IBS....?

[teenagebambam]

I have some symptoms which I initially thought were diverticulitis, and my doctor started treating as such (even though she wasn't QUITE sure about that diagnosis) but now I'm wondering if it could be IBS. If anyone is a sufferer, does any of this sound familiar?

- Bloated, pressure-y feeling in lower abdomen, between belly button and pelvis. Occasional waves of very sharp pain that last 5-10 minutes, sometimes relieved by bowel movement and/or urination
- Watery stool, I hesitate to call it diarrhea because it's infrequent, not a great volume, and not uncontrollable
- Had nausea the day BEFORE the pain started, but not since. Otherwise normal appetite though I'm trying to take it easy on my system as far as what I eat

The doctor prescribed a Cipro/Flagyl combo, which really knocked me on my ass (I started having flu-like aches, got flushed, etc.) so she told me I could stop the Falgyl and just take Cipro. The pain is gradually getting better (after 4 days of meds) but I don't know if it was ever really an infection...?

I have often had strange, similar symptoms in the past - the same sort of gassy, bloated feeling, but higher in my abdomen, in my lower back or even in my shoulder blades (!) I often have heartburn but oddly have not had much since this episode started..


I'm 44, male, and have only in the past 18 months sought medical help for any kind of gastric problems. Thanks for any insight!

[Warpy]

1. IBS usually presents as an alternation between constipation and diarrhea

Yours sounds more like diverticulitis, especially if you had an elevated temperature and elevated white count, both of which I hope your doc checked. If you had any sort of a blood test, she did.

Referred pain between the shoulder blades can be a lot of different things, but IBS pain is usually located to the descending colon, lower left side of your abdomen.

If you're feeling better, then the treatment was appropriate. You might want to eat some yogurt with live cultures while you're finishing the antibiotics and for a week or two afterward. The live cultures can help your gut get back to normal.

[teenagebambam]

2. Never had any fever

and doc didn't check blood! I did have a diagnosis of diverticulosis several years ago (different state, different doctor) which is why that was my default assumption. But the lack of fever and the doctor's uncertainty made me start to wonder.

[Altoid_Cyclist]

3. I have no medical training so this probably won't help much.

I did however have to have my sigmoid colon removed two years ago after repeated bouts of diverticulitis.

Just from my experience, I had a lot of the symptoms that you describe. I didn't always have a fever but the other symptoms were pretty consistent with varying intensity. The flare-ups would often cause inflammatory peritonitis throughout the digestive tract so it was hard to determine where the pain originated.

The Cipro/Flagyl combination is a bear to go through every few months and Warpy made a good suggestion in regard to some sort of probiotic therapy. The antibiotics don't discriminate and will kill the beneficial bacteria that we need for proper function of the GI tract.

GI disorders really can be miserable so be sure to find the best Gastroenterologist that you can since the diagnosis is so important.

I was mistreated by Doctors for years even though my symptoms for an earlier illness years ago were the textbook signs of a pyloric ulcer. I never got referred to a Gastro. until it was almost too late. Doctors told me that I was faking the 20 pound weight loss, bloody vomit and diarrhea!

[CraftyGal]

4. I am glad you are getting checked.

Make sure to get some sort of probiotics into you. I was on antibiotics for a long time and as a result ended up in hospital for 5 days. I was taken in by ambulance because at least I could get comfortable. Thank god for Alberta Blue Cross which covered the cost of the ambulance trip ($400.00 to drive 15 blocks to the hospital). I was so dehydrated which is not good with renal issues. Now I have IBS-D. I did not know there were three classes of IBS. There is IBS which alternates between diarrhea and constipation. There is IBS-C which has constipation dominance. Finally there is IBS-D which is diarrhea dominant.

This book has some great information (ignore the % off as this is Chapters in Canada, not sure how it works in the US).



IBS Relief: A Complete Approach to Managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome

From the Publisher:

Take control of IBS so IBS doesn't take control of your life

IBS Relief, Second Edition is an extensively updated, hands-on guide to help you manage your symptoms and limit the frequency, intensity, and duration of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) episodes. Written by a doctor, a dietitian, and a psychologist, this guide gives you a multidisciplinary approach encompassing every proven strategy for managing IBS, including new drug therapies and stress management techniques.

This book won''t confuse you with medical terminology--IBS is confounding enough. Instead, the book contains questionnaires, lists, diaries, stress and food tolerance tests, and other tools to help you determine the pattern of your symptoms, identify triggers, and take appropriate action. You''ll learn how to manage your problem based on your specific symptoms. Approaches include:
* A three-step process for managing irritable bowel through healthy eating
* Recommended diet adjustments for the six most common IBS symptoms
* Three stress-management strategies, including specific techniques for calming the body, calming the mind, and confronting stress
* Three steps to controlling pain

This book gives you the tools, the techniques, and the information you need to make specific lifestyle and diet changes that can bring real relief.

Also ask you doctor about a colonoscopy, that would alleviate any other concerns and rule out things. i had one while in hospital and it ruled out Celiac (family history of it) and cancer.

Hope this helps.

CraftyGal

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Yes – and I also have

Ankylosing Spondylitis – the two are joined at the hip . . . well bowels.

Question - Do you have joint/back pain/inflammation? If so, go get checked for the HLA-B27 gene.

Try doing a 100% Starch Free Diet. I suffered with IBS on and off for 30 years – without really being diagnosed. Then for three years in my early 30’s – 10-12 times a day. At 36 (literally within a few days), the A.S. appeared.

Try a low inflammatory food/starch free diet for a few days.

Think: Fish, eggs, meats, nitrite/nitrate free bacon, green leafy veggies (preferably raw).

No flour, rice, rice flour, potatos, peas, peanust/cashews/walnuts (skin is filled with it). Not even sprouted grains. If you feel better – then it’s a good start. Try and stick with it for a few weeks.

Then do this: Try rice. Fast for a day or two before hand (home made veggie broth and filtered water only). If you are doubled over? Now you know rice may be a culprit.

In the past year and a half I have become a walking dictionary on inflammatory foods, preservatives, food processing, antibiotics in meats, brain fog inducing foods, foods that trigger flares of A.S., R.A., IBS, Celiac, etc. etc.