GP says it is IBS but I am worried
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hi all
Im a 27 year old female who never really suffers with stomach problems, only on the odd occasion.
About ten weeks ago, since the UK went into lockdown, i have suffered from low abdominal pain that goes from left to right and "mushy" stool, not liquid diarrhoea. I phoned my GP who advised it could be stress induced IBS and told me to take Buscopan. Buscopan did not work so two weeks later i called back and they prescribed me Mebeverine. I am still having "mushy" stool (sorry for the graphics!) and intermittent pains either side of my abdomen and sometimes radiating to my back.
It is really stressing me out as I am worried if it isnt IBS and they are just leaving something to fester inside me. Another part of me thinks its weird it started at the beginning of lockdown so it could well be change in routine and stress.
Just looking for a bit of reassurance or advice from other IBS sufferers if it is normal to not have a solid poo for so long. I have also had crampy pains in my bum which is worrying me.
Any help much appreciated
thanks guys
0 likes, 15 replies
carl91637 Unknown343
Posted
does kinda sound like ibs. especiallly the mushy stool and the bottom pain youre feeling could be from ibs contracting your colon abnormally.
any blood? fever? weight loss?
Unknown343 carl91637
Edited
hi carl
thanks for your reply. no blood and no fever and definitely no weight loss which i know are all positive signs. just worrying how its come on all of a sudden and wondering if stress/anxiety/change of routine could really do this x
carl91637 Unknown343
Posted
stress and anxiety can wreak havoc with digestion and especially ibs
if this persists and its still bothering you mentally then maybe you can ask your doctor to do a stool test that checks for any inflammatory diseases.
ibs is such a son of a b***h though especially combined with stress anxiety and depression
Unknown343 carl91637
Posted
i know i keep trying to tell myself that thanks for your reassurance 😃 hoping when lockdown is over it might just return to normal
marsh23433 Unknown343
Posted
Hi Unknown343 this has all the hallmarks of ibs, Ibs can be an intermittent nervous problem.Are you on any medication . your age and sex for ibs is just right.I f you are still worrying ,then ask your doctor to give you some tests.
Unknown343 marsh23433
Posted
Hi thanks for replying, @marsh23433 im not on any medication no im otherwise healthy, only taking Mebeverine for stomach cramps. just worried about the ongoing mushy diarrheoa as surely my body isnt getting the nutrients it needs?
i keep getting hours of no pains then all of a sudden crampy pains in my back and tummy. i know this sounds weird but im almost certain my veins have become more visible too but i think i am just in overdrive with anxiety.
thanks again
Marina_Dee Unknown343
Posted
Hi Unknown. Have you changed your diet since being in lockdown?It could be something you are eating too much of, like dairy products, .Try to keep a food diary starting with some basic food items and introducing only one thing every 2 days. That way you may find out what is causing the problems.
Unknown343 Marina_Dee
Posted
hi marina. no not at all, been eating the same kind of meals. its really weird. i feel really rough today as well with banging head!! just want to feel myself again. i am going to start a food diary though to monitor bad days as some worse than others
sam18386 Unknown343
Posted
hi unknown, firstly have a virtual hug as it might give you a little reassurance to begin with. i remember feeling what you did and thinking this is more than ibs. you know your own body more than any doctor and most people are initially diagnosed with ibs, some have it some don't and it's an easy cop-out for most doctors because it beats paying for any other tests. i was diagnosed coeliac last year after a 12;year battle and it looks like a court case to sue my old doctors too. this has caused the biggest problem - it's rendered me infertile i am just so broken about this! if you feel your doctor is wrong either switch to a different one or see the manager. physically they need to see changes on blood/stool samples to know it's not ibs. i still had to fight this new doctors to get a really 100% accurate diagnosis. at least i now know what this finally is. note any bowel habit changes down and show your doctor. good luck, even at the moment an appointment down the phone beats nothing.....
