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Not Convinced

Posted , 11 users are following.

ashtnren
ashtnren

Hi everyone. I have recently been diagnosed with IBS ,but I feel like the doctor is just diagnosing me with something so Ill leave her alone. I have upper right and left quadrant pain (feels like tender ab muscles). I go back and fourth between diarrhea and constipation. When I do have diarrhea it floats or looks greasy as if I am having malabsorption issues. I am more convinced I have pancreatitis ,but within the past year i have had multiple sonograms (most recent being a few weeks ago), and one CT which showed that everything looked normal. I also have blood in my stool from time to time (I have had a colonoscopy which also showed everything looked normal). All my blood work which looks at pancreatic and liver enzymes are all clean as well. From my understanding IBS pain is more in the lower quadrant correct? Does IBS also cause malabsorption issues? Has anyone else experienced these symptoms? Im driving myself and my family crazy because ive been battling these issues for so long and am not satisfied with this diagnosis. I feel that I may need a second opinion. 

0 likes, 15 replies

15 Replies

  • STEWAG
    STEWAG ashtnren

    Posted

    I also go in between being constipated or having diarrhea and get pains in the same places and get bloated every time I eat something. I’ve also had blood in my stools as well. It took me a while but I started to notice fried food, anything cooked with oil and food that contains lots fats made my stymptoms a lot worse. I’ve had most tests done (colonoscopy and gastroscopy, stool samples etc) and everything looked normal so over time I’ve just tried to cut out certain foods that make me ill. Making a food diary helps a lot to but if you think there is still something other than your body just not accepting certain types of food then I would say keep going back to your doctor because they can refer you to specialists. Hope some of this helps smile 
  • caz19600
    caz19600 ashtnren

    Posted

    I get stress induced IBS but I was told pain can occur anywhere in the abdomet. Alot get it lower side but some get it in upper. I've had pains in the lower quadrant and upper left just below my ribcage.

    I would have thought if it were pancreatitis it would have shown up in your test results. Not sure about the malabsorption issues as in my case I don't have that. I get either really bad constipation or lose stool's, with occasional diarreah and mucus discharge.

  • leeniepie
    leeniepie ashtnren

    Posted

    Sounds like classic IBS to me. Abdo pain can be anywhere.

    Pancreatitis would have shown on the tests.

  • Legend13
    Legend13 ashtnren

    Posted

    I too have almost exactly the same symptoms that you describe. All my pain is in the upper abdomen. My GI is 99% certain it’s IBS pain. Iv had ultrasound and endoscopy and I’m booked in for a colonoscopy to confirm his suspicions. 
  • richard12787
    richard12787 ashtnren

    Posted

    IBS cannot be diagnosed it's only after everything else has been ruled out doctors can only guess it's IBS

    • patricia43624
      patricia43624 richard12787

      Posted

      Yes I most certainly agree with you ti's the big umbrella that they put up I think sometimes to shut you up!!  When I first went to the Dr in agony I was told I was suffering from stress related stomach cramps due to the fact that my husband had died.  Returned to the GP nine months later who simply said I will refer you.  Gastroenterologist diagnosed me as fructose malabsorption due to the fact that I ate too much fruit- she said three pieces max!  Then another Dr said it was IBS but turned out that I also had a rare spigellian hernia!

       

    • ashtnren
      ashtnren patricia43624

      Posted

      I’m so sorry you had to go through that but glad you finally found your right diagnosis! Frustrating!!! 
  • amandahc
    amandahc ashtnren

    Posted

    hi ashtnren. I am 74 and was diagnosed with what they then called a lazy bowel when I was 20. I have spent my life with various problems and symptoms and diagnosis and had cameras inspecting the bowel and took part in three 3 monthly colon cancer screening programs which involved me sending stool smears to the testing centre in UK. i took colafac when I had the dreadful spasms and was either constipated or suffered diarrhoea most of my life. Finally I gave up bread. All bread and since then my symptoms have disappeared. This has been the situation for the past 3 years. I have no idea if my experience is similar to other peoples, I can still eat cakes or pastries just not bread, or any other products with yeast in them. So I urge everyone who has not tried it to immediately give up the bread etc for at least a month and see if there is an improvement. Hope this helps, I know how awful it is to worry about those symptoms so my thoughts are with  you .
    • ashtnren
      ashtnren amandahc

      Posted

      Thanks for the advice, I have actually been told that by someone else and am seriously considering trying the gluten free thing to see if it helps at all.
    • amandahc
      amandahc ashtnren

      Posted

      ty Ashtnren. They tend to lump it all as gluten, but  I am not gluten intolerant, just seems yeast is the baddie in my case? Good luck, sometimes simple remedies can work alongside the professional ones. None of the numerous specialists I have seen in the past fifty years ever suggested I give up bread!!!! I suppose now with the gluten thing they probably would !! Lastly I noticed that before the camera examinations etc I had to irrigate the colon,, I was so much better after that presumably before I started eating bread again which apparantly can stay in the bowel for ages,, all a bit disgusting I know but point is if it didnt harm my colon I would have def considered this irrigation they advertise
  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 ashtnren

    Posted

    Your symptoms sound very like IBS especially since everything else is negative.  It is very common to doubt your diagnosis.  I would believe and trust your doctor and accept your diagnosis.  As soon as I accepted my IBS, my symptoms got better.  Your doctor is the expert!  Some people find that they get undigested food in their stools with IBS.  Food not absorbing properly is common with IBS.

     

  • matthew_82030
    matthew_82030 ashtnren

    Posted

    Same here. Every single test negative. Diarrhea, cramps/pain anywhere from the upper abdo to lower, gurgling and tons of gas (sometimes horrendous smelling) and all Im told is IBS. Tried FODMAP. Didnt really help. Some days are worse then others. Try to stay as positive as you can. But if everything is normal then its what they call a "functional bowel disorder" which translates to IBS. Also look in SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), apparently a large amount of us IBSers are actually suffering from SIBO.

  • teri76755
    teri76755 ashtnren

    Posted

    I have very similar symptoms and pain is mostly upper right or left. Just under the lowest rib and yes, there’s pain to the touch. Ive had abdominal CT, numerous ultrasounds & blood work. All fine. I’ve read that the intestine has bend or flexure (so?) points in these areas so it’s a common spot for IBS pain. I get constipation followed by diarrhea, which usually resolves the pain. On the constipated days the pain will radiate to my back and actually cause sciatic pain too. The bout of diarrhea will improve all of these symptoms. So strange!  I started taking a fiber supplement and cutting out foods like raw veggies and popcorn. I noticed symptoms were worse when I ate those foods. Stress is a huge trigger for me for this cycle to begin. Exercise helps a lot too! Good luck!  

    • ashtnren
      ashtnren teri76755

      Posted

      Yes that does sound very familiar to me! Its such a vicious cycle.......the more these symptoms occur the more I get anxious and then the worse they get. I feel like this last bout has lasted several weeks. 
    • teri76755
      teri76755 ashtnren

      Posted

      My symptomatic times can last that long too. I’ll go a few weeks feeling pretty tough and if I look back on it I can usually identify situations that caused me an unusual amount of stress at that time. 
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