# How to deal with IBS as I enter college



## solsystem (Mar 27, 2011)

Hello,I am 18 years old and graduating from high school this year, and obviously I am very anxious and nervous about dealing with my GI issues as I enter college. I'm going to be away from home, which is another factor that worries me.I guess I will explain what is going on. I still don't have an official diagnosis of IBS, but I feel like my doctor is kind of at a dead end. I've had stomach issues for as long as I can remember. I didn't start seeing a specialist until August of last year because my family attributed my symptoms as just a result of me having a "nervous stomach." Anyway, after my first visit the my doctor started me on Flagyl, Prilosec, and Culturelle - a probiotic. The Flagyl was just terrible - I was nauseous all the time. (I've never had an issue with vomiting or sudden nausea) The Culturelle helped with the diarrhea but not the frequency of bathroom visits. I stopped taking the Flagyl and started back on the Prilosec after I realized I had some acid reflux issues. My doctor started me on Levbid - I don't really know if this has helped or not...I do get cramps still, but with less frequency - I don't know if it's a result of the medicine, or if it is because of some changes I have made.After no real success with the medicine, I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy a few weeks ago (during spring break, nonetheless!). It wasn't completely normal...I had many ulcers in my colon, which my doctor attributed to just diarrhea. There were also some lymphocytes in my small intestine - doctor said it could be an indicator of celiac disease, but I didn't have flattened villi so it wasn't a clear diagnosis. There was also some evidence of the acid reflux in my throat.After the procedure and biopsy results weren't totally conclusive, my doctor has told me to start on a gluten-free diet. I am only a few days into it, so I can't say for sure whether or not it's helping. I'm still taking the Prilosec and Culturelle, but have stopped taking the Levbid to see if it has any effect. My doctor also wanted me to start on Benefiber, which I did - but I've been having an extreme amount of nausea since starting it. I've vomited multiple times in the past few days, so I'm going to stop taking it and see if it helps any.If the gluten-free diet doesn't do anything, my doctor says she will start me on a sort of broad-spectrum antibiotic in case I have some sort of parasitic infection, just to be sure. I've tried therapy, but with no real help. My doctor thinks that if this is IBS, I have such a bad case that there really isn't anything more she can do. It's discouraging, to say the least, to hear that from your doctor after not even a year of tests. (By the way - I also had some blood tests...nothing abnormal. Rectal exam was normal as well.)I guess my real question is how should I deal with this as I enter college? My symptoms mainly are pain and diarrhea. I don't see any real "triggers" to my symptoms. I know it sounds bad, but the only thing that seems to help is not eating. If I don't eat, I typically feel fine. As a result, I have lost a lot of weight...it's not that I don't want to eat - I love food! - but it's kind of my way of coping. I eat while I'm at home, but at school and other events I find it easier to eat in much smaller amounts or not at all.I am in pain a lot...I can't miss school because my school has a really strict attendance policy, so most of the time I just have to suffer through it. I'm a good student, but it's difficult concentrating with the pain and worry. I can't do a lot of social things for obvious reasons, and when you're a senior in high school, that's not something you want to worry about. Prom, senior trip...I don't know how I'm going to deal! And with leaving home next year, obviously I'm nervous.So...I know I wrote a lot, but I haven't really had the opportunity to open up to people about this. I guess I just need advice about how to deal with things. My main issues, like I said before, are the pain and diarrhea. I would say the pain is the worst...the diarrhea is more just a hassle. I mean, I don't like having it, obviously, but the cramps are just terrible. Some other symptoms - the acid reflux, constant stomach rumbling/growling (even when I'm not hungry - it's like a lot of pressure), nausea accompanying the cramps, getting full very quickly, loss of appetite/weight loss, fatigue. And this is also really strange - I don't know if this affects anyone else - but once I eat, I just have to sit still. I can't do anything active or semi-active because it will for sure make me have to go to the bathroom.I know this is probably the millionth post like this, but I just really need some advice. I don't have people around me that can relate to these issues. I think the people that do know about it kind of dismiss it because it's not really considered a serious disease. I've dealt with this for a very long time and am just looking for some sort of hope that it will get better, because it hasn't.


