherapy treatment for my IBS and since then my flare-ups have reduced dramatically (from almost every day to maybe once in 8 or 10 weeks).  I hope that you feel better soon.

So sorry to hear you are stuck with this awful disease. I was diagnosed back in 2002, well I was told it was all in my head and sent to a psychiatrist for a year until he gave me his own physician phone number.

I found throughout the years that stress has some parts to it as well as diet. I stay from any vegetables that are gassy or dark green. Seems for me the darker the vegetable the worse it is. I can eat the hearts of the romaine lettuce, but as soon as I touch the darker green I can get rid of it within an hour or two.

Omg, I have to tell you that immodium may be your friend today but you're just delaying the inevitable and making it worse. I thought it was my friend to until I realized it creates a plug within your intestinal tract like cement. Then when you go to pass it it's painful, crampy and I developed over time a nasty headache as I'm going to the bathroom. For the headache the best thing I found was a melt on your tongue medication from the doctor called Zomig or Zolmitripann ODT. I can count to 20 and begin to feel my headache relief.

Hope this anyone out there, it's so difficult to live with.

Keep your head up ladysparkle, don't let it take your life over, good luck.

IBS can be very debilitating and rule your life.  It can change in severity over time or go into remission.  If your doctòr recognises your symptoms and you don't have any red flags, then IBS can be disgnosed on that basis. However, if he can't figure it out, tests will be done to rule out other causes.  

Seven doctors didn't understand my stomach pain so I had a urine test, stool tests, celiac screening and an ultrasound.  All were negative, so I was diagnosed with IBS by an eighth doctor.

Hi my name is Haley and I'm not a health professionals but I have some expirience with this. It's started out for me with just some little episodes that lasted anywhere from a few seconds to 5 minutes . It got so bad ometimes I would have to leave school and I would trap myself in the restroom with dirreha and constipation.

I found it got worse overtime because I would start to develop panic attacks. I wouldn't be able to breath and then I would be moving all over in my seat trying to get the pain to go away. Sometimes I would really have to just run to the restroom. I started to eat less I had no appetite.

When this happens now what I do is I really try to distract myself . I got this game on my phone called flow it's so easy to play but you start to get distracted and it helps me cope or even get rid of the pain. Another thing you could try is typing random stuff. Try to find stress relieving things. If not also try sitting on a memory foam pillow sometimes I feel like the pressure when I sit sometimes sets off cramps. Hope this helps!

I have the same problem . Have present attack for 8 days now and just can't get it under control. Whatever I take doesn't help or get rid of it. Start to worry then as it won't go? Any suggestions?

I'm the same. It's horrible your constantly in pain and when you tell people how much pain your in I've had responses like your being dramatic... I'm sure your a great mom. I understand the anxiety because it's only just recently been happening to me and with my anxiety I don't wanna leave the house

hi im a 68yr old woman that told i had ibs over 20 yrs ago i could ccope with it then as all it was a bit of bloating,now has the yrs have gone by i am in agony with a painful bloated stomach every day it gets worse as the day goes on,i get tired all the time headaches dizzy backache,i dont get the pain in my side it is in my lower tummy and then goes to under my ribs i  have had colonoscopy 2 abdominal scans stool test the did a couple for celiac but cant get a result as i dont have wheat i have lacto free milk low fat diet i cant sit comfortable the only thing that eases it is a hot water bottle in bed at night it easers the pain.

Im so fed up i cant go on holiday or travel because i cant sit comyy i just want to lay down i look 9 month pregnant i just feel ill all the time breathless i put the hoover on or anything like that and im shattered and makes my stomach worse.

Im always down at the doctors i dont know why i bother all i get is i have to live with it,how can i im young at heart i want a normal life  i feel like ending it i hide the pain from family i dont have toilet problems,i do suffer with anxiety but if i feel well wich is very rare i dont get anxious,sorry for this post being so long,does anyone else feel they cant breath when they wake up and in the day?