Recently been diagnosed with ibs and need advice

yeah i dont feel like im emptying them completely and yeah are there any fruits that are better than others or just any im assuming this like my first flare up its been going on for about 3 months how long do they typically last

yeah its not a nice feeling at all and im new to all this so i have no idea whats best and whats not and really i had no idea about the ct scan being best but i also had to push for it the only thing they found was obviously in my colon being full but no idea how to treat i think they think a lot of it is stress

No doctor should have screamed at you and reduced you to tears. I hope you reported him because no one should have to get used to this behaviour.

Oh pippa, I think you must be quite young and idealistic, but thank you for your lovely post anyway.

Back in 1968 this was perfectly normal behaviour for UK doctors - especially when the patient was known to be a nurse. Doctors occasionally even got away with hitting nurses in those days, and there was no come-back if you didn't want to be struck off the national register.

Worse still, I'm afraid this kind of thing is still alive and well today (though not the hitting, I hope!) Here in the continental European country where I now live, only about five years ago a friend was yelled at, and also reduced to tears, when her colon was found to be packed with faeces at colonoscopy. As she's an OCD sufferer, I totally believed her that she'd meticulously followed all the instructions on preparation. Unfortunately, the doctor didn't, and refused to listen to her protests.

I think this is a dangerous attitude on the part of the medical profession - not only on emotional grounds, but because it seems to me that failure to respond to extreme laxatives must in itself be a symptom of disease, which should be taken seriously.

To be honest, I would rather lose my job than accept verbal abuse from a colleague . I reported two nurses, one for causing me permanent neuralgia after a blood test that she was clearly unqualified to do and another for laughing at me. It took me years to pluck the courage to do it, but my doctor listened to me when I complained.

The reason why this behaviour is still going on is because many people do not report these abuses and doctors rely on this to get away with it. Many people fear reprisals from the medical profession if they speak out . Doctors are not gods; they are mortal beings like ourselves who make mistakes like the rest of us. The only difference is that they have more knowledge than we do. This is what gives them power over us. This, however, is an illusion. Any doctor doing this should be sacked with immediate effect and perhaps a sanction like this would concentrate the minds of other bullies.

While I am young, I am realistic rather than idealistic. Remember, everyone, including you and your friend has the power to change things for the better. Do not give any doctor the satisfaction of seeing you cry; that gives them more power. You do not have to put up with abuse. If a doctor yells at you again., tell him that you will not accept bullying in any shape or form and that as a woman you will not tolerate discrimination due to your previous job as a nurse or for any other reason.

Tell him that if he continues to insult you, you will report him for serious professional misconduct, take legal action and go to the newspapers to ensure he is named and shamed and even blacklisted. He will not want his conduct to become known to the public. I assure you, he will be the one coming crying to you to stop. Bullies are all the same. My father, has been very stern indeed with abusive colleagues and has has not let any doctor master him either When faced with these individuals, you and your friend have to be prepared to show your teeth. This is the 21st century and there is no place for medieval practices in the modern world.

yeah your exactly right no doctors should be like that thankfully its seems most now are not like that however there will always be a minority of them out there hopefully that never happens to you again and also well done for reporting them pippa it can take courage to do it but its the right thing to do nobody should be treated like that

I find if any blood tests need done, I have them done at the hospital where the staff are competent, well trained and pleasant.

yeah its awful honestly dont know how to relive it

yeah its a shame not much is know they think mine is because of stress which was due the worrying about my health which obviously didnt help my ibs the thing i struggle the most with is the constipation i cant seem to get it to go and makes me feel so uncomfortable and the thing im stuck with is the foods that help constipation make the gas worse

i too believe yeast do irritate me, i can eat white or brown bread and it doesnt bother but my husband baked some bread two days ago and i barely ate any and i wasnt feeling like myself after i asked him what he put in it and he said yeast, sugar and flour, at this point i want to give up on eating, i find the other day i ate piece of chocolate and my skin start to itch and i was gassy, i had a skin allergy test done and nothing was found so it cant be allergy, unless its the dairy inside it, at this point food isnt my favourite but lately i have been eating junk when my depression sets in. i fear the older i get the more my health is gonna deteriorate.

agree, when am stress or a new medication irritates my IBS, i suffer with depression and anxiety together so that doesnt help the situation, my constipation is out of hand too, i know am not finishing properly because ill go twice in a day and i have to force it

Sam, don't complain about having to go twice in a day because you can't get it all over in one go. It can be up to 20 times for me. This is a fairly new development - last year or so - and I'm frankly at my wits' end.

