IBS - i guess

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2004
IBS - i guess
17
Wed, 06-06-2007 - 1:09pm

Well I may as well start out with the short version of my whole story. Hopefully somone can relate to my story and maybe i can find some input from someone out there...

In the past, i have had a few episodes where my stomach hurt really bad. it wasn't as if i had to go to the b-room, it was just painful. only time would make it better. i had to go home from vacation because of that back in 2003. Never thought about it, never thought i should see a doc. last year I had a baby girl. then, in december of that same year, i started this awful episode. I am pretty sure it all started with a case of food poisoning. ever since that point i have had issues with my bowels. it started with the big D. i had awful gas, bloating, mucus, D, constantly. over the months, it gradually got a little better. I have been tested for everything. blood tests, lactose tests, even had a colonoscopy last month. nothing wrong with me. at this point, i still have mucus in my stool, bad gas, bloating, but now i am dealing with constipation. it seems as if i can go to the bathroom, i feel a million times better. i just cant get myself to go unless i take a laxative. yesterday was awful- i had to pretend i was feeling just fine all day, when really i had intense grumbling in my tummy, gas, and bloating. i finally made it home that day and ran to the toilet, only to pass a ton of gas, and even then i didn't feel completely better. this all seems to get worse during the week before my period. Cripes- i can even SEE my abdomen move when i feel bad! YUK! THis whole thing just sucks so bad... i just want to be normal again. i dont know if there is anything my docs missed. could all this really be caused by stress? could i still have some sort of bacterial infection that could have been remedied months ago by putting me on an antibiotic (which i have NOT ever taken since this started). there is no rhyme or reason with food and which triggers this. one day is good, one day is bad, and other days are awful. i feel so cheated- it effects my personal life (sex) and it effects my work life (how do i travel all day?). If anyone has any ideas for me to get this thing under control i would greatly appreciate it!!

thanks for listening.

kendra

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-06-2007
In reply to: drkendie
Thu, 06-07-2007 - 12:01am

Kendra - I think that I could have written your story. I have had the same exact problem for a year. I have had 2 ultra sounds and 3 CT scans (one with radiation) to see if it is my gall bladder that is causing me so much pain. All of my tests came back normal.

Mine started with a really bad bout of diarrhea on my vacation last August (5 weeks straight of my food not even getting digested before it would leave my body). The doctor did a stool test and it came back negative for bacteria or parasites. She told me to take imodium and it will work itself out. The diarrhea stopped, but my digestive system has not been the same since. I have had such bad pain in my upper right abdomen that my doctor gave me some Tylonal w/ Codine to help the pain (no help at all, it actually constipates you which makes the pain worse). I went to the Gastroenterologist last month and she said that I may have a bacteria in my system. She put me on an antibiotic for travelers diarrhea (Xifaxan). After I finished that, I had to take a probiotic for a week(the good bacteria found in yogurt. you can also buy it in pill form from Whole Foods). My stomach stopped making loud noises and moving, but now I have such bad pains this week that it takes my breath away. The pain is now in my upper right abdomen, down my right abdomen and at times in my lower right abdomen. Passing gas and burping relieves some of the pain temporarily. I am scheduled to see the GI again in 2 weeks. She will determine if I need a colonoscopy (which scares me). It seems like it is taking forever to figure out what is wrong and no one has a sense of urgency to figure it out. It effects everything that I do all day long (how long I can work? can I go shopping with out having to find the nearest bathroom? can I sit through a movie without intense discomfort? will having sex hurt my stomach?)

All I can suggest is to ask your doctor about the Xifaxan or even a probiotic supplement. I have read that taking a probiotic supplement daily is a good thing to keep your digestive tract functioning normally. I started taking it again yesterday to see if it will help.

I hope that someone else out there feels our pain and has some advice. I would love to live through a day with no Prilosec, no antacids, no Mylanta, no gas and no pain!

Laura

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2004
In reply to: drkendie
Fri, 06-15-2007 - 8:47am

Well i have an update for you! I just had a follow up doc appointment yesterday, and there was a doctor filling in for my real doctor, which was actually really beneficial. It was like getting a second opinion without having to go to another doctor! He was soooo good too, he listened well to everything i had to say. He basically came up with this: my pancreas is not producing enough enzymes to break down the food. the mucus is the result of this. because of the food not breaking down, i am not absorbing it, and therefore, i have nutrient deficiencies. For example, not getting enough potassium leads to easy bruising- which i have REALLY noticed!! So, he prescribed me pancreatic enzymes to take 3 times a day. i havent started them yet but i will let you know how it goes!!!!
I hope this gets the wheels turning for you and maybe it will help you out too! For more info on this, do a search for pancreatic enzyme deficiency.

good luck to you!
Kendra

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-06-2007
In reply to: drkendie
Fri, 06-22-2007 - 6:17am
I related so much to your story. It really is awful to have tummy troubles all the time. Sp far I have found nothing that helps ease my discomfort- I just have to ride it out, which really sucks. That's great you found a doctor who was helpful! Sometimes with IBS/stomach problems, a good doctor is hard to find, but once you find one, it really helps! I hope the enzymes help you out. Let us know how they work, please?
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2004
In reply to: drkendie
Fri, 06-22-2007 - 8:14am

Well its been almost three days since i started taking them and i have not had any tummy troubles. no rumbling or anything! I dont know if its just a coincidence or what, but i feel really good!! I will keep you posted!

