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Pain is scaring me, is this normal for IBS

Posted , 7 users are following.

someoneHere
someoneHere

Hello, first time posting here, I hope someone has advice for me.

I do suffer from hypochondria so as some of you may know any little pain will send me into panic. 

Since a couple of years ago I was 'diagnosed' with IBS. As in, not much testing apart from a blood and stool test and hearing my symptoms out. 

Two weeks ago I started having this dull ache in my right side and abdomen. And it was *constantly* there. I'd say it was 2 from a 10 scale. It was mainly my side and it radiated towards my hip, back and towards the center of my abdomen sometimes. Anyway go to the doctor, get a pelvic exam, doc says it's just my bowels acting up. Blood test and urine test (for smth else) come back normal. 

I then had a week off and was down with a cold so I didn't really move around much or go anywhere, didn't eat THAT much either, pain was almost none existent. But now since two days ago I have this gnawing feeling in my right upper quadrant, I assume it's where the bowel makes a turn, and it is scaring me so bad I'm scared to go to sleep, because it actually didn't let me sleep yesterday sad Occasionally the pain will jump to the lower quadrant on the same side, but it's pretty much just constant where it is. Earlier today I had some sharp painful jabs there as well which scared me even more. Yesterday I had a BM and it wasn't much and quite hard (sorry for TMI!), but today I had a BM and it was quite soft and fluffy, I don't understand sad after the BM the pain SORT OF subsided into this tingling, pin feeling but it's still there constantly. 

I know this sounds stupid to a lot of you who luckily don't suffer from health anxiety, but all my brain is saying yep your colon is getting blocked by a tumor, that's why the constant pain in one place sad I both want to and don't want to go back to the GP, but I'm pretty sure they'll just roll their eyes at me and tell me not to waste their time. Which I feel I do, even though I don't see them that often! 

I just want advice, I'm pretty sure IBS flare ups shouldn't last for weeks sad  

0 likes, 40 replies

40 Replies

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  • Nickie54
    Nickie54 someoneHere

    Posted

    Hello... Don't b sooo hard on yourself.. I to have some of your same issues .. So you are not alone... Just take a deep breath and say to yourself it's just my aniexty health issues taking me to the dark side... Don't believe it.. Do you take anything for your health aniexty..You must remember that u just had test and they were normal.. And yes I have IBS also sounds like classic symptoms of IBS...  It can act up over just the simplest things.. Stress ..Aniexty.. Change in diet.. Nerves..etc.. Take your pick.. Hang in there u will b ok..Post when u need to...🤗💞😇

    • someoneHere
      someoneHere Nickie54

      Posted

      thanks for the kind words; oh if only it was so easy! I think I'd be dealing with HA a bit easier if it was the classic type, I actually have issues and lumps all around. Seems can't relax for one second sad i was on two different anti-depressants but they didn't do much. I know it doesn't take a lot to poke at ibs but i never have any gut related pains stick around for this long sad 

  • martin31040
    martin31040 someoneHere

    Posted

    Hi, IBS can give you all sorts or gut and digestive issues, and continuous, seems anything is possible, I wouldn't worry to much, do you take probiotics? or eat fermented foods, could you get something for your anxiety, like amitriptyline say.

    • someoneHere
      someoneHere martin31040

      Posted

      Hiya, no I do not take probiotics not on a regular basis anyway. When I did take them I never noticed any significant difference but I suppose you'd have to take them for a while to notice anything. As I mentioned to the previous poster, I was on two different ADs, small doses of citalopram and an upped dose of sertraline. Both of which I came off of as they had 0 effect in the long run. 

    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 someoneHere

      Posted

      You need to be on probiotics for a month before you judge whether they are helping or not.
    • someoneHere
      someoneHere pippa58442

      Posted

      Fair enough, how often do you need to take them though? Is once a day enough or should you take more?
    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 someoneHere

      Posted

      There will be dosage instructions on the box that contains the probiotics.  Just follow the directions for use.
  • sam18386
    sam18386 someoneHere

    Posted

    Hi someone Here, I think having read your post you seem to have uncharacteristic IBS signs as the pain is down your RIGHT hand side, IBS sufferers will tell you the pain hits the left hand side. You may have grumbling appendix instead. Your doctor is wrong to just suggest ibs, see another doctor and have this checked out, let us know how you get on.
    • martin31040
      martin31040 sam18386

      Posted

      Hi, yes grumbling appendix, very good advice to see dr again.
    • someoneHere
      someoneHere sam18386

      Posted

      Hello, you see this is what confuses me are there even characteristic ibs signs?? I've read so many articles and they list different things, including plenty of them mentioning that right side pain is quite common too? And is grumbling appendix the same as appendicitis, as in the stuff that you HAVE to go to hospital for? Surely that's pain that goes from your navel to the right, that's not the pain I'm experiencing so I'm preeeetty sure it's not that (not complaining - I'd rather avoid scalpels if possible). I've been to multiple doctors, mind you in the same clinic. 