The bread thing doesn't affect me unless I eat it regularly and after a couple of weeks it starts. One specialist told me white bread can stay in the bowel for weeks, it becomes like cotton wool what a revolting thought. I believe diet is the answer, I am rarely constipated but it is at the other end of the problem with diarrhaeo when it can swing both ways.. I eat vegetable but small amounts.. Try cutting out all bread from your diet and give it a month and see if you improve, I did, drastically. I know its hard,, nothing nicer than a fresh crusty slice or roll with raspberry jam.. but, its worth it

yeah exactly the same here i have tablets for my anxiety and the doctor said that probably does not help and glad to hear im not the only one struggling with constipation and the feeling of not finishing and getting it all out food wise im not sure what triggers it i heard that carbs are not good which is hard obviously would gluten free make any difference and has anyone found that any meds like buscopan help?

not complaining, just wish i would empty my bowel because its uncomfortable, its still a relief i can even go cause there is times where i dont go for 2-3 weeks just imagine how uncomfortable that would feel, when i get diarrhea i do go alot in one day so i do understand where ur coming from

my constipation is very bad sometime last month i force so bad where i had a sharp pain started in my bowel and raditate in my stomach to the point i couldnt move and i had that for 3 weeks it was a nightmare i felt like that did something to my bowels because i had alot of diarrihea for a few weeks and and that was not of me. my doctor couldnt figure out why i went from severe constipation to very bad bouts of diarrihea

Sam, I totally understand where you're coming from. When I was your age I too used to go three weeks at a time without a BM. It periodically led to agonising attacks of intestinal obstruction, for which I was hospitalised five times between the ages of 10 and 29. Unfortunately, no investigations ever found out the cause, as I'm completely immune to the strong laxatives used as preparation - believe it or not. (And the doctors don't believe it, of course.)

In the end, I cured myself by hugely upping the amount of fibre I was eating. That worked for the first 40 years, but unfortunately I have to be very careful about fibre now as it can cause severe diarrhoea without actually relieving the constipation.

I'm just wondering whether you - or anyone else on here - took a lot of laxatives as a child. I have to say, though, that I think that's a generational thing. I was born into a very poor, simple family in 1944 and in those days "regularity" was equated to virtue. Children who weren't "regular" were severely punished, and it was normal for whole families to take a senna purge every Saturday night. In addition, I had to take syrup of figs every day I didn't "go" in the week. This went on till I got away from home at age 20, and I've hardly ever taken laxatives since. This shouldn't be taken as a criticism of my parents, who thought they were doing their best to make me an honest, upstanding citizen. However, I suspect this kind of thing may have contributed to the woes of some of the older posters here.

ive never really had to take laxatives much before until just recently a few weeks ago i was so constipated but had urges to go but nothing came out the only way was to have Suppository which help but you dont want to rely on so then got put onto laxido which did nothing and now im on fybogel dont know if anyone else has tried that? but now that has stopped my issue is i constantly feel like i need to go but cant its either nothing comes out or just little pellets and then it feels like some is stuck and this happens every time i go honestly dont know what to at this point and i dont want to rely on laxatives because thats not best either

ive only had constipation and it never seems to go dont know if have the urge to go constantly but i do even though nothing will come out

Having the urge to go but only getting pellets or nothing at all is how my IBS started. Lots of fruit such as prune juice helped me.

havent tried prune juice yet im trying to up my fruit intake ive been like this for about three months now

Upping your fruit should help. I had constipation for two months when my IBS started and the only thing that worked was fruit to restart my bowel.

