# Possible IBS-PI?



## thomasc93 (Jan 6, 2011)

I'm currently 17 and have lately been experiencing some GI issues.Probably about 4 months ago, I stared experiencing severe diarrhea 3-5 times a day beginning when I first woke up to about 3 or 4 in the afternoon. This was accompanied by severe stomach cramping, as well as a tad bit more mucus in the stool than normal. I went to my pediatrician, and he thought it was Giardiasis. Instead of treating me, he wanted to be sure, so he sent me to a Gastroenterologist. The Gastroenterologist agreed after several blood and stool tests with my pediatrician and put me on a two week course of metronidazole.Once I finished the metronidazole course, most of the diarrhea and cramps subsided, but the frequency is still there. Sometimes diarrhea is present, but most of the time the stool is normal in appearance. I am due for a colonoscopy and an endoscopy next week to check for any other issues. Also, on the last stool sample I did, the Gastroenterologist asked the lab to check the fat levels in the stool. The results for that request came back "slightly abnormal," indicating a very slight excess of fat in the stool.So like I said, I'm still going 3-5 times a day with cramps and a normal stool right in the middle of school. My school unfortunately has a "no bathroom time" policy, so I am not allowed to use the bathroom during class unless I am sick and need to sign out. This is ruling my life so I really need to find a way to manage this.Could this be IBS, even though there's very little diarrhea present? Is the frequency of me going a sign of IBS? Could the frequency problem be solved with Imodium? If so, how often?Thanks for your help!


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## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

Thomas, sounds to me like classic IBS symptoms - the cramping, frequent need to use the toilet, etc. Has your gastroenterologist diagnosed you with IBS? With regards to your school, they might be more lenient about letting you use the bathroom if you tell them about your problems, perhaps discuss it with a counsellor, teacher or whoever. A letter from your gastroenterologist might be useful in this case.As for the low levels of fat in the stool, that could point to a small degree of malabsorption, so food intolerance cannot be ruled out (again quite common in people with IBS). I would caution against using Immodium as it can constipate some people, resulting in a cycle of constipation - diarrhoea - constipation - diarrhoea, etc. At the moment if you can manage to get to school without it I would, but that's only my personal opinion. You could try improving the constistency of your stool by making it more formed - less fat / more fibre. Again, this is something very individual that you will need to work out for yourself. If too much fibre gives you diarrhoea, cut back, but remember there are different types of fibre! Insoluble fibre is found in whole wheat products, brown rice, bran and the skins and peels of some fruits and vegetables, whereas soluble fibre is found in fruits and vegetables and also oatmeal. A balance of both fibres might be what works for you.Hope that is some help to you!Em


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## thomasc93 (Jan 6, 2011)

em_t said:


> Thomas, sounds to me like classic IBS symptoms - the cramping, frequent need to use the toilet, etc. Has your gastroenterologist diagnosed you with IBS? With regards to your school, they might be more lenient about letting you use the bathroom if you tell them about your problems, perhaps discuss it with a counsellor, teacher or whoever. A letter from your gastroenterologist might be useful in this case.As for the low levels of fat in the stool, that could point to a small degree of malabsorption, so food intolerance cannot be ruled out (again quite common in people with IBS). I would caution against using Immodium as it can constipate some people, resulting in a cycle of constipation - diarrhoea - constipation - diarrhoea, etc. At the moment if you can manage to get to school without it I would, but that's only my personal opinion. You could try improving the constistency of your stool by making it more formed - less fat / more fibre. Again, this is something very individual that you will need to work out for yourself. If too much fibre gives you diarrhoea, cut back, but remember there are different types of fibre! Insoluble fibre is found in whole wheat products, brown rice, bran and the skins and peels of some fruits and vegetables, whereas soluble fibre is found in fruits and vegetables and also oatmeal. A balance of both fibres might be what works for you.Hope that is some help to you!Em


Hey Em; thanks for your reply! He hasn't officially diagnosed me yet; he's going to do a colonoscopy and an endoscopy next week to rule out anything more serious before he writes it off as IBS. As far as the school goes, unfortunately they aren't lightening up. I don't know what their problem is; I've had the Dr. call the principal, and it seems as if he doesn't care. But if nothing else works, I can always go complain to the school district.As with the Imodium, I wish I could live without it, but I can't get through the day without it. So I suppose for now, it's gonna be my daily dose of two in the morning :/ But will definitely try modifying my diet!Again, thanks Em; you were really helpful!


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## em_t (Jun 8, 2010)

No worries Thomas,Good luck with the colonscopy and endoscopy - here's hoping they don't find anything sinister! I can't believe your school's attitude towards this. I'm a newly qualified teacher and I would feel absolutely terrible if a pupil in my class were in such a position - what does you school do about people who have chronic kidney infection or such? If you do get a diagnosis of IBS I would get your gastroenterologist to write a letter spelling out the consequences for you if you do not have access to the bathroom. It might also help if your parents ring up the school to let them know about your position and that you would not abuse the right to use the bathroom during classes, just when necessary. I don't know, maybe the school system is very different in the US, but in the UK if a child did not have access to the bathroom during lessons, especially with a genuine medical condition parents would kick up a fuss.Hopefully some of the diet measures on this website might help - I've learnt loads from other people here! As I said good luck for next week! All the bestEm


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