# Feeling so low.. Don't know where to turn!



## LMJ1971 (Feb 10, 2020)

Thank God I've found this forum. I have been suffering with IBS over the last year after a diverticulitis flare up and course of antibiotics.

The pain is constant, every day, across my whole abdomen . My stools equally change daily, sometimes good mostly not. It feels as though anything I eat just goes right through me.

Mainly ibs-D and have to urinate God knows how many times a day. I am constantly poking and prodding my stomach because I think something else, far worse is going on and my mental health, especially anxiety is a mess... I am at my wits end!

Waiting results from stool and blood tests, constantly checking my poop and live with daily cramps and bruised stomach feeling.

Don't go out and have become socially withdrawn and really need some support and reassurance..

Has anyone else felt like this? I just don't know where to turn!


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## Ramses2 (Feb 6, 2020)

I know what you are going through. I have had the same problem for the last 9 years ---- except for the pain.

A few days ago I made up a batch of home-made apple sauce and when it had cooled down I had a small bowl full. 2 hours later I had the runs again and when I looked in the toilet bowl I could see bits of apple. 2 hours from plate to toilet.

My G.I. doc has run every test he can think of and he is stumped. He says there are several thousand possible causes.

I wish I could give you some really helpful advice but all I can suggest is that you : 1.) try an elimination diet by starting with a very low fiber diet, 2.) nothing, repeat nothing, spicy. 3.) Keep a detailed record of EVERYTHING you consume, even the liquids and then compare it to how your bowels react ie; loose stool, firm stool etc.

For me, and it may not work for you, I have found that the following helps SOMETIMES : slightly green bananas, apple sauce, macaroni and cheese. When I must go out, I wear diapers in case of "accident".

Hang in there and fight this damn thing


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## LMJ1971 (Feb 10, 2020)

Thanks so much for the reply, it helps listening to others. I am using Tummi app on my phone to record my diet and bm habits. It is helping somewhat seeing it in black and white.

I worry everyday as soon as I open my eyes, about what symptoms I will suffer today. I literally have to force myself to go to work.

I think the anxiety of the pain makes it worse and the more I think the worse I become.

I hope things ease for you..


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## Ramses2 (Feb 6, 2020)

Anxiety and pain go hand-in-hand. Therefore, you might give some consideration to finding a relaxation technique ? If you can find a good counselor, he/she could be a big help to you. IMO, the mind is a much more powerful tool than people realize.


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## Kenny (Jan 28, 2020)

LMJ1971 said:


> Thank God I've found this forum. I have been suffering with IBS over the last year after a diverticulitis flare up and course of antibiotics.
> 
> The pain is constant, every day, across my whole abdomen . My stools equally change daily, sometimes good mostly not. It feels as though anything I eat just goes right through me.
> 
> ...


I can completely relate to you . Have suffered with IBS-D for 6 years now and this condition has a way of making one feel extremely low and isolated.I refuse to give up and keep trying remedies/medications. The hope that someday something may work keeps me going everyday.

Recently have had some luck/relief with probiotics . Have you tried them out ?


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## Mommyof4 (Feb 21, 2020)

Isolated is an understatement. Most days I feel like I ant do another day of it. I just want to lead a normal life where a bowel movement is just a bowel Movement and doesnt take over my existence. I generally go to the bathroom about 10-15 times a day. The morning is really bad. I never want to get out of bed and start the whole thing over. I am at my last nerve. It is not way to live. I have tried so many things. Medicines, supplements, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, eliminating foods. Everything.


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## Kenny (Jan 28, 2020)

Mommyof4 said:


> Isolated is an understatement. Most days I feel like I ant do another day of it. I just want to lead a normal life where a bowel movement is just a bowel Movement and doesnt take over my existence. I generally go to the bathroom about 10-15 times a day. The morning is really bad. I never want to get out of bed and start the whole thing over. I am at my last nerve. It is not way to live. I have tried so many things. Medicines, supplements, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, eliminating foods. Everything.


If anybody understand your agony , it is us , your fellow IBS sufferers . Please hang in there , we are all trying relentlessly to find a solution.

I have even quit my job 6 months ago to be able to focus on finding something that works .If we do find something /anything , the first thing we will do it post about it so others can benefit from it . Please try to stay optimistic and do follow the support forum diligently to see if any of the others have had any success.

You did mention that you have tried all kinds of medicines but there is no mention of probiotics. If you have not tried it before , please try it out . The trick is to start with one tablet a day . Most people make the mistake of taking 2 or 3 a day which causes worsening of symptoms.


