Hi, Please help, I faint with ibs symptoms and its scary

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Hi everyone. I am female and have had ibs since I was 15-16 years old, I am now 35. I get diarrea and bloating mainly but sometimes can get constipation. If I lift something too heavy I feel like I have \"strained\" my stomach and the pain starts. Sometimes I think it is related to food. I have fainted every now and then, sometimes 8-10 months apart since the age of 15. About a month ago I woke in the night with severe pain and usual pattern, I get to the loo but have trouble passing anything. I start to sweat loads, go hot and cold, vision starts to go and next thing I come round on the floor. I get up shaky and cold needing to go to the loo. Last time I hit my head on the sink which scared me but I was lucky that my husband was home at the time. Last night I woke (1.30am) with severe pain, went to the loo, managed to pass something, pain started, hadn't woke my husband so knew i had to get to the bedroom to get help. He is not sure if I fainted. I only remember needing to get to the bedroom and next thing being aware that my head was on the doorstep and my husband asking what I needed, as in medicine/help. I have medicine called Viadil Forte that I use (It relaxes stomach) but I am not getting the warning that I used to so am not always able to use it before I pass out. Some doctors say oh its ibs, another has said no definetely not and yet another says it is the pain that causes me to faint not ibs. Does anyone else pass out with ibs? Please help me, it gets me down so much.

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  • Posted

    I'm like another person in this thread. I'm so sorry you are going through this but I'm happy I'm not the only one! I have been to doc's, they just say I'm constipated. I have done the steps to help constipation like eating a salad every day, eating a wheat bran cereal, eat 5 prunes a day, drink 64 oz of water a day. I have normal bm every morning. But then, at night... I get this cramping, pinching, horrible feeling in my gut, feeling like I don't know which end it's going to come out. So sitting on the loo, I then have to breath slow and steady and hold onto anything I can, we have a mounted towel bar on our wall next to the toilet so I hang onto that to get ready, then the cramping gets worse, some times my eyesight gets dark as if I'm about to pass out from the excruciating pain in my gut, then I tart sweating. Cold sweats. Or you feel your going to die. Literally feels as if your guts are being ripped out of your stomach slowly. I'm pregnant now, so this can really be bad. It usually take 30 mins for me to finally pass the smallest amount of bm that must be causing this suffering pain. I do have to get up tho.. take my time, walk around till another cramp happens then I run back to the bathroom. But once I get the tiny bm out I'm fine. I have to add... someone on here mentioned peppermint for the cramping. I was starting an episode of cramping last night and I took that advice, bought peppermint tea with real peppermint oil in it and the soft peppermint candies with peppermint oil in them, and Praise The Lord, IT WORKED!!! After eating and drinking the peppermint, the cramping completely diminished and no running to the bathroom in the night! Thankyou for the valuable advice! I love you!

    • Posted

      You mentioned taking wheat cereal. Not sure if you have IBS but if you do it might be one of the aggravator to your cramps. I've started low FODMAP diet last year and learnt that wheat is one of the trigger food.

  • Posted

    Hi I have been experiencing the same symptoms since being about 10 years old. Now at age 32 my doctor thinks it is neurological. I must the hot and cold temperatures brings on a deluge of sweating and shaking all because of the pain. If I try stand I always faint. I am going to buy peppermint because the pain is so severe. I think the sweating, extreme temperature changes, shaking and fainting reveal some traumatic spasms occurring in the gut. I find inducing vomiting in between bowel passing has helped. It leaves me feeling quite fatigued. Strange illness that doctors struggle to understand.
  • Posted

    Wow, so glad i have read your posts! This happened to me last night again, got woke up with unbearable abdominal pain, thought i needed the toilet then woke up dazed and confused, face down. This is the 3rd or 4th time this has happened over the past few years and you all descibe it to a tee. I seem to relate it to having eaten carbs, bread, rice, pasta or dumpling etc.

    • Posted

      Those food that you've mentioned have one thing in common - wheat. Have you try low FODMAP diet and Slippery Elm?

  • Posted

    Have you been checked for POTS

    it's a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system.

    basically the system does a reboot, passing out or almost passing out diarrhea vomiting sometimes dilated eyes. Triggered by menstruation, the flu, dehydration or becoming overheated.

    many people who have this often have headaches, severe exhaustion, achiness in your neck and shoulders diarrhea or constipation as blood flow doesn't work like it should. fluctuating blood pressure and heart rate too.

    nasty stuff… That doctors are often too eager to push medicine on each symptom

  • Posted

    I have these same issues and found no medical reason but IBS but it didn't explain everything. I looked up IBS with Vasovagal nerve and it covered all of my symptoms. I hope you find an explanation!

    Cheers!

