Last post Tue, May 06 2008 6:18 PM by MaggieRay. 14 replies.
I have a really embarassing question. Does anyone suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms? This seems to be one of my worst symptoms. I sometimes am scared to go out to eat anywhere, due to as soon as I eat, I get a horrible stomach ache. It actually feels like someone is ripping my insides out. Then I have horrible bowell movements. I am sooo embarrassed by this but I really can't seem to find anything that helps with this. Tina
Google Dr. Ian S. Zagon and Dr. Jill Smith at Penn State University they are doing amazing studies with crohn's and patients with IBS. Look for the articles LDN treating crhon's. This is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Hey Kristi. Wow, you know for eight years I have had so many weird symptoms of things, and my husband thinks because none of them are visible things that I am a hypocondriac. It is all starting to come together now that I have been talking to people on this website.
The IBS I have, nothing has seemed to help. I checked into the food thing and, with my problem, there is no specific food that triggers it. I have learned that I have to eat very small portions of food, and never eat enough at one time to get full. I stay hungry all the time because of it. When I am getting the start of an attack in my stomach, the pain is so horrible, it is hard to even gently massage, but I do it anyway because it is the only way to manipulate my body into the right mode, if you get what I mean. I can actually hear and feel it move when I massage. The pain is mostly on the left lower side of my abdomin, and boy it feels like someone is literally ripping my guts out. It's hard for me to do anything or go anywhere too far from a bathroom. That makes for a very unfulfilling life. My husband and I will go out to eat lunch, and I have to head straight home afterwards, and sometimes I'm in the bathroom before we even leave the restaruant. It is hard to find any kind of job where you can drop wht you are doing and run to the bathroom when you need too. I made a good living until this started, now I am trying to run my own business with horses so I can go when I want. My husband wants me to find a so called real job again, because the horse business isn't helping pay bills, but he doesn't understand the problems I have. I have even had accidents, when I couldn't get to a bathroom quick enough, but he still doesn't understand. He won't go to the doctor with me to listen to what they say. He just thinks because they find nothing visible and nothing that needs or should I say can befixed, wrong with me that I am not really sick. He just tells me to get him a bullet and he'll fix me up. Sometimes it's all I can d to stay sane.
Sorry to gab your ear off, but I know you understand. Anyway, I am still working on finding something to help with that problem. It seems to be my worst problem, but there are many more.. Any way I hope to hear from you again soon. Thank you for your time and advice.
Tina
hi tina! i suffer also and have been for 14 yrs and now seem to have finanly got a good dr and a good combination af meds to work . they are _ Bentyl which i take 5 times a day , which is when i get up in the morning then at night and everytime i eat something, the next
prevacid 1 a day and nexium 1 aday and now i do not have the blooting or the gas feeling nor have to run to the bathroom all the time .
i had to move from louisiana because of hurican katrina to dallas texas and got new doctors and they are been great and my life has been better the last 2 yrs because of them . good luck and hope this info helps
lacountrygirl
hi! kristi i just wrote to tina about my med combination that works for me you should check it out but i will write it again for you Bentyl prevacid, nexium i take for the ibs systoms and i also 2 have a bunch of other medical problems which i am on 15 meds day and night also besides the ibs , fibromyalgia, arthrits, depression pinch nerves bad knees bad heart valve and the list goes on & on , my husband calls my pain cocktail A HURRICAIN because it is so colorfull with al the different color pills that i take and it's like a storm when i have to stop and sit to take them all take care and hope the advice helps
I have the opposite problem and can look extremely pregnant because I've gone for as long as ten days without going. Many people with IBS switch back and forth.
Kriste
Hello to all who have responded to me. You do not know how much just talking with you has helped. My doctor never seemed to listen to me, but the inspiration you all have given me, gave me the nerve to go to him on the 27th, which was yesterday, and demand some help. He is now sending me to a rhumetologist for treatment of my fibro. He is also sending me to an ear, nose, and throat specialist, because I have been having some serious trouble with my left ear for almost 2 years. My doc said at first I had and ear infection. "NOT". For 2 years? Noway. He gave me Penicillan, but to no avail. My ear drum seems to have perforated, and thickened, and my lymph node on that side is enlarged and swollen. I don't know if this is another symptom of fibro, but it kind of scares me.
Anyway, I'll keep everyone updated on what the Rhumetologist says and what kind of meds he gives me. But you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be telling him what I have learned from all of you. Again, thanks so much for all the strength and inspiration you all have given to me, and please keep me informed on your life with fibro.
I no longer have that defeated feeling, and am looking forward to a better life.
Luv to all, Tina
Hi tina i cant spell so i appol for that,but i suffer with ibs due to my myalgia but i get my pain right under my left rib so i also suffer with server anxiety and panic thinking it could be a heart attack my doc is rubbish and didnt tell me i was suffering with anxiety so i just drank myself stupid to cover up the feeling which made everything worse.this is my very first time talking to anyone who suffers and i hope i can get a better understanding of whats going on with me.but my mum says for the ibs eat bran everyday as that will help and ive also started yoga which helps also.i do suffer as bad as you also with the ibs and the docs are useless with help i think.
