# Is age and time span a factor of these tapes?



## 20877 (Dec 11, 2005)

Hello all. I am 20 years old and was just recently diagnosed with IBS in August. These past few months have been hell. I've found this website to be extremely helpful but also a little depressing too. Reading some of the stories that people have had to deal with this torture for 10+ years has really affected me. My doctor put me on sulfasalazine and told me that I have to go for another colonoscopy in 6 months to see if it went away. He said that if it isn't gone in 6 months I will have it for the rest of my life and if it is gone then I should be fine for the rest of my life. Two questions: 1. Is that true? If it isn't gone in 6 months will I have it forever? 2. I've been seriously thinking about getting these tapes. Does it matter that I am only 20 years old and have only had it for a few months? Will it still work? Or do I need to have these symptoms for a while? Will the fact that I am younger and that I haven't had it for very long actually be better? or worse? Any replies would really help. Thanks


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Hi ArcherChick and Welcome! Firstly, I need a bit of clarification - I could be wrong in assuming you mean IBS, but I want to make sure we are discussing the same thing. I would like to ask why your doctor has you on sulfasalazine, as that is usually given for colon inflamation - Sulfasalazine is a sulfa analog that has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activity. It is used to treat inflammatory bowel disease - which can be an indication for ulcerative colitis or crohn's disease - which is NOT IBS. Since you mention he is checking you again in 6 months to see if "it" went away, I am assuming that "it" means he either detected inflammation in your colon, or he thinks there is a bacterial infection, but I am uncertain if this can be "seen." This may not be IBS, but IBD or Inflamatory Bowel Disease. I could be wrong here, but just based on the drug he gave you, and then the fact he wants the rechecking so soon, that is what draws me to this conclusion.Usually colonoscopies aren't done for basic IBS symptoms at your young age, so I don't want to give you incorrect information. You certainly can have both at the same time, as the owner of this website has both, but I am not sure about the comment your doc says about giving you another colonoscopy to determine if it's gone - you can't "see" IBS - IBS is diagnosed by exclusion - that is - no other possible cause is detected for the symptoms, and IBS is then the label they give you. IBS is not life threatening nor "serious" in terms of your overall health - but it can be hell to live with. IBD, on the other hand requires the care of a physican, but I won't go into that here until I learn more of what your doctor said.If you do in fact have IBS - irritable bowel syndrome, not IBD, then the hypnotherapy program would be a good thing to try. The author of the program has worked with many young people - one girl he saw was out of school for two years with severe IBS, and she is fine now. Nikki, the moderator on the young people's forum, also has done the program when she was your age - just a few years ago! The fact that you are younger is actually BETTER - because Mike has found that the sooner after the initial diagnosis that IBS is treated with hypnotherapy, the better. In his experience, results are usually obtained quicker and more complete results are seen - most younger people get back into a normal life style. It is true that it does not work for everyone, but it has a very high success rate and is an easy form of treatment. So, the sooner and younger a person does it, the better the results!Please let me know a bit more about what the doctor said to you, and also what your symptoms are. Hypnotherapy does not improve IBD physically, but it does improve IBS physically - however, hypno does help folks cope with IBD in terms of better relaxation and dealing with illness.Also, too, remember, that this is a "self-help" BB - we can direct you to studies and research info, and we can share info on meds, treatments, etc. that work for us, but ultimately, you will need to consult your doc to be sure you understand your health condition - but we can guide you with what to ask, etc.Hope to hear from you soon - email me if you wish as well.Take care.


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## 20877 (Dec 11, 2005)

Hey Marilyn thanks for getting back to me! As far as what the doctor has told me is this...When I first got the colonoscopy done (as in just woke up) the doctor talked to my dad and told him that it was IBS and colitis. They didn't say if it was ulcerative colitis or not but my dad said that it wasn't. About two weeks later I had an appointment with my regular doctor and asked him if it was IBS or Colitis or both. He told me that IBS is a generalization used when they can't figure out what it is that is wrong with you and that I do have colitis. So I'm really not exactly sure if I have both (if that's possible) or just Colitis. And if it is just Colitis I'm having a really hard time finding information on it because everything I look up is ulcerative colitis. I just figured that IBS was like the general catergory used to describe all things like this. I don't know like I said I was just diagnosed a few months ago so I'm still really confused as to what I have and don't have and what is going on with my body. The doctor that did the colonoscopy did say however, that my colon or large intestine(I've read that colitis is an inflammation of the large intestine so I'm assuming that's what is inflammed)was inflammed and that it was all due to stress. I'm sorry if I used unnecessary space on the BB but I really thought that this was part of IBS


