Anybody with experience with IBS

[Tiggeroo]

my doctor thinks I may have this problem and I have some questions. For ex. do you ever get back pains with this?

 

[DisneyPhD]

I was dx it in college. Then again I also have (had) problems with lactose intolerance too. I used to take bental, but when I went off BC (about 8 years ago) I stopped taking it because it is no no when pregnant. (I didn't get pregnant until 4 years later, better safe then sorry.)

I haven't taken any of the new meds, mostly controled it with what I eat and fiber. Lossing a little wieght helps too.

I saw a comerical that they have new meds. I am currenlty on a no milk or egg diet only because my DD is breast feed and allergic to it. This has helped more then any med.

Good luck.

My biggest symtom was pain after eating (causing me to stop eating) gas and cramping. It also helped to wear dresses and nothing tight around my waist. I never really noticed back pains, but I could see how it might be.

 

[Serena]

I have it too, just not very often. I have some medicine that helps, but I don't take it every day. I only have to take it when I have a spell of several days with it.
I've found something that helps though, when I feel it coming on. And I can tell. There is a Dairy Queen in the mall where I work. I've found that a strawberry and banana smoothie really, really helps. It soothes and settles my insides down.

 

[C.Ann]

Gas, cramping, bloating (always have to wear close that are loose around my tummy).. I'm one of the IBS people that deals with constipation rather than diarrhea.. (It can go either way for some people or a combination of both..) I still drink milk (no problems) but cheese is a no-no unless I want to suffer the consequences.. I used to use Citrucel every day along with stool softeners.. It hasn't been as bad lately - stress plays a HUGE factor in it.. I won't try any of the new prescription meds because I'm so drug sensitive.. However, I was recently on Xanax for a week and it worked wonders! Wasn't helping with my anxiety (brain-wise) so I was switched to something else, but "internally" it must have really calmed me down because my IBS symptoms flew right out the window.. When I mentioned it to my doctor she said they often use Xanax (in a very small dose) to treat IBS..

It's a tough thing to live with, but once you find what works for you it's pretty easy to manage..

 

[Christine]

Yes, I have a mild form of it. I don't get back pain though.

There is an EXCELLENT discussion forum at this website: www.ibsgroup.org. The message board is almost as good as the DIS. Lots of participation and you can get your questions answered quite easily.

 

[tinaluis]

My oldest DD suffers from IBD -- ulcerative colitis, to be exact. We've recently found a probiotic by Digestive Advantage which seems to be helping. They make several vareties of probiotics, one of which is for IBS. They're sold at Walgreens near the laxatives/stool softeners. HTH

 

[FergieTCat]

I think I do, because whenever I get stressed, I end up in the restroom (putting it nicley). I haven't been officially diagnosed with it, but I can see why Xanax would be suggested.

 

[mallcat]

I have IBS. I do get back pain too. Sometimes, the pain starts in the intestinal region and reverberates up into other areas. It also moves around, not always in the same spot. Sometimes it will flare up, and then not happen again for months and months.

 

[C.Ann]

Sometimes it will flare up, and then not happen again for months and months.

-----------------------------

Very typical with IBS..

 

[Tiggeroo]

alright this is what was happening. For a long time whenever we went out to eat or to a party, which generally means a heavy meal with alot of dairy I'd have to stop somewhere on the way home because i'd have to hit a bathroom. I'd feel lousy for a couple hours after that sometimes longer. By the next day i'd feel fine.
Then recently I started getting a pain on my left side. It would spread around to my stomach but there it felt more like a pressure/full feeling. Then it spread to the middle of my back and my left side. It also goes into my lower back and sometimes my pelvic area. This pain comes and goes and is in different spots. It is generally bad in the evening and when I first wake up in the morning.
I had blood work, urine, and several ultrasounds. No problems except a slight uti. I felt a bit better on the antibiotics for the uti. Dr has decided it's IBS but just to shut me up she's sending me to a gastro doc for the big C test. I read the sheet on IBS. Some of it sounds like it. But I don't think anybody has back pains and the pain i'm having in my sides and back has been going on off and on since right after Christmas.

 

[Christine]

Tiggeroo,
I'm glad you are getting the colonoscopy exam. As you probably know, IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion. Meaning, when they can't find ANYTHING else wrong with you and you have symptoms, you will finally get the IBS diagnosis. I really, really hate it when I doctor slaps this label on a patient but does not do a full workup. I had unremitting diarrhea for 2.5 months and two doctors told me "You have IBS." I finally went to a gastro doctor and he told me, within 5 minutes, "no, you have a parasite" and my diarrhea was cured in a week. This was after a 25 lb weight loss and 2 months out of work. I was pissed at my other doctors.

