ISO help from group about chronic undiagnosed stomach issues
Posted , 3 users are following.
Hello,
Turning to the internet for help as the docs have not been very helpful.The ffollowing is for a close friend (29 y/o female):
About a year ago she had a UTI which was treated with a round of antibiotics and everything cleared up. To combat the usual stomach issues associated with antibiotic use, she immediately began the probiotic yogurts and a concentrated probiotic supplement. It is now a year later and the stomach issue persist worse than ever.
Symptoms are as follows:
Constipation and diharhea (all within the same day).
CONSTANT stomach pains (every single day). Seem to be worse in the mornings and sometimes worsened by food (not always). When it gets really bad she gets radiating/shooting pain around and onto her lower back. Sensitive to pressure on stomach during the more intense stomach episodes.
She has gone for just about all the tests: Endoscopy, blood work, ultrasound (all reported as "normal"
. Has tried 3 or 4 different probiotics (no effect), has tried 2 different spasmolytics which are often helpful with IBS symptoms (no effect), has tried 1 anti-anxiety treatment (just put her to sleep, no effect on pain). Has been on a glutten free diet for almost 3 months no, not getting any better. The last visit to her GI Specialist she was told there is nothing more I can do for you and was sent home.
Looking for ANYONE that has maybe had themselves or a friend that had similar issues. I know there is no test for IBS and its a fall back once everything else comes back clear/normal but at this point I think SOMETHING between the meds and the glutten free diet should have had some effect.
Any suggestions welcome. Thank you in advance.
0 likes, 9 replies
pippa58442 zoink540
Posted
IBS is very hard to treat. What antispasmodics have been tried? You may have to try several to see what one suits. There are many probiotics on the market and so you will need to trial several to find one that works. You will have to be on them for months to judge their effect. Gut targeted hypnosis helps to relax the intestine in some people. Also try fodmap with the help of a dietician. Change your specialist; your current one should not have given up so easily. Don't worry, there are still many options availale to you.
Mebeverine and peppermint made my IBS worse but Buscopan and Nurofen worked. Try food allergy testing. Has your specialist mentioned or even diagnosed IBS?
zoink540 pippa58442
Posted
I am not sure of the exact antispasmotics that were tried other than she is on her 2nd one now. Buscopan might have been the first one as it sounds familiar. Low fodmap was tried for about a month and her dietician mentioned if it was going to work she would have seen some alleviation of symptoms as low fodmap is not meant to be sustained for prolonged periods.
So far found SAMe supplements (thanks to Dr. Google) which might in a round about way help (due to alleviation of anxiety) but the pills have not been shipped yet. And where we live, $400 for comprehensive food allergy test is something we are putting money aside for.
pippa58442 zoink540
Posted
Ask your doctor about Colefac, Spasmonal and Bentyl if her second anti spasmodic doesn't work. You could also try silicogel if it is available in the US.
sanya11314 pippa58442
Posted
I second probiotics anytime.
You need to be on them for very long and some especially probiotic powders or in capsules do not have life cultures, are meant for a quick fix (being present is enough to keep bad guys in guts in check), they do not always successfully multiply AND colonize in the guts, they often get out just like that. So once stopped, that's it.
You need to take life cultures (as well) if you try to encourage colonalization of the guts (fortified yoghurts, powders that give activation instructions or say 'life cultrues'
, but it takes months to stick to the gut wall if at all.
Then again, the flora can get disturbed easily again. Hence:
Probiotics are a dialy routine for anyone with gut issues and it cannot harm. You can take them continuously forever. Also swap brands, after two months this, take another one, read the label, the ingredients and numbers are very, very different, also the instructions how to take. If it didn't help, it didn't harm.
Please stick to them, constantly anyway, for combating overgrowth with bad guys, for combating absorption problems, for support of general gut health.
Also second peppermint, I as a non-abdominal person took a peppermint oil capsule (oh so good for IBS) prior adminisering to my daughter, who is in huge abdominal cramping pain in one spot (not IBS though),
I got so much pain from it and a really burning poop.
No way I would give that.
We do take Magnesium Citrate as levels were low (hair sample, over time exposure rather than one off blood test. In blood the level should always be quite in a tight range in order to live), which had a positive effect on bowel movements (no more constipation).
pippa58442 sanya11314
Posted
sanya11314 pippa58442
Posted
Oh dear.
Yes, odd isn't it how different we react. Some people swear by peppermint tea and oil, others have no effect or even worse than without.
But that's the essence I get anyway, that one needs to collect as many suggestions as possible from different people all around the globe and then proceed what seems right and trial and error (within limits) knowing, that it might not turn out the same as for others.
(I have an abdomen btw, haha, but I have "no abdominal pain", that's what I wanted to write up there, I have no reflux and this peppermint oil thingy, wow,....burn my guts out for a spring clean. I don't know how anyone with abdominal issues can stand that.)
pippa58442 sanya11314
Posted
sanya11314 pippa58442
Posted
but I think they don't want this edit button, because one could edit the content, not only typos, and the replies not fitting to that post then.
Happens to everyone, so, it's ok. (There is also no 'spell check', really easy for many typos to slip through.)
pippa58442 sanya11314
Posted