# My story - what is this 'migraine' of a pain in my bowel?



## MaroonGirl (Jun 9, 2016)

Hi everyone

After months of suffering with this new symptom, I have decided to just drop everything and give myself a break.

Sorry if this sounds like a rant but here goes.

Today I quit my job. For the past 8 years, I have been about nothing but studying and building a career. Graduated from a good uni, started working on wall street. Basically, killed myself for a career in the west and what do I get? A constant, god awful, throbbing pain in my left pelvis and I get dumped by this dude I am dating because I am having diarrhea.. If someone saw me walking down the street, they would have no idea how much of pain I am in. After trying to hold up for months, living alone without any family, I have decided to take a break from my 'career' and move back home without a job. It sucks.

People keep telling me to chin up, to think positive or nor "stress too much" or I am a pretty girl and what do I have to worry about? How dare a "pretty girl" have bowel issues, yeah? Shoot me. I just want to scream and jump off a cliff. Like, it's is always there. It never goes away. People at work thought I'm making excuses about being unwell. Well, being in constant misery, I have started to feel worthless- as a woman and as a person. I stopped going out cuz in the UK here, everyone likes to go out for a good old pint. I'm like - I'll just be here with my miserable self at home.

In a few days I am moving back to my home in Asia to be with family but it's like Im not sure if I will ever get better. The worst thing is how it has taken over my life. I have changed into this depressed walking zombie and I want to break free of this cycle. I used to be fun-loving, always bantering, up for a good laugh and now I go out of my way to avoid people or human interaction. Lost most of my "friends" after I came out with the health stuff. Too "uncool" for them perhaps. Guess that's what you expect from people. I see couples in the park holding hands and I think about how happy I used to be...dunno if I will ever find love.

I haven't come across anyone who has a migraine like pain in their left lower side. I have it all day long alongwith other IBS symptoms. Anyone? ! And have you been able to cure it?

Many thanks


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## lithium (Oct 9, 2015)

I used to get severe pain in lower left side. Nowadays I get pain in my upper left side and some other nasty symptoms which are far worse than the pain itself.


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## DECODE_IBS (Apr 6, 2016)

Marry me.


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## MaroonGirl (Jun 9, 2016)

Lithium, I used to have upper left abdominal pains for 4 years and now I got this pain lower. How long have you had this symptom? Have you been able to see any doctors in your country? I have seen GIs across 3 continents. They keep giving me PPIs. Sigh...

@Decode, haha maybe we could. Your comment made me smile.


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## lithium (Oct 9, 2015)

MaroonGirl,

I have been suffering since one year with these symptoms. I saw few doctors for these symptoms. When I mention my full range of symptoms to them they get perplexed. Mainly they prescribed me PPIs and dicyclomine(bentyl). The pain although severe is nothing compared to some of my other symptoms.

I ended up this way because I took 5 or 6 antibiotics to clear an infection and these antibiotics severely damaged my gut. I have a combination of pain predominant IBS, some kind of IBD(possibly chrons), leaky gut and pruritus(triggered by eating certain foods) and more.


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## Savannah88 (May 23, 2016)

MaroonGirl-I am sorry to hear your story, that is awful. Losing friends is hard but especially for something that isn't your fault. If you ever need someone to talk to, let me know. I hate how IBS makes us all loners but sometimes my friends weren't worth it to begin with.


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## MaroonGirl (Jun 9, 2016)

Savannah88 said:


> MaroonGirl-I am sorry to hear your story, that is awful. Losing friends is hard but especially for something that isn't your fault. If you ever need someone to talk to, let me know. I hate how IBS makes us all loners but sometimes my friends weren't worth it to begin with.


Savannah, Thanks for the thoughts. Yeah it's been ###### as a young person as not being able to enjoy my lie whatsoever which is why I tried to distract myself with work.









I saw your post where you are trying to meet other ppl with IBS. I lived in NYC for 6 years- wish I knew more people with IBS then. What part of US are you from? Is your IBS getting better?