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## LMJ1971 (Feb 10, 2020)

Thank you everyone for your replies. I am currently taking Probio7, taking one tablet a day. Things were getting a little easier for a while, but that didn't last long. Should I take more than one pill a day? I am not sure what the best one is to take. I had tried the usual Activia etc and even Keifer, which just made me worse. I even tried Microbionta, but stopped taking it because I discovered some of the ingredients could be causing diarrhea. I was prescribed Mintec and Fibrogel, both of which never worked. Probio7 has actually reduced the bloating I had dramatically, but it does seem to be increasing again.

The biggest problem for me is health anxiety. I am anxious all the time, feeling that I have something far worse. I am poking and prodding my stomach almost constantly. I can feel tiny lumps under the skin, but these are probaly due to my constant poking. The area does feel sore and bruised all the time and I use a hot water bottle to alleviate some of the pain. My job involves a lot of sitting at a desk, which also causes a lot of abdominal pain. I am overweight, which clearly doesn't hep and have some stretch marks, which are also hurting. Even the clothes I wear are having a negative impact on my life.

The whole thing is exhausting and tiring, I just need some relief.


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## Kenny (Jan 28, 2020)

LMJ1971 ,

I doubt you will have the same brands available in the UK so no point in me recommending the brand(I live in India). I have tried a couple of probiotics and I have noticed that only one particular one works for me .I see a drastic difference in reduction of bloating and constant flatulence. The probiotic that is working for me has the following bacteria, please try to match this with a brand that you have available which has the same strain of bacteria .Also I would always recommend starting with one tablet a day to see if it helps you , only if you notice a difference would it make sense to even consider increasing the dosage.

Lactobacillus Acidophilus , Lactobacillus , Bifidobacterium Bifidum , Bifidobacterium Infantis , Bifidobacterium Longum , Fructo Oligosaccharida

@

LMJ1971:

If you do end up trying these out and you notice that it helps you in any way - possibly reduction of bloating or better yet reduction of diarrhea, please let us know !


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## LMJ1971 (Feb 10, 2020)

I have just start taking a new probiotic pill called Acidophilus with 20 billion bacteria. It's day four now and my ibs feels really bad, also lots of diarrhea. Is this normal to begin with? Should I stick at it for a while yet? It came highly recommended but was told this could happen initially...


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## Kenny (Jan 28, 2020)

LMJ1971 said:


> I have just start taking a new probiotic pill called Acidophilus with 20 billion bacteria. It's day four now and my ibs feels really bad, also lots of diarrhea. Is this normal to begin with? Should I stick at it for a while yet? It came highly recommended but was told this could happen initially...


Hello @ LMJ1971,

I guess everybody's microbe is different. I have also read that usually symptoms worsen at the onset but that it is just a sign of the probiotic working so I think it would make sense to continue for atleast a week or two before drawing conclusions .

However , in personal experience with probiotics , I did not notice a worsening of symptoms . I started getting a lot of relief from boating and flatulence on day 3 of my usage.

Please feel free to reach out for any further questions you may have


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## LMJ1971 (Feb 10, 2020)

Is anyone else feeling a Coronavirus affect. Since the World has gone mad, my IBS is bad, really bad. The trouble is the symptoms I am getting are also the same for a dangerous type of Coronavirus, which is making my anxiety spin out of control. Any tips about what I can do please?


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## sjtoole (Jul 11, 2017)

Posted Today, 02:16 AM

I suffered for over a decade with severe, debilitating bloating. (so bad that I had high blood pressure and chest pain.)

I tried every antibiotic and probiotic known to man, along with every FoDMap diet imaginable, and *nothing* helped.

I discovered by accident that antihistamines helped a bit, particularly Pepcid and Tagamet, but still had bad bloating.

*Bloating Issue Solved after 12 years of suffering: *I finally stumbled onto something that puts a serious dent in my severe bloating! *Non-prescription digestive enzymes*

While searching the keyword "bloating" on Amazon, I discovered that many people had great luck with non-prescription *digestive enzymes.*

There are many brands available on Amazon and at health/vitamin stores, and they all pretty much contain the same enzymes in different combinations. (Ex. Protease, Peptidase, Lipase, etc.)

I have had good luck with a brand called *HUM Flatter Me, available on Amazon.*

They are basically the same enzymes that your stomach and pancreas produce normally, and are relatively cheap.

I take them before and immediately after I eat a meal, and they DRASTICALLY reduce my bloating.

My H. Pylori infection may have damaged my stomach's ability to produce these enzymes. I am really disappointed that none of the GI specialists that I visited even suggested this as a possible treatment!

The anti-histamines still help, but not nearly as much as the digestive enzymes.

*If nothing is working for you, order Digestive Enzymes from Amazon or buy a bottle at your local nutrition /vitamin store and give them a try.*


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