# My Teenage life with IBS: Advice Needed!



## Nicolle

Hi everyone! My name is Nicolle and I'm new to this site. Out of desperation I looked up ibs blogs and forums on the internet to reassure myself that I am not alone in this. I suffer from IBS-A and I was diagnosed about a year ago. I'm a junior in high school and it all started sophomore year for no reason. I was always the girl who would eat anything I wanted, loved school, and socializing- now its something I dread. Here's my story:About a year ago I was complaining to my mom about how every thing I ate would usually go right through me. It got to the point where I would not eat anything at all because I was afraid of what would happen as a result. The pain is hard to describe but I would feel a bad cramping pain in my lower abdomen, have a lot of gas & gas pains all the time, and have diarrhea. I still experience these symptoms today. When I was first experiencing these symptoms, I would still go about my daily life and eat whatever I wanted- until it got really bad. My parents brought me to the hospital one night and we waited there all night. Finally a doctor came in and gave me possible diagnoses, such as Celiac disease, Lactose Intolerance, Crohn's disease, or IBS. They didn't even do any testing! The doctor just told me to check up with my primary care doctor. Then, I did as I was told and my mom brought me to see my doctor. She felt around my tummy and she told me that I was backed up which is the reason I've been experiencing these symptoms. I found it hard to believe because how I was feeling was pretty severe, but anyway she went on to prescribing me Miralax to help clear out my system naturally. Turns out it didn't work at all! Left me feeling the same.Next, I went to a walk-in clinic because I had a sinus infection. I ended up asking the doctor about the symptoms I was experiencing and if he would do anything to help me. He said that I might have a gastric ulcer so he prescribed me Carafate, saying that it would coat the lining of my intestines and give me some relief. I read the side effects on the bottle and it said "Constipation, Diarrhea, Gas, and Bloating"- All the symptoms I wanted to get away from! But in desperate relief, I took the medicine and it made it 100x worse- I felt so constipated and in so much pain, so I stopped taking it immediately.To add to it, I suffer from anxiety because it runs in my family and that definitely does not help my IBS- it brings it on and makes it worse. I went to see a psychiatric nurse so that she could possibly prescribe me an anxiety medication, in hopes that by controlling my anxiety, my stomach symptoms would stop. She prescribed me one and it did help, but my stomach pain was still there. She advised me to make an appointment to see a gastroenterologist, so I did.After waiting months for my gastro appt, I met with a really nice lady. She said that I definitely have IBS and to make sure that there wasn't anything else going on, she had me take a blood test, testing for Celiac, etc. Everything came back negative, so she had me meet with a nutritionist to get on a healthy IBS diet. I listened but none of what she told me seemed to help. She also prescribed me Dicyclomine to prevent my intestines from spazing out every time I ate. I still take this now on occasion but I try not to depend on it since it doesn't always give me relief. As for my diet, I pretty much cut out anything containing high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, and fried food. This helps a little I guess, but there are still no drastic changes. There's no specific food that makes me have a spasm. For example, one day I could eat pizza from the same place and be fine, and in about a week I could eat the same pizza and be in dying pain. I still eat everything normally, which could be a problem, but I don't know what diet to get on to help this. I also take a probiotic daily and that somewhat helps but I don't notice a difference. I've heard everything from cutting out gluten, to cutting out carbs- I just dont know what to do! IBS affects my attendance at school- big time. I am an A student and love excelling in everything I do...until I was diagnosed with IBS. Every morning I find a reason not to go to school, in fear of having an attack at school where I'm not comfortable. I feel as if I'm letting my parents and family down, I want a life for myself, I have dreams, but every day is a constant struggle with IBS. I've had episodes in school before I knew what it was, and it scarred me to have that ever happen to me again. My school is about 25 minutes away from where I live, and I stopped taking the bus- in fear that if I ever had a spasm, that I wouldn't have access to a bathroom. So my mom goes out of her way to drive me to school everyday. I feel awful since I know it's inconveniencing her, but at the same time, I can't help it. At night I get ready to go to school the next day, wake up in the morning, do everything I would usually do like I would be going, but when it gets time to leave, I can't go to school. My mom, dad, and brother think as it I make it up and the fear of having an issue is not a reason to not go to school- but to me it is, because I hate feeling like I'm not in control. Its affecting my life and I don't know how to go to school and be successful living with IBS. I've read people living with IBS their whole lives since they've been diagnosed, and I can't even imagine living with this my whole life. Another BIG problem is if I end up making it to school, I don't eat all day. I don't eat so that I don't have a flare up. In other words, I'm afraid that if I eat, my IBS will act up and i'll be stranded in an awfully uncomfortable situation. You'd think that by not eating all day while I'm in school would cause me to lose weight, but its not, I'm actually gaining weight! In about the 3 months I've been starving myself throughout the days I go to school, I've gained about 20 pounds, which makes me feel even worse about myself. When I get home from school, I eat & eat & eat because I am so hungry from not eating all day. I know that's bad for people with IBS since we're supposed to eat a lot of small meals, but I can't bring myself to eat in school ever again and risk having an issue with my IBS. I hate feeling like I'm letting everyone down, even myself. I just wish this would go away and no one would have to suffer from it. I'm sorry about how long this is but I need advice- it would be GREATLY appreciated  Thank you all so much- Nicolle