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## 20877 (Dec 11, 2005)

Marilyn,I just read your post on the other forum. You said at the end that IBS is when you think about it you get the D attacks. That always happens to me. If I begin to think about getting sick and getting D (which no matter how much I try I always think about anyway







) I have a lot of anxiety when I go anywhere about whether or not I am going to get sick, where the closest bathroom is etc... and that makes it a lot worse. That is why I thought maybe the tapes would work because I know that a lot of my problem is psychological and I thought that if I could stop thinking about it all the time then maybe I wouldn't get sick so frequently. I am really scared to go anywhere. I won't make plans too far in advance for fear that I will have to cancel. If any of my friends ask me to go out, even just to go get a pizza the first thing that comes into my mind is, "What if I get sick while we're out?" And I end up staying home because I am scared and embarrassed that it will happen...I have an appointment with my doctor on the 18th to get bloodwork and a check up done, I will try to get some more specific information from him, because now that you brought that to my attention that the two are different now I am really confused







Thanks again for getting back to me so soon I really appreciate all the help I can get


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Oh dear - don't be one bit sorry at all for asking about this! You have every right to ask and learn - so ask as much as you want!(((HUGS))) You are seeking info, and that is terrific!The doctor may be referring to infectious colitis:Colitis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the membrane lining the large bowel. People with colitis may have abdominal pain, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, painful spasms (tenesmus), lack of appetite, fever, and fatigue. Infectious colitis: A variety of â€œbugsâ€ may cause colitis, including these:Bacteria: Commonly found in food or contaminated water, bacteria may produce toxins that trigger intestinal cells to secrete salt and water and interfere with their normal functions. Salmonella, Shigella species, Campylobacter jejuni, and Clostridium are examples of bacteria associated with infectious colitis.Viruses: Those such as rotavirus or Norwalk can damage the mucous membrane lining your intestine and disturb fluid absorption.Protozoa: People infected with protozoa such as Entamoeba histolytica may show no symptoms (carrier state), or they may have chronic, mild, loose, bowel movementsalsosychological factors: There is little evidence relating possible emotional factors as a cause of inflammatory bowel disease. Psychological factors may modify the course of the disease, however, and your response to therapy.http://www.emedicine.com/aaem/topic120.htm------The fact that you have had this since August, is what makes me a bit confused - if it is a case of infectious colitis, then that would explain the meds.But it could also be a general, older term for IBS - spastic colitis - is an older term used for IBS. Ulcerative colitis is IBD - thus the confusion.I would give the doc that did the colonoscopy a call (I know it's a hassle, perhaps talk to the nurse) and ask if it is IBS along with colitis or just colitis alone... he may not know just yet. If they clear up the inflammation/infection or whatever, and you still have D, pain, and symptoms,then it could be IBS - If you have the thought thing going on - like you worry if you will have D at school, etc. and then you do, that is more like IBS.So I would just ask the doc to clear up the confusion - that way we here on the BB will be better able to support you and suggest what would be helpful.What are your specific symptoms - did the doc give you anything to help with that - Pain and D?Hope you find some answers, hon... all the best to you! And no worries about BB space - we are all here to support and care for each other.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

We were posting at the same time!Yep, if you have the anxiety thing goin' on, then by all means, consider Mike's CDs - it won't hurt you at all, and may even help you deal with all of this - it is designed to specifically break that mind-gut connection of worry of going out, etc. I had IBS for over 20 years - as long as you have been alive - and the hypno broke that anxiety I had - I was housebound with pain and D.If you want to discuss it, I am happy to do so. I am a mom too - you can check out this site; http://www.IBSCDS.com - and you can also call the toll free number there and leave your number and best time to call.Or you can ask away here, or email me.Lots of young people have really been helped a lot. It takes IBS and the D thoughts and worry out of your life so you can function.Let me know... take care.


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## 20877 (Dec 11, 2005)

Marilyn, Your post about infectious colitis seems like that might be what I have. Here's what happened...When I first started getting sick like this, they ran bloodwork tests on me. The first thing that they found was a bacterial infection, so they thought that it was the infection that was making me sick (I was running a fever and had severe back pain). I was on medication for it and when I was done taking it, I was still sick which is why they gave me the colonoscopy. So because I had a bacterial infection first does that mean that this could be infectious colitis???


