What's the longest your IBS pain has lasted?

Thank you for sharing, Rusty! I hope your GI doc has the answers you seek. I need to see a GI instead of my GP.

Thank you, Jan! I am currently trying to figure out the foods that I can't have. Quite challenging. Doc said eat lots of fruits and veggies. Ugh! Broccoli was a nightmare!!

Thank you, Pippa!

Do you think it is best to see a GI doc as opposed to a General Doc? I still can't believe he has not ordered a colonoscopy or endoscopy. He seems quite certain of his diagnosis yet told me to eat lots of fruits and veggies and I am learning the hard way that is a mistake.

If your doctor is certain of his diagnosis, I would leave it at that and accept your IBS. You don't need an endoscopy or colonoscopy to diagnose IBS; I didn't have these tests either to get my diagnosis. Everyone's symptoms differ so you will need to find your own food triggers via a food diary or the Low Fodmap diet. A dietician may be able to help you with the diet. This can take time and patience to work this out. Your doctor will only refer you to GI if he feels you need more tests or he can't diagnose you. He may not have ordered these tests because he already has enough information to make an IBS diagnosis. Specialists are used when there is a doubt.

Only ask to see a GI if you are really worried or doubt your IBS. Personally, if you have a confirmed diagnosis, simply try antispasmodics or painkillers, if you are constipated, try lots of fruit or laxatives and if you get diarrhoea, try Imodium.Stay as calm as possible.

I didn't need to see a GI doctor because my general doctor diagnosed me. It took eight attempts and lots of negative tests to identify my IBS.If you have had lots of negative tests, this is why your doctor is confident in his IBS diagnosis.

Pippa,

I sensed that he isn't sure. He said to give it a month and then we will see. He said possibly IBS with gastritis. I am going to be really strict about what I eat for the next week, following Fodmap diet, and if no improvement I will be asking for referral to GI doc. He was so focussed on the constipation being cause of back pain but I go #2 every day and it is soft or mush, just have to strain and feel like I am not fully emptying. The back pain concerns me and I wonder why he thinks gastritis and not ulcer. Same with IBS. I could accept that if I knew he had run a full blood panel (not just cbc but cmp also). He also checked for h.pylori through blood and isn't fecal sample the more accurate test? Lots on my mind.

I would listen to your doctor first and give it a month trying diet change. Don't let the back pain concern you as this can occur with both gastritis and IBS. The bowel habit change and incomplete emptying are more connected with IBS rather than gastritis although it is possible that you have both. Don't get worried either about which h pylori test is more accurate; simply accept whatever test your doctor has used and accept the result. None of these tests will tell you that you have IBS; they will only rule out other causes.

When I had my h pylori stool test, it was negative and I accepted this without worrying about the accuracy of the test All my other tests were negative too and this was the only thing that worried me because it didn't help the doctor to diagnose me and they even wanted to rerun the tests so I thought something had been missed. Another doctor told me running the tests again was not necessary and diagnosed me with IBS. I accepted this, my worries subsided and my IBS went into remission.

Try to relax and trust and accept what your doctor is doing because they are the experts.

Thank you for being so helpful Pippa!

This whole thing has evolved. Two nights ago I had severe stomach burn that radiated to my center middle back. Only thing to calm it was hot chamomile tea and a hearing pad. The feeling I had in my stomach is basically how this whole thing started back in Oct. but it lasted three days and then turned into constipation, pain that moves about 90% on my right side (from over ovary, to hip, to lower right back, to right side, to under right rib). Dr. now says could be pancreatitis but he has given me omeprazole first. He said if that does not help the stomach then he will run blood test for pancreatitis. Not sure what his issue is with doing an endoscopy because to me that seems the obvious next step if blood test show not pancreatitis but he instead is choosing Ct scan. Still constipated (though yesterday it went the other way) still have pain in colon that moves all over. New thing: felt pain under rib and when I pushed I felt a bubble and I was able to massage bubble out. Happened 4x. It hurts and I just massage it away. It must be air trapped in bend of colon. Can't figure out how the three (stomach + colon with back pain) are connected. I think they may be separate issues. IBS and Ulcer?

The tail end of the colon is wrapped around your lower back, hence the back pain. Heartburn can also occur with IBS. The nerves in the abdomen are very sensitive and there are more there than the spinal column, hence pain radiating to the stomach area so they are connected. Pain with IBS can occur just about anywhere on the abdomen and can even cause joint pain. I wouldn't worry about why this pain occurs; if you have IBS, these are the type and locations of pain you can expect. I haven't heard of pancreatitis causing bowel habit change.

Your doctor may want to do a CT scan rather than an endoscopy because it may be cheaper and it is less invasive. Endoscopies can cause complications if sedation is used and you have a reaction to it, I had bad reaction to endoscopy sedation.

It is possible to have IBS and an ulcer, however, with IBS, the stomach and bowel are connected.

Thank you Pippa,

Reading your response has relieved some of my fear. I feel like this is never going to end and I'll be stuck at home for the rest of my life 😦

If it does end up being IBS, you can live a normal life. My IBS rarely affects me and when it does, anti spasmodics, painkillers and sometimes imodium help me. Keeping calm is the key and adjusting your diet if your IBS affects you that way.

Thank you, Martin! I will check that out.

Hi, there is a FODMAP app on playstore and the Apple store.

Thank you, Martin. I just found one on Apple that I am going to try. I definitely need to take the food thing more seriously.