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## BQ

Have you tried using a probiotic at all? Sometimes the bacterial balance that normally exists in our GI tracts get thrown out of whack. ANd when that happens.. folks can have diarrhea or other GI symptoms. A probiotic can restore a good balance. These are not quick fixes ... one will have to be one the probiotic for a decent trial to see if it might help. Think weeks not days. Good ones are Align, Culturelle, Florastor, Sustenex... etc.


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## Nicolle

BQ said:


> Have you tried using a probiotic at all? Sometimes the bacterial balance that normally exists in our GI tracts get thrown out of whack. ANd when that happens.. folks can have diarrhea or other GI symptoms. A probiotic can restore a good balance. These are not quick fixes ... one will have to be one the probiotic for a decent trial to see if it might help. Think weeks not days. Good ones are Align, Culturelle, Florastor, Sustenex... etc.


Yes I've been using a probiotic that has Acidophilus and a lot of other bacteria. Its an extra strength CVS brand that I take daily for digestive health. I seems to have helped, but like I said I find it hard to notice a difference. Thanks for your reply!!


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## BQ

Well sometimes when we try one type of probiotic and it doesn't help us... another kind with different bacteria in it *can* help us. So you might consider trying a different one. and sometimes I also have found that the store brand ones don't work that well for me for some reason. But see if you can change up the type of bacteria in the probiotic and see if that helps.Also keep in mind... we are all different so what helps one of us may not help another. We all need to do the trail and error with each treatment to see if it helps or not. Most people find that a combination of treatments working together is what helps them best. So this trial and error can take some serious effort and time. Patience is key.Go through our forums and see which apply to you and your symptoms.... then just take some ideas from there. For instance...Have you looked into the Calcium Carbonate supplements? See the "Linda's Calcium" thread pinned to the top of the Diarrhea Forum for more info.


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## JordanK03

Nicolle said:


