Help to get to bottom of possible IBS?
Posted , 8 users are following.
I've been suffering for 2 years now with loose bowel movements and really bad nausea. I use to go to the toilet once every 1 or 2 days and my movements would be formed and now I go everyday and very loose, like sludge almost on bad days. On the days I feel really sick, I can go up to 4 times a day. It normally starts with feeling really sick then I'll need to keep going to the toilet. This can last several days, some times up to a week before I start to feel better.
I have been in hospital twice in the past two years with this and had numerous tests that have failed to show anything. Bowel samples have been tested too. The only thing I've never had done is a colonoscopy. I was also tried on buscopan which made no difference whatsoever.
I have kept food diaries but can't work out what is causing me to feel so sick and my bowels to be this way. I can eat the same thing one week and be fine and the next week not! Is there any easy way to work out which food or foods could be causing this? It's extremely frustrating and I hate feeling so sick all the time!
0 likes, 18 replies
meredithw3 ElleJ22
Posted
Hi Elle,
I'm really sorry to hear about your experience. I went through something very similar at my worst points. After years of problems and numerous investigations (including a colonoscopy) I was formally diagnosed about 4 years ago. I found at that point it was really difficult to identify specific foods as everything seemed to affect me.
I did need to keep going back to the doctor to make sure it wasn't anything more serious, including any strange auto immune or inflammatory disease. Have you had a definite diagnosis of IBS?
If it is IBS, once thing more generally that I've found is eating small portions with not too many ingredients helps (and not eating too quickly). Although taking a FODMAP approach didn't really help me, I found through trial and error over a 12 month period which foods were particularly bad for me (it's a very personal thing, but I know I can't eat much in the way of pulses, certain vegetables (like sweet potatoes and butternut squash, and cruciferous veg), too much dairy or very refined or sugary foods - but I cook a lot so this last one doesn't tend to be an issue for me).
The other huge thing for me was managing stress effectively and daily meditation makes a big difference. I did have some other medical interventions early on (including low dose anti-depressants) and these helped re-set me a little, but for the longer term it's been about what I eat, how I eat and managing my stress levels. Buscopan also does nothing for me. However on the occasion my upset stomach gets really bad, as a last resort I have been prescribed a low dose of loperamide (basically generic Imodium) that I take for a short time just to manage things a little.
I still have some symptoms but they are SO much more manageable. I've also found that many of the foods I used to struggle with, I can now eat (particularly good quality sourdough after not being able to eat any wheat at all).
I hope this helps!
ElleJ22 meredithw3
Posted
Hello,
Thank you for your reply and sorry for the delay in getting back to you!!
It sounds like you've had a tough time too. Glad you have managed to identify some of the foods causing you issues. I am finally getting there too. Too much tomato based foods seem to cause me lots of issues and I use to eat a lot of tomatoey things! Still trying to work out if anything else too. It's hard work. Foods you wouldn't expect either.
I have ondansetron tablets to take when I feel really sick. I hate that feeling. I only take on extremely severe flare ups as side effects of the tablets.
Hopefully get there it's just annoying!
Thanks again.