# Unsure if my diagnosis fit.. Anyone?



## iNzzane (Jan 9, 2013)

As I read trough the forums I noticed that many of you have long atacks and need a WC always. My symptoms started back in 2009, when I got sick after a night out with my friends. Naseaus, my harth pumping, pain in the stomach.. I was diagnosed a week later with GERD and got Nexium 40mg after a gastroscopy saying my hitanus hernia was a bit "swollen"..

Years passed but my stomach discomfort would not stop, I wake up nauseous, dont want to eat, but then I get hungry in the evening, and eat.. my I'm currently 20 years and weights about 62kg. In the fall 2011 I got half a year without any symptoms and life was perfect, until Christmas last year when it all started again, and this time it hit me hard. I change between constipation and diarrhea, but only once pr second day, suddenly I have to go.. but when its done its over. The nasuea and stomach discomfort is still here, and somedays (though rarely it hurts so bad that all i can do is lay down until it passes usually 3-4hours).

I watched my food, and I cant find any triggers except alcohol. I took a screening test, of my poop but there was no blood in it. The specialist diagnosed me with IBS wich I think is strange, the changes of my poop suddenly appeared and has been here for 5-6 months now..I'm also dissy and feel generally not to good everything is a "hassle".... Quiet confused because I now suddenly have GERD and IBS? And still that bad feeling of something being terribly wrong (cancer and so on....) so I use most of the day worrying. I guess my question is if someone has experienced something like this? Because I feel like IBS dont fit reading your stories.. I'm in the middle of my bachelors engineering study and I dont have much more energy left.. Thank god for streaming lessons..


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## Jolema (Dec 20, 2012)

Have you had a colonoscopy? You could get that done just to make sure there is no cancer etc in your bowel.

Also, how are you generally eating? Have you like eliminated any foods out of your diet?

Are you taking Imodium and have you tried Calcium Carbonate?

When i first went to the doctor and told about my symptoms, he told me right away that I most likely have IBS because I hadn't lost any weight or gotten weak, if I'd have something else, my general health would have gone bad.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

At 20 it is extremely rare she would have colon cancer as that is a disease of the elderly.

IBS often starts pretty suddenly and it is chronic so lasting for months on end is really par for the course (most typically if it calms down it is more in the 2-5 year range, not a few weeks after it starts).

It is actually pretty common to have both upper GI and lower GI problems in the same person. I think whatever makes part of the gut more likely to have problems seems to effect all of the GI tract not just one little part and everything else will always be perfect all the time and can't ever be a problem.

Is the dizziness at all related to not eating much during the day? Are you eating enough during the day to have energy? If you are avoiding food to avoid symptoms that can over time be very wearing on the body. It needs fuel. You don't put any "gas" in the "tank" eventually you will sputter out.

If you are eating enough and often enough make sure you are checked for the usual fatigue issues in young people like anemia and thyroid issues and all that. Rule out the common stuff first, don't assume you have something extremely rare in someone your age first.  If you are anemic it may make sense to get screened for celiac disease as it can make it hard to get your nutrients out of your food.

Not much other than IBS causes that alternating back and forth between constipation and diarrhea. Often for that avoiding the constipation is more important than stopping up the diarrhea when it tries to flush the constipation out. Eating regularly and getting enough fiber and water will help with the constipation. If that isn't enough sometimes a small amount of osmotics to just help keep things moving along without backing up can be helpful for that.


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## iNzzane (Jan 9, 2013)

Actually its not alternating, I'm just constipated. The stomach has been good for some days now. So my eating is better. I know the chances of cancer are extremely unlikely and so does my doctor. So he said we did not need to take a colonoscopy. But still it bothers me not knowing whats really wrong, actually I think my worrying makes it worse. Dizziness has not been a problem in a while now, most likely due to me eating better. I have had complete blood workup, and my doctor said that there was no sign of anything wrong, no infection or anythink. And my numbers are all normal. Combined with my fecal occult blood test (of my stool) for colon cancer or bleeding. Is this enough to make my not worry for cancer?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I guess this made me thing you sometimes have diarrhea, sorry I misunderstood it



> I change between constipation and diarrhea, but only once pr second day, suddenly I have to go.. but when its done its over.


Would have a colonoscopy that shows absolutely nothing at all wrong (which is what you see in IBS even though there are things wrong a test for completely different disorders ends up looking normal) help you know what was wrong? They just can't see IBS with tests for other disorders, so you have to go on symptoms. Particularly lack of symptoms and lack of abnormalities that other disorders cause.

Yep all the blood tests and stool tests rule out cancer, especially the no blood in the stool, even tiny amounts of blood you can't see. Colon tumors generally leak a little blood.

So the tests should calm the fears that it must be cancer. If you can't calm those fears you may need to work on the anxiety, especially if it interferes with your life in anyway (like you lose sleep, or have trouble concentrating on what you need to be doing).


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## iNzzane (Jan 9, 2013)

Hi, i think I see some kind of a pattern! I'v had some good days now, but on Sunday I ordered Pizza. Lets just say that was not an good idea. Now, I'm back in the state I was before christmas. My excrement is kind of light-brown / soft. And my stomach is in constand discomfort (for most of the day) and in the evening its up again to 90% good. I sleep, wake up and go to the bathroom, and it starts again. So i suspect this color-change is linked somewhat to my symptoms. What could a very light stool tell? Why is it this color? And has anyone experienced something like it?

My Dizzyness is also back, its like a cloud in front of my eyes. I notice it especially when I try to focus on the computer screen. TV is okay though..

(And a dedicated thanks to Kathleen M, for your answers.)


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