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## chloe_yang (Jun 16, 2016)

MaroonGirl, I'm new to the forum and your post made me want to say something. I've started having IBS symptoms after being on antibiotics more than one year ago.

I also quit my job because I couldn't take it anymore, and decided to "postpone" everything until I figured this out. I was anxious all the time, although my exams came all clear.

I have mainly IBS-C which now is more or less controlled thanks to VSL3 probiotics but I also get this constant left side pain that I cannot get rid of. I have tried several diets, exercising, antispasmodics, etc., and nothing seems to work (I've noticed that fiber makes it even worse). If anyone has any ideas of what this might be or how to treat it, I would be forever thankful.


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## MaroonGirl (Jun 9, 2016)

Did you ever take any other drugs before your pains started Chloe?

I am also beginning to get heartburn like everywhere in my gut and I am pretty sure this is because I stopped the dam PPIs. You can't get off those things- it might just be harder than quitting heroin.

Anyone been on PPIs and successfully stopped them? I've tried coming off like 4 times and everytime the doctors ask me to go back- which causes nothing but bloating and cramps. What a vicious cycle.


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## Karan K (Jun 14, 2016)

Just read your post... I know what you mean...I guess all i can say is...Believe...because that's the toughest part. Cheers


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## Sgali (Aug 27, 2013)

Maroon Girl , search this site for "How I cured my IBS " by Sgali , it explains the process that worked for me . There are lots of other success stories here ranging from Fecal Transplants to diet . The first story in this thread is very informative and thorough . Good luck , hang in there , this IS curable .


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## MaroonGirl (Jun 9, 2016)

Sgali, I searched for it and nothing came up besides this post. Share the link? Many thanks x


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## Pattijean (Mar 31, 2013)

Hi, I read your story with interest. On the one hand I feel bad that you are so young and have "quit work" but on the other perhaps it is best to give yourself some time to get a handle on the IBS issues, if possible. I'm an old lady now (about to turn 68 in a couple of days) and I feel older than I should because of this IBS-D. It seems to have gotten worse over the years despite my attempts to be an A+ student at finding, if not a cure, at least a way to manage it. It is interesting you use the phrase "migraine" to describe the pain in your left side. (If I'm wrong here, sorry, I don't want to go back up and look at the exact points in your story.) I, too, have had very bad pains on the left side, never thought of using the word migraine since I have suffered my whole life from them. But I was hospitalized for said pain, and they said it was an infection of the small intestine. I was in and out of the hospital for 3 weeks (they kept releasing me too soon), I'd get home and the intense pain would come back as well as diarrhea, but finally, what ever happened (lots of tubes, etc.) I was able to avoid surgery, but lost 30 pounds (which I did not need to) and had a bottom as red as a chimp in heat. That said, you might check it out with your doctor.

I had a colostomy about 4 years ago and they took over 1/3 of my colon. Nearly died from that surgery. They were able to resection me after a few months, so no bag anymore. But the diarrhea is so bad at the moment, my husband brought up the idea of having the surgery and back to the bag. I was horrified. Did he fancy making love to me with a bag? We barely make love as it is....I'm terrified of having a bout of diarrhea in the middle of it. So I totally understand your sorrow at your boyfriend leaving. I've always considered myself to be a sexual being, and these last few years have been horrible, esp. since the colostomy. Having a shorter colon makes the bathroom business even more frequent even if I didn't have IBS-D.

I've recently begun a new medicine, Viberzi. I don't know if it is out in the U.K. It was just approved here this past spring. It is for people like me, and it is supposed to address cramps and diarrhea. At week 5 suddenly the cramping stopped.....it had been fairly constant. (I have since had a day or two here and there, but not like it was before.) However, the diarrhea has not stopped. It sometimes seems it is worse, though to me it seems it got worse when I tried Rifaximin which I only got as far as 5 or 6 days. It was the "new" drug, actually an antibiotic, but it made the diarrhea even worse. I tried it 3 times over a year, but finally stopped it. I am going to keep on with the Viberzi because I know my body and that it takes a while for it to adjust to meds. And the fact that the cramps stopped, pretty much, makes me think it might work. We shall see.