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## LNC (Mar 27, 2011)

Ulcers in the colon usually are not caused by diarrhea-- this sounds really suspicious. Can you get a second opinion? IBS should not cause any bleeding or ulceration. This to me seems like a clear indication that something other than IBS is going on. As for going into college with bowel symptoms, I empathize. I was struck with IBS in college and it was awful. The best thing you can do is try to cook your own food and avoid the dining hall if possible, since one never knows what goes into it. Also, alcohol-- avoid avoid avoid. Make friends with the practitioners at the infirmary in case you need to be in there often or perhaps need to get a referral to a local specialist. Check with your school to see what their health insurance covers and whether your own health insurance will be useful to you in the area. If you need to see a local specialist, your insurance might not cover it-- so I'd recommend also getting the school's health insurance if they have it. But seriously-- you really need a second opinion, in my humble opinion.


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## solsystem (Mar 27, 2011)

The ulcers thing sounded strange to me as well - I will probably have to end up going to another doctor, since the one I'm seeing now is a pediatric gastroenterologist.I will definitely get in touch with the doctors there - I'm sure they have some good GI doctors.The food is something I will have to get adjusted to as well, especially if I end up having some sort of gluten intolerance.thank you for all of your help!


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## BrandonL (Mar 27, 2011)

solsystem said:


> The ulcers thing sounded strange to me as well - I will probably have to end up going to another doctor, since the one I'm seeing now is a pediatric gastroenterologist.I will definitely get in touch with the doctors there - I'm sure they have some good GI doctors.The food is something I will have to get adjusted to as well, especially if I end up having some sort of gluten intolerance.thank you for all of your help!


Your situation is exactly like mine (save a few minor differences). I am actually a senior in college and I'll be graduating in May (yay!) and have been dealing with stomach/digestive issues since early in high school. First off, the Flagyl will mess you up! That stuff is so evil - no one should have to take it, so don't be surprised if your body is reacting adversely to these drugs; they are really rough on your system. Secondly, I also had a colonoscopy/endoscopy done and my results were also inconclusive - the doctors still do not know what's wrong with me! It's very frustrating, but it's the situation we're dealt with. Like the other poster mentioned, you may get a second opinion about the ulcer/lesions in your digestive tract, as they may be able to point someone in the right direction to helping you out. Absolutely get an appointment with an allergy specialist! Tell them you want food allergies done and have them do as many as possible. This totally changed my life. I found out that I'm allergic to corn, gluten, oats, peanuts, tree nuts, broccoli, cabbage, cumin, and a few other random ones. When I totally avoid these foods, exercise, and eat balanced, high-soluble fiber/low fat meals, I feel tons better! Ok, so, some suggestions for college:I didn't start seeing a gastro doctor until late in the game - I just suffered through all my symptoms and it was horrible. The first week you are at school, go to the school's disability services center (armed with all your medical records) and tell them you have IBS. If you can get your current doctor to sign something that says "[Patient Name] has been seen in my office on [these dates] and has had [these tests done]. I conclude he/she has IBS and other digestive issues" (something like that) then that's even better. Try to get yourself put on disability with the school - this will totally help you out. You cannot imagine what I have gone through with professors at my school - the first few times - when I miss morning classes, because of D - professors are pretty understanding, but then, because education about bowel diseases is so poor, they aren't so sympathetic when you are missing class or constantly running to the bathroom (not every professor is this way, but the majority of mine are tolerant at first then become annoyed). If you are on disability, they can't down grade you for being sick and missing class. Plus, it will give you a piece of mind knowing you can ALLOW YOURSELF to miss class. Use the counseling center at your school. All major universities have some sort of counseling service. Mine (University of Colorado) gives 6 free sessions a year to students. If you are feeling down and don't know how to deal with your problems, you can definitely go talk with them. Trust me - you shouldn't be ashamed to do this. They may not be able to fix your guts, but they can give you the tools to cope with the stress of school and dealing with your IBS. Also, if you have trouble getting on disability, you may be able to go talk with them to have an advocate for your health. How much are you exercising? I have recently found this to be so rewarding in my fight for better digestion. If I eat a meal that isn't sitting well, I'll go walk around the block. I get up 30 minutes earlier every day so I can do 100+ pushups/100+ situps and stretches before I eat breakfast. I think it's highly beneficial to get the blood flowing. Along with this, you should consider drinking at least 64oz of water a day. Having diarrhea will drain you of water very quickly. Not to mention, drinking water is good for you anyway (think of it as a good way to "cleanse" your system and keep things moving in your body).About going on your senior trip/prom, you should totally do it. We all know how much it sucks to miss out on something that's super fun and important. That's why I always have the philosophy of not missing out on things unless I am absolutely sure I am too sick to go. How will you know how to deal with your IBS in public/social situations if you never put yourself in a public/social situation? You just have to go prepared - put your medicine in your purse, bring water, bring food you aren't allergic to, find out where you are going and if there are gluten-free foods along the way (if you stick to this diet), etc. For example, maybe on Prom night, when you go out to dinner, you just have a salad or something small you know your body can tolerate and you stash a gluten-free bar (like a LARA BAR or a Kind Bar) in your purse in case hunger strikes. Then you don't have to worry if those fries or that chocolate malt are going to make you sick. Just be super organized, stay positive, and plan ahead. If you need some advice on planning foods for your gluten-free diet, I'd be glad to help you (I live in a place where there are plenty of foods, but I've also lived in places where they are hard to find) - this diet can be very confusing to a lot of people. Also, if you don't mind me asking, where are you headed to college next year? Best of luck and I hope to hear back!Brandon


