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Posted 4/18/2008 2:18 AM (GMT 0)
Is there any connection with headaches and IBS. When I get bad stomach gas I have headaches that are right behind my eyes.

Has anyone else felt this?

Posted 4/18/2008 7:52 AM (GMT 0)
It depends on who you ask.  The GI's may say no relation.  But all the naturopathic doc's say yes. To me, it makes sense.  If the gut is not working properly and everything hurts, who wouldn't get a headache?  I get them and backaches as well.  When I am in a bad bout of C, I will ache all over. 

Posted 4/18/2008 11:40 AM (GMT 0)
Yes I get headaches also, IBS-D 25 yrs. and headaches too. Get sinus infections also. Actually for the last 5 yrs hurt everywhere. Been told headaches allergies, take Claritin. But now Im pretty sure since the back of my neck hurts sometimes with them they are stress related. I think stress makes you tense up you rwhole body and causes pain. Was taking arthitus strength Tylonol but liver enzymes were high so now I just suffer. Go to bed when bad sad Going on antidepressant for first time in my life. Hoping it will help with alot of my symptoms.They say depression makes you hurt all over so Im hoping to feel good all over now :-) Hope you get some relief. Try watching a really funny show, if it is stress maybe laughing will help. Take care.
Posted 4/18/2008 4:29 PM (GMT 0)
I also have IBS and headaches, they start either around 3 or 4 am or when i get up at around 6:45am. The only thing that I have found to stop them is to take allergy/sinus headache pills 1 to2 hours before bed. If I dont they can sometimes turn into migraines.

Posted 4/18/2008 6:58 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, headaches too here. I have had sinus related headache for most of my life off and on and particularly in the summer hay fever season. How I hate that oil seed rape!!!

Sometimes the postnasal drip down my throat makes me feel nauseous and this can exacerbate the IBS and so it goes on........

Do you think it would be an idea to start a "joke" thread on here to try to alleviate some of our stresses. Don't want to seem to make light of IBS but sometimes a good giggle can work wonders.
Posted 4/18/2008 7:17 PM (GMT 0)
Hey I think the joke thing would be a great idea!! tongue
Posted 4/18/2008 7:21 PM (GMT 0)
Easta, go ahead with a funny thread; we do them from time to time (one of mine was "what toliet paper do you like best?" while others have shared embarrassing stories--that they can now laugh about--or we've made poo jokes).

I would not be at all surprised that there's a link between sinus draining and some gut problems. I mean, your sinus fluids should not be in your guts; why shouldn't they bother it when they go there? Also, that can sometimes be a sign of an food allergy; messes up your sinuses AND messes up your gut.

I get most of my headaches from not enough water. I drink a lot of water everyday (about 4 liters), and if I go without drinking much one day, I get a headache in the back of my head. A lot of times, people with IBS stop drinking water when they start feeling sick to their stomachs. Also, a lot of our fluids come from food and when we stop eating from IBS, that also can cause dehydration (and the subsequent headache). Finally, people with D are prone to dehydration.
Posted 4/19/2008 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks I was feeling like the headaches and IBS were seperate problem. But I only began to get headaches when I strting getting excess gas from IBS. I think your right I might need more water to stay hydrated.

Posted 4/19/2008 4:21 AM (GMT 0)
Yes the joke thread would be great.
Posted 4/19/2008 2:04 PM (GMT 0)
I have IBS like symptoms due to losing part of my colon and almost all of my sigmoid (colorectal cancer in 1999). I have struggled with IBS symptoms ever since (the D ones, not C). When I am really messed up and going more than my usual 12-15 bm's a day, in other words all out D or almost D (what I call the messy putty stage), I feel depleted, wrung out, cold, achy and a headache almost always starts. I have had headaches since I was a teenager (52 now). I've had my share of migraines too (long before cancer). But for some reason, and maybe it's because I am dehydrated when I'm messed up, I get a headache too. I just make sure I keep my fluid intake up and take Motrin. Also salty snacks really help - my first choice is almost always pretzels, but a close second are regular Club Crackers with salt (not whole grain or low sodium). Both seem to sooth something in my system. I know we should refrain from caffeine but a regular Pepsi helps too - for the headache and also to restore fluids (but I also down 2 glasses of water right away and only have 1 Pepsi when I'm messed up).

One thing I have learned along the way is I need to keep my fluids up, all the time. Along with a simple, plain diet and 4 to 6 small-small meals a day, 3 large meals like I used to eat just overwhelm my system. Just recently I had a mid afternoon dental appt. coming up and I knew I had to be able to sit in that chair for 2 long hours without a bathroom trip. For lunch, I literally had 2 grapes, 1 cracker, 1 half piece of cheese. Along with a glass of water. I felt full and my GI tract didn't rumble at all - I felt great and could sit in that dental chair without problems. I could have just had 1 or 2 glasses of water but I was hungry. So I thought I would try eating very small amounts of food. And it worked!

But fluids are very important. I've read that there is a connection to headaches/migraines and dehydration. So I don't think you're off track in connecting the two. IBS with D is draining!

Marsky/Mary
Posted 4/19/2008 5:16 PM (GMT 0)
I get the head aches too, I think the funny thread would be helpful, im goind through a c right now, but next week will probably a d, it comes in cyucles, the pain in my head is beheind my eyes.  I kinda new to the IBS forum, but not to IBS want to learn as much as I can, right now im trying to eat and I am chocking on anything I eat even water of soft foods, alright lets make with the funny.

I hate generic tp, I like charmin, but cant afford it, so i stick with with generic, my poor you know what tongue

Posted 4/19/2008 6:42 PM (GMT 0)
Two dogs and one cat decided to give a music recital. How did the compere for the evening introduce them?

Dat's Bach, dat's Offenbach and dat's De*****
Posted 4/19/2008 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Sorry didn't realise this would be edited out. Try again. Dat's Bach, dat's Offenbach and dat's Debussy (think of the cat)
Posted 4/20/2008 1:03 PM (GMT 0)
Howdy, I have ibs/ibd and suffer from headaches as well. I'm pretty sure they're tension headaches. When the pain in my gut gets to a certain point my back, neck tense up and my head starts throbbing. A good shoulder rub and a heating pad help the headache ease away a bit. Would be interesting to see some research on a connection between the two.
Posted 4/21/2008 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
I have both IBS and crohns (IBD) but am thankfully not a regular headache sufferer, I only get a mild one during my cycle and not necessarily every time, just on occasional months.

:)
Posted 4/21/2008 6:14 AM (GMT 0)
I'll try to tame down the med-student language for this post, but basically what happens when you are dehydrated due to diarrhea, everything else goes to pieces. So you really need to replenish those fluids. My motto is: drink until you pee light yellow. Lately I've been downing several cups of tea a day and this seems to be helping me keep myself less dehydrated, despite the ridiculous number of bouts of watery diarrhea I have every day.

I also drink massive amounts of Powerade that I dilute pretty significantly with water to cut down on all the sugar I would get otherwise. This seems to help.

Essentially, yes, headaches can be triggered by volume depletion (dehydration).
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