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What my IBS like symptoms turned out to be.

Posted , 5 users are following.

lucy82976
lucy82976

Hi All

I have been experiencing IBS symptoms for approximately 18 months, maybe longer. In that time I have often used this forum so I felt that now I have a diagnosis of sorts I should share my experiences.

I repeatedly went to my GP and had many blood tests that all came back fine. My symptoms were an urgent need to go to the toilet approximately 1 hour after eating. Bloating and stomach pain, lack of appetite, never feeling that I had properly been to the toilet despite 'going' up to 8 times a day. 3 different gps were convinced it was IBS. It got to the point that I was unable to eat anything until 6-7 pm when I knew I could be near a toilet for the rest of the day. 

After stamping my feet and making a fuss, I was finally refered for a colonoscopy where they found a large polyp. After removing (most of) it they found that some severe cell changes had taken place so I now have another procedure coming up to remove the rest. I feel very lucky. Despite my consultant saying that the polyp was unlikely to have caused my symptoms, 2 months on the 'IBS' has not returned so I am utterly convinced that I do not have IBS and never did. 

This post is certainly not intended to scare anyone. Indeed, IBS, bowel cancer and so many other bowel conditions have such similar symptoms. In fact, I have certainly read accounts of people with IBS that have it much worse than I ever did. 

1 like, 5 replies

5 Replies

  • lucy82976
    lucy82976

    Posted

    Sorry hadn't quite finished super long post! Just wanted to say if you know something doesn't feel right the chances are there is NOTHING serious wrong but don't allow your doctor to be too quick to give you an IBS diagnosis. I am 30 and I believe this is why it took me so long to get a referral. My problem was so simple for them to sort out  but it has literally changed my day to day living. Good luck if you are in a similar situation. 
  • someboy
    someboy lucy82976

    Posted

    Really good to hear someone post the outcome of their tests etc. Having issues myself and read loads of forums online etc where you never tend to hear how it all concluded etc.

    I am a similar age and been having problems (not exactly the same but along the same lines) for the last 6 months or so and have found the same that my GP seems to be convinced it is IBS because of my age etc when I am convinced it is possibly something else.

    I have finally managed to get a referral with the hospital but that is a 2 month wait for an initial appointment so probably longer to get a colonoscopy and that has been the result of a lot of pestering to my GP.

    This post has certainly re-enforced my desire to keep pestering until I get an answer.

    Glad all has eventually ended well for you.

    • lucy82976
      lucy82976 someboy

      Posted

      I'm sorry to hear you are having problems too. I'm not sure I described my symptoms particularly well. It's amazing how quickly you forget how bad it was when you get back to normal. The thing that made me doubt the IBS diagnosis was that despite having good weeks and bad weeks, the good weeks weren't 'normal', they were just more liveable. I always thought IBS was meant to come and go. Also, my symptoms got progressively worse to the point that I was eating very little.

      One of my arguments with my gp was that if it was IBS surely all of my worrying that it was something more serious would worsen my symptoms so wasn't it better to find out once and for all. It's a difficult one as I know that if they referred all people with these symptoms straight away there would be no money left in the nhs pot.

      I think my referral was a similar waiting time. It seems a long way off but hang on in there and let me know how you get on. Good luck.

  • marilyn02795
    marilyn02795 lucy82976

    Posted

    I was diagnosed with IBS 15 years ago.Had symptoms off and on over the years but never really the main ones that you would expect if it was IBS. During last year the frequency of the symptoms and the pains got worse and I kept returning to the GP. Each time they ran blood tests they all came back fine ,reconfirming their diagnosis of IBS. Eventually I asked to see a consultant and did so last September. He examined me which caused great pain and said he would refer me for a colonograph because of my history in that my mother had bowel cancer.He said he did not expect to find anything though and said it was probably IBS or diverticultis.He was the first person to mention the latter.It rang a bell as I remembered my mother had that too but I did not know much about it.

    He gave me Normacol granules to take in the meantime.

    I saw the GP again as when I read about the colonograph it terrified me because of the preparation you have to take and because they inflate the bowel with air first.I asked if he thought it really necessary. As I had recently done the bowel screening test that comes through the post and it was negative he said probably not but maybe best for my peace of mind.

    I deferred it and tried the Normacol for a few weeks first. At first it seemed better but then the pains came back with a vengeance so I rang and made the appointment for the colonograph.

    Unfortunately events overtook and I got rushed into A&E with severe stoamch pains at the end of October.A CT scan revealed that I had diverticultis and one of the diverticular had perforated my bowel.I was lucky to avoid surgery but spent eight days on an antiobiotic drip then a further two weeks of the same antiobiotic orally when I went home.

    That is not the end of it though. I am left still with stomach pains most days although not all. The consultant said it is probably scar tissue but it has been four months now and I dont know if it is or not. I did have a follow up ultrasound scan which was clear.There is not much support or information on diverticulitis and diet advice varies.

    I wish I had gone for the colonograph now although I was told the gas inflation might have made matters worse so maybe a good thing I didnt?

    I also wish somebody had told me how serious diverticultis can be as I didnt know much about it and thought it was just something like IBS. If you catch a flare up early enough with antibiotics it should not usually reach the stage mine did.

    My quality of life is zero at the moment and I can see no end to it other than to elect for surgery which, having avoided, I am not keen to do as apparently it is a big operation and not always makes a difference as the diverticular can pop up somewhere else.

    Also because of my age,in hindsight it did not sound like IBS which is usually a younger persons illness.Easy when you look back!So if anybody is repeatedly told they have IBS get checked for diverticulitis as it has similar symptoms.There is not much support or information on diverticulitis and diet advice varies.

    • irratable
      irratable marilyn02795

      Posted

      Hi maryilyn can i ask what the symtoms of the above were ? i to have suffered ibs for the past 25 yrs but last may after a colanoscapy was done they said i had divererticultis,havent had and trouble since than till lately and feel this awful pressure like i need to go toilet but nothing happening ,also lately everything i eat or drink its like a ballon in my stomach and inflates and inflates making look 12 months pregnant 
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