> Hi everyone! My name is Nicolle and I'm new to this site. Out of desperation I looked up ibs blogs and forums on the internet to reassure myself that I am not alone in this. I suffer from IBS-A and I was diagnosed about a year ago. I'm a junior in high school and it all started sophomore year for no reason. I was always the girl who would eat anything I wanted, loved school, and socializing- now its something I dread. Here's my story:About a year ago I was complaining to my mom about how every thing I ate would usually go right through me. It got to the point where I would not eat anything at all because I was afraid of what would happen as a result. The pain is hard to describe but I would feel a bad cramping pain in my lower abdomen, have a lot of gas & gas pains all the time, and have diarrhea. I still experience these symptoms today. When I was first experiencing these symptoms, I would still go about my daily life and eat whatever I wanted- until it got really bad. My parents brought me to the hospital one night and we waited there all night. Finally a doctor came in and gave me possible diagnoses, such as Celiac disease, Lactose Intolerance, Crohn's disease, or IBS. They didn't even do any testing! The doctor just told me to check up with my primary care doctor. Then, I did as I was told and my mom brought me to see my doctor. She felt around my tummy and she told me that I was backed up which is the reason I've been experiencing these symptoms. I found it hard to believe because how I was feeling was pretty severe, but anyway she went on to prescribing me Miralax to help clear out my system naturally. Turns out it didn't work at all! Left me feeling the same.Next, I went to a walk-in clinic because I had a sinus infection. I ended up asking the doctor about the symptoms I was experiencing and if he would do anything to help me. He said that I might have a gastric ulcer so he prescribed me Carafate, saying that it would coat the lining of my intestines and give me some relief. I read the side effects on the bottle and it said "Constipation, Diarrhea, Gas, and Bloating"- All the symptoms I wanted to get away from! But in desperate relief, I took the medicine and it made it 100x worse- I felt so constipated and in so much pain, so I stopped taking it immediately.To add to it, I suffer from anxiety because it runs in my family and that definitely does not help my IBS- it brings it on and makes it worse. I went to see a psychiatric nurse so that she could possibly prescribe me an anxiety medication, in hopes that by controlling my anxiety, my stomach symptoms would stop. She prescribed me one and it did help, but my stomach pain was still there. She advised me to make an appointment to see a gastroenterologist, so I did.After waiting months for my gastro appt, I met with a really nice lady. She said that I definitely have IBS and to make sure that there wasn't anything else going on, she had me take a blood test, testing for Celiac, etc. Everything came back negative, so she had me meet with a nutritionist to get on a healthy IBS diet. I listened but none of what she told me seemed to help. She also prescribed me Dicyclomine to prevent my intestines from spazing out every time I ate. I still take this now on occasion but I try not to depend on it since it doesn't always give me relief. As for my diet, I pretty much cut out anything containing high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, and fried food. This helps a little I guess, but there are still no drastic changes. There's no specific food that makes me have a spasm. For example, one day I could eat pizza from the same place and be fine, and in about a week I could eat the same pizza and be in dying pain. I still eat everything normally, which could be a problem, but I don't know what diet to get on to help this. I also take a probiotic daily and that somewhat helps but I don't notice a difference. I've heard everything from cutting out gluten, to cutting out carbs- I just dont know what to do! IBS affects my attendance at school- big time. I am an A student and love excelling in everything I do...until I was diagnosed with IBS. Every morning I find a reason not to go to school, in fear of having an attack at school where I'm not comfortable. I feel as if I'm letting my parents and family down, I want a life for myself, I have dreams, but every day is a constant struggle with IBS. I've had episodes in school before I knew what it was, and it scarred me to have that ever happen to me again. My school is about 25 minutes away from where I live, and I stopped taking the bus- in fear that if I ever had a spasm, that I wouldn't have access to a bathroom. So my mom goes out of her way to drive me to school everyday. I feel awful since I know it's inconveniencing her, but at the same time, I can't help it. At night I get ready to go to school the next day, wake up in the morning, do everything I would usually do like I would be going, but when it gets time to leave, I can't go to school. My mom, dad, and brother think as it I make it up and the fear of having an issue is not a reason to not go to school- but to me it is, because I hate feeling like I'm not in control. Its affecting my life and I don't know how to go to school and be successful living with IBS. I've read people living with IBS their whole lives since they've been diagnosed, and I can't even imagine living with this my whole life. Another BIG problem is if I end up making it to school, I don't eat all day. I don't eat so that I don't have a flare up. In other words, I'm afraid that if I eat, my IBS will act up and i'll be stranded in an awfully uncomfortable situation. You'd think that by not eating all day while I'm in school would cause me to lose weight, but its not, I'm actually gaining weight! In about the 3 months I've been starving myself throughout the days I go to school, I've gained about 20 pounds, which makes me feel even worse about myself. When I get home from school, I eat & eat & eat because I am so hungry from not eating all day. I know that's bad for people with IBS since we're supposed to eat a lot of small meals, but I can't bring myself to eat in school ever again and risk having an issue with my IBS. I hate feeling like I'm letting everyone down, even myself. I just wish this would go away and no one would have to suffer from it. I'm sorry about how long this is but I need advice- it would be GREATLY appreciated  Thank you all so much- Nicolle


Nicolle, you are definitely not alone. I have the same thing happening. I have IBS with constipation and diarrhea. I'm on Amatiza because it helps my constipation but not fully. I'm a junior in HS too and had to do online school because my problems got so bad. The only advice I can offer you is to not give up. Sometimes it takes many meds to go through to find the right one. IBS SUCKS. It's a daily struggle but you have to control it, don't let it control you. Pray. Try other meds. I promise it gets better through time.


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## Cassie90

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## Nicolle

JordanK03 said:


> Nicolle, you are definitely not alone. I have the same thing happening. I have IBS with constipation and diarrhea. I'm on Amatiza because it helps my constipation but not fully. I'm a junior in HS too and had to do online school because my problems got so bad. The only advice I can offer you is to not give up. Sometimes it takes many meds to go through to find the right one. IBS SUCKS. It's a daily struggle but you have to control it, don't let it control you. Pray. Try other meds. I promise it gets better through time.


Thank you so much! Its such a relief there's someone out there going through the same thing. It amazes me how much IBS can drastically change your life. I loved school and going but now that I have IBS, i dont even know how I can finish the year! Even if I don't have a problem in the morning, IBS can come on at anytime, so knowing there's a possibility that I will be stuck in an uncomfortable situation at school makes me not want to go! Have you ever felt like this? Do your parents understand? Mine are all stressed out over it and say its all in my head with my anxiety, but I swear its not. I feel like my IBS is controlling me and changing me. Once again, thank you!