    Mollie

    • Posted

      My family is so worried about me. They thought I was crazy when I told them that I was passing out with IBS, however during one of these episodes my brother happened to drop by. Now usually my kids are home and I scream for them to bring me my purse because my gi doctor prescribed me hycosamine to place under my tongue and it usually keeps me from passing out. I also place an ice cold rag around my neck which seems to help. But I am so glad to read these posts because it's nice to know I'm not the only one and there is someone out there who understands what I am going through. I had went almost 2-3 years without an episode, and then out of the blue a couple of days ago, here comes that unsettling scariest feeling in the world, that stomach pain that is all to familiar and you know you are getting ready to walk through the gates of hell...or so it seems. I go to the loo as you all are calling it, and then it's moved into a full blown war inside my guts. I begin to sweat profusely, I become so overwhelmed with the terrible pain that is coming, for some reason my first instinct is to strip down, it's as if I have entered into a room that is 2000 degrees, I can't breathe. My hearing will start to fade everything starts going black and I am just certain that immanent death is upon me. I sweat so much that the area around the toilet is literally wet with sweat, on this particular day I was home by myself and had already began the "omigod" I'm getting ready to pass out phase white as a ghost pouring with sweat can't see can't hear phase, and in the distance I can hear my dog bark, and I start to say help! Help me! Please help me! My brother enters the room his face as white as mine with fear and I'm sure shock with his naked ass sister barely alive on the toilet pouring with sweat crying out of the worst kind of fear and pain as if your insides are getting ready to over flow the very contraption you are sitting on while clinging to the last bit of Hope that this isn't how you are going to meet your maker. He said what is wrong what do you want me to do I muster up every bit of strength I have in my weak shaky sweaty painful body and get out "purse now hurry" while I am saying this it is almost an out of body experience because the ringing in my ears and the faint outlines of my bathroom I can hear my self saying it but my eyes are usually shut because I am in shear terror for fear of passing out, or of my certain death that is coming because that is exactly what it feels like. He gets my purse I can't even move my arms by this time because I am so close to losing consciousness I'm absolutely terrified and am saying the name of the drug that I am so desperately needing. He finds it while in between his gags I faintly hear him say here it is hold out your hand and I feel the safety of a tiny white pill, place it Under my tounge, hell with that I'm in so much pain and literally experiencing one of the scariest things to go through and chew that pill up. And within a few seconds my hearing becomes clear and I can start to see and breathe normal again as my 22 miles of intestines are emptying at the speed of light into the loo beneath me. I am so sorry to everyone on here, but I feel for you. I know what it is like. I got a divorce 2 years ago and have been dating my boyfriend for 6 months now, and when he calls on his way home or to check on me he can hear something is wrong with me because of the pure exhaustion in my voice and the trauma I just went through. He asks, what is wrong baby? I Start To Cry AND Say I Don't Even Like To Talk About It Because It Is The Single Scariest Thing I HAVE Ever Been through. Now on top of all my other stomach issues he can't believe it can be much worse than what I normally have to deal with, but when he arrives home and has spoke to my father and brother because I'm pretty sure I scared the living hell out of my brother (13 months older than me same grade all through school, best friend, who is very protective and worries about me because after my horrific divorce I was raped at my own home, live out in the country surrounded by cornfields all by my fragile self) the reason I am so fragile is because of all the issues with my stomach and many of you fellow suffers may know, after an episode like this I knew it was going to happen again. I am scared to eat, because it comes out of nowhere and is one of the scariest things that you will ever go through, and like I said earlier, I was raped in my own home, drugged and unable to defend myself, but I love where I live and I am not going anywhere, I am not scared to go to sleep at night, but after experiencing the agonizing pain and pure terror of IBS where you pass out I am scared to do something you have to do in order to stay alive "simply eat" because I don't ever want to go through that horror again. Which in turn leads to more issues with my other stomach issues. Yeah, I'm about ready to have my stomach and intestines removed and get a colostomy bag and call it good.

    • Posted

      I'm so sorry to hear that. Nobody should be going through what you've gone through. I pray you'll get better. For the stomach pain, I've tried many probiotics, supplement and medications but recently tried Slippery Elm and seem to help. You might want to consider this

    • Posted

      Yep, those are my episodes also. I was even driving once, trying to get home before I passed out Didn't make it. When I came to, I was in the grassy area between the roadway. Didn't know where I was at first but found my way home. I now know not to continue driving when the pain starts.

      My GI doc doesn't believe its IBS. Not surprised. I also take my Hyoscyamine as soon as I can after it starts. No pattern to my attacks. I also warn family not to call 911 if I have an attack. I warn them that I probably look or act like I'm dying, but explain that this is normal. I am actually surprised I haven't died, the attacks are so bad. Some have a few minutes warning, others start with maybe a minute. At least I know the cramping well and can escape where I am and get to a bathroom before passing out.

      Have had many colonoscopies and other tests. No explanations. I do have Anxiety disorder with depression, controlled my medications.

      Good luck my fellow sufferers!

  • Posted

    My first ibs attack was almost 20 years ago. At first the Dr.s didn't know what was going on. I actually diagnosed myself with ibs until 2 years ago when a Dr. finally listened to what i had to say. My husband, for the longest time thought i was a hypochondriac until one day when i passed out and began convulsing in his arms. I am going to try the peppermint thing, fingers crossed. The worse part is when an attack happens and you're not at home. How do you tell coworkers that you will be fine as soon as it passes? I used to think my symptoms were food related until one day it happened even with out eating. Its difficult to live always in fear of an attack. It puts me at ease to know that i am not alone. Thank you everybody for sharing

  • Posted

    Ibs? Hmm are you sure? I'd see your doctor and possibly a dietitian, sounds like your not absorbing foo then passing out. Get help, that sounds very worrying to me!

    • Posted

      Hi Sam, what I have been hearing from others is that passing out is common with IBS. But yes I definitely plan on following up with dr.'s even though they don't take this serious. I wish they would cause it's a terrible thing to have happen to people.

  • Posted

    Hello All,

    May I ask how you link trigger foods to your IBS flare ups? Most articles say the 'attacks' happen almost immediately after or up to 3 hours after eating trigger foods. However, other articles, those related to FODMAP, blame highly fermentable carbs for IBS symptoms, but the thing is that foods don't ferment right after eating but after 2 or 3 days when the food reaches the intestines and starts fermenting, which is when it causes pain etc. So I'm a bit confused. I'm in the process of finding out whether or not I have IBS, but I do get excruciating abdominal pains with fainting or feeling faint a few times a year.

    Thank you

  • Posted

    Please please tell me what you are doing now? Have you gotten some help for the pain? You are the first person I've heard having the same symptoms I'm having. I need help...

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