Please help, IBS- severe diarrhoea, hot sweats, faint, cramps
Posted , 12 users are following.
Hi everyone I am a 28 year old female, I am diagnosed with IBS. With this is have a mix of diarrhoea and constipation, I get wind, daily stomach cramps, nausea and low back pain. I deal with anxiety, I was housebound for 8 years and have started going out over the last 3, my anxiety does make my daily ibs worse.
However every 8 months or so I would have very severe episodes (I do not know whether this is due to IBS or something else so would like to hear if this happens to anyone else) where I have really bad cramps and urgency to go to the toilet, when I get to the loo I have very bad diarrhoea that won't stop, I start sweating profusely and feel very faint to the point I am too weak to sit on the toilet, I end up falling off the toilet onto the floor and have to take all my clothes off. I find it hard to get back onto the toilet even though I am still having bad diarrhoea, as I am so weak and faint, I have passed out before from this too.
As I said before this would only happen every so often, I'd say 8 months or so, however on the 1st jan this happened again and I had to shout to my boyfriend to help me (which was very embarrassing lying on the floor naked having terrible diarrhoea and feeling boiling and faint) this happened again on the 11th jan which has sent me into a complete anxious state. Usually this wouldn't happen so close together, I don't even know if this is a severe case of IBS or something else entirely. I am scared to go out, I have started uni and I am terrified to go in in case this happens as it's not just urgent diarrhoea it's the fact I am having to take my clothes off as I start sweating and passing out on the floor, I can't do this outside my home, this is really horrible for me when I'm a recovering agoraphobic. I wasn't overly anxious on these days so I really don't feel it is linked to that.
I have been eating very healthily since the episode on Jan 1st, mainly salmon and white rice... so am not sure if it's linked to diet as it used to only happen infrequently... I am a scared to eat now though as it doesn't seem to matter what I eat to have these episodes.
I'd like to hear if anyone else has this happen to them with IBS or if they know it's something else causing it.
My mum has severe ulcerative colitis so I worry about developing this too. I have had celiac tests before when I was diagnosed with IBS.
Any help would be appreciated, I am of course going to talk to my dr too but wanted to see if this is something any of you deal with.
Thank you
0 likes, 24 replies
Marina_Dee Pixiee
Posted
Pixiee have you cut all dairy products out of your diet? If you havent,that may help.
Pixiee Marina_Dee
Posted
Hello thank you for your reply, yes I have, I never have milk I drink oat milk and I have tried cutting dairy out altogether with no luck. During these two episodes I hadn;t had dairy.
I am also on ibs medication (I hadn't been diagnosed when these episodes started so wasn't on meciation when I initally had episodes like this) I am currently on mebeverine and amitriptyline, I do have buscopan sometimes too.
I don't understant what would cause such severe episodes but it's worrying me.
pippa58442 Pixiee
Posted
Try to stay as calm as possible. Anxiety and stress is a major cause of IBS; controlling these factors helps a lot. I found when I was busy with other things, my symptoms got better. Try not to focus on the cause of your IBS. Distraction techniques can really help such as a hobby of light exercise such as walking.
sam18386 Pixiee
Posted
hi pixiee, i think you need deeper help than just cutting foods/foodgroups out of your diet. insist on seeing a dietitian, keep your diet bland and add in only multivitamins to help you to have something good in your diet to combat your loss of vitamins through diarrhoea. you will faint if you have diarrhoea, you need a salt type solution stuff to put the salts back, you could ask for immodium, but see your doctor 1st i suggest. look after you, take immodium as an anti diarrhoeal. good luck, oh and sort you stress levels so your bowel stops getting ill. it may help you.
Pixiee sam18386
Posted
Thank you for your reply.
I will try to get a referral to a dietician, I will call my dr asap.
I am assuming it is to do with my ibs and nothing else more sinister. It's just odd as I used to have the episodes every 8 months or so. My ibs would carry on the same but then I'd get the severe eposides, so I assumed they were to do with my ibs. I am not sure what else could cause something like this though. It's just worried me how quickly it happened again.
I took immodium when it happened on jan 1st then took some so i could get to uni, then it happened again on jan 11 and i took immodium after that episode.
Thank you again for your help
linda41419 Pixiee
Posted
Hi Pixie ,
I am so sorry to hear you are experiencing this . Make sure to replace your electrolytes during these episodes . I ended up with septic shock from excessive diarrhea and hospitalized for a week . I take Dicyclomine for cramps , it's the only thing that works for pain and stops the diarrhea. I hope this helps . Also Miralax works wonders for constipation without causing diarrhea.
Pixiee linda41419
Posted
Hi Linda, thank you for your reply.
I took a sachet of electrolytes after my episode on jan 1st but forgot on the 11th I should probably take another sachet! That sounds horrible ending up in hospital, I will make sure to take them every time I have a bad episode!
Have you had episodes like I've explained where you have major cramps followed by extreme diarrhea with profuse sweating and weakness/feeling faint so end up on your bathroom floor or even pass out? I literally have to take all my clothes off when it happens and can't get back on the toilet through sheer weakness.