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## Nicolle

Cassie90 said:


> Your age is around the time my IBS reached its worst peak. Your story sounds a lot like mine, and I completely get cutting school due to fear of an attack. There's a few things you can do:- Rely mostly on your lifestyle and diet. Drugs are good, probiotics are good, but they're both extremely unreliable and can give you the opposite effect (like more attacks due to side effects or probiotics going haywire - I'm also not entirely convinced the "IBS" drugs help with IBS, since 99% of them are for other things related to IBS - diarrhea, constipation, anxiety, etc. There's still a lot of ongoing research as to whether probiotics actually do anything, too). First, you need to stop drinking and smoking, if you do. Start exercising regularly AND do something meditative as well, such as yoga. Keep a very careful log of your activities, from what you eat, when you ate it, and if you did something relaxing that day. Were you stressed when you ate the food that gave you an attack? Was it in the morning or the evening when you ate it? IBS is different for everyone, and there are certain "rules" people can have with IBS. For instance, the only things I can eat in the mornings are crackers and rice cakes. By lunch, I have a few more options (almond milk, nonsugary cereals, oatmeal, fruit, etc), and by dinner, if I'm not stressed, I can generally eat whatever I want. I always need to drink a big glass of water before I eat. I can't lay down, recline, or bend over for at least 2-3 hours after eating. I can't sleep after eating. And it goes on and on and on. Usually there's also foods you can never eat; for me, any -ols (sorbitol, mannitol, malitol), small seeds, alcohol, olive oil, etc. You need to find out how your IBS works. Unfortunately, this can be a very long process, and your IBS triggers will change over time, but it's the best option for alleviating symptoms.For your anxiety, I recommend some form of CBT therapy, just to see if it's right for you. Do relaxing things before a stressful "event". For instance, before school in the mornings, don't spend your time getting ready (and therefore building your anxiety). Do everything the night before - pick your clothes, make your lunch, shower, put away your things, etc. In the morning, spend your time doing some deep breathing (in through your nose, hold, and out through your mouth), watch relaxing massage videos on YouTube...whatever you need. Just keep your stress level low before you go to school, so you have more of a "stress tolerance", and the slightest thing won't tip you over. There's also preventative measures you can take: talk to your school and ask if you can write exams in a private room with access to a bathroom. Tell them you have anxiety-related IBS and sometimes need to leave the classroom to "cool down" if you become overwhelmed, but make sure you don't need to ask the teacher to leave in front of the students - just that you're able to slip out. Sit near the door so you can slip out quietly if you need to. Always carry Imodium or an anxiety medication with you as a safety crutch, in case things escalate too quickly (though really try not to rely on them). As for food in public places: This is something all IBSers have trouble with, I think. I also don't eat during class times or at restaurants - even if I'm ordering fast food, I bring it home before eating it. I'm terrified of having an attack in public. My only suggestion is to find something that you can eat 90% of the time. Like rice cakes, or just plain bread and water. It can tide you over until you get home. My other suggestion is, to avoid binging, don't keep anything "bad" in the kitchen - any sort of junk food that's easy access/no preparation, like chips or candy. Sometimes, if I know I'm going to not be eating all day, I'll make lunch/dinner the night before and put it in the fridge, so as soon as I get home all I have to do is heat it. It stops me from eating junk.Anyway, I hope this helps!


This helps a lot! I think the biggest problem for me is the stress that comes along with it and not being able to eat/the school thing. I have tried exercise before and used to regularly, but I only find that it brings on my IBS and makes me run to the bathroom or sometimes throw up (like acid). Your advice helped a lot, thank you Cassie!


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## Cassie90

Nicolle said:


> This helps a lot! I think the biggest problem for me is the stress that comes along with it and not being able to eat/the school thing. I have tried exercise before and used to regularly, but I only find that it brings on my IBS and makes me run to the bathroom or sometimes throw up (like acid). Your advice helped a lot, thank you Cassie!


Yeah, the stress of school can stop you from wanting to eat. But I'd still try and figure out a "safe" food, which will reduce the stress and be a safety net - for instance, my stomach growling in a quiet room can set off my IBS anxiety, leading to complete panicking AND excruciating pain, so 1 or 2 soda crackers here and there can go a long way. I also tend to drink a lot of water to try and fill up my stomach.As for exercise: avoid anything that has to do with bending or tensing your stomach. So no situps, gymnastics, (some) yoga exercises, no contact sports, etc. Try some simple jogging, biking, roller blading, etc. A little can help a lot. If you're throwing up acid, you're pushing yourself too hard.


