IBS or IBD
Posted , 5 users are following.
Hey guys Im new & hoping someone out there can offer me some advice as I am at my wits end. I have been having bowel issues for around 18 months, Recurrent Diarrhea, LOTS of mucus with some small amounts of blood occasionally & left sided cramps before & during movements which have gradually been getting worse. Been back & forth to my Dr. Blood tests are fine, Had 2 calprotectin tests (both were borderline just above 60,), Had a colonoscopy in Jan, All looked good & healthy but biopsys taken showed some mild inflammation. Been to Docs again this week & been perscribed imodium (again) I'v been having a 'flare' for a couple weeks now, Im currently going to toilet 4/6 times a day on average, The pains are so bad, I feel sickly & Im so tired & just really lacking energy. .
I should add my mother was diagnosed with colitis in her early 30's (I'm 32) & both my parents have had bowel cancer, ( My mum currently is going through treatment & my father passed away 2 years ago) so bowel problems are not unknown to us. Basically my doctors aren't given me any answers anymore & I just don't know where to go from here, My pains have been more severe recently & the tiredness is a new symptom. I'm currently awaiting a referral appointment back to my specialist. I guess I'm just looking for advice & experience from other sufferers to what is going on with me for sure, Or if theres any other tests I should be asking about. Thanks for any advice!
0 likes, 5 replies
ibdhell12345 lisa54978
Posted
Checked with dietitian dietitian....
Good luck, you're not alone!!
lisa54978
Posted
I have been looking into diet recently & keeping a food journal. I had come across the FODMAP diet, I will google SCD, I try to maintain a healthy diet as much as possible but I do know I am unable to tolerate wine
& caffeine so diet is definitely an area I'm more than willing to look into.
ibdhell12345 lisa54978
Posted
Read breaking the vicious cycle, Google scd legal list. Read John hunter diet if it's UC.
With dietitian support try this. Just baked fruit no seeded fruit and only very ripe bananas , cooked veg, salad,boiled eggs and boiled white meat for 2 weeks. No potato, sugar, caffeine or any processed foods..if symptoms reduce then you know, breaking the cycle says it can.take 2 years of strict diet to rid yourself of the illness
Dangerous without dietitian support... Wheat, milk, sugars, starch ( potatoes / rice) can all be trigger triggers, but with with, for example bread it can take 7 days before it effects you...it builds up. Mine escalated from what you had to UC, drugs destroyed me, especially steroids and it was diet that reduced things alot, but I had to go extreme because of pain.
ibdhell12345 lisa54978
Posted
With dietitian help try a 2 weeks baked fruit, nothing seeded, boiled veg, salad, eggs, boiled white meat for example and it may give you an idea if it's food. Wheat, sugars, starch, milk are main 4 triggers I find...problem is it can take over a week before they effect you when consuming
Good luck
looloo43 lisa54978
Posted
Sounds like colitis to me (I have it too). Common for it to run in families & you are at higher risk of progression the more people in your close family that have had colitis & bowel cancer, so really important you are properly monitored & treated to reduce risk of progression. You mention you had a colonoscopy in jan, gastro dept at hosp should give you a follow up appointment with consultant or IBD nurse as a minimum - ring the hospital gastro secretary if you haven't - quicker than asking your gp to follow up. Imodium alone won't settle your flare, its only to hold back diarrhhea & not recommended for long term everyday use anyway. The gastro dept should provide you with a treatment plan & put you on "proper" medication if they decide it's colitis & MAKE SURE you tell consultant you family history with bowel related illness so they can monitor you properly. excessive tiredness is common with colitis too. I cannot digest fruit or veg so sadly have had to elimate them from diet, also onion, chives, any salad leaves except iceberg lettuce, medium spiced or over rich foods (eg sauces, marinades) make my symptoms worse but everyone is different. milk is a lifesaver for me if I feel sickly or no appetite, but for some people milk makes them worse. so a bit of trial & error. I understand IBS is more affected by diet than colitis (an autoimmune disease). Hope this helps, & chase up the gastroenterology dept at hosp. take care.