# Started getting IBS symptoms after colonoscopy (M/30)



## mahlerfan77 (Mar 19, 2017)

Hi everyone,

I would first like to say I am seeing a GI doctor regularly for my problems, which started about 6 months ago after taking doxycycline (antibiotic) to take care of a tick bite, but have gotten progressively worse since.

I also wanted to just share my story:

I've been prone to constipation since I was a kid. *About 1 1/2 years ago*, the constipation was starting to get a little worse, and I would get these little muscle twitches in my lower left quadrant (near where my splenic flexure of the colon is). No pain, just noticed the twitches. I went to my primary care doctor and she said I was just constipated. She prescribed taking Miralax 1 capful a day going forward to help. It did really help! For about another year, I had large, soft, normal bowel movements every day. No complaints.

Then, *in Sept. of 2016*, I got a tick bite, and the same doctor prescribed me 7 days of doxycycline (broad-spectrum antibiotic) to rule out Lyme Disease. The tick bite resolved, but I noticed my stools were starting to slowly become thinner and shorter than before. My diet and exercise habits had not changed. The trend towards smaller stools continued slowly for another 3 months (despite taking 1 capful of Miralax every day as the doctor instructed). *In Dec. 2016*, I became so plugged up with soft stool I didn't know what to do, so I checked myself into the ER, fearing some kind of intestinal obstruction. They did blood tests and a CT scan, and after 6 hours of lying there, the ER doctor comes in and tells me I'm severely constipated (big surprise!). He said to drink lots of water and eat a high fiber diet and exercise (was already doing those things) and he prescribed me GoLytely to clean myself out. Of course, it cleaned me out, but now I was terrified of the Miralax, thinking it had somehow caused my problems. So I avoided it and tried to stay regular with stool softener tablets every morning and drinking even more water than usual (100 oz. or more/day).

A week later I saw a GI specialist, and she prescribed me Citrucel every morning and told me to take the Align probiotic daily. This worked wonders. I was off the Miralax, and having large soft stools (even better than the Miralax at its best) every morning like clockwork. I thought I had left all my problems behind.

The GI specialist scheduled me for a *colonoscopy on Jan. 10th this year*, just to rule out any other problems. I had the colonoscopy (normal), and started eating pistachio ice cream every night for several nights afterwards to try and put on more weight. After about 4 days of this, I got IBS symptoms. First, my colon felt like it was being squeezed very tightly, and I stopped passing gas. Then, barely any stool would come out at all. Keep in mind I've never had any food allergies in my life and never had problems with ice cream before. I had these cramps and constipation for a month. I had to do homemade Miralax cleanses several times to just be able to sleep at night. I was so uncomfortable from the bloating, cramps, and feeling of constipation.

My GI doctor told me to *try low FODMAP on Jan. 31*, thinking I had IBS. I followed it half-heartedly, thinking there was no way food sensitivities could be my problem. I had never had any in my life! Unfortunately, the symptoms continued, despite me taking Align and Citrucel every morning. On *Feb. 18th, I started taking the Nature's Way Fortify 30 billion Primadophilus probiotic in addition to the Align*. My symptoms improved 100% in 24 hours! Unfortunately, a week later, I happened to eat a meal with high FODMAP foods (only realizing this in retrospect), and my symptoms returned. I decided to really give low FODMAP a go and observe it strictly last week. Since then my symptoms have stabilized, but I still feel a little tightness in my LLQ.

I just started taking digestive enzymes with every meal yesterday, and plan to try daily L-Glutamine powder. Hopefully someday I will get back to normal and leave this all behind. It really seems to me like it's all the result of an imbalance of intestinal flora. Symptoms started with antibiotics last September and got markedly worse after colonoscopy clean-out in January. I'd really appreciate any weighing in here! Thank you all for having such a supportive community....


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## Helena (Apr 13, 2017)

Thanks for your story. I can't remember when my IBS started. Years ago. Started the fodmap diet about 2 years ago. Probably from taking antibiotics as well.


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## Maillady (May 20, 2017)

I have had IBS for 11 yrs now. Was in denial that that is truly my problem. Started out with one flare up a year. Then twice a year. Last few yrs it's 3-4 times a year. Trying to educate myself now on diets. I attribute getting it from my first colonoscopy. Never had any problems before that. Menopause hit the same time and worst system of that is severe insomnia. See that insomnia is related to IBS. 
I feel for the people that have to try and work during this. It puts me in bed for at least a week and I have to completely eliminate food while my gut heals. I get weak and usually it's a month of my life lost before I'm active and normal again.
Luckily I was able to retire early.


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