HI KELLYANNE. WHICH TYPE OF IBS DO YOU SUFFER FROM? THE CHRONIC DIHARREAH, OR THE CONSTIPATION TYPE? MINE IS THE CHRONIC DIHAREEAH TYPE. THEY SAY IT'S THE RARE ONE. i DON'T KNOW, BUT IT MAKES GOING OUTSIDE OF YOUR HOME A SCARY CHALLENGE, EVERYDAY. MY PAIN, WHEN I HAVE MY ATTACKS IS MOSTLY IN THE LOWER LEFT SIDE OF MY STOMACH. I HAVE TO MASSAGE DOWNWARD, BUT SOMETIMES THE PAIN IS SO BAD (CRAMPING) IT HURTS TO EVEN TOUCH MY STOMACH, BUT I HAVE TO MASSAGE TO MAKE IT MOVE DOWNWARD. IT IS HORRIBLE, BUT I HAVE LIVED WITH IT SINCE THE YEAR 2000. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT I EAT, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN IT FEELS LIKE HAPPENING. ALTHOUGH I HAVE FOUND THAT EATING A LOT OF FIBER, AND TAKING FIBER PILLS HAS HELPED A LOT. YOU ALSO HAVE TO EAT VERY SMALL PORTIONS OF FOOD AT A TIME. IF I EAT A BIG MEAL AND GET FULL, WHATCH OUT, CAUSE IT'S GONNA HAPPEN WITHIN THE HOUR.
I USED TO THINK I WAS ALONE IN THIS, UNTIL I CAME ONTO THIS WEB SITE. THERE ARE SOOO MANY PEOPLE WHO SUFFER FROM THIS, IT'S CRAZY. I HAVE ALSO NOTICED THAT IT MOSTLY ATTACKS WOMEN TOO. SO, IF YOU NEED A FRIEND TO TALK TO ABOUT IT, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TALK TO ME. MEETING PEOPLE LIKE US ONTHIS WEB SITE HAS ACTUALLY HELPED ME BECOME STRONGER, AND MORE AGGRESIVE IN MY FIGHT AGAINST IT.
GOTTA GO FOR NOW, BUT PLEASE KEEP IN TOUCH. tINA
Hi tina
i dont know what type of ibs ive got and i dont know how to treat it im going to try eating more bran and have a look to see if i can find other stuff.my yoga defo helps so im going to keep that up,did you get ibs cos of fibro cos i did and i also got a bad gut im always having to burp.you are right though its finaly nice to be able to speak to people also suffering the same as you.i hope it gets better for you.thanks
first time on this site.i also have i.b.s. due to fibro my doctor has put me on norimode which has done the trick from the first time of taking the tablets.hope this helps. x
iluvmyhorse:really embarassing question
I know this goes against everything i was taught as a child - this subject is taboo!
Thanks for being brave and starting this convo. Yes, it terribly affects me and it is always random. I have yet to figure out the triggers!
Nicely said, Mysfamu!
The only thing the drs would give me when I first came down with Fibromyalgia were anti-inflammatories and if I knew then what I know now about these awful drugs, I would never have taken them in the first place. I am now on two stomach pills/day and will probably always be from the problems those medications caused. I cannot digest any amount of food without the stomach pills now, and I also still get terrible stomach pains quite often at night, some time after supper. Eating a meal has lost it's enjoyment for me as all I wonder while I'm eating is how I will pay for it later!
How do you explain to your family or friends that you can't always follow through with plans because of days when you are running to the bathroom every half hour with diahrrea, or you're so uncomfortable for days from constipation and the last thing you want to do is eat and cause more bloating! On top of the pain that interferes with our daily lives and plays havoc with any plans to start with, this whole IBS problem just compounds how we suffer with these secrets because no one understands or even wants to hear about it.
My mother had bowel problems in the last 10 years of her life, and as her only support, I was the one who mostly had to help with cleaning up the messes. It has left me with a fear of becoming that way as it is so embarassing to have to have someone else deal with your private issues. As much as my heart went out to her, I also developed a resentment towards her and her problems, which is such a shame because I loved my mother so much. I would never wish that on anyone and I don't talk much about my own IBS problems due to the shame-based feelings of having to deal with my mother. I did, however, have to insist on something for the diarrhea finally as it was just getting to be too much for me. My doctor finally prescribed a good med for the really bad days, which thankfully, have calmed down a lot since then, but at least now I have something to take for it that is effective if I do have to go out that day. It is called Cholestyramine (in Canada) and is in little powder packets. This is only to be used for really severe and consisten diarrhea, though, not on a regular basis. Otherwise, I take Immodium Extra Strength, which for most days now, is effective.
Other days, I have to have "big clothes" like I used to for "period days" because I am so bloated, nothing is comfortable to wear. Walking is more difficult too as the added pressure just makes my back ache even more. I hate the whole thing! I have been off the anti-inflammatories for about 3 years now and the diarrhea is finally starting to settle down, so at least that's hopeful. Maybe changing my diet has helped somewhat too. I eat a lot less salt (chips were my favourite) and have cut out most sugar while adding more vegetables and fruits. That alone has made a difference for me, and I keep trying to eat more healthy as much as I can (with a little cheating here and there, of course!). I don't know if anyone else also has arthritis, but sugar can be a trigger for the pain. My girlfriend who has Rheumatoid arthritis (I have Osteo arthritis) swears that every time she eats sugar, her pain flares up. I have tested this theory and do find it has an effect, which you don't notice until you start eliminating it from your diet. It is hard to change a lifetime of eating habits, though, so I am slow at making these changes, but I am trying.
Hope this helps you to know that you are certainly not alone and that we shouldn't have to be ashamed of what is not our fault our under our control. I'm afraid we have a long ways to go to change that attitude, though.
Gentle Hugs,
Maggie