  • karen89380
    karen89380 someoneHere

    Posted

    Not stupid at all! You have the classic symptoms of IBS. I suffer from the same. I often get pain in my lower left quadrant due to a build up of gas and constipation. Once I have a normal BM, the pain goes away. I take Miralax to keep from getting constipated. Try to drink plenty of water and eat fruits and vegetables. Also as much as I love red meat it tends to make me very bloated and gassy so you try to minimize this and eat chicken. I live Mexican food too but I have to avoid that as much as possible too. Walking is good too- gets things moving! Good luck!
    • someoneHere
      someoneHere karen89380

      Posted

      Hi, I think i wouldn't be AS worried if it was mainly on the left side as it's obviously closer to the back passage and if I have pain on that side, I'm quite sure I just have blocked up guts. Which proves itself in a painful way later sorry tmi LOL I had a BM today (again very mush so I don't know whether I'm still constipated down the way or what...) and the pain sort of shifted to a more diffuse burny type of pain. Few hours later now I'm back to having those stabby pains on the top/lower right and the constant gnawing feeling on the upper right. 

      I will say my diet is not the best, I definitely eat way too much sugar because of my anxiety, but I usually know when my gut does something stupid because of food. I do like a good occasional bowl of chili not going to lie! I barely eat ANY red meat, it's usually either chicken or turkey. I'm alright active through most days as I work in a shop and I'm on my feet all day. 

    • karen89380
      karen89380 someoneHere

      Posted

      Sometimes I will have feelings of constipation and left side pain but then have gas and loose stools which makes no sense to me. I just had the rectocele surgery a week ago and that is hopefully going to fix the problem.

      I am also not so good with the sugar and I love a good bowl of chili! Beans are the worst though!! I just started drinking a lot more water and that definitely helps!

    • someoneHere
      someoneHere karen89380

      Posted

      Just wanted to say hopefully you are recovering well after the surgery! Haha you see I always thought I was weird because I don't think beans do anything to me, no gas no nothing! I jinxed it didn't I smile I will be honest like most people I think I definitely don't have enough water throughout the day and I know that in itself can cause a rainbow of problems but I just don't enjoy chugging down 8 glasses of water each day. Only did that for weight loss and still didn't get used to it!

  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 someoneHere

    Posted

    IBS flare ups can last for weeks and even months!  My first IBS flare lasted 3 and a half months.  IBS pain can move about.  My IBS pain sometimes starts on the left and then moves to the middle and right and into my back.  Other times, it can start in the middle or right.  I have also had sharp stabbing pain, dull pain, deep grinding pain and neuralgic pain.  Does the pain improve temporarily after a bowel movement?  Does food or streas set it off?  Try a food diary.

    I would also ask for an ultrasound of your gallbladder and a HIDA scan because your pain is focused on your right side. Keep going back to your doctor if you feel you need more tests.  However, IBS doesn’t show on any test or scan because it is functional.

    • someoneHere
      someoneHere pippa58442

      Posted

      Hi, well that's comforting to know it can last for months haha The thing is I pretty much never have any 'pain' at all - I do have the rare bout of heartburn and gas build up but that's different. My BMs can be all over the place though, I don't think I could classify myself as either ibsd or c. Think i wouldn't be worried if this pain would move position all over, but it's only jumping within my right side, that's what keeps me thinking it's a bloody tumor blocking up traffic and causing pain sad As I mentioned to a previous poster my pain temporarily switched to a more burning diffuse sort of pain after going to the loo today, but now it's back to what it was. Haha I think my whole body is constantly set off by stress, the joy of having health anxiety! I don't think I'm set off by any specific foods, like one day I could have a coffee just fine the next week it'll block my guts up. 

      You see because I AM a hypochondriac they will not send me for tests, I can guarantee you that sad especially when they already did gallbladder/liver bloods and they apparently showed nothing.  This is the problem with HA, one day you will actually hit a really bad problem and the doctors will simply ignore you because it's all in your head! And the next day you're dead and no one gives a toss. But anyway, I checked some anatomy pictures and my pain seems to be lower than where the gallbladder is, so I don't think that's it? Mind you whenever I get those rare bouts of heartburn between my shoulder blades I keep thinking something is wrong with that gallbladder. I'd like to just keep going back to the doctor again, but even though my brain wants to I try to limit myself as much as possible, considering in what state the nhs is. I'll only go when my brain REALLY can't cope and I'll still get told off.

    • someoneHere
      someoneHere pippa58442

      Posted

      Problem being how do you tell whether its that or simply an episode of heartburn?
    • pippa58442
      pippa58442 someoneHere

      Posted

      An endoscopy would show up gastritis or your doctor may be be able to diagnose it based on your symptoms.  I was diagnosed with a weak oesophageal sphincter years ago after an endoscopy showed nothing so I know that my heartburn is caused by GERD and not gastritis. 
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