# Diagnosed with IBS yesterday



## kirei88 (Aug 23, 2011)

Hi, I'm 22 years old and have had alot of bowel problems for the past year. (I have been lactose intolerant for the past 2 years)I saw 8 GP's before I finally got a diagnosis of blastocystis, which I finally got rid of 2 months ago.But in the last month I have had persistant abdominal cramps, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and fatigue. The pain was so bad that I have had alot of time off work. I saw a gyno and had lap surgury for suspected endometriosis (My periods are so so severe as well) but all my bits were perfectly healthy.Yesterday I saw the gastroenterologist, who straight away said I had IBS.I'm so worried as the past year has been hard enough having bowel problems and feeling sick 90% of the time, that I can't bare the thought of having to live with this forever. I'm usually so active, love going out with friends, enjoy being a swimwear model and enjoy going to work.... but its all changed since the start of this. I dont eat much now as I get very scared I will feel sick. I weigh 51kgs.I have noticed over the past month, that I have good days and bad days. And the bad days are BAD - I usually have to take work off. I am embarrssed to tell anyone at work or even anyone at all, as I think they will be grossed out. I can eat the same thing for three days and only be affected one of these days. I just cant pin point any foods that trigger it.I have been with my partner for one year, so we got together when this all started. He has been so understanding and even comes to the doctor with me and has made many visits to the chemist at midnight for my nausea tablets. But I am still embarressed to talk to him about it. On his birthday this year, we were out for dinner and I spent the whole night running to the toilet and couldn't eat I was feeling so sick. I'm usually too scared to go out as I'm so worried I wont be feeling well. The other day I said I wasn't feeling well and he said "you're never feeling well" and I wondered if he really does understand what I'm going through.Its the pain I struggle with the most - it gets so bad it can keep me awake at night and needing time off work. Nothing takes it away. I take nausitil for the nausea. But how healthy is it to take this medication all the time?Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for me? Anything that has worked as pain relief for you? What helps your symptoms subside?


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## Korga (Sep 8, 2011)

kirei88 said:


> Hi, I'm 22 years old and have had alot of bowel problems for the past year. (I have been lactose intolerant for the past 2 years)I saw 8 GP's before I finally got a diagnosis of blastocystis, which I finally got rid of 2 months ago.But in the last month I have had persistant abdominal cramps, constipation, diarrhea, nausea and fatigue. The pain was so bad that I have had alot of time off work. I saw a gyno and had lap surgury for suspected endometriosis (My periods are so so severe as well) but all my bits were perfectly healthy.Yesterday I saw the gastroenterologist, who straight away said I had IBS.I'm so worried as the past year has been hard enough having bowel problems and feeling sick 90% of the time, that I can't bare the thought of having to live with this forever. I'm usually so active, love going out with friends, enjoy being a swimwear model and enjoy going to work.... but its all changed since the start of this. I dont eat much now as I get very scared I will feel sick. I weigh 51kgs.I have noticed over the past month, that I have good days and bad days. And the bad days are BAD - I usually have to take work off. I am embarrssed to tell anyone at work or even anyone at all, as I think they will be grossed out. I can eat the same thing for three days and only be affected one of these days. I just cant pin point any foods that trigger it.I have been with my partner for one year, so we got together when this all started. He has been so understanding and even comes to the doctor with me and has made many visits to the chemist at midnight for my nausea tablets. But I am still embarressed to talk to him about it. On his birthday this year, we were out for dinner and I spent the whole night running to the toilet and couldn't eat I was feeling so sick. I'm usually too scared to go out as I'm so worried I wont be feeling well. The other day I said I wasn't feeling well and he said "you're never feeling well" and I wondered if he really does understand what I'm going through.Its the pain I struggle with the most - it gets so bad it can keep me awake at night and needing time off work. Nothing takes it away. I take nausitil for the nausea. But how healthy is it to take this medication all the time?Does anyone have any suggestions or tips for me? Anything that has worked as pain relief for you? What helps your symptoms subside?


