Needing help!

Do you have any pain or upper mid stomach or beside belly button. I have all your symptoms except weight loss and loose stools. I also have dull back pain and mild pain under left ribs and sometimes right ribs. Also the dull ache in different areas of upper stomach and sometimes burning in upper stomach. I am 37 and have had this for 3 months:-( getting a bunch of test done but doctor thinks ibs as well.

I think that IBS stands for "I'm basically stymied" in doctor speak.

i have two things for you. first if you like to do some tests go to family doctor or nurse, they order any test you want to any Lab. you prefer.don't go to your specialist....... secound i have suggestion as i have experiance in these disorders

STOP eating bread or any product (specialy processed food or at rusturant) containing wheat for two weeks and substitute by steam yams and and

squash and chicken breast. if you get improvment that mean you have

gluten sensitvity.

My best wishs

 

Hi Gem,

posted with you a while ago with busabasher's problems if you remember...You are in the same position I was around feb. Being left in limbo after tests waiting for next consultant appt, then try another med & so it went on. All that time I was suffering, & off work & came very close to losing my job because of time off sick. I felt my consultant wasn't taking notice of the gravity of my ongoing symptoms & how it was affecting my basic everyday living. I decided to see the PALS (patient advice & liaison service) at my local hospital. I typed my history of tests, consultants appts summaries & conclusions, & all the issues I still had like no progress, long waits between tests & appointments, not being listened to properly, have they considered other problems etc. I wrote I wanted to make an informal complaint - I was not out to get anyone into trouble- just wanted progress. I made an appointment with the lady at PALS who agreed I should make a complaint & took it up on my behalf. Within 2wks, I saw my consultant for 45mins with a rep from the complaints dept. The result was sending me for a sehcat test, fructose malabsorption test, & I also asked for a faecal elastase test which was granted. I proved positive on my sehcat test (bile acid malabsorption) & positive for fructose malabsorption. Not heard faecal elastase yet. I see a gastro dietician next month to help with an ibs-d/fructose free diet, & was put on med for bile acid malabsorption about 5wks ago. I have seen more improvement in last 3wks than last 6mths(about 80% better). I see my gastro consultant next month. I still have constant bloating, physical tiredness & mild-moderate pain upper left rib area, but am so much better otherwise & went back to work on reduced hours last week. I would urge you Gem, to do the same as I did - go & see your PALS at hosp with a typed document of your history & issues & that you still have & that you are justified in asking for those 3 tests you have been declined for due to your ongoing symptoms. My action through PALS was driven by my desperation & you seem to be at that point now. It did make them sit up & listen & consider other things, & as a result I have syptoms much better controlled now. Good luck hun'. Will follow your progress.....

Hi all, after some advice and help again.

Pain is continuing on my left side, after eating is worse. And now my right side under ribs is playing up in between the pain on my left (they never appear at the same time)

The develops recently are that I have a calcium deficiency and for the past 5 days my stools have turned YELLOW and have even more undigested food in them (if that's possible!) but it's not diarrhoea they are still skinny semi formed stools but then I get the looser stuff towards the end.

My dr says normal, don't worry etc just IBS! Well I am worrying as I've done my internet research and I know what yellow stools could mean. I asked my dr for a feacal fat test he said specialist test and he cannot do it (I'm in the UK) is he correct? Can a GP not order a faecal fat test??

I'm getting really down now. I'm eating tiny portions, I'm scared to eat incase it hurts. I'm drinking smoothies and soups in the hope it won't aggravate anything!

Any ideas or experiences will be gratefully received as I am pulling my hair out!!

Thank you. Gem

Hi Gem,

Did you read the 20 replies to your last post?? My last post to you suggested you contact PALS, as you are going round in circles getting knowhere. take care & good luck.

Hi Gem,

It sounds like you are getting a bit of co-operation out of your doc & consultant from you post today; great news they're going to do sehcat test at last, & your doc is doing something too. You may not need to use PALS after all if things are being done to help diagnose/treat you now. I only used them because nothing was happening, & it was months before I was due to see consultant again, but worth knowing they are there to help you if progression comes to a halt again. By the way Gem, I didnt think you were rude, its just I read all replies I get, you never know what could be helpful, & people have taken the time to try & help.What tablets has the doc given you for a week to try?

Hi Gem, with the bam before treatment, I used to get chronic diarrea, stomach pain & cramping, loads of noise from entire abdomen - gurgling, squeaking, sounded like a firework party at times, fizzing, bubbling sensation in stomach & bowels for few hours after eating, internal soreness of rectum(due to chronic irritation from bam) internal soreness felt where colon lies. I still get : random short waves of nausea, extreme fatigue/easily tire, & chronic bloating which worsens as the day goes on which is more uncomfortable than painful most of the time. By the time I go to bed there is usually some pain caused by the bloating & is worse in my left upper quadrant, but I have a feeling the pain is caused by increasing pressure as the day goes on from the chronic bloating. If feels like a pressure pain, like I am going to burst sometimes. Bear in mind though I also have colitis (controlled presently by meds) & ibs-d & fructose malabsorption which I am waiting to see a specialist gastro dietician at end of july, so the chronic bloating could be related to those conditions too. I still get tired very easily (but I have only been back at work a few weeks after months of sickness) & get mild tummy ache in the morning until I have had a couple of bowel movements & taken my bam med. I have been on esomeprazole 20mg for a couple of years, & it does nothing for the bloating for me, but if I don't take it I get acid tummy & reflux in throat during the night, so I continue with it. I see my gastro consultant on 1st july & I am going to ask him about the bloating & related discomfort I want to ask him about buscopan (an ibs med that supposed to help with bloating & spasming/pain) & possible use of certain probiotics I have read about - symprove & vsl#3 which are very expensive, but proven to help with intestinal illnesses. I will let you know what he says about all of these- he may have used them in other patients. Let me know how you get on with lansoprazole after your week on them is up. sometimes similar medicines are made slightly differently & can make a difference to how/if they work . take care, looloo x