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## Brittany123

omg thats so weird i am on caraphet and it has made me 110 times better


Nicolle said:


> Hi everyone! My name is Nicolle and I'm new to this site. Out of desperation I looked up ibs blogs and forums on the internet to reassure myself that I am not alone in this. I suffer from IBS-A and I was diagnosed about a year ago. I'm a junior in high school and it all started sophomore year for no reason. I was always the girl who would eat anything I wanted, loved school, and socializing- now its something I dread. Here's my story:About a year ago I was complaining to my mom about how every thing I ate would usually go right through me. It got to the point where I would not eat anything at all because I was afraid of what would happen as a result. The pain is hard to describe but I would feel a bad cramping pain in my lower abdomen, have a lot of gas & gas pains all the time, and have diarrhea. I still experience these symptoms today. When I was first experiencing these symptoms, I would still go about my daily life and eat whatever I wanted- until it got really bad. My parents brought me to the hospital one night and we waited there all night. Finally a doctor came in and gave me possible diagnoses, such as Celiac disease, Lactose Intolerance, Crohn's disease, or IBS. They didn't even do any testing! The doctor just told me to check up with my primary care doctor. Then, I did as I was told and my mom brought me to see my doctor. She felt around my tummy and she told me that I was backed up which is the reason I've been experiencing these symptoms. I found it hard to believe because how I was feeling was pretty severe, but anyway she went on to prescribing me Miralax to help clear out my system naturally. Turns out it didn't work at all! Left me feeling the same.Next, I went to a walk-in clinic because I had a sinus infection. I ended up asking the doctor about the symptoms I was experiencing and if he would do anything to help me. He said that I might have a gastric ulcer so he prescribed me Carafate, saying that it would coat the lining of my intestines and give me some relief. I read the side effects on the bottle and it said "Constipation, Diarrhea, Gas, and Bloating"- All the symptoms I wanted to get away from! But in desperate relief, I took the medicine and it made it 100x worse- I felt so constipated and in so much pain, so I stopped taking it immediately.To add to it, I suffer from anxiety because it runs in my family and that definitely does not help my IBS- it brings it on and makes it worse. I went to see a psychiatric nurse so that she could possibly prescribe me an anxiety medication, in hopes that by controlling my anxiety, my stomach symptoms would stop. She prescribed me one and it did help, but my stomach pain was still there. She advised me to make an appointment to see a gastroenterologist, so I did.After waiting months for my gastro appt, I met with a really nice lady. She said that I definitely have IBS and to make sure that there wasn't anything else going on, she had me take a blood test, testing for Celiac, etc. Everything came back negative, so she had me meet with a nutritionist to get on a healthy IBS diet. I listened but none of what she told me seemed to help. She also prescribed me Dicyclomine to prevent my intestines from spazing out every time I ate. I still take this now on occasion but I try not to depend on it since it doesn't always give me relief. As for my diet, I pretty much cut out anything containing high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, and fried food. This helps a little I guess, but there are still no drastic changes. There's no specific food that makes me have a spasm. For example, one day I could eat pizza from the same place and be fine, and in about a week I could eat the same pizza and be in dying pain. I still eat everything normally, which could be a problem, but I don't know what diet to get on to help this. I also take a probiotic daily and that somewhat helps but I don't notice a difference. I've heard everything from cutting out gluten, to cutting out carbs- I just dont know what to do! IBS affects my attendance at school- big time. I am an A student and love excelling in everything I do...until I was diagnosed with IBS. Every morning I find a reason not to go to school, in fear of having an attack at school where I'm not comfortable. I feel as if I'm letting my parents and family down, I want a life for myself, I have dreams, but every day is a constant struggle with IBS. I've had episodes in school before I knew what it was, and it scarred me to have that ever happen to me again. My school is about 25 minutes away from where I live, and I stopped taking the bus- in fear that if I ever had a spasm, that I wouldn't have access to a bathroom. So my mom goes out of her way to drive me to school everyday. I feel awful since I know it's inconveniencing her, but at the same time, I can't help it. At night I get ready to go to school the next day, wake up in the morning, do everything I would usually do like I would be going, but when it gets time to leave, I can't go to school. My mom, dad, and brother think as it I make it up and the fear of having an issue is not a reason to not go to school- but to me it is, because I hate feeling like I'm not in control. Its affecting my life and I don't know how to go to school and be successful living with IBS. I've read people living with IBS their whole lives since they've been diagnosed, and I can't even imagine living with this my whole life. Another BIG problem is if I end up making it to school, I don't eat all day. I don't eat so that I don't have a flare up. In other words, I'm afraid that if I eat, my IBS will act up and i'll be stranded in an awfully uncomfortable situation. You'd think that by not eating all day while I'm in school would cause me to lose weight, but its not, I'm actually gaining weight! In about the 3 months I've been starving myself throughout the days I go to school, I've gained about 20 pounds, which makes me feel even worse about myself. When I get home from school, I eat & eat & eat because I am so hungry from not eating all day. I know that's bad for people with IBS since we're supposed to eat a lot of small meals, but I can't bring myself to eat in school ever again and risk having an issue with my IBS. I hate feeling like I'm letting everyone down, even myself. I just wish this would go away and no one would have to suffer from it. I'm sorry about how long this is but I need advice- it would be GREATLY appreciated  Thank you all so much- Nicolle