I am finding it hard to find anyone who has the same thing and it's worrying me that it's something more serious.
Thank you for suggesting Dicyclomine I will look into that!
linda41419 Pixiee
Posted
Hi Pixiee ,
My severe episode that led to hospitalization was brought on by taking just one antibiotic pill (Augmenten ) . It has a side effect of diarrhea and with IBS shouldn't be taken , for me anyway . I try to stay away from all antibiotics . i did have extreme nausea , vomiting , weakness , dizziness and finally my legs wouldn't work anymore so my daughter called 911 . I always have pain before any bowel movements, sometimes severe . this is caused from a mesh that covers my entire abdomen . This was placed in me during a botched surgery 15 years ago . The mesh has adhered to my large and small intestines and they are in a loose knot last time they checked . I do know that any form of alcohol causes symptoms with IBS and of course any form of stress . I'm thinking maybe Tramadol could work for you because it's not derived from Morphine . Just be very careful with tramadol because it also works like an anti-depressant and you can get Serotonin overload if not taken carefully with certain medications . Your symptoms are worrisome and sound serious . I think you should see your Doc ASAP . You shouldn't have to live this way . I'll keep you in my prayers . hugs Linda
Pixiee linda41419
Posted
I'm sorry to head that, it sounded like a horrible situation!
As for alcohol, don't drink so I don't have to worry about that affecting anything.
I spoke to my dr on the phone today, he wants to see me in the next two weeks and possibly refer me for a colonoscopy.
Thank you for your kind words
anthony51986 Pixiee
Posted
h i have you tried buscopan for the pain. kaolin morphine , if you can get it
Pixiee anthony51986
Posted
Hi Anthony,
yes I am on prescription medication mebeverine and amitriptlyine for my ibs but also take buscopan, this however doesn't stop these episodes and it doesn't touch the pain when these episodes hit.
During these severe episodes I find it hard to talk and can't get to my medication as I collapse on the bathroom floor, lukily during one episode my boyfriend was there to bring me some anti diarreah medication, he had to put it in my mouth as I was too hot and weak to even take the medication myself.
I think I'm allergic to morphine unfortunately, I had a skin rash when I was in hospital after the gave me morphine once so they said it's probably an allergy to that! Very annoying as I'm sure it can help pain a lot.
lauren_150699 Pixiee
Posted
Hi Pixie,
First off, I'm so sorry to hear that you're having to deal with this, I know how awful episodes like that can be. I can totally relate with the agoraphobia because of IBS - currently struggling myself with that!!
If your episodes are that bad I would go back to the doctor and ask to see a gastro specialist - as people have mentioned severe diarrheoa like that can be dangerous. They might also be able to help a bit more specifically on diet and recommending things to cut out that might trigger these episodes. I've cut out dairy and gluten completely and am also low FODMAP which has helped with really bad episodes, but there might be a different food for you that might be triggering it.
I hope you get to the bottom of it and I know it can be really debilitating, but just know you are not alone!
Pixiee lauren_150699
Posted
Thank you so much Lauren,
I have struggled with panic attacks and anxiety since I was very young and then became housebound with agoraphobia for 8 years, the IBS I think has been a result of all of the anxiety, but it's so frustrating as I am only newly trying to recover from agoraphobia so these extreme attacks have really scared me and made me really anxious about leaving my home... which is just not what I need when I'm struggling to go out as it is!
I am sorry to hear you also have been struggling with agoraphobia related to IBS.
I will go back to my dr, I was previously referred to a gastro specialist but they didn't do much testing so I think I need to go back and have more in depth tests.
I have also cut out dairy and have tested cutting gluten out too.
I just don't know why i'd have these more severe episodes every 8 months or so, then have two so close together, i don't understand what would cause them to be so bad.
Have you ever had attacks like this where youre sweating and weak so collapse on the floor and feel to weak to get back onto the toilet even though youve got diarreah? I just would like to find someone who at least has had similar experiences as I am worried in case it's something more serious causing it.
audrey32349 Pixiee
Posted
hi Pixiee I know what you mean exactly about being so weak and sweating profusely along with falling on floor.
Usually it is brought on by a certain food or med. Have IBS for 55 years and it gets worse over time. I have severe food and med intolerances and can barely eat anything any more. Start from scratch and slowly add a tiny morsel of new food each time so that if you have a problem with that food it may not be so severe. Good luck.
pippa58442 audrey32349
Posted
Strangely enough, my IBS has got much better with time.
audrey32349 pippa58442
Posted
I am so happy for you. It is wonderful to hear news like this. May you continue to improve every day!
pippa58442 audrey32349
Posted
Thanks!
Pixiee audrey32349
Posted
Hi Audrey!
So sorry you have dealt with this too! At the same time I am glad to have found someone who has the same symptoms! I have been so worried because I haven't heard anyone have the same symptoms with the diarreah, profuse sweating and collapsing on the floor with weakness. It scares me every time but it only ever happened once or twice a year, to have happened twice in the first two weeks of this year has terrified me!
I will try to slowly build up my food and see if I find anything affects me. I have eaten so many of the things I ate during these episodes before so I am baffled.
Good luck to you too!