Unknown343 sam18386
Posted
Hi Sam. Sorry to hear about your troubles, that must be really hard 😦 doctors do make mistakes!! Hopefully you get something out of the court case for a bit of closure!!
im quite certain mine isnt coeliac as i was tested for that in 2018 and was negative. I just feel like how can they diagnose IBS to me over the phone without feeling my tummy or doing a stool sample like you said. The last doctor i spoke to has suggested to take Mebeverine for four weeks and call back if no improvement but that just scares me even before because in four weeks time, if it isnt IBS, it could turn into something worse! SO frustrating. I know my age and symptoms dont suggest anything like bowel cancer but its all i am thinking about. my anxiety is through the roof which i am sure is a factor in kicking off IBS but i just feel terrified for some weird reason.
sam18386 Unknown343
Posted
hi unknown, you may have got told you got no signs of coeliac disease 3 years back. did they test for crohn's ibd or anything else? you could have anything! i can understand that they can't feel your stomach down the phone. here where we are we can be triaged an appointment down the phone. i have started to lay it on thick now to get an appointment now. insist on seeing someone, ring your doctors and say you've tried everything and nothing has worked. say you've reached the point where it's upsetting your mood severely. mention mental health and you might get in quicker. i would stop the mebeverine too, people on here will tell you how bad it is, stick to imodium which should help until you speak to a doctor. if you cry down the phone it might help, they need to hear that it's really hurting you, let us know how you get on.
Unknown343 sam18386
Posted
hi no nothing else! they checked my bloods for coeliac though and that was negative. and my symptoms dont seem to be amy worse after eating certain foods! i dont think my symptoms are severe enough to be crohns, although i dont know much about it!! i will try imodium though thats for the tip. i hate phoning docs every week i feel like they get sick of me!! maybe i will call again in the week and ask for tests just for my own head !! thanks for your help
steven67979 Unknown343
Edited
i think i have it, no pain as such just major spasms in my bum or thats where it feels dont know if anyone can shed light ? its possibly my stomach contracting but def feel the spasms almost in the canal , going toilet no 2 a lot throughout the day, have changed diet bit healthier , stomach has felt heavy the past weeks less heavy now just different no 2 , firm, mushy (a lot not dioriaha) pellets, did have a diazapam last week no effect , asked chemist the girl didnt seem to revognise symptons of bum spasms though standing now i can feel them in my gut too 😦 came in after a long walk drank a full glass of water with apple juice , sat down noticed didnt have them , stomach started gassing and bubbling wasnt even thinking about spasms so def not a mind thing and seconds after bubbling stopped spasms hit me.... been constant for ages now getting me down
years ago i never had anything like this, im not overweight but have a pouch on me , when i was younger i was stick thin amd all i had was loud stomach noises think that was ibs if i remember , went away but this this is another level
pharmisist herself has recommended colafac but not bought yet as one side effect is constipation
Unknown343 steven67979
Edited
by my research a lot of people suffer with it on and off, i havent had anything like this for a good two years!! my dr said it can be stress induced so makes sense with the worlds current situation.. hopefully it dies down for you soon, i keep having alternating bowel movements its so frustrating and like you say gets you down but on the positive side apparently no blood and not losing weight is a good sign!!! so try not to worry
Unknown343
Posted
just thought id do an update and see if anyone has any thoughts. i finally managed to get in at the doctors after laying it on thick on the phone and the doctor i saw did a thorough abdomen and back examination and said everything felt fine and that it was more than likely IBS she said she didnt find anything that would warrant bloods or a scan.
so this is great news right? although i still cant shake the thought that something else is wrong. my bowel movements have somewhat gone back to normal and i only have the odd twinge in my tummy but it isnt a typical stomach ache it is more a twinge as i say and sometimes cramp like i need to stretch. has anybody else experienced this with IBS? is this normal?
ive also get terrible leg ache like growing pains, which again the doctor didnt seem to be bothered by. i wondered if anyone had leg pain with ibs symptoms. this could also be due to lack of activity in lockdown and working from home its just weird its all started at the same time.
would honestly appreciate any advice and reassurance