I stopped teaching (college professor) 11 years ago so I could have time to write my fiction. I had about 4 years to do that. Then the IBS-D which I had had for years in varying patterns, suddenly got worse. I have not been able to write (well, a story here and there), cannot do housework, really cannot enjoy life because of this disease. I feel bad for you, but you are doing the right thing to take some time out of your career, have a pity party occasionally, but then do your research, meet with your doctor(s) and try new approaches. There are possibilities. I've had cancer twice, 2 years ago I was told I'm going blind (I can't see what I'm typing for example), at 30 I was told I was going through 'premature ovarian failure' i.e., menopause, and would never conceive a child (and we have a 30 year old beauty from S.Korea, my heart and soul), I have a list of surgeries you wouldn't believe, not to mention meds, my favorite line is from an old Jane Fonda movie "they shoot horses, don't they?" when I am feeling at my worst. But I carry on. You can, too.

Take care, Pattijean


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## Sgali (Aug 27, 2013)

Maroon Girl ,

You are right , my post in nowhere to be found which is odd considering how many reads it got . The good news is , I have a copy and here it is :

Hello all,

Your stories sound too familiar as I have suffered with this
condition for 3 years. However ,I have been symptom free since Jan.
'13 and am ever so thankful. My life was miserable, travel,
friends, family all bore the consequences of this in one way or
another. It is my hope that the information here will
improve your quality of life.

I believe this was caused by over use of antibiotics due to
two case of Lymes disease, two bouts of Giardia, some dental work
and a bad burn , all within a period of about 2-3 years. The
constant pain and rumbling began shortly after and escalated to
endless D , bloating, loss of appetite, severe abdominal pain and
horrible smelling gas. After tests for everything, (H.
Pylori,Parasites,Hep C,Pyroluria, C Diff, 2 MRI's, ultrasound etc),
all came back negative, I began to lose hope. That is when I began
talking about it with friends. This is not an easy subject to
broach but , with time one can learn a dialogue that is more
comfortable to others. Two things happened when I did this. First I
learned that I was not alone. In fact, almost every time the
subject came up, someone in the group had or knew someone with a
similar condition. Secondly, people gave me ideas of what to try.

The first suggestion came from my Yoga teacher when she
suggested I drink Aloe Juice ( Aloe Life, Aloe Gold to be
specific). I am certain that she was as eager to clear this up as
I was - Hah! ( The 'Plow' was notorious for well , you know ) . I
bought some that day and began sipping away( 1-3 onces/day). By
that evening I noticed a reduction in abdominable pain and by the
next day it was nearly gone. Aloe juice will never win any culinary
awards, so I would mix it with coconut juice (the thick creamy
kind, not the water). I should mention too that I am gluten
intolerant and had eliminated it from my diet previous to the onset
of these symptoms. I also restrict dairy to Goat milk and
unpasturised Cows milk (misspelled ,I know. The last letter of the
alphabet does not work on this keyboard) . It is important that you
rule out any food allergies as soon as possible. The pain was gone
but the constant D , bloating , loss of appetite were not. Then I
began taking probiotics in many forms. VSL#3, S. Boulardi were very
helpful but did not solve the problem. After spending quite a bit
of time on the internet researching probiotics, I began brewing
Kombucha, water kefir and making saurkraut. The results were
immediate. The gas and bloating diminished and my appetite began to
return . Life was steadily improving but I still had to deal with
constant D. The bouts were less severe and didn't keep me up all
night. Then one morning, I drank a cup of coffee on an empty
stomach and it just erupted into a cacaphony of rumbling followed
by a rapid trip to the bathroom and explosive results. That was it
for coffee. On Dec. 10 ,2012 I drank my second to last cup of it (
I tested the theory a month later and had the same result ). My
health has improved steadily and by Jan. my GI tract was actually
forming stools.