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## Korga (Sep 8, 2011)

Hang in there. Start with dietary changes. Gluten-free and Dairy-free may help immediately. There are more strict diets out there to try if you are still suffering after a few months, such as the Primal Diet and the FODMAP Diet.


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## Demolishing-Dezz (Aug 25, 2011)

Hey there. I am sixteen and i totally understand what you are going through. the thing that helped me was going on the "ibs food diet" So that means. NO red meats, or dark meats (chicken, turkey and fish are okay.) No processed foods so canned or anything packed so it stays "fresh"for a very long time ( some things are okay i get away with, like boxed rice, and noodles) Do not eat anything really spicy (a little bit of spice is okay). Do not eat anything with acid. Meaning no tomatoes or tomatoes sauces.No pizza







But you can make vegan pizza with pesto sauce veggies and veggie shreds (cheese) OR oranges. Do not eat anything with dairy. Dont worry though there is dairy free milk ice cream, yogurt and many others. Do not eat anything with allot of wheat this can make you ibs flare. Also nothing with gluten. Nor anything with caffeine. so yes no coffee, chocolate, soda or else!! ( though there's vegan chocolate!!!) Your diet is gonna change allot but i promise you will start to feel better, I actually feel allot better. Even if i still feel sick alot. IF you need any other information just send me a message. and i have got some good recipes as well


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## meliPanna (Sep 14, 2011)

Hi There, you poor thing! The infection you have had can really take a toll on your body. Yo can sometimes develop "post-infectious IBS", which is a kind of small bowel bacterial overgrowth (the "normal bacteria in your bowel get out of control due to an imbalance caused by the treatment)which mimics the symptoms of IBS.You should definately do a breath hydrogen/methane test (with lactulose) to have this checked out. (Edited to remove website)Good luckMP


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## canteatalot (Sep 16, 2011)

I'm sorry. I totally understand. I was recently diagnosed with post-infectious IBS. It's really horrible. I love working out and now can't seem to even get enough energy to finish a full day of work. I've lost a lot of income because of this. On the bright side my MD said it could take a year for my "gut to recover." I tried this medicine Welchol, which I'd heard helped a lot of people. I had mixed results. But maybe it's worth a shot for you.... Anyway, good luck to you.


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## Snowangel (Oct 20, 2011)

