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Regaining lost appetite due to IBS

Posted , 6 users are following.

dpl89
dpl89

Hi Guys, first post so a bit of a background about my situation.

I'm a fit and relatively stress free 30 year old male and about 4 months ago I began experiencing bad stomach cramps, lack of appetite, constant nauseas feeling, urgent and loose stools, fatigue. After a week or so I visited a doctor who suggested it was a stomach infection and to drink plenty of fluid and that my appetite would soon return.

A few weeks later I could still only eat the bare minimum, even that would be a struggle. And in the first few weeks I lost a over a stone, which is a lot for me as I'm already on the skinny side.

After a month I visited the doctors again and on request provided blood and stool samples, all which came back clear. After the first month I tried going gluten free to see if that helped, initially it did and my stools are much firmer as a result, however the fatigue and stomach cramps never really disappeared.

After 3 months I started to feel better and thought I was coming out of it, and then last week I suffered another flare up, although my stools have remained solid I'm experiencing constant abdominal cramps and lack of appetite, along with major fatigue. It's a viscous cycle as without having an appetite I can't maintain any level of strength in order to combat the fatigue.

I have also visited the doctors again this week and have been referred to a gastro consultant, although the doc did suggest it is most likely IBS.

I take colpermin capsules to ease the cramps but I find there effect are minor.

I've always been on the anxious side, but have never been depressed or anything like that. But I feel this condition is seriously effecting my mental welfare and close relationships at the moment, and I'm now avoiding/dreading social situations because of it. Its so frustrating how I can't understand how or why it has come out of nowhere.

Currently i'm not really eating during the day at work due to the nauseas feeling, and I'm only really eating at home during the evenings (which is a struggle).

I was wondering if anyone has been through and come out of a similar situation? in particular how to recover from a complete loss of appetite due to IBS? And if so do you have any advice on how to regain it?

0 likes, 3 replies

3 Replies

  • pippa58442
    pippa58442 dpl89

    Posted

    The best way of reducing IBS flare ups is to avoid stress and if you are having problems with eating, try The Low Fodmap Diet or a food diary and avoid any foods that trigger your symptomsThe best antispasmodic for me is Buscopan and conventional painkillers. I find peppermint remedies give me heartburn. My IBS was stress related and one day I was fine and the next day I woke up with raging, constant, daily abdominal pain with nausea, back pain, constipation and loose stools/diarrhoea. It took three months of panic, health anxiety and tests to establish I had IBS and bring it under control. I never suffered a loss of apoetite with my IBS.

  • sam18386
    sam18386 dpl89

    Posted

    don:t take no for an answer when you see your doctor about this, insist on seeing a dietitian about this and have a massive amount of tests, you need to get to the bottom of this, if you pardon the pun! thia honestly doesn't sound right, someone needs to help you with this. i feel for you

  • leeniepie
    leeniepie dpl89

    Posted

    try things like antacids, peppermint and ginger for nausea.

    as for lack of appetite, you have 2 choices- force yourself to eat or don't eat. if you want to stop looking weight you have to eat, whether you want to or not is irrelevant really. plain foods are easier to manage if you are nauseous, for example toast, crackers, eggs, chicken, fish, popcorn

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