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IBS flare-ups more frequent

Posted , 8 users are following.

charlotte44414
charlotte44414

Hi all,

I have been diagnosed with IBS-C for a while now, had stomach/digestive problems most of my life. I manage my IBS on a daily scale with drinking plenty of water, taking golden linseed/flaxseed supplements and eating more regularly but smaller portions. It seems to help with everyday symptoms such as the constipation and bloating.

However, since about October 2015, I get these flare-ups where I will start to feel stomach pains, then it feels like my digestion has come to a complete stop and I will become very bloated and gassy, with pain often focused in my right lower abdomen. A few hours later, I will get debilitating stomach cramps for hours on end. It will often change my bowel movements to looser (but not diorrhoea). Recently I have also been wretching and almost vomiting from the pain (but nothing seems to come out...). I have tried buscopan to no avail. I was prescribed mebeverine to try for a month, but I struggle with taking tablets. So my GP has given me another antispasmodic that I will collect next week(the name escapes me, think it began with an A...). However when I asked about the size of the tablet they didn't know what it would be like, so I am in a similar position to before really.

I was wondering if anyone with the same symptoms could recommend something that had worked for them, and if anyone knew of an antispasmodic that has small tablets/capsules.

Would appreciate any advice!

Thanks

0 likes, 18 replies

18 Replies

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  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 charlotte44414

    Posted

    Buscopan and Nurofen are the only things that work for.me because Buscopan is mild and the tablets are small.  Mebeverine seriously upsets my stomach. If you struggle with swallowing tablets, Mebeverine is useless.  They are too big and feel like a stone when taking them and cause severe indigestion.

    My throat pushes the tablets back out again unless I take a massive glass of water or soak the tablet in the water for a few seconds to soften them. It helps to calm my throat into accepting what it regards as an enemy agent.

    Were you prescribed Alverine or Amytriptaline?

     

    • charlotte44414
      charlotte44414 pippa58442

      Posted

      Hi,

      I know the feeling! The tablets were so dry. I would get the taste of them if I couldn't swallow them and it made me gag.

      I was prescribed Alverine to take everyday , they come as capsules and I find them much easier to swallow. Need to report back in a months time. Fingers crossed these help with the cramps during a flare-up.

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 charlotte44414

      Posted

      I also find Nurofen on top of an antispasmodic helps a lot if the pain is persistant.  I haven't had any doctor's appointments for my IBS since I was diagnosed in 2015.

  • jan48389
    jan48389 charlotte44414

    Posted

    Could it be Amitryptiline that your doctor has prescribed? It's an anti depressant but is often given as a muscle relaxant and is very effective. If so, it is a really tiny tablet and well worth a try. It certainly works for me. 

    Jan

    • charlotte44414
      charlotte44414 jan48389

      Posted

      Hi Jan,

      Thanks for the info. I have been prescribed Alverine antispasmodics. I picked them up today and the good news is they look easier to swallow than the mebeverine tablets as these ones are capsules. I have been told to take them everyday. It is good to here about the antidepressants working for you - I was thinking that will be the next step if Alverine doesn't work for me. I have heard some antidepressants can help to loosen bowel movements as well so would be beneficial for my IBS-C.

      Thanks,

      Charlotte

  • Anguspug
    Anguspug charlotte44414

    Posted

    Hiya. Yes i gave very similar symptoms but slightly higher up on right. Sometimes it goes i to my back. I am in a lot of pain today and have been for about a week. Nothing g much seems to work for me. I too am looking for answers. Good luck to us all xx
    • charlotte44414
      charlotte44414 Anguspug

      Posted

      Hi, sorry to hear that you're suffering, especially for a week at a time! The worst pain tends to take place with the cramping which lasts around 4hrs for me, then for 3-4 days after I will have a sore tummy, with some minor cramping and feel full all the time along with losing my appetite a bit. Has your doctor prescribed antidepressants as Jan suggested above?

    • charlotte44414
      charlotte44414 Anguspug

      Posted

      I know the feeling rolleyes feel like I'm not taken seriously and they won't refer me to a specialist even though I've been having problems pretty much my whole life!

  • martin31040
    martin31040 charlotte44414

    Posted

    Hi Charlotte, I suffer with IBS in my opinion this is due to me having a redundant colon and slow transit, I tend to get alot of bloating pretty uncomfortable, but recently I started having Chia seeds I'm taking about 20 grams a day I soak them in water for a couple of hours and add this to drinks water and orange etc seems to be having a good effect on bloating and constipation, when you put Chia seed in water they go all slippy and sort of glutinous and go down real easy, don't know whether this is any help, you can check them out online.

    • charlotte44414
      charlotte44414 martin31040

      Posted

      Hi, thanks for the reply. I've heard good things about chia seeds, I may give them a try if I keep suffering. I read that the golden linseed/flaxseed oil I'm taking actually doesn't actually have as much fibre as the seeds, so I've purchased some of those and will try them out first!

  • sam18386
    sam18386 charlotte44414

    Posted

    Yippee another ibsc sufferer. I too have this, as your symptoms have changed I think see your doctor, if you have then try something called Kolanticon gel and I take something called Ranitidine to remove the sickness) nausea type feeling. Try that - the Ranitidine is called Zoflot by another name.
    • charlotte44414
      charlotte44414 sam18386

      Posted

      Hi, I just looked up Kolanticon gel on your recommendation and there are a lot of people swearing by it. If the antispasmodics don't work I may give it a try. How often do you take it?

    • charlotte44414
      charlotte44414 sam18386

      Posted

      Ah okay so just when you're having cramps....that's better than having to take tablets everyday!

    • james87669
      james87669 sam18386

      Posted

      Just to clear the record, Ranitidine is an antacid (Zantac). Zoloft is an antidepressant. Two very differant meds.
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