# How did you first know?



## DannyLQT (Jan 14, 2003)

Hey everyone! I'm just curious as to how everyone got their IBS. When was your first symptoms? How old were you? How has life changed for you?My symptoms started after I had my gallbladder removed when I was 10. I was fine before that, then soon afterwards I started cramping and was diagnosed with IBS-D. At age 10 you don't really care that you have to go to the bathroom more than usual. You aren't embarrassed about it when your with friends. When I was in 8th grade, it started to get embarrassing. I would go to the nurses office and pretend I was extremely sick just so I could go home and use the bathroom in private. High school got worse. College is about the same, except you can just leave without having to have permission from the teacher to use the bathroom. As far as a social life, I love to go out, but if I've had bad IBS throughout the day, I know not to do anything that night. Sometimes it sucks having to stay home while all your friends can go out and have a normal life.~Danielle~


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

[off topic unsolicited advice] Have you talked to anyone about Questran? It is often used for people who have diarrhea after gall-bladder removal. It binds bile and can in some cases stop that. If you aren't interested in that check out LNAPE's posts on Calcium over on the OTC thread. She solved here problem like that with Calcium supplements[the on-topic part of the post]I got back from a field study on a hog lagoon. I didn't feel that well towards the end of the study and shortly after getting back the abdominal pain started. I ran a fever for about 4-6 weeks after getting back. Low grade so I didn't go to the doctor about that [random idiocy that was







]Eventually went to the doc because I wanted to rip my own colon out with my bare hands and got a diagnosis of IBS.The link in my sig has the story of how I got better.K.


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## Godsent316 (Sep 9, 2002)

I can't remember not having the crazy BM's, but the point that I decided to see a doctor was when I was in Quebec on a student exchange, and I had to ask my host mother to drive me home so I could run to the washroom. I didn't make it and ashamed, had to wash my clothing on my own, by hand, in the bathroom sink (because my host partner had friends over downstairs) and dry them on my heater. It was the second time that I had an attack that bad, and I had been sick numerous times since being there. I called my mother and asked her to call and make an appointment for the week that I came home. I then got on modulon.


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## Angela43 (Feb 3, 2003)

It started for me in the 8th grade. I was on crutches, and kept getting bouts of D. Try hurrying to the bathroom on crutches! I finally went to the Dr. in high school, and she was just a GP, and couldn't find anything wrong. I just went back to a specialist a few months ago and got IBS confirmed.


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## MistiE (Feb 16, 2003)

I was seven when I started having bad pains and started noticing that I was different from the other kids. Just about a year ago I decided that I could not handle it anymore and I had to figure out what was wrong. I have had many tests (colonoscopy, endoscopy, gm's, barium,blah blah blah.) My father has IBS so after many tests and after being hospitalized because the pain was so bad they finally diagnosed me. My father and I both have very bad cases and recently I have not been able to sleep because the pain is so bad and eventually I start throwing up in the wee hours of the morning because the pain is so horrid. This is a major problem; my doctor put me on new medication (wow whats new) and hopefully it will work. Ya know sometimes I think that this disease will kill me.







talk to ya guys soon: MISTI


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## redaunt2 (Feb 16, 2003)

I had symptoms for quite sometime before I knew anything was wrong. Sometime during elementary school (4th grade?)I got sick with CMV and then I started feeling nauseated that would be relieved primarily through having bowel movements (if relieved at all). Then in high school I got these feelings more often and began having D and C issues. I went to my doctor several times during my soph and jr years of high school and was finally sent to a specialist my sr. year. I had a colonoscopy at that point and was told I had IBS. All I was told was to eat better (more fiber, less milk, blah blah blah) but I was never told about drugs I could take or anything. I was just given meds for abdominal pain (which I don't have-go figure) so now hearing everything you guys take really makes me wonder what I could be taking. I don't know what drugs are out there and for what reasons to take which one. I haven't seen anyone since I was diagnosed-i was given the impression that I just had to learn to deal with it. But you guys make me think otherwise. My symptoms haven't hindered me too much as far as going out and such-Or at least I've had a great many times feeling sick while out on the town and regretting going, but I almost always seem to go out anyways. I'm too determined to live the way I want to and deal with IBS to the best of my ability.


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## karenpope (Feb 19, 2003)

My IBS started after i had my appendix removed only about 2 years ago. I was told that because it burst, my bowel had to be played around with so that the escaped liquid could try to be cleaned up a bit to stop it going through the rest of my body. Since that operation i have been plauqed with bad ibs every since. I am grateful that i didnt have this until i was 22 and not 10 but i can relate to your stories of feeling like you missing out on stuff. The pain gets so bad so times that i cant make it into work, so i have to sit at home with my hot water bottle and a toilet near buy. I think one of the hardest things is the lack of remedy aswell. All the drugs i have tried from the pharmacy havent worked one little bit and unfortunatly my doctor is not all that sympathetic either.


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## Tamgirl21 (Sep 2, 2001)

Mine started after I had mono I think! I had it in 3rd grade and then ever since then I've been wacky.


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## angylroses (Feb 27, 2003)

My very first bout of IBS started 2 years ago on my mom's birthday. We had just had a huge meal at her favorite restaurant and were driving home when I started having strong abdominal pains. I jumped out of the car when we got home, but only made it to the door before I passed out from the pain. (I unfortunately have a horrible tolerance for pain!) My parents, of course, rushed me to the doctor the next day and it wasn't until a few months ago that they finally diagnosed me with IBS.


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