# IBS after pregnancy?



## AmberH1 (Feb 19, 2002)

Hi, I am new to the site and have found a lot of useful information, however, I haven't been able to find anything relating to my question. This is where I hope you guys will help. I am 26 years old and recently ( 9 months ago ) had a daughter. In August I started having severe diarrhea. I finally had enough and went to a GI. He told me that IBS doesn't just " come on " all of a sudden and recommended a colonoscopy, which I am having done on Thursday. I am puzzled by my symptoms because I have always had an iron stomach. Finally my question, have any of you had IBS suddenly appear after years of having no problems? My symptoms are, diarrhea, cramps, abdominal pain/burning, chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, gurgling in left side, etc. I would love to hear any ideas or suggestions. Thank you.


----------



## Lubner (Feb 20, 2001)

My symptoms began suddenly at the age of 38 about four months after a complicated pregnancy in which I was on bedrest for 6 months and had a post partum hemmorhage. Many tests and a colonoscopy later, it is IBS. I cope great with the diarrhea if I take Lotronex, which is no longer available. I'd be concerned about your weight loss, as most people with IBS don't lose weight, but may have torulbe gaining weight. It's good you are having a colonoscopy to rule out more serious diseases. Keep us posted.


----------



## Lubner (Feb 20, 2001)

My symptoms began suddenly at the age of 38 about four months after a complicated pregnancy in which I was on bedrest for 6 months and had a post partum hemmorhage. Many tests and a colonoscopy later, it is IBS. I cope great with the diarrhea if I take Lotronex, which is no longer available. I'd be concerned about your weight loss, as most people with IBS don't lose weight, but may have torulbe gaining weight. It's good you are having a colonoscopy to rule out more serious diseases. Keep us posted.


----------



## Jennifer7 (Nov 13, 2000)

Amber,My IBS started after the birth of my son. Your symptoms sound like mine, except for the loss of appetite. And it came on suddenly, although it progressively got worse to the point of my being almost homebound. But I'm on Zofran now & I'm able to do most things a normal person would. Most people can find something that helps them, so don't let the doctor make you think there's nothing that can be done.Jennifer


----------



## Jennifer7 (Nov 13, 2000)

Amber,My IBS started after the birth of my son. Your symptoms sound like mine, except for the loss of appetite. And it came on suddenly, although it progressively got worse to the point of my being almost homebound. But I'm on Zofran now & I'm able to do most things a normal person would. Most people can find something that helps them, so don't let the doctor make you think there's nothing that can be done.Jennifer


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It can start fairly suddenly IF you had a GI infection.Whether your doctor has read the studies on post-infectious IBS I do not know.Typically people do notice that they had food poisoning or the stomach flu and that the symptoms just never went away. I do not know if you can have a GI infection that is mild enough that you don't realize you have one and get IBS from that.The hormonal shifts from pregnancy tend to be a bit disruptive and in some cases IBS will disappear during pregnancy only to reappear later so I don't discount that pregnancy could muck up the nerves in the gut in a way that afterward things are different.K.


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It can start fairly suddenly IF you had a GI infection.Whether your doctor has read the studies on post-infectious IBS I do not know.Typically people do notice that they had food poisoning or the stomach flu and that the symptoms just never went away. I do not know if you can have a GI infection that is mild enough that you don't realize you have one and get IBS from that.The hormonal shifts from pregnancy tend to be a bit disruptive and in some cases IBS will disappear during pregnancy only to reappear later so I don't discount that pregnancy could muck up the nerves in the gut in a way that afterward things are different.K.


----------



## AmberH1 (Feb 19, 2002)

Thank you for your quick responses. I do have another question, if that's ok? Did your doctor find a connection between having children and IBS? My doctor informed me that he has had IBS all of his life and had never had a patient where it came on so suddenly. As you might well imagine this had me quite concerned. You see my mother has had two preferated ulcers, and my maternal grandmother is recovering from colon cancer. I think this is one of the reasons he wants to do a colonoscopy so quickly after seeing me ( I met with him for the 1st time 2 weeks ago ). I hope my test on Thursday will help get to the root of the problem. Again, thank you for your help and I wish you all well.P.S. Do any of you that have children experience a full feeling in your bottom ( sorry ) after you have been to bathroom? Almost feels like you have to "go" again.


