# New to the community



## distressedunrest (Jul 20, 2013)

Hey all

I am new to the community- just found you guys after looking for more personal descriptions of what I may be in for. I wanted to hear from real people instead of trolling webmd and mayoclinic and just get the textbook symptoms.

I finally went to the doctor yesterday, after several months of unrelenting, extremely uncomfortable symptoms that reared their ugly heads in early February. I literally woke up with a big lower-abdominal "pooch", a hard distended bloating. I didnt think anything of it at first, as I have a history of anorexia and am constantly battling myself with maintaining that disorder. So, it may sound crazy, but it sort of took until the next month until I could decipher am I actually bloated and larger looking there? Or am I imagining this with my negative perception? The bloating lasted for a little over two weeks in february, then disappeared almost as randomly as it began. This made me dismiss it as a strange extended pms thing, even though I usually do not really experience pms symptoms around that time of month.

I had about 5 days of normalcy. Then it came back, and lasted almost 3 weeks in March. I had been sort of hiding it you know- wearing really loose tops (couldnt even fit into my jeans, so opted for stretchy legging stuff and loose dresses), but finally I showed my husband what was going on. I'm usually very thin, 22" waist and you can easily see my hip and rib bones. The bloat literally looks like I am nearing the end of my first trimester of pregnancy, inflating my waitline out to over 25" and is very hard and painful On a lighter note ladies, I really think men are oblivious to so many of our insecurities : ) He said I still looked great, but admitted that I looked very different and distended. My mother-in-law, as a reg nurse, recommended Milk of Magnesium and said it was probably constipation. Once I thought about it, I definitely had discomfort when I would go, and I didnt seem to be going enough- I'd be lucky to have one-two bm a week but most importantly, it would hurt or be abnormal. I tried over the two months a off and on combo of the milk, and Ducolax stool softener to try and ease my discomfort. Nothing seemed to help! Even once I would go, it would still be either straining or liquid. Not to mention debilitating cramping and pressure.

So from February to now, 2/3 of every month has been plagued by bloating and abdominal pain/pressure so severe I outsize clothing, extreme fatigue, gassiness, headaches, extreme appetite loss, quickly full when eating or drinking, PM heartburn 2-3x weekly, anxiety/panic attacks, and a deep depression. I feel so, so miserable.

The doc seemed to hyper-focus on my ED, even pulled the 'bloating can be partially a perception issue', which made me feel more hopeless. There is a huge difference between waking up and feeling less confident and doubtful, and waking up with pain and pressure so extreme on my 3" bloated abdomen that I don't want to leave the house- not to mention the slew of other symptoms Im having.

For now, he is testing for celiacs (my sister was diagnosed 2 months ago), hyperthyroidism, and doing a full CBC/metabolic blood panel. But we ended the appointment with him suggesting it was likely IBS if I test negative for Celiacs, and sent me home with a lengthy do-no-eat-list that literally just excludes entire food groups: NO fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc.

Im really struggling today with anxiety- all of my safe foods now seem off-limits, and I dont even know what to stock my house with that is safe to eat. I used to keep plenty of berries, melon, maybe a cereal, popcorn, pretzels, carrots in my house so I had no excuse to not grab a healthy snack. Now, I feel like I cant eat anything. Im panicking as thats a dangerous mindset for me.

Anyone else have similar experiences? Or doing this extreme elimination diet? I'd love some suggestions of what to shop for- right now, I just have tea!


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## RobbieGirl (Jul 21, 2013)

I'm new as well. I understand what you're talking about. I haven't been diagnosed w/IBS but have undergone many tests.

Symptoms for approx 6 months

Bloating is always present

Constipation has always been a part of my life. Never been a daily person, but every 2-3 days.

Occasional nausea

Occasional pain; sometimes a soreness & sometimes tiny sharp pains

Stomach noises

Tests

Endoscopy showed small ulcers on esophagus nook aciphex for 2 months then insurance said it was going to be over $400. Dr switched me to protonix. I went to ER three days later w/abdominal pain that was continuous & string. Ct scan w/contrast was Norma

All blood work has been normal

Barium swallow was normal

Gastric Emptying test normal

Colonoscopy showed 2 polyps which the gastro doc removed meh has prescribed Linzess but then I stayed in the bathroom @ work all day so I stopped taking it.

