My doctor thinks I have IBS, I'm not so sure but I know I'm sick.. / myLot

United States

September 16, 2008 11:51am CST

So for months now my belly hurts. It hurts along the middle, bottom, to my right side and even up into my right shoulder. Usually it just aches, but then I have bouts of cramping and diarrhea. The past few weeks I have been very nauseated, no appetite, mostly diarrhea and really bad pain. I haven't really lost much weight, though. Last week I finally went to my doctor and she thinks it is IBS. She gave me some antidiarrheal medication and some medication for the cramping. For the last week I went to a very bland diet and took the meds. The diarrhea stopped, the pains got a little better but were still there. So last night I decided I could try going off my diet a little - I had a diet Mountain Dew and some popcorn. This morning I woke up in tremendous pain to the point it made me dizzy, very nauseated, and (here it gets graphic) went to the bathroom where I had a very large hard stool followed immediately by a large loose stool. I called in to work, as I'm still in pain (although it was relieved some by the bowel movement) and very nauseated. I have a follow up appointment with my doctor in a couple weeks. I'm debating on whether to call her today or, if the pain gets bad enough, go to the ER, or if I can just wait until the follow up appointment. I'm a nurse at a hospital so I know the really bad things this could be. I'm trying not to be a hypochondriac, but it's hard. People with IBS, does this sound like that condition, and how do you deal with it? Do I have to stay on that bland diet forever? Does it sound like something more serious that might need immediate attention? Help!

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2 responses

sunkissed

@sunkissed (4330)

• United States

16 Sep 08

dawn, well I have had IBS for over 10 years, and it indeed sounds like this is what you have.For years and years there was a pill on the market that was working for me it was called Zelnorm but when they took it off the market last year, I have gone down hill..I too have bad spells of cramping, constipation, and diarrhea that is like water, I will have to run to the bathroom, and at times can not get there in time, I will sh-t my pants..i am lucky in a way, I am disabled and do not work, so I am home most of the time when this occurs.I really do not know what you can do for this since the medication is off the market, except watching your diet.Good luck to you.

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patgalca

@patgalca (18366)

• Orangeville, Ontario

16 Sep 08

I have had IBS for many years as well. It is a part of fibromyalgia. I mention this because you mention pain in your arm. Do you have pain anywhere else in your body? There are a few home remedies that can help you, or natural remedies. First of all, I always carry a small jar (medicine bottle) of peppermints with me everywhere I go. They help with cramps and nausea. Sometimes I have to take more than one, but that's okay. For when I am at home I have what is called here Eater's Digest Tea. It contains a combination of licorice, peppermint, and chamomille and other digestive aids. This really, really helps. Rubbing peppermint oil on your tummy might help. We used that for my daughter's stomach aches and for menstrual cramps. Another thing you can get at the health food store is Aloe Vera juice. You have 1/4 of a cup of this mixed with juice. It really does help irritable tummies. As for the diet, well... I never know what is going to set off my IBS. Sometimes ice cream will bother me, other times it won't. Eating too much (overeating) will definitely cause problems so I try and be more careful when I am out. I love the Italian Wedding Soup at East Side Mario's but I believe it's the spinach that sends me into the washroom before the entree is served. So I can't eat leafy greens for sure! But I do find that everyone is different with IBS as well. You may have to keep a food diary and figure out for yourself what is good and what is bad. I tried for months to figure out what I could eat for lunch... apple sauce, nope; yogurt, nope; canned fruit, nope. I finally tried the Activia yogurt and I have that every day with granola sprinkled on top. For some reason having a bowl of cereal upsets my stomach. Since becoming hypoglycemic I don't eat cereal anymore; I have instant oatmeal. But once in awhile I feel like having a bowl of cereal and it just doesn't agree with me. :( My mother has IBS and the doctor gave her a list of food she couldn't eat, one of which included brown bread. Well, I do much better on whole wheat bread than I do white bread so I don't get that. It sounds like you have a very severe case, or perhaps it's something more. A colonoscopy might be in order. Oh, and the stomach is a second brain so any stress is going to make your IBS act up. Good luck!

msmell

@msmell (1378)

• Australia

29 Sep 08

I have suffered with tummy pain for long time and the doctors have only just told me that it is IBS and reading through you post I seen that you said that ice cream can bother you and i know know what you mean, since being told that I have IBS I have watched what I eat no acidly food or any spicy and no I am starting to think that I have to cut dairy out too! I had ice cream a few days again and had no problem at all but tonight after having tea i had some ice cream in a bowl and I am as stiff as a board and my tummy has bloated up as big as whale and the pain in my back.....

and because I have just eaten not too long ago i have to wait until i take a peppermint tablet so it doesn't start to dissolve too early before it reaches the bowel, and yes I total agree with you about the food dairy as I have had to do that too and stress is also a real key factor to trigger it off too like you said but after a while you start to get used to living with it and you just put up with teh pain because there is nothing you can do about it and half the times the tablets they give you do nothing