Anyway, if your colon is spasming hard enough, you can get back pain. I posted a site earlier on IBS. I think you should visit it and post some of what you are feeling. I think, there, you will probably find someone who suffers the same problems. If you don't want to post, just read. It is very informative.

 

[Tiggeroo]

the ibs site seems to be having some problems. It takes a long time to load up.

 

[Iott Family]

I have had IBS since I was 19. Stress makes it flare up. The sad thing is it can be good stress that does it,too...like vacation excitement. I take a low dose of prozac to calm my innards. I never eat my trigger foods. I never stuff myself with too much food. Rich foods are a no-no w/o portion control. When you do have a flare up there is no quick fix. I think people with IBS constipation, while no less miserable, have to treat their symptoms one way and those of us with IBS diarehea(sp) have a whole other set of problems. Colon spasms, dehydration, food sensitivity-which is different for everyone. I have troubles with dairy, spicey or over spiced food, deep fried..etc.

There is no cure for IBS. But with some lifestyle and diet changes you can control it. I have used immodium to control a bad spell to give my colon a break from cramping. Sipping on mint tea can help.IBS is more prominent in women. I have noticed that during my time of the month my symptoms agitate. So I believe it is definitely a nervous/hormonal triggered nusance.

Lower back pain, pelvic cramping, dull aches, fatigue, anemia are all very normal symptoms. You should definitely rule out other possible health issues before settling for an IBS diagnosis. IBS is your label only when nothing else can be found...sad but true! Few in the medical field give credence to this issue and to the many of us who are suffering, its what rules are life until we find relief and a doctor experienced and educated on this issue.

Go to www.helpforibs.com

Heather has a great support system including recipes, factual info, message boards and her own remedies/books. I have never purchased anything from her store but I have browsed her other sections. Great info!

HTH!!!!

 

[Christine]

the ibs site seems to be having some problems. It takes a long time to load up.

Really? I just tried it and it came right up. Be sure to use the .org at the end and not .com.

 

[minkydog]

I have probably had IBS since I was a teenager. I say "probably" because it was only diagnosed last year, at age 48. I have always had a tendency toward frequent loose stools especially during stressful times,never really unmanageable. But after my DH got so sick and then I spent a month nursing my dying father, it kicked into high gear. Due to my age, the GI doc did a colonoscopy to rule out other stuff (the big C.)

Read up on IBS. There are many different presentations and it can be mild or severe. In my case, i just need to manage stress, drink fluids,& rest and eventually it calms down. Mine flares up about 3-4 times a year pretty bad, but I don't have to miss work or anything, just stay near the bathroom. A lot of people arent so lucky.

 

[WeirdEyes]

I was diagnosed with IBS in November after one year of symptoms. I went through all sorts of tests to rule out everything else. My gastro doc told me that he diagnosed me with IBS by process of elimination.

My symtoms are:

* mild, moderate, or severe pain in the stomach area (not abdomen)
* diarrhea
* pain that radiates to my sides and back
* nausea
* bloating

I can go weeks and weeks with any symptoms and then BAM! my stomach hurts for weeks and weeks. My triggers are stress, fried foods, pain medications, and over-eating. I can't drink alcohol at all or I'm really sick.

I take Bentyl when it bothers me, but it doesn't always work. I was prescribed Percocet for the pain, but it just makes it worse. I have a lot of back pain due to something else and I can't even take my pain meds any longer.

 

[Tiggeroo]

WE that sounds alot like how I feel. I'm taking Bentyl and it hasn't helped yet. The pain is in my front wrapping around the sides and back. The fact that i'm worried about something worst is probably agravating it.

 

[LadyyRedd]

Yep! I have Ulcerative Colitis and am on Asacol for maintenance. I get all of those symptoms that most everyone mentioned, including the back pain.

www.ccfa.org is another good website to check out.

Kimya

 

[thinkerbell]

That ibs site is awesome. Sometimes you feel like you are the only one in the world with this stuff. I have started, in the last couple of years, having cramping right under and between my ribs about once a month. It moves down as the day progresses. It just about kills me. I wasn't sure if it was related to my IBS or not. Found out on there it is. Makes me feel better knowing.