Hi everyone.My name is Angela and I live in Brisbane, Australia.For years I've felt ill. It started just being sleepy, then went to urinary tract infections and then suspected Endo (I saw a gyno about this who confirmed my suspicion. Pregnancy seemed to be a good cure, my son is now 4 and on that side of things I feel mostly fine.) Unfortunately since his birth I have struggled so much to keep day to day life going. At the worst of it I could describe my pain only as being hit by a mesh train and then my million pieces put together with some kind of poisonous glue. (yes doctors think I'm crazy)Im going to be detailed here because the more we know about others experiences the more we can put the puzzle together. I self diagnosed googleitis a long time ago, doctors hate it but hey....its our lives!So I felt like I had IBS and Chronic Fatigue. I had to sit halfway upstairs to muster up the energy to continue, and it broke my heart not to have a single ounce of energy to play with my baby. I worked and was a wife and mother but only to the BARE minimum.Other come and go symptoms: Mucus, alternating stools, fatigue, food sensitivities(like almost food in general at this stage), waking up feeling like Id been punched in the gut, feeling worse after sleep, mouth ulcers, brain fog...im sure theres more. If they come to me I'll add. Weight loss, I was down 10kg so at 47kg I got worried. Muscle weakness. Heart burn like crazy which Ive kept under control going dairy free. I get so achy if I stay in the one position too long.At that time I did every blood test under the sun only to discover I've had Parvo virus and glandular fever at some stage and was diagnosed with Helicobactor Pylori ++++ which I took a triple therapy drug for (smashing down the probiotics with and felt awesome only on the drugs to fall into despair when my symptoms returned.) I've retested for this twice, both negative.Post viral syndrome has been suggested to me....? Maybe its a roll on affect, weakened immune system...I got so desperate for answers oneday I booked myself in for a colonoscopy and endoscopy which found only slight inflammation of the esophigas.Since then I have had doctors say and I quote "so what do you want me to do about it?" (when describing my symptoms) "Let me know if you ever find out what is wrong with you" (When bawling my eyes out from utter despair and pain and exhaustion) "Without a doubt you have an Affective Disorder" (which means my brain chemicals are out of whack causing my body to go hay wire - guess what tried the anti-depressents at 150mg a day for 12 months, didnt work) "you know there are alot of people who have to live with chronic pain" (when begging for answers from my current doctor) Can you imagine I find it hard to stay with one.So finally after many years he asks for a stool sample. I think if my B12 levels hadn't been so low I wouldn't have gotten this far.The test results came back positive for Blastocystis and D Fragilis and to quote again, "you have parasites, and quite a lot of them"So he writes me a script for Flagyl which I take to the pharmacy who haven't heard of these parasites. The bottle is still sitting a top of my microwave unopened after hearing that people can take it for two years without results.I google. Dr hates it, goes ape saying I flat out refused his prescription so why should he help me. I like to think of it as a decline within my rights. I pushed some information from www.cdd.com.au at him who I believe are at the forefront of treating such matters and under duress and probably just to get me out of his sight (because he is the doctor and has studied medicine he finds me downright insulting) (can I add at this point that I am usually a polite young lady with a quiet nature, I may not be coming across this way but I've HAD ENOUGH!)So to share with the world this is what I am on suggested by the center:Septrin DS 20mg (20 tables) 2 times a dayDiloxanide Furoate 500mg (30 Capsules) 3 times a daySecnidazole 400mg (30 Capsules) 3 times a dayDoxycycline 50mg (20 tablets) 2 times a day.I'm on day 9 of the 10 day course and I tell you now it feels like they are up to my eyeballs. For the first three days I felt nothing. Now today, I feel like I've been kidney punched from the inside and then poison leaked into my blood stream. (im sorry to be so....I dont know how else to describe it)Now I am soooooo into going natural but all the posts I read said it was too hard to kill that way. So I went the hard stuff. I know the pain could just be die off but it also feels like I've felt before at my worst...the last time the doctors said I am 5 minutes away from prescribing you anti=depressants because of my tears, if this treatment doesnt work I'll be back there asking for his strongest.I am taking aloe juice and probiotics numerous times a day and after tomorrow will try and keep a very simple diet gluten and dairy free for a while to see if I start to recover (I've also heard that Sage tea is anti-parasitic)Im petrified my husband and son both have it also, my hubby complains of joint pain and my son has a bloated little belly and skwirty poo to peanut butter consistencey. I have had them both tested negative but I read somewhere that some people can go 9 times before getting a diagnosis. It starts decaying as soon as it leaves your body. To feel sane I am going to insist for all three of us three samples taken on 3 consecutive days in a fixed solution. If we are then negative, its back to square one. I can handle **** what I can't handle is fatigue. I am a jeweller and I love it, Im passionate and busy and this (mystery illness) is affecting every single part of my life! Also if I had a disease or condition doctors could understand I would be in a better place mentally, I do realise theres people out there with ALOT worse off, its being told your a healthy young woman that does my head in.I will keep you updated if my experiences help anyone I am thankful otherwise thankyou for reading. This has been my story.x AngelaP.s I would love to know of anyones’s experience Post treatment, does it take long to recover?


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## Kylepa (Mar 5, 2011)

Please see "Baking Soda" note, dated Nov 8, under My Story topic. Trust me, this really works! This will manage the stomach cramps and is especially useful before going out to dinner. I know how embarrassing it can be to have an IBS episode before your meal is over. If this works for you, please let me know. And pass the info on to others. Something like 20% of the general population has some form of IBS, so you're not alone. Usually, when you read about someone getting "food poisoning", it's most often an episode of IBS -- people just don't like to talk about it.Best of luck. The baking soda will blanket your stomach's acidity and let you manage your life most of the time.Kylepa/Phoenix, Az


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