It has now been about seven months and I can say that my
appetite has returned, GI tract functioning correctly , energy
level are up and my social life has improved. Travel is no longer
anxiety producing ( I formerly carried TP and spare clothes in the
car) and I have returned to exercising as before. My diet remains
Gluten and dairy free (the exception being RAW cows milk and an
occational lobster roll ). I also eat Yogurt made from raw milk (
It is heated during the process, so it may be pasteurised to some
extent). Kombucha ( GT dave's,Reeds ), Water Kefir and real
fermented saurkraut ( Bubbies) are all available at health food
stores if you lack the time to make it. Coconut water kefir is
excellent as is coconut oil (NOT palm oil). The coconut oil is said
to repair damage to the intestine, contains no cholesterol, does
not produce free radicals when heated (cancerous) and tastes
delicious. It is loaded with medium chain fatty acids and has a low
glycemic index.

It would be naive to think all cases are the same and that
everyone with this syndrome will react to these changes similarly.
I am relating my experiences with the hope that you will begin to
explore the working of your GI tract and how it responds to various
foods and stress .Also, I want to give you and others who may read
this a valuable tool. Hope . Without it you stand little chance of
recovery. Be patient, experiment ,keep a food log, read about it,
use your intuition (gut feeling?), talk to people and most
importantly, don't let ANYONE tell you this is incurable. Good luck.

PS. Most alopathic doctors are clueless about this syndrome.
Restoring gut flora and eliminating offending foods is the
solution, not drugs. Hope this helps.

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#2 [How I cured my IBS: post #2] Sgali

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Posted 29 August 2013 - 07:41 AM

After rereading my post, there are a few things I would like
to elaborate on. It wasn't clear that I continue to drink Aloe
Juice. The relief came quickly but returned when I stopped drinking
it. The first time I stopped was when my Dr. asked that I stop
during testing. I did and those gnawing hungerlike pains came back.
Once I had the OK to start Aloe again, the pains subsided. The
second time, I didn't actually stop drinking it, but rather
switched to another brand , Georges. It looks like water, tastes
like water and works like water , which is to say, it doesn't. The
pain returned and I went back to Aloe Life which worked once again.
The third time was on a kayak trip that I forgot to bring some with
me. The pain returned but was relieved when the trip was over and I
was able to buy some juice. That won't happen again.

Aloe juice comes in several forms, juice, gel,entire leaf or
just the inside filet. In it's natural state , the inside filet is
a gel , however after 48 hrs separated from the leaf, it becomes
liquid. Therefore , all 'gel' products have added thickeners to
make them appear more authentic. Not only is the deceptive but it
is absolutely disgusting to drink! Don't waste your money. I have
tried many brands of Aloe and made my reccomendations based on
experience. I have absolutely NO ties to that company or stand to
gain in any way whatsoever by advocating their products. Find one
that works for you. I still drink aloe juice but not the Medicinal
strength Aloe Life. There is a company called Alo (with a hyphen
over the 'O' ) that is appearing in health store and even in some
convenience stores that tastes great, really. It is diluted and is
a good maitainance level drink.

Probiotics. My strategy here was to get as diverse a population
as possible. The are hundreds (maybe thousands) of species in a
healthy gut. I used the RAW types that had the most species.
Additionally, the Kombucha ,Water Kefir and Sauerkraut draw
bacteria and yeast from the environment thus, I believe, increasing
diversity. Raw milk with it's live ensymes (sp. I know) added to
this mix. Making Kombucha can be a bit daunting, I would advise you
to start with water kefir. It is far easier to make and takes way
less time (4 days ). You can flavor it like soda pop and kids will
be begging for it. Not so with Kombucha, it's kind of an aquired
'adult' taste. Yes, there is a small amount of alcohol in it but
not enough to become impaired.

I also neglected to mention that the coconut oil must be the
unrefined version. The refined lacks flavor and ,I'm sure ,other
healing factors. My diet consists of protein,salad and some vegs.
Beans, rice, potatoes are very low on the menu. Though I never
implemented it, the FODMAPS diet seems to address this well and
many of you have experience success with it.

