# Symptoms and bouts



## Corydalis (Apr 27, 2013)

Hi everyone, I am new here and hope to have some light shed on my own experiences and to encourage everyone else that we must not stop trying to figure this out. After reading a few of the posts, I am as confused for you as I am with myself. I sure would like to see us all get some relief, even just some better understanding.

I have what I call 'bouts' of symptoms, they start with an ache in my mid to upper area, fallowed soon by nausea and weakness, chills, hives and sever cramping come in and then I am down, I cannot get up and do anything until the bout ends, which can be anywhere from fifteen minutes to an hour or better. Usually I will have a bowl movement and gas, both belching and flatulence, then I get super tired and fall asleep for ten minutes or so. I have abdominal tenderness after that, weakness and irritability. It is frustrating to say the least, when you have planned projects and chores and things and cannot do anything. Sometimes I will have two bouts a day, maybe every day for a couple weeks, maybe off and on, some worse than others.

I have been having these bouts for over fifteen years. I finally became so troubled by them one year, as they became disabling, that I went to a GI doc. I had my stool tested for critters, my urine checked for bacteria, by upper GI scoped, my lower GI scoped, I was biopsied and cleared of all parasites, lesions, ulcers and twists or anything else that might be literally seen or detected. The doc gave me several prescriptions to try, non touched the issues, and so finally he was at a complete loss and diagnosed me with Constipation predominant IBS. He said there were a couple things left for me to try, one being antidepressants, but I did not want to do those; I would prefer to naturally if possible encourage my serotonin levels. The other being an allergist, whom I have not yet tried, and I have not done a detailed elimination diet either. Have any one of you guys tried these things?

I have been so blessed to be a home maker, who is not greatly obligated with responsibilities and demands; I have a wonderful husband and a quiet home. I truly feel for those of you who have to work long hours, have long commutes, young and or disabled children, caretaking to do each day and anything else that demands your strength and attention when you feel this awful. It makes me afraid that I will not be able to do what I need to do if a time comes when I am really needed. I do not want IBS to get the best of me, to crush my hopes and dreams or rule my life!

Any feedback you guys want to give I would greatly appreciate!

Thank you!


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## Pepper H (Jan 3, 2013)

Hi Corydalis! Well first of all, congratulations on getting checked up for everything possible, it's the right thing to do! That way you won't stop one day and start wondering, "what if" you had looked into this or that, "maybe" they'd have found something... Now you're absolutely sure of how you really are regarding your health.

My bouts are pretty similar to yours, I agree on how frustrating it is to feel exhausted straight after. Sometimes I can barely walk to my bed to lie down, and I live in a pretty tiny flat so that says a lot. It generally happens every day, but if I have a normal day then the next will be hell...

Are you already taking care of your diet? I'm not using "diet" as "something strict", here... Have you already found out if some types of food upset your body? Since you spend your days at home, you may be able to cook safe food. That's what I do, most of what I eat, I have cooked myself, and sometimes I cook different meals for my boyfriend since he's not sick, why should I deprive him of some steak from time to time... Even I want to eat some, but if I did I would feel very sorry later on.

Have you already checked if sodas, coffee and tea have any effect on you? I've had to switch my extra black tea for herbal tea. Chocolate is also out of the question for me, but I've been trying to stop eating it for years, I'm only starting now to be reasonable about it because of the pain it causes me.

On the long run, I'd like to stay at home just like you once I'm done with my degrees. I should be able to work from home in my field of work without any trouble, but I agree with you about having things in your life that demand strenght... I am begining to wonder if it would be such a good idea to have kids, I worry about pregnancy and how daily pains could affect a baby, and also whether or not I'd be able to look after young children if I have to run to the bathroom without notice and can barely do anything afterwards. Bringing up children while being sick also scares me a bit, because I don't think I'll be able to drive them everywhere they need to be, take them on trips and so on. But, well, I suppose we'll figure it out, my boyfriend and I.


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## Corydalis (Apr 27, 2013)

Pepper H, WOW thanks for the great post! It's like the first time I have ever connected with anyone that really knows how this is! First of all, I am sorry for you! I sometimes get to feeling like I am that little kid at the party who ruins everything cuz' I am whining about a belly ache! You know? Like, hey, yeah we all get a belly ache once in a while, you'll be fine, here have some Gingerale, you'll see it will be fine! hehe! And we think there is something wrong with us when the Ginerale don't work! UG!

Well you touched on the big ones for me, I have always drank tea, love coffee, LOVE chocolate! Like red wine and steak, yes sir, good eats there! BUT today, I signed onto this site, I started a journal and tomorrow I get down and dirty with this diet stuff. PLEASE give me your advice, I am oblivious where to start! Everyone on here is talking about a diet (can't recall it just at the moment,) is that what your doing too?

