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

    just had a flare up...i know how you feel, everytime you have these episodes you start panicking thinking you're going to die...dont know what are my triggers tho, it 's so hard to get rid of these symptoms...sometimes you just want die so that these episodes will not repeat again.

    (sorry for my english, i just had to tell someone since my family dont understand me, they think i exaggerate)

  • Edited

    hello everyone!

    I am 26 years old and start having attacks in october. It is now jan and I still havent recieved any help from my doctor. I have been sent for ultrasounds, blood tests and now have to see a GI. My pain is exactly as some people written on here. It will start with a cramping feeling and my stomach will start making noises then im in the bathroom hunched over crying in pain. Sometimes im able to go to the bathroom alot and its non stop for hours in and out of the bathroom and sometimes im only going little bits at a time still in and out for hours. Either way the pain is absolutely unbearable. I feel like I am going to die the pain is so bad. It becomes so much I become light headed and dizzy because the pain is so excruciating. I am honestly so scared and looking for anyone who has any ideas to ease the pain because I cant take it anymore its easily the worst pain I have ever had in my life and I have gone though child birth. If anyone has any ideas or help I beg for them. Thank you everyone.

  • Posted

    I have been having this problem for years cramping passing of then diarrhea I have to get family member before I pass out

    • Posted

      I was worried I was the only one that felt faint. it's a scary thing. my doctor hasn't given me any meds. all I do is drink tea.

  • Posted

    I has an IBS yesterday after eating broccoli. the pain got so bad I couldn't pass anything I had hot and cold sweat then I felt that from the excruciating pain I was going to faint. I wanted to call 911 my pain was so bad. 30 minutes later I manage to pass something but before that the colon spasms started. the whole episode lasted 2 hrs. I wanted just to die. the flare ups are just getting worse.

  • Posted

    This was me last night! i have never had it so bad im 27 and last night become so faint, i could feel the sweat dripping down my back the pain omg honestly i would take giving birth over that again i thought i was going to have to call an ambulance out and it has made me worry continuously thinking is it something more than ibs, it started instantly after dinner (burger takeaway) and i have had a sore tummy since. i am at my witts end with it now.

    • Posted

      hi Kim

      so sorry that also you suffer so badly. Ive had a sore tummy since months and am more or less unable to eat ...I get total fatigue from the pain. I had 2 caesarians previously .... the pain from Caesarians was a walk in comparison to what I have now. I feel constantly like passing out from pain. It always started after eating anything ... I can only drink milk and eat yoghurt... how are you doing these days ? are you any better ??

  • Posted

    i too have all these symptoms and nausea. i'm very careful what i eat most of the time. i truly believe stress is my biggest trigger. what do you eat the day after these episodes? does anyone here also have rectal bleeding issues due to these ibs episodes?

    • Posted

      hi Barb,

      so sorry for you. I know its terrible. I also have these symptoms ...all day nausea, feeling sick and unable to eat. certainly stress makes it so much worse ... the Pandemic doesnt help either. and then there seems to always be additional stress...to make it even worse. I get only bleeding when I have to push hard.

    • Posted

      No bleeding, but I feel like there is a butcher knife in my abdomen when an episode strikes.

  • Edited

    Hi guys, I have just come across this thread and I'm hoping that collectively we may get some answers as to why so many of us are suffering with this painful problem to which I have also been having for about 30 years (50 year old male now) I also pass out after not being able to withstand the excruciating pain.

    In 2011 I moved to Thailand from the UK and over a 6 year period I only had about 3 episodes. Pre-Thailand while living in the UK I normally would have got around three or four episodes a year. Since moving back to the UK in 2017 my episodes have started to become more frequent once again, about twice a year now! I would love to know what the main cause is. As like many other people on here, their Dr's seem to be unable to diagnose the problem! My Dr was also unable and has put it down to mild IBS! It surprises me that we don't have a medical system that knows the answer to problems like these.

    I will try the intake of water and the peppermint to see if that helps or though I don't have much time from the onset to the passing out, as that normally is about 5 to 10 minutes after dealing with the intense abdominal pain. Again 95% of the time this happens during the night. When awoken, I know instantly what is immanent!

    Anyway, I would really like to keep an eye on this thread to see if/when someone comes up with a reason or even a medication which could alleviate or maybe even stop this problem for all of us here.

    Take care Simon

    • Edited

      Hi all, hi Simon, is anybody still reading this thread ? I never seem to get the notifications. I have exactly the same problems like everybody here. Whilst I dont have the perfect solution, I have learned a lot in the past 8 months. If anybody is still looking at this .... I'm happy to explain more details.

      Take care

    • Posted

      I just found this thread and posted my story. I have never sought medical treatment since I read years ago that "defecation syncope" is somewhat common and docs have no solutions. I would be very interested to hear what you have learned. The only solution I have been able to come up with is to get some adult diapers and just throw one on when I feel an episode coming so I don't have to get up and risk injury from falling. I have not purchased any yet, but I am considering it before I am injured. Another suggestion I read awhile back on a GI doc site is to cross your legs and keep your head down while on the toilet to avoid passing out. This does seem to help the pain slightly and speed up elimination. I take deep breaths while in that position and try to completely relax my abdominal muscles while breathing out and sometimes it will come out faster. Each time I do it, I can feel it coming closer. I also manually massage the colon in a downward motion with my left thumb to facilitate it. If I feel close to passing out, I just pull down my bath towel and lay on it on the floor until I am ready to go, then I get my butt back up on the toilet just in time.

  • Edited

    it sounds like you have IBS and Vasovagal Syncope (the common faint). When you feel faint lay down on your side and try to relax. Yes you may make a mess due to moving your bowels but that can be cleaned up fairly quickly or use a pad to prevent cleaning the floor I hope this helps iI know about this since I have the same thing

  • Edited

    omg---i have found my people!!! this is been something i have been dealing with for years--it has gotten way worse in the past 2 years. i recently went to the doctor and will be getting a scope done soon to test me for crohns disease. it blows me away that IBS is the culprit of me feeling like im dying on the toilet when i have one of these episodes. im hoping that i wont have to live with this forever.. it is scary when it happens......

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