# New Here - Trying To Make Sense Of Everything



## funky-rat (Jun 16, 2010)

I'm new here - relatively new diagnosis of IBS (earlier this year). I'm probably going to ask questions you've seen a zillion times, and I'd just post this on a regular board, but I have female issues as well, so I'm keeping this here for now.I had my gallbladder out last July. Up until then, I was relatively regular with bowel movements - either one or two a day, and they were normal. I had been experiencing various stomach issues about 3 years prior (which were getting steadily worse) to them discovering a monster gallstone which was trying to force itself into the bile duct. The pain was horrible and they were afraid of some permanent damage. They warned me that removing it might cause things like GERD and IBS, and my mother developed both after her gallbladder removal when I was in high school. However, hers was diseased, and she was very very sick, so I crossed my fingers. For a few months afterward everything was good. I had infrequent bouts of bile salt diarrhea, but they were managable. I discovered that certain things like cream-based soups and gravy would send me straight to the bathroom for several bouts of pain and yellow diarrhea, so I avoid those types of things.My job gets high-stress around the holidays, and this year did not disappoint. I noticed the bowel movements got more sporadic and going back and forth between normal and running and sitting. After the holidays, things got better again. Then in March, all heck broke loose at my husband's job. They fired a guy for having an accident and failing a drug test. That put a ton of extra pressure on him. He's working all hours of the day and night. I don't sleep and neither does he. He's always tired, and I'm not eating right or on schedule because it's grab and go while he's got two minutes before he gets called out again. I'm Diabetic, so that's not ideal for me or my blood sugar control (stress and bad eating are always bad on my numbers). I've gained 15 pounds since March. I lost my exercise partner, don't get to go to the gym anymore because I don't know his hours, and I end up boredom eating until he gets home, and then I get a burger and fries from somewhere.In March, I started having horrible bouts of the bile salt issues. It was incredibly painful (burning, cramping, feeling like my insides were coming out my rear end), and after a day or two of dealing with that, I'd lose my appetite because I was afraid that anything I ate would send me right back. My doctor prescribed WelChol, and it works. It also helps with my A1C levels and my cholesterol (which isn't bad, but because I'm Diabetic, I have to watch even more than someone who isn't). Problem is that the WelChol can consitpate me, and I had a bad round of that Memorial Day Weekend. Took me 5 days to shake it loose (I try to avoid laxatives - horrible pain for me - even the gentle ones). During that time I had horrible back pain right above my waist. I was concerned that I was having a Kidney Stone attack (I've passed stones before).In April, I had a bad sinus infection, and a round of Amoxicilin left me with stomach upset, alternating running and normal movements, and a case of costochondritis (which I'm taking prescription strength Prilosec for to keep the irritation down). They thought that the antibiotics killed off everything good in my digestive tract, and I took some pribiotics, and it seemed to help a little but not a lot. I'll be on the Prilosec for another 2 months to be sure that my stomach is re-populated and the inflammation in my chest has calmed down.Through this all, I have all sorts of miscellaneous pains. Most are in my sides, above my waist. They mostly stay on the right, but I do get them on the left. I get occasional back pain (above the waistline), although it was horrible when I was constipated. I get pain around my bellybutton at times. I worry about my appendix (I wanted them to remove it when my gallbladder went, but they didn't get close to it - I have no belly button - umbilical hernia repair - and they had to go in a different way to remove the gallbladder), but the pain moves, and I chalk it up to gas.What really scares me are the pelvic pains. I get them to the inside of the hips. Sometimes it's pretty harsh, but it doesn't last long. Sometimes it feels like ovulation pain, but I'm on the pill. I also have a pretty bad case of PCOS. Sometimes I get pain from hip to hip (across - like a period cramp, but it's not my period time). Last Sunday, I got hit with some harsh bile dumping, and the horrible cramping just had me doubled over in the bathroom. Then Monday my period came about 4 days early (in March I had some suspicious moles removed, and I screwed up my pill cycle and my period came about a week early, then in April I was on antibiotics - which mess up the pill - and it came about a week early). I had the ovulation like pain last week, and I'm wondering if it wasn't my period trying to break through the pill. Because I was having the cramping and pain last week, I asked for a UTI test while they ran my normal Diabetes urine test (every 4 months). But dummy me must have touched the inside of the cup becauase the sample came back contaminated, and I have to try again when my period is over. I am prone to UTI's, unfortunately. I get probably one a year.So if you're still with me after all that rambling (feels good to get it out), I have a few questions after giving out a bit of background:1) Do you find that your BM's change in color and consistency, even in the same day?2) Do you get pain in your hips or period-similar cramping?3) Do you get back pain?4) Do you sometimes pass....um...large amounts of stool?5) Do you pass food you ate, sometimes a day or two before?6) Do you pass mucous?7) Do you ever pass stools that ...um....appear to have holes in them? I swear once there was bubbles coming out (not trying to be gross).And of course, I worry about the Ovarian Cancer connection. I've looked at the symptoms, and I've looked at the posts people have made, and I can say that my "symptoms" aren't constant. I've put on a bit of weight but it's explained, and my pants aren't tight, don't have the bloating, etc. I do get occasional indigestion, but I hope that can be traced back to the gallbladder removal. Sex is occasionally uncomfortable for me, but not painful, and not constantly, and I've always blamed that on my anatomy (I'm short-waisted). The back pain bit has me concerned a bit, but mine stays above my waist. I don't have frequent urination. It occasionally burns, but I pass kidney stones and occasionally get UTI's. I'd be more able to shake it off had I not had a 4th cousin who was diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer when she was 20. She foolishly convinced them to let her keep an ovary so she could try to get pregnant. She did, had a baby last year, and was just diagnosed with colon, liver, and lung cancer that originates back to the Ovarian Cancer. She's 22. They told her that it was the family's Jewish heritage, but I checked into that, and it's German Jews (our family is Russian Jews). No one else in the family (that we are aware of) had Ovarian Cancer. My mom had very early stage Uterine Cancer. It was non-agressive - they told her she'd probably die of old age before it did anything but she had a hysterectomy - she didn't want to chance it. It's believed my Great-Grandfather died of either Colon, Stomach, or Esophogeal Cancer, but no one knows for sure, and there's no way to check. He died in the 1940's. Plus, I've been on Birth Control Pills (because of the PCOS) since I was 18. I'll be 37 in October. I had a 2 year break from 2004 to 2006 when I attempted to get pregnant, but I ended up going back on them because my periods became too hard to manage, and I know that helps reduce the risk.I am known to have anxiety attacks, and my doctor put me on an anti-anxiety pill for the interim until my husband's job situation calms down. She's also hoping that will help calm the IBS down. I've never had a Colonoscopy, but I had a Sigmoidoscopy a few years ago because of rectal bleeding. Turned out that my...um...area back there was too small and I had surgery to open it up so that I stopped having fissures and tears. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. I can't imagine how I'd be right now if I didn't get that done. I very very rarely get bleeding with IBS flare-ups, and it's usually after having a lengthy bout with something, and a hemorroid pops up. It's always bright red, but like I said, that's very rare.So that's it. Sorry for the rambling. I'm glad I found this place because the only other person I know who has IBS is my mom, and as you know, things are different with each person, and her IBS issues are largely constipation.Thanks for reading, and I'll be happy to see if anyone else has my issues too.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