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## Emilye13

I hear you! I have all the same problems! I'm in 8 th grade and have been living with this for a while but never knew what it was. I went from doctor to doctor and nobody could tell what I had or how to fix it! I ended up getting really depressed and wouldn't go to school. My mom began driving me to school and I knew she didn't enjoy it! But everyday now I watch what I eat and always plan ahead. Because I never know what could go wrong or if my plans will change. I still worry about the future and bad situations I might get into. But I'm trying hard to educate my family about IBS and hopefully they begin to understand what it's like to live with it.quote name='Nicolle' timestamp='1337089265' post='865510']Hi everyone! My name is Nicolle and I'm new to this site. Out of desperation I looked up ibs blogs and forums on the internet to reassure myself that I am not alone in this. I suffer from IBS-A and I was diagnosed about a year ago. I'm a junior in high school and it all started sophomore year for no reason. I was always the girl who would eat anything I wanted, loved school, and socializing- now its something I dread. Here's my story:About a year ago I was complaining to my mom about how every thing I ate would usually go right through me. It got to the point where I would not eat anything at all because I was afraid of what would happen as a result. The pain is hard to describe but I would feel a bad cramping pain in my lower abdomen, have a lot of gas & gas pains all the time, and have diarrhea. I still experience these symptoms today. When I was first experiencing these symptoms, I would still go about my daily life and eat whatever I wanted- until it got really bad. My parents brought me to the hospital one night and we waited there all night. Finally a doctor came in and gave me possible diagnoses, such as Celiac disease, Lactose Intolerance, Crohn's disease, or IBS. They didn't even do any testing! The doctor just told me to check up with my primary care doctor. Then, I did as I was told and my mom brought me to see my doctor. She felt around my tummy and she told me that I was backed up which is the reason I've been experiencing these symptoms. I found it hard to believe because how I was feeling was pretty severe, but anyway she went on to prescribing me Miralax to help clear out my system naturally. Turns out it didn't work at all! Left me feeling the same.Next, I went to a walk-in clinic because I had a sinus infection. I ended up asking the doctor about the symptoms I was experiencing and if he would do anything to help me. He said that I might have a gastric ulcer so he prescribed me Carafate, saying that it would coat the lining of my intestines and give me some relief. I read the side effects on the bottle and it said "Constipation, Diarrhea, Gas, and Bloating"- All the symptoms I wanted to get away from! But in desperate relief, I took the medicine and it made it 100x worse- I felt so constipated and in so much pain, so I stopped taking it immediately.To add to it, I suffer from anxiety because it runs in my family and that definitely does not help my IBS- it brings it on and makes it worse. I went to see a psychiatric nurse so that she could possibly prescribe me an anxiety medication, in hopes that by controlling my anxiety, my stomach symptoms would stop. She prescribed me one and it did help, but my stomach pain was still there. She advised me to make an appointment to see a gastroenterologist, so I did.After waiting months for my gastro appt, I met with a really nice lady. She said that I definitely have IBS and to make sure that there wasn't anything else going on, she had me take a blood test, testing for Celiac, etc. Everything came back negative, so she had me meet with a nutritionist to get on a healthy IBS diet. I listened but none of what she told me seemed to help. She also prescribed me Dicyclomine to prevent my intestines from spazing out every time I ate. I still take this now on occasion but I try not to depend on it since it doesn't always give me relief. As for my diet, I pretty much cut out anything containing high fructose corn syrup, sorbitol, and fried food. This helps a little I guess, but there are still no drastic changes. There's no specific food that makes me have a spasm. For example, one day I could eat pizza from the same place and be fine, and in about a week I could eat the same pizza and be in dying pain. I still eat everything normally, which could be a problem, but I don't know what diet to get on to help this. I also take a probiotic daily and that somewhat helps but I don't notice a difference. I've heard everything from cutting out gluten, to cutting out carbs- I just dont know what to do! IBS affects my attendance at school- big time. I am an A student and love excelling in everything I do...until I was diagnosed with IBS. Every morning I find a reason not to go to school, in fear of having an attack at school where I'm not comfortable. I feel as if I'm letting my parents and family down, I want a life for myself, I have dreams, but every day is a constant struggle with IBS. I've had episodes in school before I knew what it was, and it scarred me to have that ever happen to me again. My school is about 25 minutes away from where I live, and I stopped taking the bus- in fear that if I ever had a spasm, that I wouldn't have access to a bathroom. So my mom goes out of her way to drive me to school everyday. I feel awful since I know it's inconveniencing her, but at the same time, I can't help it. At night I get ready to go to school the next day, wake up in the morning, do everything I would usually do like I would be going, but when it gets time to leave, I can't go to school. My mom, dad, and brother think as it I make it up and the fear of having an issue is not a reason to not go to school- but to me it is, because I hate feeling like I'm not in control. Its affecting my life and I don't know how to go to school and be successful living with IBS. I've read people living with IBS their whole lives since they've been diagnosed, and I can't even imagine living with this my whole life. Another BIG problem is if I end up making it to school, I don't eat all day. I don't eat so that I don't have a flare up. In other words, I'm afraid that if I eat, my IBS will act up and i'll be stranded in an awfully uncomfortable situation. You'd think that by not eating all day while I'm in school would cause me to lose weight, but its not, I'm actually gaining weight! In about the 3 months I've been starving myself throughout the days I go to school, I've gained about 20 pounds, which makes me feel even worse about myself. When I get home from school, I eat & eat & eat because I am so hungry from not eating all day. I know that's bad for people with IBS since we're supposed to eat a lot of small meals, but I can't bring myself to eat in school ever again and risk having an issue with my IBS. I hate feeling like I'm letting everyone down, even myself. I just wish this would go away and no one would have to suffer from it. I'm sorry about how long this is but I need advice- it would be GREATLY appreciated  Thank you all so much- Nicolle[/quote]