Kendra

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-06-2007
In reply to: drkendie
Mon, 06-25-2007 - 2:18pm

So how are the enzymes working? I had an appointment with my gas doc 2 days after your last post. I mentioned to her the possibility of my pancreas not producing enough enzymes. She didn't think that was it. Staying on the probiotic has helped me a lot. She thinks that my body is not producing enough good bacteria.

I am scheduled for a colonoscopy on July 23rd. She wants to see if I have ulcers or Crohn's. She prescribed me Dicyclomine, which is for spastic colons. I haven't taken any yet because I haven't had a bad episode. The pain in my upper right abdoman was getting so bad at times that it was brining me to tears and nothing would take the pain away.

Hopefully your enzymes have worked. Let me know. If my colonoscopy comes up negative, then I may be looking at another docotor for a second opinion.

iVillage Member
Registered: 09-26-2004
In reply to: drkendie
Tue, 06-26-2007 - 8:17am

they were working just wonderfully until i decided to have a few beers on saturday night! I have noticed in the past that beer is a HUGE no no when it comes to tummy issues. not even the enzymes can help me there i guess. i find that beer is the biggest trigger of them all for me, which really stinks!! i enjoy a few beers on the weekend darnit! oh well though, i would rather feel good. three times now i have noticed that i feel bad for about 3 days after a night of moderate drinking. then i will have this awful BM and i am fine after that. wierd. so no more drinking for me :(. but other than those three days i have been perfect. i will definetely wait a month until i say they are working well or not!!

there is nothing wrong with getting a second opinion. my doc was always very nice to me, but he just didn't have the answers i wanted. i think if these enzymes dont work i will definetely make an appt with the gastro guy. it just seems wrong that something like this can just pop up one day and the docs seem to not care!!!

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-06-2007
In reply to: drkendie
Tue, 06-26-2007 - 3:51pm
Wine is my trigger. Same exact thing that you described. I can have a couple of glasses of wine, feel ok the next morning, but then it hits me in the afternoon. It hurts so bad, then a BM and I feel better. But it usually takes a couple of days to recoup. Also spicy foods do it to me. It doesn't bother my GERD, but it is brutal on my side and intestines. It is tough learning what to eat and drink. But you are right, a night of fun is not worth the 3 days of pain. It sucks! The probiotics do help keep the pain minimal. My doc said that some people don't produce or retain enough good bacteria and have to take this all the time. I have read about it on line. The one that I use is Nature's Trinity (www.natren.com) It is expensive though. I wonder if it is similiar to the enzymes that you are taking. Do you have acid reflux too? If so, do you take anything for it? I take Prilosec and I am wondering if that has something to do with my body not producing enough enzymes. Hope the enzymes keep working for you! Good Luck!
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2004
In reply to: drkendie
Fri, 06-29-2007 - 5:05am
Hi, I will make this quick for now but have you tried acupuncture and herbs? Fixed me right up. I'm only having problems now b/c we want to try to conceive and I had to go off my herbs. Acupuncture is a godsend to many I know who will try it. American doctors won't ever recommend it to you - it'd put them out of business a lot of the time. I think both types of medicine complement each other well. Good luck!
iVillage Member
Registered: 08-04-2004
In reply to: drkendie
Fri, 06-29-2007 - 9:03am

Hi Kendra:

I was JUST coming onto the boards to seek advice and help from others regarding the same...my story is similar: It started early June...a sudden stomache problem caused me to take immodium. I had horrendous cramping and diarrhea and it was just awful. The Immodium ended up causing constipation. Ever since, I have had to take MiraLax or add Benefiber to my food or drink on a daily basis just to make sure I am going to the bahtroom. It's weird how sudden my body changed! I saw my Doc and he said it was IBS. I'm turning 30 and am hoping things aren't going down hill now! I was always so regular and so normal. I also just went off birth control for the first time in ten years and my Doc took me off a low does of thyroid meds as I had temporary thyroid issues. I'm wondering if the b.c. pills were keeping my hormones in check all these years...I read that hormones can play a role in IBS. The other thing that scares me with IBS, is all the news about Ovarian Cancer. O.C. symptoms are quite similar and now that I hear I have "IBS" all I can think of is the fear of O.C.! Ugh. I hope someone out here can give us some help and help us understand why IBS happens (instead of s***t happening!). I'd also love to know how others deal with it on a daily basis and if it will ever get better? Does it come in waves? Sometime bad, sometimes non-existent? HELP!

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Community Leader
Registered: 07-16-2001
In reply to: drkendie
Sat, 06-30-2007 - 11:05am

I take Prilosec as well, and it's the only thing that keeps my IBS in check.

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