My Pap smear & pelvic exam normal in February but I have scheduled an appt next week to go back to the GYN to check for ovarian cancer. I am post menopausal & have taken estrogen for years. Overweight as well.

I keep wondering if it could be IBS but I don't know of anything specifically to say it is IBS but the bloating & constipation issues.

It helps to read the stories here & hear similar stories. I'm so uncomfortable all the time. Now I'm worried too.


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## martha1975 (Jul 25, 2013)

I was diagnosed years ago with IBS, and had many medical tests and all my test came normal, I couldn't believe I have this IBS and that was the cause of my pain almost everyday, It affected my family, my job my whole life. I went to the doctor and ask for more test he refused and he told me you have to accepted you have IBS and that is the cause of my pains, the diahrrea,etc. and that was producing too much stress which makes my symptoms worse. I literally couldn't sleep, I have to reduce my work hours, I didn't spent too much time with my family. but after praying for healing, my prayers were answer, I don't have an illness that is terminal, so I have to learn to live with the pain, I realizae I have to team up with my God, and my doctor to feel better and to have a better quality of life. It's good to know that we are not alone and other people are experimenting similar cases and we can share, and comfort one another.


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## distressedunrest (Jul 20, 2013)

RobbieGirl said:


> I'm new as well. I understand what you're talking about. I haven't been diagnosed w/IBS but have undergone many tests.
> 
> Symptoms for approx 6 months
> 
> ...


Hey RobbieGirl, thanks for sharing with me. Our symptoms and time are basically identical- its so, terribly, frustrating. Im just waiting for my followup appointment, trying to follow the strict elimination diet and taking extensive notes on how Im feeling each day at waking, everything I eat/drink and how I feel after, my dose taken of miralax and bms, and then how Im feeling at night. I hope if I journal like a maniac maybe it will help the doctor reach a conclusion more quickly.

As far as ovarian cancer, I learned this at my gyno appt a couple days ago- so your symptoms come and go? Or have degrees of severity at different times of day/after eating? If so she assured me it isn't ovarian cancer. She said that bloating comes on and is continuous without relief, until it gets substantial enough for the patient to get it inspected. But, I still asked her to do a pap smear (waiting for results) and she also did a pelvic exam to check for obvious abnormalities on my ovaries which checked out fine.

I hope you get some answers soon. Its so terrible feeling like this. I feel like I have about 3-4 days of normalcy- the rest is either plagued with this digestion issue's symptoms, or of course the discomfort that comes along with the wonders of being a woman -___- But I plan to continue this elimination diet into next month, right when my symtpoms usually would dip and then return immediately after my period, and see if I find relief. Sucks not having anything to eat though, which is not a mindset I have ever had ha : )

xxC


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## distressedunrest (Jul 20, 2013)

martha1975 said:


> I was diagnosed years ago with IBS, and had many medical tests and all my test came normal, I couldn't believe I have this IBS and that was the cause of my pain almost everyday, It affected my family, my job my whole life. I went to the doctor and ask for more test he refused and he told me you have to accepted you have IBS and that is the cause of my pains, the diahrrea,etc. and that was producing too much stress which makes my symptoms worse. I literally couldn't sleep, I have to reduce my work hours, I didn't spent too much time with my family. but after praying for healing, my prayers were answer, I don't have an illness that is terminal, so I have to learn to live with the pain, I realizae I have to team up with my God, and my doctor to feel better and to have a better quality of life. It's good to know that we are not alone and other people are experimenting similar cases and we can share, and comfort one another.


Hey Martha thanks for sharing

The way these symptoms interrupt your life is so devastating, I know what you're talking about : ( Im concerned stress may be a huge factor in my flare ups as well.. we just opened an art studio and I was recently in an accident, with regular anxiety and panic attacks. Im wondering if those helping in trigger this issue and make my symptoms this severe..

It sounds like you are getting a better hold on it now though? I think you make a great point in working with all resources to get a better quality to your days- Im trying to wrap my head around it still that I wont be normal anymore, and I am now going to have to commit to taking all steps to figure out what my system needs to lessen this discomfort. It is so reassuring to hear others' stories : )

xC


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