# please read, new to the site and feeling a little alone!



## jewlz0702 (Jul 21, 2009)

hello everyone my name is julie and i have suffered with ibs since i was 13 ( im 24 now) and the past 2 years have been a whirlwind of doctors, tests and yet still no real answers. As i mentioned before i was 13 when IBS first hit me and for years i was ok with only a few attacks to speak of but when i was 22 i started to suddenly gain alot of water weight (20-30lbs) in a very short time and i was in so much pain, at the same time i started to have blood sugar problems. But i did not have any of the classic symptoms of diabetes and every test that was done came back perfectly normal. Then i went to see my gastro ( who is the only reason i function today). And i went through a battery of tests, colonoscopy, barium CT scan and small bowel series ( far too much barium for any one person lol) because i had a genetic test come back positive for Crohn's disease but none of the tests he performed backed that up (no inflammation or diseased parts of my colon, Thank God). I was but on Bentyl and Lomotil and i was fine for months and perfect blood sugar after eating (just some normal breakthrough attacks) but about 4 weeks ago i started to have the funny feeling a half hour after eating again so i tested my blood sugar ( my doctor's believed my stomach is emptying to fast causing spikes) and i had my first high blood sugar in months. I was wondering if anyone else had had this problem. I have seen may doctor's and had ever test under the sun and nothing comes back clear. All the doctor's have told me my stomach empties to fast, is this common at all? Have any of you experienced this at all? I didnt know that this was even possible, but i guess it makes sense. And if any of you have dealt with this how did you cope and what did you do that helped? I thank you all so much for listening to my rant, and i thank you in advance for any help you may have as wellI will mention i also have GERD and a soy intolerance ( so sorry i forgot to mention that before) Thank you all again! Thank you!


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## psuchick402 (Jan 6, 2008)

Hey, jewlz0702,Whereas I don't have a direct answer for you since I never dealt with that before, I just posted something important on the forums. I am a journalist and an IBS sufferer for 2 years. I'm only 23.I am trying to shed light on young adults and suffering from IBS. I would love to interview you.We can do it via e-mail. Can that work for you? Just PM me.I would really, really appreciate it.Let me know.Bethany


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## Mallory Holt (Jan 11, 2012)

I'm new too. I'd love to chat with you about our IBS issues. My email is [email protected]


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## bones (Sep 26, 2006)

Welcome to the board jewlz0702.From reading your post it sounds like you have the following problems: 1) Unresolved IBS Issues, 2) Inconclusive Tests, 3) Blood Sugar Issues, 4) Gastric Dumping. I'll try to address them as best as I can.*Unresolved IBS Issues and Inconclusive Tests*You've gone through quite a few tests which sounds reasonable for anyone trying to figure out an answer to such an uncomfortable illness. However, you cannot depend solely on your doctor to find the answer. Doctors make decisions with educated guesses in limited time increments (15-20 min appointments).In the end, it's going to take a lot of work on your part to manage your symptoms. If you haven't already, start keeping a food diary. This will help identify triggers and any relevant pattens. This way, not only will you learn more about what aggravates and alleviates your symptoms but your doctor(s) will have more targeted and higher quality information to make decisions with.Also, make sure to keep physical records of all your tests and bring them to every doctors appointment. Although the tests haven't given you any "real answers", showing them to any doctor you go to will ensure your doctor is properly informed and helps eliminate re-work.*Blood Sugar and Gastric Dumping Issues*I think there is a simple answer to your blood sugar and gastric dumping issues: calcium and Vitamin D. Calcium helps close all the sphincters of the digestive system: ileocecal, anal, and yes pyloric (for your stomach). I've had the same experience. The constant hunger usually goes away when I take calcium and eat something with a decent amount of fiber.Vitamin D helps control insulin secretion. This may explain your blood sugar issues. You said you felt "alone." From that statement and the fact that you have IBS, I'm guessing that you don't get out much. You might have a Vitamin D deficiency. This is one reason why so many children have diabetes these days compared to those before the 1990's. Kids from back then actually went outside. Also cut down on the refined foods and sugars. Go for less processed and higher fiber versions (i.e. brown rice instead of white rice).I'm not sure how you're currently getting your calcium and Vitamin D but your symptoms suggest you're not absorbing those nutrients. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. It's helpful to take Vitamin D with something fatty but not so fatty that it aggravates your symptoms.There is another possibility for your hunger issues. The Bentyl and Lotomil may be making you hungry as a side effect. Bentyl and the atropin in Lotomil are anticholinergics. This class of medicines decrease stomach acid. Low stomach acid also decreases absorption of calcium (and other minerals) and also makes you hungry. You might want to drink some water with lemon with your meals to compensate for the decrease in stomach acidI hope this helps.


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