IBS

[tillymint90]

I suffer really badly with IBS and constipation and have had all different kinds of medicines off the doctor but I do find senna when taken for a few days does move things along and when that doesnt I take dulcolax but these can be very painful so only take one and i only take these if i aint been for a while and am in pain.

[Ashbags]

I find that if my stomach is really bad (windy, crampy, etc), a few days of taking a potassium supplement seems to help. Taking too much causes problems again. Have to find the balance.

[Lauren]

Currently having to lay down while these stomach pains go away. They seem to have faded bit but laying down still to be on the safe side. Thank you colofac for making the pain go away!

Was having really horrible pain just under my ribcage for a while there.

[serenity79]

Am having a bad flare-up of my stomach pains myself, just under my ribs, kind of in the middle to the left, rather than 'on the left'. Really tender to touch. Been getting this pain for 2 years, it actually hospitalised me first time for nearly a week - they still don't know what's actually causing it.

[thalia]

Serenity, I've been getting bad pains where you describe too. Of course, it always seems to happen in the middle of the night, and is all fine when I see the GP at the surgery.

My pain is very similar to the trapped gallstone pain I used to get, but I had my gallbladder out about a year and a half ago, and it's more on the other side. Luckily it doesn't seem to last too long or happen too often.

Good luck to everyone suffering, hope you all get it sorted soon.

[PhoenixRising]

I have GERD and also stomach aches/ cramps and loose stools (sorry), the ole "morning rush" is such a nuisance, having to go 4 or 5 times whilst trying to get the kids ready for school.

I had an intussuception (sp?) of the bowel as a baby, and now wonder if that is HMS related too.

[Yorkshiregirl]

It's really interesting to hear the link betwenn HMS and stomach problems. I've been on a very strict gluten free diet for many years now following the suggestion from my gyneacologist that I may have coeliac disease. my numerous symtoms at the time cleared up and I'd never felt so good. I particualary noticed the improvement in my back pain, general joint pain and migraines and cluster headaches.

For a number of reasons I never had the tests for Coeliac other than the blood teat which came back as negative. However I knew that a positive result for Coeliac can
show a negative blood test.

It wasn't until my mum was diagnosied with Coeliac disease several years later that I then had the biopsies done however my results were still negative. I had been on a gluten challange before the test ensuring that I had high levels of gluten in my diet - eating all the bread and cake I'd only dreamed of eating for years It didn't make me happy though, I felt so ill and had to be off work.

The diagnosis i was given was IBS with gluten sensitivity. I would argue though that as long as I stay on a gluten free diet (which I do) I have no poblems at all with my stomach, no other food aggravates it nor does stress have any impact on my stomach. So not sure that IBS really fits. I feel that with another close relative with Coeliac that it is likely that this is what I have. I guess if I wanted to put myself through another biopsy test in the future it may give a positive result.

I do feel really lucky though as I have a couple of great GP's which I can go and see who are incredibly understanding and helpful.

[PhoenixRising]

I've been gluten free for 4 years, it helps with the stomach aches and reduces the other symptoms somewhat. Dairy free doesn't seem to make a difference. I have tried all kinds of things including the GAPS diet, probiotics, kefir and ferments and so on, but without success.

My symptoms are mainly acid reflux, bloating, sometimes stomach aches, and frequent bowel movements especially in the morning (I understand this is the classic IMS "morning rush"). Sometimes I feel full and as if I am not digesting my food, is that delayed gastric emptying? Sometimes I feel gripy and hungry all the time.

I'm on my own with it as the doctor is not interested in anything except my joints (and barely even that). The biggest issue is it affects my sleep (esp the relux and aches) and so contributes to my fatigue.

[paige]

Hello Phoenix R,
I have nearly all the same symptoms as you, bloating and the frequent needing to the go the loo (I understand this is the classic IMS "morning rush") . . I have to allow myself a good 3 hours for my system to settle down before I can leave the house in the morning. If I have to go out early I don't eat anything, as anything seems to make me go to the loo. Like you I feel full very quickly, often feel very hungy and I am sure that I am malabsorbing food and feel very tierd. A few years ago a I saw a private specialist and he put me on a wheat and dairy free diet for 3 months for the bloating. I found that that cutting out dairy and wheat stuff everytime I had a flare-up worked. But that was before I kept having to go to the loo. I have tried acupuncture, probiotics and have now put myself on the GAPs diet which alto has stopped the bloating hasn't sorted out having to keep going to the loo. You are not on your own.

[balot]

I have IBS and heartburn which can get pretty bad. I can't tolerate a lot of medications and sometimes things like coffee, tea, alcohol, dairy can trigger symptoms.