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## Brittany123

[quote name=I am very surprised that caraphate made u 100% worse I am on it and it made me feel better I'm not saying that I don't get any more pain because I am in pain right this moment while I am writing this reply to I but I am just so surprised that it madew u feel worse and not better well I really hope that something starts to work 4 u'JordanK03' timestamp='1337114520' post='865573']Nicolle, you are definitely not alone. I have the same thing happening. I have IBS with constipation and diarrhea. I'm on Amatiza because it helps my constipation but not fully. I'm a junior in HS too and had to do online school because my problems got so bad. The only advice I can offer you is to not give up. Sometimes it takes many meds to go through to find the right one. IBS SUCKS. It's a daily struggle but you have to control it, don't let it control you. Pray. Try other meds. I promise it gets better through time.[/quote]


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## BeUnique

IBS really does suck! I've been experiencing it for about 10 months now. Mine started my Sophomore year and im going into my Junior year. I just about went into the same direction! Im a firm believer there is a God and that he answers prayers! Keep the faith !


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## Lucas

I pretty much have the same story as you, except my IBS-D hit me during my second half of junior year. It was a pretty sudden onset and it took me awhile to decide to go to a doctor, he didn't help much since he didn't suggest that I had IBS and just told my parents that I probably was just having a common flu bug and we bought that story then. The problem kept getting worse over that summer year and we finally went and saw a GI doctor and he was pretty cool. I got several blood tests, stool samples, and even a upper and lower GI track scoping to confirm that I didn't have crohns and what not. Then he basically was like yup it's IBS. Well jump to beginning of the beginning of my senior, the anxiety of having a problem was just too much since my IBS was getting increasingly worse. I didn't want register that I had IBS to the school because I always felt like people would see me as lazy or weak, and that I was just trying to skim my way through school so I handle the first semester fairly well but I did miss a lot of school due to the anxiety. Then second semester hit and I missed like 2 more weeks of school, and the attendance officer was really grinding my parents about missed days so I had to register IBS to my school as a disability. The people who handled that were some of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing, they really cared for my well being and education. They help me set up a shorter day schedule by dropping some of classes and keeping the ones I needed to graduate. They let me sit in a private room and work on homework in school so I could build up confidence in attending class without a problem. They really were life savers in that dark time of my life. Anyways I did graduate and I will be going to college and getting a part time job this fall. I still have problems from time to time but my gluten free/nothing artificial diet really has helped me out. Oh and my proscription of cyproheptadine has taken away like 40% of my problem. I think the biggest help was my very supportive parents, who always believed what I said and I don't think I would have gotten near as far without their trust and understanding.I hope that you too will find what works for you so you can enjoy your junior/senior year, and prom!-Lucas


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## No Longer Suffering!