I'll focus on the questions.









> 1) Do you find that your BM's change in color and consistency, even in the same day?2) Do you get pain in your hips or period-similar cramping?3) Do you get back pain?4) Do you sometimes pass....um...large amounts of stool?5) Do you pass food you ate, sometimes a day or two before?6) Do you pass mucous?7) Do you ever pass stools that ...um....appear to have holes in them? I swear once there was bubbles coming out (not trying to be gross).


1) Ever changing stool is normal for IBS. Both color and consistency Even in the same day is quite common.2) Pretty much any pain description possible is consistent with IBS. Pain is a major symptom of IBS.3) Some people do, some don't, just depends. Back pain should be checked to make sure you don't have back pain for any reason that normally causes back pain like a disc problem, etc.4) Can happen with IBS, like it stores up then dumps out.5) Some food is too tough to break down if you don't chew it up (stuff leaches out, but the structure remains). That food can be seen on the way out looking a lot like it did when it went down. This is normal, happens to everyone, but looser stool makes it easier to see.Congratulations, you are in the totally normal range of mouth to anus transit.







It takes from 16 to 72 hours for stuff to come out after completely healthy normal people eat it.6) Common in IBS, some people see it more than others. Everyone passes some mucus every single day as you need it to lubricate in there. Just IBSers may pass more than before IBS.7) Gas is always in all people trapped in the stool. Everyone makes some gas. Sometimes it can be seen to bubble out.


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