----------



## AmberH1 (Feb 19, 2002)

Thank you for your quick responses. I do have another question, if that's ok? Did your doctor find a connection between having children and IBS? My doctor informed me that he has had IBS all of his life and had never had a patient where it came on so suddenly. As you might well imagine this had me quite concerned. You see my mother has had two preferated ulcers, and my maternal grandmother is recovering from colon cancer. I think this is one of the reasons he wants to do a colonoscopy so quickly after seeing me ( I met with him for the 1st time 2 weeks ago ). I hope my test on Thursday will help get to the root of the problem. Again, thank you for your help and I wish you all well.P.S. Do any of you that have children experience a full feeling in your bottom ( sorry ) after you have been to bathroom? Almost feels like you have to "go" again.


----------



## bwestwood (Feb 19, 2002)

Like Amber, my IBS arrived very suddenly after I had finished nursing my third child (at 4 months) It occurs every four weeks lasting about one week. I have such severe pain in my bottom, always feeling if I want to open my bowels again. I am neither constipated nor have diarrhoea. I also have severe knotting pain in my central abdomen. I assume that the symptoms are hormonally related. So far I have found nothing that helps.


----------



## bwestwood (Feb 19, 2002)

Like Amber, my IBS arrived very suddenly after I had finished nursing my third child (at 4 months) It occurs every four weeks lasting about one week. I have such severe pain in my bottom, always feeling if I want to open my bowels again. I am neither constipated nor have diarrhoea. I also have severe knotting pain in my central abdomen. I assume that the symptoms are hormonally related. So far I have found nothing that helps.


----------



## K9Mom (Sep 20, 1999)

Pregnancy does do a number on your hormones....including your thyroid hormones. Have you all had a thyroid blood test? It's quite common to develop a thyroid problem post pregnancy.From About.com's Thyroid Disease website:You have a higher risk of developing thyroid disease if, among a variety of factors:ï¿½You have a family member with a thyroid problemï¿½You have another pituitary or endocrine diseaseï¿½You or a family member have another autoimmune diseaseï¿½You've been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ï¿½You've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia ï¿½You're femaleï¿½You're over 60ï¿½You've just had a babyï¿½You're near menopause or menopausal ï¿½You're a smokerï¿½You've been exposed to radiationï¿½You've been treated with lithium ï¿½You've been exposed to certain chemicals (i.e., perchlorate, fluoride)


----------



## K9Mom (Sep 20, 1999)

Pregnancy does do a number on your hormones....including your thyroid hormones. Have you all had a thyroid blood test? It's quite common to develop a thyroid problem post pregnancy.From About.com's Thyroid Disease website:You have a higher risk of developing thyroid disease if, among a variety of factors:ï¿½You have a family member with a thyroid problemï¿½You have another pituitary or endocrine diseaseï¿½You or a family member have another autoimmune diseaseï¿½You've been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome ï¿½You've been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia ï¿½You're femaleï¿½You're over 60ï¿½You've just had a babyï¿½You're near menopause or menopausal ï¿½You're a smokerï¿½You've been exposed to radiationï¿½You've been treated with lithium ï¿½You've been exposed to certain chemicals (i.e., perchlorate, fluoride)


----------



## Karen Pollock (Jan 7, 2002)

I'm new to this site as well. My IBS started up again (it didn't bother me for about 5 years) but came back after I had my third child. All of a sudden, I couldn't make to the doctors appointment or to the grocery store. I truly believe it can come on suddenly. Mine certainly did. I read that it can come on after pregnancy, illness, surgery, among other things. Preganancy really does a number on your body. The baby has squished all your organs out of the way and they have to bounce back. Its been 5 years now since my daughter was born and I've finally discovered that food is my greates trigger. Its been like night and day. I bought Heather Van Vorous' book "Eating for IBS" and its saved my life. Try it. It might help. But don't let your doctor discourage you. Good Luck and I hope you find out the info. you need.


