# Functional bowel disorder



## Mikado (Apr 9, 2013)

Hi guys,

I have had what the doctors term a "functional bowel disorder" for over 30 years. It has never been diagnosed as IBS (or IBD), probably because I don't suffer from either diarrhoea or constipation. My symptoms are food intolerances, chronic gut inflammation, abdominal pain, and shortness of breath. I also have adult onset asthma, which may or may not be related to the gut disorder.

9 years ago my gut symptoms suddenly became much worse, and after many investigations they were diagnosed as "gastritis" related to the long standing bowel disorder.The gastritis resolved after treatment with a PPI and a H2 Blocker. But the chronic abdominal pain has never improved in spite of my many efforts to manage it. Sometimes it is severe, to the extent opiate-derived painkillers and bed rest for a week are the only things that help.

The pain originates on the left side of my upper abdomen, just below the ribcage, a nagging pain. Various triggers e.g. walking at normal pace more than 100 yds,

light exercise, coughing, bending etc all cause the pain to intensify and spread across my abdomen and up my chest wall. The pain is muscular in type.

The annoying thing is even when I cease doing whatever has triggered the pain, it continues to get worse. It feels like torn muscles and can take a week or more to settle down to my normal level of pain. Possibly worse than the pain is the severe shortness of breath it causes, which often triggers a bad asthma attack, necessitating admission to the ER in the past, before I had my own nebuliser at home.

I have seen many doctors in the past 9 years, but none has been able to suggest anything that has made much of a difference to reducing the pain levels. I don't want to take heavy duty pain killers all the time as they make me drowsy, and stop me having quality of life and doing things I want to do.

I have seen 2 dietitians in the past 9 yrs, one of whom put me on the SCD diet and then 2 yrs later one who switched me to the FODMAP diet, plus low residue foods, all of which has certainly help reduce food intolerance symptoms (e.g. attacks of gastritis, nausea, reflux etc). I am very pleased with this result, even though it is not easy to live on a very restricted diet!

I had 6 sessions of hypnotherapy, which did nothing at all to help with the pain, or improve my symptoms. I find the Meditation Class I attend more helpful. Gentle body massage is also helpful to some extent, but can be counter-productive as it can cause the smooth muscle in my chest to become very tight, when my back is massaged.

Medications - in the past I was prescribed the usual drugs used to treat IBS, eg. Buscopan etc. None helped and most of them made my symptoms worse.

Other than that, steroids, but can only take these very short term (3 days x 30 mgs) as more than that has caused me an intestinal bleed in the past (I have Diverticular Disease). At present, other than painkillers the only regular medication I take is to treat the asthma. None of the gastroenterologists I have seen have felt any other drugs are appropriate for the gut problem.

I am wondering whether anyone reading this post recognises any of my symptoms, or can identify with them. If so,, do you have any advice you can give for managing my illness better.

Many thanks guys.


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## Dianaearnshaw (Feb 22, 2013)

I suspect you have a sensitivity to wheat. Wheat has not only been genetically engineered in recent years, but with the Chorley Wood bread making technique, it has become quite toxic to a lot of people.

Some years ago, I put my sister on a low carb diet for her weight. She lost weight - and stopped using her inhalers for asthma as a bonus!

Bread and other wheat products are big trouble for many. Why not exclude all wheat for a week and see what happens?

Good luck!


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## Mikado (Apr 9, 2013)

Hi Diane, thanks for your reply.

I haven't eaten wheat (or any gluten) for about 25 years. It certainly was a problem for me when I did eat it...... so you are right in that respect


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## Mikado (Apr 9, 2013)

Sorry guys, with hindsight I realise maybe I didn't make clear in my first post that I am not looking for any advice about diet. I have had an excellent dietitian working with me for 2 years and as a result I am on the FODMAP diet, as well as a low residue diet, as I mentioned above..... These 2 diets have made a big difference, though of course they are very restrictive.

What I am interested in is whether anyone recognises my description of the intense muscular pain I have in my upper abdomen . It is mainly triggered by exertion, even walking, or bending, but also coughing, laughing etc, but also triggered by eating a large meal. If this description strikes a chord with anyone I would love to hear from them, especially on how they manage the pain.

My consultant has suggested I ask the Pain Clinic for liquid morphine. Seems a bit drastic, but if there is nothing else that will work I guess I'll have to bite the bullet.


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