Generally I do cook for my husband and I , and he comes from a foodie family, so they love all things rich and decadent and in great quanities!!! So it is going to be hard, that is how they bond, over wonderful food experiances and loads of yummy dishes! I am going to be that weird little kid again who turns her nose up at the traditional, family loved, worlds best brocoli salad! I will hear myself saying over and over, "I wish I could have some BUT- I have IBS" and hear them go, "OOOO thats too bad, a little woun't hurt you tho' will it?" because people don't see it like an allergy where there is a danger of your throaght closing up or going into diabetic shock or anything, it's just a little belly ache right?

So anywho, Pepper you made my heart sad for you when you talked about having kids! Especially if it is something you really want to do, because I have had the same exact thought! I was a PCA for my Mum in law, at home, and it was a lot some days, but I would look at her and just think, 'she feels worse than I do, how can I complain?' My husband and I have not had children either, we did not plan too or not to either way, we always thought if it happened it was meant to be, but there are times when I DO worry, 'Oh my gosh! What if I am pregnant! I might not be a good Mom because of this!' and it really causes a reality check...in some ways I think it has numbed my desire too and thats sad for both of us. Of course and not feeling well is a real passion kill too.

Yes I went the whole battery of tests and am glad they are done and down the road now. I don't know how long you have been with the forum but has anyone talked about hormones in these matters? Whats your thought? Does it seem to be food perdominantly affected? Have you done allergy tests? Like for molds, pollens or dies?

Pepper H thank you so much for taking the time to comment on my post. I would appreciate anything you can offer as to what is helping you, and I will share to as I begin here!

Best wishes,


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## Pepper H (Jan 3, 2013)

Corydalis, I'm really glad we can relate to each other 

About the hormones, since I got my period more or less ten years ago I've tried all kinds of pill to lower my period pains. Right now, I've had a contraceptive implant for the past two months, and I'm very lucky not to have had my period since! So, no period pain, less IBS symptoms before, during and after period time. That's grand. Also, I won't have to worry about pregnancy for the next three years. Other than that, I haven't seen any change brought by hormones, except maybe stress and adrenalin (when I'm literally running late) and I can't do much about that. I don't thinkj it can be some allergy either, because no matter the season or country I am in, I'm still going to have the same symptoms.

My big triggers are food, stress, and temperature changes. So I'm always carrying many layers of clothes, I carefully plan my travels during the day, and I try to pay attention to what I eat.

Don't worry though, I don't have an extra strict diet plan! I just pinpoint the food that upsets me and try not to buy it. I come from a family where food is very important, and so it is to me. Year after year I finally managed to determine what makes me sick for sure, what I can eat only when I'm feeling fine, and what I can always eat. I have "tried to try" the low FODMAP diet, but all those lists of food that are but aren't but still are FODMAP are too confusing, I chose to trust my gut on this. Also, sometimes I can eat, let's say, potatoes for a months or two without any problem, and all of a sudden I can't anymore. I just have to be flexible on that.

There are trigger foods I try to avoid as much as possible: coffee, tea (which saddens me deeply), foods with lots au sauce, red meat (!), really sugary stuff, really greasy stuff and fried food in general, and as for the drinks, anything sparkling, alcohol, and beer especially (vodka or wine hurt less.) I usually cook from a scratch, get veggies at the town market (well I have my boyfriend go and get them because it's a bit too far away and there are no toilets over there) and some poultry. Olive oil is pretty much the only grease I use when cooking, and I have lots and lots of spices and spice mixes. Regular pizza from a pizza shop is guaranteed to leave me sick before the end of my first slice and for the next two days, but I can make my own pizza and that way we can have pizza whenever we want with whatever we want as a topping! You just need to make some pizza dough, to have a can of seedless tomatoes nearby, some herbs, an oven and stuff fot topping.

I don't really know how's the regular food you can buy over there in the US, in France you can get pretty much everything in raw form, and we have basically no corn syrup anywhere, which I like because it's some extra sugar that I don't need. Everything I've brought at the US grocery made me sick, but maybe it's because they mostly import junk food.

About your family meals, what could help you would be to bring a dish of your own that doesn't make you sick, so you're guaranteed to eat at least one thing that won't make you sick. For my family meals (they cover about 50% of the time I spend back in my hometown) each family unit brings at least one dish, so it's less effort for the hosts (generally, my grand parents) and it's a lot more fun! Someone gets the starters, someone else the main dish, someone the meat, someone the cheese tray (I'm French) and a last person gets the dessert even though everyone makes cake or something because it's the most fun thing to do. We've been bringing my vegetarian sister's meals for years and everyone eventually quit teasing her about it.

If you don't want to offend anybody, you can still have one spoonfull of every dish that upsets you, dispose them all around your plate so it looks like you're eating a lot to show your family you're not being critical. If you're feeling fine, one spoonfull can't hurt and if it can make everyone happy, then why not? Diplomacy's important.

What would you say about continuing chatting through private messages?


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