----------



## Karen Pollock (Jan 7, 2002)

I'm new to this site as well. My IBS started up again (it didn't bother me for about 5 years) but came back after I had my third child. All of a sudden, I couldn't make to the doctors appointment or to the grocery store. I truly believe it can come on suddenly. Mine certainly did. I read that it can come on after pregnancy, illness, surgery, among other things. Preganancy really does a number on your body. The baby has squished all your organs out of the way and they have to bounce back. Its been 5 years now since my daughter was born and I've finally discovered that food is my greates trigger. Its been like night and day. I bought Heather Van Vorous' book "Eating for IBS" and its saved my life. Try it. It might help. But don't let your doctor discourage you. Good Luck and I hope you find out the info. you need.


----------



## Vikki-Lou (Jan 3, 2002)

My IBS definately stsrted suddenly! over night in fact! I had a salad, had D all night, and now ive had it every day from that day (in November) to this day......4 months later!


----------



## Vikki-Lou (Jan 3, 2002)

My IBS definately stsrted suddenly! over night in fact! I had a salad, had D all night, and now ive had it every day from that day (in November) to this day......4 months later!


----------



## AmberH1 (Feb 19, 2002)

WOW, it's amazing to hear stories where it has happened all of a sudden. I thought I was the only one. What a great relief to realize I'm NOT. As we speak I'm preparing for my test so hopefully I'll have some answers, and if not it's nice to know I can come here and relate with other people. Thank you!!P.S. For you ladies that have that " full " feeling and have had children, did your doctor mention rectal descent, and if so what can they do about it?Sincerely,Amber


----------



## AmberH1 (Feb 19, 2002)

WOW, it's amazing to hear stories where it has happened all of a sudden. I thought I was the only one. What a great relief to realize I'm NOT. As we speak I'm preparing for my test so hopefully I'll have some answers, and if not it's nice to know I can come here and relate with other people. Thank you!!P.S. For you ladies that have that " full " feeling and have had children, did your doctor mention rectal descent, and if so what can they do about it?Sincerely,Amber


----------



## Vikki-Lou (Jan 3, 2002)

Well good luck! you are NOT alone!Email me at secrets103###hotmail.com and let me know how you get on......Vikki-lou


----------



## Vikki-Lou (Jan 3, 2002)

Well good luck! you are NOT alone!Email me at secrets103###hotmail.com and let me know how you get on......Vikki-lou


----------



## HunterTA5 (Feb 8, 2002)

Bless your heart! My IBS-D came up "out of nowhere" about 8 years ago while I was in college. During my 2 latest pregnancies it almost completely disappeared! It came back about 50% while nursing and 110% after my middle child was weaned. I am still nursing my 6 month old and battling IBS the while! 3 weeks ago I started using Calcium supplements after I had to leave work because of an attack (I have only been back to work a couple of weeks!). I cried for hours then turned to this bulletin board and decided to give the Calcium a try. It is working great! You are not alone. I thought I was for so many years until I started reading this website. Good Luck!


----------



## HunterTA5 (Feb 8, 2002)

Bless your heart! My IBS-D came up "out of nowhere" about 8 years ago while I was in college. During my 2 latest pregnancies it almost completely disappeared! It came back about 50% while nursing and 110% after my middle child was weaned. I am still nursing my 6 month old and battling IBS the while! 3 weeks ago I started using Calcium supplements after I had to leave work because of an attack (I have only been back to work a couple of weeks!). I cried for hours then turned to this bulletin board and decided to give the Calcium a try. It is working great! You are not alone. I thought I was for so many years until I started reading this website. Good Luck!


----------