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## argyle (Mar 30, 2011)

solsystem said:


> I will definitely get in touch with the doctors there - I'm sure they have some good GI doctors.


After dealing with the doctors at my college, which has been an extremely frustrating experience since they will only see you for 15 minutes and deal with one problem, I learned that my college doesn't have any GI doctors. They have only 1 Internalist, and they are extremely hesitant to refer you to see an outside doctor. But be persistent!Like Brandon said, you don't want to miss out on things unless you really REALLY must. I may have felt crappy during a lot of things that I've done over the past couple of years due to my problems, but I try to not let the problems interfere too much with my life.


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## solsystem (Mar 27, 2011)

Thanks so much everyone for the replies. I guess I have sort of an update...After my endoscopy/colonoscopy, my doctor decided to put me on a gluten-free diet, and that helped SO much.I have had any issues since I started it - I feel tons better.Unfortunately on Sunday I accidentally ate some wheat bread and am paying for it right now - the same symptoms I had before.I guess this was the source of my problem all along.Though I feel better, it's become a whole other issue learning how to basically re-eat. The reason I felt so bad before was because gluten-filled foods were all I ate - pastas, sandwiches, etc. It's tough, but definitely worth it to feel better.I leave for my senior trip next week, and am so excited to know I can control my issues for the most part. It'll be a struggle to explain to the chaperones everything - I've already had an issue with that on a choir trip. (Long story short, my chaperone wouldn't take me anywhere I could eat...after waiting until about 1pm to eat lunch all I could eat was a bag of potato chips because they wouldn't take me somewhere where I could actually get a meal, even after I flat-out said "wheat allergy" just to get the idea into their mind that this wasn't an "option." I know wheat allergy is different, but it's really the only accurate way I could get my point across. /rant over. haha) I guess I'm going to have to pack some of my own food, but that's okay I guess.I especially wanted to thank everyone that took the time out to talk to me. I guess I'll have to move over to a forum about celiac disease but it's been so awesome to know there are people to talk to about all of these things.Thanks so much guys - I'll talk to y'all later!


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## Mallory Holt (Jan 11, 2012)

Hi, I'm eighteen and have the same problem. Have you tried probiotics or aloe vera juice? They really help if you take them before meals. Also fiber (psyhillum husk) helps also. I have found that eating sweet potatoes (or yams), white rice and beans gives me relatively low pain. I'd love to talk and share our stories, my email is [email protected]


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