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

I don't know for sure, I'm not a doctor, but that sounds like what may have happened. You still will need to specificaly ask the doc when you see him next - they didn't do a very good job of explaining to you! Sometimes what happens is that once the infection is cleared up, then IBS settles in - doesn't happen all the time, but with some folks, the body continues presenting with pain and D once the initial "cause" has been cleared up, and this is called post-infectious IBS. The body has learned this mode of motility, it has a hard time releasing it. So then you begin to expect to have pain and D and then the worry and anxiety of having D comes into play.If you start feeling better once you are off this last round of meds, then hopefully the pain and D will resolve too. If the infection gets cleared up but you still have the pain and D, but the docs can see no further cause, and there is no inflammation in the bowel, then most likely, it could be IBS.But again, you need to talk to the doc, I can only guess at what is going on for sure.Once the doc gives you the all-clear on the infection, then we can better help you here if it is in fact IBS.Hope you feel better soon, I hope this was a bit of help - wishing you the best. Let us know if you have any other questions.Take care of yourself.


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

Just got this info on Post-Infectious IBS -if you can't get into the site, you can register for free to read the whole article.This discusses some of your concerns for the physical part of it. Hope this helps a bit.---http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/518355?src=mpPost-infectious Irritable Bowel DyndromePosted 12/08/2005Robin Spiller; Eugene Campbell Abstract and IntroductionAbstractPurpose of Review: Irritable bowel syndrome patients form a heterogeneous group with a variable contribution of central and peripheral components. The peripheral component is prominent in irritable bowel syndrome developing after infection (post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome) and this has proved a profitable area of research.Recent Findings: Recent studies have overthrown the dogma that irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by no abnormality of structure by demonstrating low-grade lymphocytic infiltration in the gut mucosa, increased permeability and increases in other inflammatory components including enterochromaffin and mast cells. Furthermore, increased inflammatory cytokines in both mucosa and blood have been demonstrated in irritable bowel syndrome. While steroid treatment has proved ineffective, preliminary studies with probiotics exerting an anti-inflammatory effect have shown benefit.Summary: The study of post-infectious irritable bowel syndrome has revealed the importance of low-grade inflammation in causing irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. It has suggested novel approaches to irritable bowel syndrome including studies of serotonin and histamine metabolism which may be relevant to other subtypes of of the disease.--Register to read the full report.


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## 20877 (Dec 11, 2005)

Marilyn,Thanks so much for all this information you have given me! I never knew there was all this info out there! I really appreciate you trying to help me. I have been doing some research on my own about all the possibilities of what this could be. But it seems that nowhere I look will give me an answer of if this will go away or not? I know that they say that IBS will not go away but only go into remission for a while, but is that the same with all of these? I know that you aren't a doctor and I apologize for asking all these questions I'm just sooo confused!!!


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## cookies4marilyn (Jun 30, 2000)

ArcherChick,IBS can be a fickle symdrome - for some people it can go into remission,(sometimes for good, sometimes for a while) but for others it is ongoing and relentless. There are all degrees of it too - severe refractory - which means nothing really helps - that's what iI had - read my link below - and others who are bothered just a little.To say it will go away or not is something that no one can tell you. If you have post-infectious IBS, and you are still currently taking meds, so at this point, there is no way of knowing one way or another. Again, your doc is the one to ask for your particular situation. We can only say what we know in general, or have experienced ourselves, and that may not be appropriate to your particular condition now.If once you have found out from your doc that you do indeed have IBS, and there is nothing that can be done in terms of improvement, and you are still having worries over having D attacks, and not being able to plan events, etc. then the hypno program may be something to consider. But this is for the mind/gut component - you still need to make sure you are under doc's care and have any thing else resolved.If you have a specific question, I can try to answer, but without talking to your doc to know just what is going on, there isn't much more to add at this point.If you are having severe D, make sure you are hydrated. Taking Imodium may help you when you absolutely have to be somewhere, but if you are getting rid of an infection, best not to take it on an ongoing basis until you are all clear of infection. For pain, a heating pad helps, and also try peppermint tea or fennil tea to help calm yourself and the gut if needed.Hope this helped a bit...


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## eric (Jul 8, 1999)

ArcherChick Did they say what kind of bacterial infection you had?From reading this it kindof sounds like PI IBS perhaps that can develop into IBS? Of course you have to wait to see what the doctor says.If it is PI IBS or whatever it is let us know.If it is PI IBS aggresive therapies now may help the long term outcome.


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