Sounds like IBS with the complication of fecal impaction which can lead to diarrhoea.

Buscopan really helps me. Everyone is different with diet so it is hard to know whether gluten free will help or not. There is no one size fits all; you will have to experiment with your diet on a trial and error basis. Excluding things from my diet didn't help me because food doesn't affect my IBS. Going gluten free will only help if you have a sensitivity to it. The best thing is a food diary.

yeah tried to do that already but so far nothing yet and ive tried the buscopan and does not seem to help and most of the laxatives i was given are not helping anymore (should i be concerned by that) and to be honest i dont think food is a trigger especially this whole thing was triggered by stress i mean ive been like this for three months now with constipation can i ask if yours is not food triggered is yours also stress triggered?

see this is what im worried about the whole fecal impaction when i had my scsn results back they said my colon was full of poo and with all the constipation ive been having ive worried that ive not got it all out and worried its could be fecal impaction

My IBS was stress triggered in the same way as you. You are lucky you know that stress was the cause because it took doctors three and a a half months to conclude that stress was my trigger. Keep persevering with taking lots and lots of fruit especially prune juice. This is an option you haven't tried, so give that a go since nothing else works. I tried this for three and a half months and did not give up and it worked for me.

You should not worry if the remedies you have tried don't work. Worry will only make your symptoms worse. Instead, ask your doctor for a different anti spasmodic and a different laxative If you have taken laxatives for a long time, your body can get used to them and eventually they stop working at all or you have to try stronger types or higher doses to get any effect. . You will have to try a variety of things to find a treatment that suits you. Buscopan is very mild; you may need a stronger IBS medication. I can't take strong medication; that's why Buscopan works for me.

I was given an antispasmodic that made me worse and increased my constipation and was wrongly advised to come off oranges despite the fact they were keeping my bowel moving. I ended up in a dreadful panic because I didn't know what was causing my symptoms to get worse and I concluded that something serious was going on. I decided to go back on oranges and felt 50% better whereas before I was 50% worse following my doctor's advice. Once I gave up Mebeverine, my symptoms also got better.

Fecal impaction can be solved so there is no need to worry about this! There are some laxatives that have a higher dose to treat fecal impaction. Ask your doctor who will be able to help with that. Although, everything is worrying you at the moment, try to stay as calm as possible because one worry leads to more worries and makes your symptoms worse. Remember, I also went through the same problems for three and a half months and came through it and my IBS is now in remission. This should comfort you and give you hope. There are people out there who have had these symptoms and got a solution.

thanks that helps i will talk to my doctor about different laxatives im new to this so its a big learning curve and a lot to take in and yeah i was put on mebeverine and made me worse as well so stopped taking it

Mebeverine is a known stomach irritant but is the drug of choice for doctors. It is designed to stop diarrhoea and should not be used if you are constipated.

ah thats probably why that didnt help i was also on codeine awhile ago which obviously also didnt help but its nice to know all this and any recommendations that people always help especially when they know quite a bit about it so thank you

Codeine is also constipating and can be used to help with IBS with diarrhoea. So if you are constipated, you are better off not taking these medications. I was in a lot of pain before my diagnosis and took Ibruprofen which reduced the pain but didn't get rid of it entirely and I ended up even more constipated than ever so I stopped them. These types of painkillers can really bung you up if you take them for a while.

Mebeverine is not known to stop diarrhoea, it relaxes the bowel if it goes into spasm. I would not dream of suggesting people do or do not take it, or what its medical use is I am sharing my experiences. I have never ever taken laxatives and use a diet of fruit especially figs or prunes to help regulate me. Mebeverine has been a life saver for me for the last forty odd years.. By the way asthmatics should not take codeine I advise anyone on here to ask their doctors about their medications and not take recommendations from us.. We should only be sharing our experiences for none here have declared themselves as doctors have they?

wait your not supposed to take codeine if you have asthma that is something i didnt know i have asthma and was given them by the doctor luckily ive stopped taking them now

yeah found that out the hard way im not taking them now that was ages ago anyway but i did noticed that it made it worse

