# Doctor diagnosed IBS but no info given... (UK)



## BooSM (Apr 25, 2014)

Hi!

New to the forum.

My doctor diagnosed IBS on Wednesday. I'm a 23 yo F in the UK.

Symptoms: 
- chronic bloating 3+ months (Dr I saw two months ago thought I was pregnant and sent me for a scan!)
- occasional mucus in stool
- chronic wind/flatulence, sometimes acutely acidic (wind that burns and stinks)

No constipation or diarrhoea that I know of, but can be known to "go" frequently. Sometimes stool is "ribbony".

Dr. has prescribed Mebeverine. But I don't have pain or cramping. I only have what I might describe as muscle spasms (what some might mistake for foetal movements, hence going for scan).

Anyway....I guess I want to ask how I might treat my symptoms or it that's even necessary? If this is IBS it seems very low grade compared to others I am seeing on the forum.

Thanks for reading


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## CatherineH (Jan 10, 2012)

Hi there,

I'm also a 23 year old female in the UK with IBS. I can't speak for everyone but my experience with doctors relating to this condition hasn't been very positive. Most just give a diagnosis, ship you off with some meds and printed off information sheets. Since you're newly diagnosed maybe you could get a second opinion, especially since you've said you don't really have diarrhea or constipation. You could first try to identify anything in your diet that could be triggering symptoms.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

IBS diagnosis does not require full-blown watery diarrhea or rabbit pellet constipation.

The standards say...

Pain or discomfort (like bloating) associated with a change in stool frequency ("but can be known to "go" frequently")

Pain or discomfort (like bloating) associated with a change in stool consistency ("Sometimes stool is "ribbony".")

So you meet those standards.

There is a third standard Pain or discomfort that eases after a bowel movement (which is not required for IBS, but when it occurs is strongly indicates IBS vs other things as about 70% of people with IBS have rectal hypersensitivity which means when the rectum is filling it complains a lot, and when it empties it stops doing that).

FWIW Symptoms that are not quite severe enough to be IBS usually are one of the other functional bowel disorders. Seems most clinical doctors call ALL of the functional bowel disorders IBS (Functional Pain, Functional Bloating, Functional Diarrhea, basically ever "some but not all of the symptoms of IBS)

Probably because they treat based on which IBS symptom is most bothersome, and it doesn't matter much if it has all of the other friends with it or none of them.

How much you do to treat them will depend on how much the symptoms are disrupting your life and activities. If it is not really bothering you (other than just enough to talk to the doc about it) then it may not be worth the risk of treatment (and even natural supplements have side effects).

Mucus is non-specific so anything that "irritibles" the bowels can cause it.

If you don't like the number of times a day you fart you can try a low FODMAP diet or adding probiotics.

Pepto Bismol can lower the stink of the gas in your intestines (small clinical trial had people taking up to 8 tablets a day) I usually don't need that much on the odd occasion I get stinky (which usually is when I need to take iron supplements)


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