# My IBS Story



## Artbirdy (Jun 11, 2011)

I've always had some "belly problems" and even had a duodenal ulcer at 11-years old, but it cleared up.I took a trip to India about 7 years ago and got very ill. When I got back to the U.S., went from doctor to doctor, thinking I had a parasitic invasion. Infectious diseases dr. was rude and no help. Went to gastro dr. for colonoscropy and endoscopy with diagnosis of IBS, but no help from the dr. as to how to manage or deal with pain and no medication. I was very ill for 3-4 months then it just disappeared.I do suffer from depression and had a major one for part of 2009. By July of 2009, my beloved cat had died and that did me in as far as the major depression. I soon developed very painful gastro intestinal problems (including horrible cramping and chronic diarrhea) as well as other symptoms, one after another (numbness in arm (turned out to be ulnar myopathy), bleeding and intense itchy lesions in nostrils, unbearable itchy legs, rashes, "bumps" in mouth to throat, intense fatigue, and strange blood pressure episodes, like a 2 month span of such low blood pressure (about 60/40)that I had many fainting spells. In about March 2010 I started getting intense belly bloating and within 3 months gained 60 lbs. in my belly (I am usually extremely thin), appearing 8 months pregnant (still at this stage). First to my internal medicine dr. who ran various tests, but thought it was all psychological and dropped me as a patient, but referred me, upon my insistence to an infectious diseases specialist, as I thought I had a recurrence of some parasites from India that had never been diagnosed. This was due to the fact that I now was having huge odd red scabs come out of my nose, and dropped a huge odd mass from my nosrils which they said was a polyp (do polyps ever drop out by themselves?). My gastro problems continued with no let up. I had chronic pain every day (some worse than others). Had another endo and colonoscopy and was told I had IBS and it was all due to psychological problems...treated like a mental patient by the dr. and he had no answers to help me and ignored my other symptoms. Lots of other tests like digestion measurements, adrenol cortisol, gall bladder and others I can't even remember now. Now the pain started in more places - constant headaches, extreme pain in feet and hands and calf cramps at night. I was sent from specialist to specialist who had no answers for me. Went to three more gastro drs. and the same IBS diagnosis with no explanation for other symptoms and either ineffective medicine or no help at all, or told I had IBS with no sugestions how to deal with it, and that my belly was "middle aged fat." Other doctors totally stumped. Sent to endocrinologist and MRI of brain revealed small tumor on pituitary, now in process of hormonal tests...some abnormal results and retesting. Will be seeing a rheumotologist. Finally went to a new gastro dr. this past week. He gave me the standard IBS diagnosis but took the time to go into long explanations of IBS and the research being done, as well as telling me that many IBS sufferers also have other non-gastro symptoms and pain in other places in body (the first time I was told this and first time aknowledging my other symptoms, as well as not treating me like a mental case - though he did explain the interaction of depression and anxiety on IBS and I will go for pyschotherapy. He also told me there was a correlation between IBS and fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue sydrome. He has prescribed a med to slow down my digestion (because my food and medicine comes through into my stool undigested with totally intact pills). He is seeking a lab in town which will perform a breath test for malabsorption. The new gastro dr. also thinks my huge belly is due to my MAIO medication. Also have switched to new psychiatrist and want to get off the MAOI drugs I am on (My last resort at the time as no other anti-depressant was helping - with these meds, I can't even take pain meds to help me in severe times). I am terrified of the weaning process, then not allowed to be on any antidepressants for 2 weeks with possible horrible withdrawal symptoms.This whole process has affected my job, my family and social relationships and now I am completely alone to deal with this.Hopefully I'll be on the right track now.


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