Mebeverine is designed for IBS D and abdominal spasms and a derivative of it is Colefac.Some people find it does stop their diarrhoea. A lot of people complain on this site that they have had to stop Mebeverine because it is a known stomach irritant.I only feel it is fair to suggest to people that they should be cautious about this drug because of my own experience with it and the fact that others have had the same negative experience as me. If people are intolerant to it, they naturally want to know if others are experiencing the same.People naturally want recommendations on a medication and there is nothing wrong with giving advice on medications based on our own personal knowledge of them It is unhelpful not to say to someone to take or not to take a medication. People are desperate and anxious on this site and want any information that may help them.

I have taken lots of fruit and occasionally used laxatives as a last resort when constipated. Both have worked for me. Either method can be followed. There is nothing wrong with laxatives when needed and in moderation. After all, doctors prescribe them.

I am both sharing my experience and advising people based on what I have found in the same way as you are. All of us have every right to do this. We should all be respectful of each others opinions because they are all valid.This is what this site is for and I always suggest people should see their doctor and not self diagnose. I often emphasize that very few here are doctors and so we can only advise. I would never suggest to anyone that they should only get help on this forum and not see a doctor. People often take the advice they get here to their doctor. Getting help here and seeing your doctor are both beneficial. I have learned a lot from this site from other people and gained a lot of information about medical issues. I use this knowledge to help others. That has to be a good thing.

All medications have side effects and some people react badly while others do not. The same is true of codeine as well as Mebeverine. You are one of the few who can tolerate Mebeverine. People on this site are intelligent enough to read the patient medication leaflet and know when to consult their doctor. They are also intelligent enough to know whether they should take advice on here on board or to reject it. I have helped many people on this site and they have been very grateful for it.

I'm surprised your doctor gave you codeine if he knew you had asthma and are constipated.

thanks its really helpful to hear advice and info that other people have i dont know anyone personally that has ibs so it helps to hear about other peoples experiences i mean just lately ive had such bad stomach noises that are so embarrassing and bubbling which im assuming down to gas i guess its hard to relieve ibs when its down to stress that is how my ibs started because i have health anxiety so you can imagine how its been hard but yeah im not sure why i was given codeine and right now im on fybogel was great at first but now its not working

Although I have stress related IBS, my IBS is non existent just now.I found my IBS easy to relieve once I got a diagnosis, treatment that suited me and learned that I had to avoid stress to keep symptoms at bay.

Some people have to keep adjusting their diet and medication to keep up with changes in their IBS. Sometimes medications lose their effect if they have been used for a long time. This is common with IBS. Keep working on your diet and try out different medications for pain and constipation and you will find one that suits you. However, you may have to do this multiple times. When one medication stops working, try another and don't worry about it. Try relaxation therapy and concentrate on things you enjoy to distract your mind from your IBS. This can make your IBS more manageable.

thanks this is all so new for me so any advice is great im trying to not stress but it can be i guess with health anxiety your mind can run away with all these thoughts when you mention treatment do you through the doctor because all ive told is about diet and laxatives

I get over the counter anti spasmodics from the supermarket or my chemist because what the doctor initially gave me made me so much worse. My brother found Buscopan good for his IBS so I decided to buy it myself and it was mild enough for me but effective for my pain. I often get bad reactions to anything I am prescribed and I had a very bad experience when I first registered at my surgery which led to my IBS. I got permanently injured during a blood test because the nurse was incompetent and the no one did anything to protect my health and safety to prevent the accident from happening in the first place. Having been laughed at as well, I neither trust any medic at my surgery or any where else to give me suitable treatment, not laugh at me or injure me. So I treat my IBS myself.

sorry to hear that but yeah i tried buscopan but didnt do much for me i struggle with gas and constipation so anything that helps with that let me know i heard about senocalm is that any good?

I haven't tried senocalm but there is no harm in giving it a try to see if it helps.

ok thanks ill probably give it a try