Those who have IBS

What were/are your symptoms and how did the dr's figure it out???

Re: Those who have IBS

for me - with IBS-D....i'll do my best to remember, it was 15 years ago when i was diagnosed.

I recently was re-examined though to see if any new 'medical breakthroughs' were made....but no...

This time around - went through test, after test, after test...

Endoscopy, upper and lower
Colonoscopy
MANY blood tests
a few more tests that i'm blanking on - i'm so sorry...

For me - when it's bad:

I can literally feel my food 'drop' after i eat..and i know - within the next 5 minutes - i have to use the bathroom....and it'll be bad. Other times - i don't feel the drop - but i won't even finish eating by the time i have to go (i call those times direct deposit).

Occasionally there is pain - normally after eating...

My doctor did tell me that i was one of the worst cases he had ever seen...because for me there was no pattern. I could eat let's say pizza today and be 100% fine. Never go, or go once with no issue. Tomorrow - i eat the same exact thing, at the same exact time and go to the bathroom 12 times (no joke).

Not until pregnancy have i found ANY relief whatsoever (pregnancy typically causes constipation, which i consider a true GIFT FROM GOD).

You can take immodium, but your body can get used to it...and unfortunately for me, nothing else EVER worked as well...

Re: Those who have IBS

Thank you for responding.

I am seeing a second opppion right now.
The first dr did a colonoscopy and blood work thats all. He thought I might have endometrosis. But that all came back negative.

Now the new dr gave me an edndoscopy-came back negative for Celiacs.

So after reviewing my colonsocopy done from the first dr he said he didn't like the way he did the procedure and recommends me to do it again. He said that the dr did not check me for Chron's
I have a lot of pain cramping, gas, can't stop going.
And weight loss.

Are you on any medication for IBS?

Re: Those who have IBS

The problems started about 3 yrs ago. I sometimes had these symptoms at the same time, sometimes at different times - cramping, bad pain, constantly going to the bathroom. There were times when I was living off of saltines and water because that is the only thing that wouldn't cause any symptoms. I had to go to the ER for pain, and ended up being dehydrated also b/c I was afraid to eat/drink. My gastro originally thought I might have Crohn's and I had a small bowel series (drink barium and they take x-rays), colonoscopy, and endocapsule test (you swallow a pill that has a camera inside and it takes pictures of your digestive tract). He also put me on Asacol while all this was going on. Well after all that, they determined it wasn't crohn's and was IBS. (I still question whether that diagnosis came up because they just couldn't figure out what it was.)

Currently, I'm not on medication for this on a daily basis, but I have med. if it gets bad. Really though, just figuring out what triggers it and avoiding those foods/drinks has made a big difference for me. I try to stay away from dairy, no soda, no coffee, stay away from alcohol, no fried foods.

Re: Those who have IBS

for IBS-D....there are only a handful of medications. I tried them all and they didn't work.

the last stop for me was that i could be put on anti-depressants - as one of the common side effects of some of them was constipation...but with us TTC'ing, i didn't want to go that route....

i've learned to deal with it. If we're going out - i'll take immodium...unless i'm comfortable with the place and the bathroom. On road trips - i tend to starve until we get to where we are going...it's not fun - but you do get used to it...

Re: Those who have IBS

Lets see...mine started when I was in high school...symtoms at first were just dairy sensitivity, but then spiraled into everything hurting to the point where I was curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor. I lost a ton of weight b/c I was barely eating and everything I did eat went right thru me.
One Dr told me it was all in my head

Finally found a great dr...ran a series of tests, Upper GI, Barium Enema, Edoscopy and Colonoscopy, which ruled out anything major and came to the conclusion that It was IBS...with proper diet and meds I had it under control...however stress can trigger it as well.
It completely went away after I graduated college but came back shortly after I entered grad school...and again i watch out for my trigger foods and take my meds if I think something might hurt me

Re: Those who have IBS

Posted by Nicole728

Lets see...mine started when I was in high school...symtoms at first were just dairy sensitivity, but then spiraled into everything hurting to the point where I was curled up in a ball on the bathroom floor. I lost a ton of weight b/c I was barely eating and everything I did eat went right thru me.
One Dr told me it was all in my head

Finally found a great dr...ran a series of tests, Upper GI, Barium Enema, Edoscopy and Colonoscopy, which ruled out anything major and came to the conclusion that It was IBS...with proper diet and meds I had it under control...however stress can trigger it as well.
It completely went away after I graduated college but came back shortly after I entered grad school...and again i watch out for my trigger foods and take my meds if I think something might hurt me

Re: Those who have IBS

very similar here. I have crohns.

I was diagnosed at 17 but I remember having it when I was 11. I just thought I had a bad stomach.

Mostly diarreah. I had a resection in 07 and didn't get a remission. Now I have post op D due to bile. They removed part of my lower small intestine, the part that absorbs bile. I take a powder that helps bind the bile.

I have pain in my right side and fatigue when it's really bad.

It's hard to diagnose.