Lately I've been getting dizzy and nautious, sometimes to the point of puking, every few nights. Its pretty distressing considering I already have a difficult time sleeping because of pain. Does anyone else experience this and have any advice?

[nat05]

Hi Balot,

I can defo relate to a lot of those symptoms . I'm a diagnosed (dx) coeliac (both gluten & wheat sensitivity, you can have gluten free wheat but I'm too sensitive for that ) with multiple food intolerances (dx by Gastro at HMSA conference, my Gastro was satisfied with calling it concurrent IBS even tho I wasn't.) Even on a very strict gluten free diet (& all the various diets I've tried since 2006 when symptoms started) I still have gastric problems with motions, stool types & emptying times. Sometimes lasts for a few days but other times over after I go.

For heartburn I use gaviscon, either chewy ones or the liquid depending on how bad it is. I was advised by GP to lift up my sleeping position with extra pillows or the bed itself (that's also recommended for breathing problems I think if I remember correctly) Do the drinks trigger it without dairy? I mean have you tried them with lactose free milk & still reacted?

The dizzy & nausea can be from food intolerances or may be from pain or meds. When in severe pain I felt so sick I've vomited in the past too. It's also happened due to meds, I was on a stomach protector (forget the name) when first dx coeliac which was supposed to help stop Diclofenac from damaging my stomach but ended up making me throw up randomly so Gastro took me off it. Dizziness may be a symptom of POTS (not officially dx as Rheumatologist is happy it's linked to EDS) but I'm mildly affected compared to others on here.

It could also be a autonomic system problem (frequently on here physical symptoms are linked to this) Try reading through these links and you'll see plenty of people with POTS or autonomic dysfunction. You can also use the search facility with Key Words.

http://www.hypermobility.org/forum/viewtopic.phpf=21&t=13131&p=206811&hilit=Autonomic+dysfunction#p206811

http://www.hypermobility.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=5084&hilit=Autonomic+dysfunction&start=210

Hope this helps, you can PM me if you've any questions not answered by searches.
Nat
X

[balot]

Thanks Nat for all this information.

I've tried both the gluten free and lactose free diets, and neither drastically produced improvements. I do know though, that if my symptoms are flaring, I need to stay away from dairy and tend to feel better on a low-carb diet.

I don't take any meds right now except for the occasional asprin, which does trigger symptoms. I think the pain is a possible cause (or at least a contributer) - I have a weak stomach it doesn't take much to throw me off.

I noticed to that I almost always have diarrhea every morning after breakfast, and dizziness (sometimes vomiting) before bed. Its a pretty annoying cycle! My gastro gave me rabeprazole and I stopped taking it because it doesn't seem to help at all... the over the counter stuff seems to work better.

My doctor didn't diagnose me with autonomic nervous system dysfunction officially, but he explained that its a common problem for people with HMS and that that is whats happening with me. This made so much sense to me because before my diagnosis (and before I even know what HMS was), I remember reading about autonomic nervous system disorders and being shocked at how well it described my symptoms.

Thanks for the links.... this is such a complicated condition, I feel like I still have so much to learn!

[paige]

The gastro that I saw said that hypermobility and IBS go together hand-in-hand. BTW have you seen a gastro dietician about your IBS? I have started to be concerned about how I can eat a well-balanced diet when so many foodstuffs upset my gut. I have an appointment with a gastro dietician as I found all the foods that should be eliminated on a low fodmap diet was stuff I was eating regularly and triggered flare-ups.

[trekster]

paige have you considered a rotation diet where you eat the same foodstuff for only a few days at a time before rotating it with something else? I dont know much about it but I think many MCS or ME patients tend to try this method.

Has anyone here found probiotics helped their IBS? Also are IBS and IBD the same thing or is IBS a type of IBD? I ask because I see a few 'science daily' headlines that mention IBD but little that mentions IBS and thought sharing them might help others.

At the moment im suffering a bit from nausea (a few days per week but could be due to being overheated without realising or coming off the solpadol, why they couldn't have written on my records 'avoids opioid/opiate based meds is beyond me).

Also sometimes alka selzer (sp?) can help with windy indigestion, contains aspirin though.

[paige]

Trekster, Until I see the dietician next month I am being very careful about what I eat. I am using the low fodmap diet as a guide to what I can eat and what I should avoid - as so much stuff upsets my gut. After I'd done this low fodmap elimination diet for 8 weeks I started taking the probiotic, Symprove. I could only get it on-line from Amazon and I got just one bottle just to try it. It is very expensive but I found it really helped my IBS. I have found that every probiotic I have taken in the past has just upset my gut.