Another area that needs to be addressed is nutrition. After
spending so much time on the Throne (wink), one can expect to be
dehydrated and malnourished. Food transits your system so quickly
that there is little chance to absorb nutrient. And all that water
lost. After a bout of D lasting several days, I ask , where did all
that water come from? I know I didn't drink that much ! I
supplement with liquid vitamins ( Buried Treasure 55 plus) for
better absorbtion. Transdermal (Magesium Oil) is good too as it
bypasses the GI tract. In addition I make bone broth in the
tradition of the Weston Price Foundation. There is alot of great
health info there.

I know how much you all are suffering and it breaks my heart
to read that there are people wanting to end their lives over this.
Please don't ever give up hope. There is a solution out there , but
it will probably be up to you to find it. Having supportive people
in your life is invaluable. Lacking that, using this forum and
others is the next best thing. Some Dr's and family members will
say 'it's all in your head ' which is frustrating and aggravating
but you may want to read about the GAPS diet. Gut and Psychology
syndrome. For some of us, it may not just be the foods we are
eating, but our thoughts and moods may be contributing as well.

If anyone would like help with making Water Kefir , Kombucha
or Sauerkraut, please ask. If I could help just one person regain
their health , it would be worth any effort on my part. Please
don't give up. Keep an open mind and know you are not alone. Don't
be ashamed of this, it's not your fault that you have this awful,
debilitating condition. Talking about with oth others is not easy
or pleasant but it can be helpful. Develope a rapport that takes
the 'Ick ' out of the conversation. Let people use their
imagination a little bit, you don't have to be too graphic. Hang in
there , be patient, stay focused, and know there is a solution out
there and people willing to help you find it .

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## MaroonGirl (Jun 9, 2016)

Thanks for sharing, Pattijean. I am stuck in an "Eff my life"' phase right now because of a lot of emotional turmoil caused by this and you are right it is OK to have a pity party but at the end of the day, life goes on. IBS or no IBS....Someday I will overcome this or will find a way to get back on the path of pursuing my life goals while managing this condition. I mean, how many reruns of "Friends" can I watch in my life? I don't even like that show but you get my drift. I am losing my mind sitting at home staring at the idiot box. It pisses me off that just a few years ago I had no care in the world about this and living with this invisible "disability" is not comfortable for any of us but you are a such a fighter. All I can say is: the hardest thing is patience and uncertainty.

@Sgali, thanks for posting so much. I am taking: multivitamins, probiotics and doing alternative medicine right now. They say it takes a while and boy, has it been a test of my patience.


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## Sgali (Aug 27, 2013)

Hang in there Maroon Girl , it does take time and experimentation . I too find it helps to talk about it , for some reason it lessens the anxiety . Maybe just having something like this and NOT being able to talk about it produces anxiety . I do agree with you that emotional state is a factor and the brain / gut connection is real . Ever heard of a gut reaction ? Take care of yourself and do what you can to manage stress ( I know , it's not like there's a knob you can turn down ) . Do nice things for yourself . Read a funny book . Find the food that heals .


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## Saoirse (Mar 31, 2016)

MaroonGirl said:


> Did you ever take any other drugs before your pains started Chloe?
> 
> I am also beginning to get heartburn like everywhere in my gut and I am pretty sure this is because I stopped the dam PPIs. You can't get off those things- it might just be harder than quitting heroin.
> 
> Anyone been on PPIs and successfully stopped them? I've tried coming off like 4 times and everytime the doctors ask me to go back- which causes nothing but bloating and cramps. What a vicious cycle.


Yes! I didn't go straight off PPIs (Prilosec), I weaned off slowly. At one point I took two pills a day, one at night, one in the morning. To wean off, I'd start by taking half in the morning, half at night. Did that for a week. Then I began taking only half a pill a day for a week, then stopped taking it altogether. Now when I get flare ups, I take either a Tums or a famotidine, whichever I have with me. Who knows, I may have to get back on Prilosec someday, it really helped me!


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## jaumeb (Sep 1, 2014)

Our stories are different. My pain is on the right. It took me 11 years to totally collapse. Not in India ...

I write to let you know you are not alone in this.


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