Stress produces HUGE amounts of acidity to our bodies. Acid kills probiotics. Probiotics are the good live bacteria that coat, line, and protect our entire digestive tract. They also aid in digestion. Antibiotics also kill probiotics. Also many people that have digestive problems have a digestive enzyme deficiency.Meaning their body's don't produce enough enzymes. Digestive enzymes are what the pancreas produce and put into the stomach to break down the foods we eat. Also, all foods have enzymes in them to help with digesting them. But when they are cooked or processed it kills them. So when someone eats a diet of mostly cooked and processed foods (like most of us Americans do) it makes the pancreas have to work extremely hard and often it can't keep up. When there is not enough enzymes to break down the food, then the stomach starts producing excess acid to try to break it down. This excess acid can travel up the esophagus and intestines and can also kill probiotics. So being low or depleted of probiotics can cause many bad side effects. The intestines and esophagus can become raw, inflamed, painful, and even bleed sometimes. Many probiotic supplements have only 1-3 strains of probiotics in them. When we are low on one kind, we are most likely low on many! There are 13 strains that can be reproduced outside the body. So taking all 13 of those will be extremely beneficial. Here is a list of all of them... _Bifidobacterium infantis_ also called B. lactis, gets its name because it is the dominant bacteria in the intestine of healthy breast-fed babies. Most authorities attribute much of the superior disease resistance of breast-fed babies to this species. _Bifidobacterium longum_ is among the probiotics that have been shown to improve immune responses in animals and humans. Increases in lymphocyte production, interleukin 1, 2 and 6, tumor necrosis factor, prostaglandin E1 production, serum total protein, albumin, globulin and gamma interferon have all been observed when this species is used as a supplement. _Lactobacillus bulgaricus_ is used to ferment natural yogurt and augments acidophilus in a protective colonization of the intestines. Populations that consume large quantities of yogurt report increased longevity and health and prolonged functioning. _Bifidobacterium bifidum_ is backed by extensive literature describing its many benefits. _Lactobacillus acidophilus_ is included in this blend as Dr. Khem Shahani's patented DDS-1 strain. This special strain of L. acidophilus can survive in temperatures that destroy many other strains and it is resistant to the high concentrations of bile salts secreted by the gall bladder. _Lactobacillus brevis_ has been shown to produce a number of compounds (including Lactobacillin and Lactobrevin) that are active against a wide variety of pathogenic organisms. _Lactobacillus casei_ complements the growth of L. acidophilus, is a producer of the enzyme amylase (a carbohydrate digesting enzyme) and has been researched for its potential to improve digestion, and reduce lactose intolerance and constipation. _Lactobacillus lactis_ has been shown to stimulate the lactoperoxide thocyanate system in the intestine, which reduces the ability of E. coli to survive. _Lactobacillus plantarum_ constantly wages warfare with the "bad" bacteria and has the distinctive feature of synthesizing L-lysine, which strongly supports the immune system. _Lactobacillus reuteri_ has been extensively researched by one of the world's top authorities, Dr. Marvin Spec. demonstrating that this species is a powerful producer of natural antiobiotics. _L. rhamnosus_ has the ability to inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and has been researched for its potential benefits to the genitourinary tract. _Lactobacillus salivarius_ has been shown to help in almost all chronic conditions related to the bowel and is especially effective in producing digestive enzymes in the intestines. _Streptococcus thermophilus_ produces lactase and is very efficient in breaking down milk products. If you can not find a product that has all 13 of those, try to find one that has at least 10. The product that I use for my children (who used to suffer from SEVERE digestive problems) is called Digestive Health sold be Core Health Products has all 13 of them in it plus digestive enzymes. You can order it on line on their site. This product has helped my children and I tremendously! I used to suffer just like you in my teen years. (Stress)







After I got married my digestive problems decreased but I still had some until I started taking these pills. I wish you the best and hope you can find help soon!!!


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## No Longer Suffering!

P.S. When first taking probiotics and/ or enzymes, they can cause symptoms to worsen. This is caused from the build up of undigested food (proteins in particular) being broken down and passed out the body. When the stomach can not break down protein it just stays in the stomach and builds up.Worsening of symptoms can also be caused from the probiotics killing off the overgrowth of yeast. Probiotics and yeast live in the same environment. People who are low on probiotics can have an overgrown of yeast. So when probiotics are taken they make the yeast die off. With this process it can temporarily cause symptoms to become worse.


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## AuthentiCity

No Longer Suffering! said:


> P.S. When first taking probiotics and/ or enzymes, they can cause symptoms to worsen. This is caused from the build up of undigested food (proteins in particular) being broken down and passed out the body. When the stomach can not break down protein it just stays in the stomach and builds up.Worsening of symptoms can also be caused from the probiotics killing off the overgrowth of yeast. Probiotics and yeast live in the same environment. People who are low on probiotics can have an overgrown of yeast. So when probiotics are taken they make the yeast die off. With this process it can temporarily cause symptoms to become worse.


I concur with previous reply.Kindly get in touch with 'The Yeast Syndrome' by googling it.


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