# Could this be IBS-d?



## Maltese (Sep 19, 2015)

Hello All! First post here and I will try not to write a book.

I am a 61-year-old woman who began to experience bowel urgency and frequency mostly after menopause. Two years ago I had my gallbladder removed due to sludge and have had diarrhea or frequency on and off ever since. I have mainly used Metamucial and Tums to combat the issue but have not been careful with my diet other than to avoid highly processed and fried foods. I have tried Bentyl in the past to no avail. My frequency issues are worse in the morning but generally ease up after noon. I took an early retirement from work in order to relax and hopefully travel more but the latter hasn't happened as something always seems to come up. I take no prescription maintenance drugs and my only known medical issue is the need to lose 40 pounds.

This past Feb. I fell on the ice and dislocated my shoulder. Instead of taking the prescribed opioids I thought it better to use Nsaids. I continued on two baby aspirin daily as I read that aspirin could possibly reduce the incidence of colon CA (my Mom died of it). Two week-ends ago I went out of town to a wedding and had wine on a Friday and then 2 gin and tonics on Sat. On Sunday I experienced for the first time ever painful bloating in my upper abdomen after eating, upper back pain and yellow stool. I have seen my PCP who suspects gastritis and put me on a PPI and also carafate. The carafate helps a lot with the bloating. I have not had any gerd or burping or nausea or vomiting or fever. My blood work was good with the exception of a slightly high ALT enzyme but I know I do have slight fatty liver.

I see a university-affiliated gastro doc on Friday (who specializes in women's digestive disorders) and I am wondering what to expect. What questions should I ask? What tests should be done to try to pinpoint the cause of this latest misery?

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input from your collective wisdom.


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