# New to IBS and at my wits end :-(



## caseblonde_06 (Oct 31, 2009)

hi im 24 years old and was diagnosed with IBS in february this year after dropping from 168lbs to 119lbs within about a matter of weeks. (i was yet to lose my extra 'college' weight lol) i had a colonoscopy, endoscopy, ultrasound, barium xray, blood tests and many many doctors poking my belly. i was SURE i was dying and was devastated everytime a result came back 'normal' because i knew there was something serious wrong and felt like no one would believe me. i was eventually diagnosed with a hiatus hernia and IBS.i was put on esomeprazole for my upper GI symptoms and anti-spasmotics for lower symptoms. it was a really horrific time for me but i was so relieved when things seemed to clear up in about march and for about 6 months i lived a relatively normal life and ate most things again - except bread which bloated me and citrus fruits which gave me reflux. my weight returned to its normal state of about 143lbsthen about 4 weeks ago, i started to get unbareable pains in my lower abdominal. sometimes i can feel a spasm in my bowels and they are rock hard to the touch.eating gives me instant pain, leaves me doubled in two, curled up in a ball, rocking back and forwards and squealing. it doesnt seem to matter what it is. soup, sweets, ice cream, bread, cereal, yoghurt, vegetables - you name it, its killing me. colpermin, spasmonol, mebeverine - none of it works.so basically, for the last 3 weeks or so ive barely eaten. some days i eat nothing at all, some days i can manage sugary tea or a couple of squares of chocolate (ive noticed a lot of people here are saying chocolate is a no no.. i didnt know this!)this week ive tried drinking some meal replacement shakes like Complan but they are disgusting and give me terrible cramps and spasms.i cant remember the last time i had a BM.i feel totally exhausted and dizzy. i am trying not to go off work sick, but i work in a stressful environment and i work night shifts - i cant take it much longer.i now feel overcome with anxiety at the thought of placing anything in my mouth. and the idea of chewing and swallowing is unbareable. (does this sound familiar to ANYONE?)i know i cant survive on not eating - ive lost a stone in these 3-4 weeks. but i literally CANNOT eat. my mum gets really frustrated about it when i see her, so ive stopped going to visit. my doctor just keeps insisting 'its IBS, it will pass'. but its not passing and i need help!has anyone else here ever got into a habit of self-starvation to help with the pains? or am i a complete freak? please help if you have any ideas of how i might help myself i would really appreciate it.my weightloss is noticable and my friends/colleagues keep gasping when they see me. its driving me nuts. and they look at me like im crazy when i try to explain that i cant eat. but i just cant do it!!do you think this is more about anxiety or IBS or both? PLEASE please anybody out there who has any advice, please get in touch with mesuzi


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

A lot of people with post eating pain tend to get afraid of food and avoid it.Unfortunately the longer you wait to eat the more pain you will have. So you get in a cycle of starving and eating with more pain and starving longer. Small frequent meals actually cause less colon activity after a meal than waiting for hours or days to eat.Do you have a prescription for antispasmodics or have a doctor that might let you try them. Often taking one 20-30 minutes before a meal can help calm the post eating reaction down.Some people find peppermint tea or peppermint oil before a meal (even a couple of altoids or other candy with real peppermint oil) also works (it is an herbal antispasmodic) but it can make heartburn worse.If it really has been weeks since you passed any stool (not just since you had a normal regular BM, even small constipated rabbit pellet stools counts and if you don't eat much you won't pass much) and you aren't even farting you need to be checked for an obstruction. That can cause a lot of pain and after a couple of weeks you may need medical intervention for that.Anxiety will make the IBS worse and you may also need to talk to the doctor about that. Some of the meds used to treat anxiety can also be used to reduce IBS pain so that can be a two for one.


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## caseblonde_06 (Oct 31, 2009)

My doctor has given me Spasmanol and Colpermin peppermint capsules to take 3 times per day, but im still in constant pain. sometimes aching, sometimes stabbing, sometimes spasms.Im also taking Movicol which has given me serious D :-( but at least im having some BMhowever i still cant eat and i feel so anxious at the thought of eating.ive now been signed off work on at least 2 weeks sick leave and been put on anti-depressants. im so disappointed that i cant work, and i really didnt want to start taking anti-depressants.things arent getting any better and i feel like im losing the plot lolsuzi


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## jenandrew (Oct 19, 2009)

hey! i go about a month where i cant eat, then a few weeks where i can, so i can relate to that!im on citalopram, which is anti anxiety/depressant, which is not working out too badly for me, although i think an increased dose mite work. that started wen i realised that during my week of work, my stomach was fine, then i went back, and it was back to normal...definately give those tablets a shotjen xx


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## thefelixcat (Nov 3, 2009)

You absolutely must find what foods trigger your symptoms. Eliminate them.Then look into addition treatments, such as probiotics, etc.If you are not on medicines, you will become more able to see what exactly causes what. Keep a log.If you never do this, and say, broccoli was a trigger food, you will go about your business continuing to eat broccoli and thinking you must simply live with the symptoms.


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