# IBS Newbie- Glad I found this site, Insight please?



## JRandolphTX (Oct 14, 2016)

Hi everyone. I'm a 35 year-old male, non-smoker. I've also had a sensitive stomach and was prone to diarrhea and stomach cramping, but I started to take notice of things last November. I had what I can best describe as pressure under my sternum. Not really pain or aching, but a fullness/pressure. I went to my primary care doctor in December and after a full-work up, blood work and a CT scan of my abdomen and pelvis, he referred me to a gastro.

My cat scan came back clear, blood work was fine (checked lipase and amylase for pancreas problems). After meeting with the gastro, I underwent an upper endoscopy in February of this year. Results came back that I had gastritis, duodenitis and multiple small ulcers. I feel a lot of this was stress related as I underwent a major stressful event. I don't exercise often and I'm a little overweight and I definitely know my diet could be better. I was prescribed omeprazole and sucralfate to help with the ulcers. He also wanted me to have an abdominal ultrasound to check the organs I guess. Ultrasound was done in May and also came back clear.

Just as a precursor, I tend to have anxiety about my health. My dad is a cancer survivor and perhaps it stems from this, but I get very anxious about my health. I google things way too much and I know it doesn't help.

I had my follow-up appointment a few weeks ago and described to him that I was still having that pressure under the sternum, upper abdomen and gas, alternating diarrhea and constipation. He said I have IBS and recommended taking a probiotic and FD Gard. He told me to stop taking my prescriptions and to take the OTC stuff.

Also, he wants to schedule a colonoscopy if I don't feel better in 2 months. I'm nervous about this. Does this sound like something any of you have experienced?

After the ct scan, blood work, ultrasound and endoscopy I feel a little silly to worry about it, but I can't help it some times. I know worrying isn't going to help my stomach heal.

Thanks guys.


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## EJ Marie (Sep 30, 2016)

I feel like a lot of us could write this. Sounds like you have had every test I have had, though I had a colonoscopy at same time as endoscopy. Doesn't seem to matter male or female or even age really, considering I'm 24 and female. The only thing they found for me was gastritis, duodenitis and diverticulosis (sounds so similar to your story, a colonoscopy might reveal you have diverticulosis who knows). My doctor also recommended quitting the prescriptions and going to OTC treatments since omeprazole and dicyclomine did not help at all. I am far from healed but metamucil, a probiotic, papaya extract and ginger seem to have helped me. I have had to take Imodium but that's only on the very bad days. Have you kept a food journal? My doctor thinks fried foods and dairy may be also players in my symptoms.


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## JRandolphTX (Oct 14, 2016)

Hi EJ,

I have never kept a food journal. I'm going to start one of think. I had a Subway sandwich and was so bloated it felt like I couldn't breathe. The pressure in my upper abdomen almost feels like it's my heart or something, but I know it's not. I get pressure/pain under both sides of my ribs too. I'm guessing this is just related to the IBS. This is all new and scary to me. How do you take the ginger? I might need to try it.


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## EJ Marie (Sep 30, 2016)

Yeah same here on the new/scary part. I have been doing a ginger root capsule. I have bad nausea and it seems to help more than anything I've tried. My pain is on both sides as well but definitely more on the left which I figure is probably the gastritis. I did a food journal for a month (shocked my doc cause he said rarely does anybody actually follow through with that). From my journal best guess is dairy isn't a friend of mine. Considering you had subway there a possibility you could either have a gluten intolerance or lactose intolerance (sometimes it's not a full blown allergy). A food journal is easy and couldn't hurt to try. I seem to be on the right track because I am feeling better but I still have some symptoms. There is lots of Pinterest recipes and guides if you want to try gluten-free or dairy-free, send me a private message if you want to follow my pins on there.


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