My 16-year-old son developed c. difficile when he was 10-years-old due to a severely adverse reaction to antibiotics. It also took several months not only to diagnose him, but to treat him and control the c. diff levels. He was left with Post-Infectious IBS; and yes, there is such a thing. Google it. There is a lot of info on it now.
He continues to struggle with his IBS -- the abdominal pain being the most predominant of his symptoms. We have changed his diet, tried a multitude of medications traditional and homeopathic and have not come up with a real answer to quell or even control his symptoms. He tends to have a tougher time during certain times of the year, seasonal if you will. Simple things like a cold may or may not wreak havoc with his condition. De-stressing is the most effective in helping him face a flare-up. In other words, removing as much external stress from his life as possible, so he can focus on making it through his flare-up quickly.
Two things that have aided in his ability to work with his condition are Culturelle and Fiber therapy. Culturelle is a probiotic. I am convinced that it has helped to reduce the number of colds he gets. He used to get 2-3 colds/year and since being on Culturelle, he sometimes does not even get a single cold in a year. FiberCon and Miralax help to create gentler BM and are therefore less irritating to the lining of his large intestine and colon.
As to differences between IBS and Post-Infectious IBS, from our experience and research, it seems to be the severity of the flare-ups (they are greater) and the rectal bleeding that can sometimes occur. That is what took so long to get a diagnosis. Bleeding is not a symptom of IBS, but is for Crohn's and UC. However, bleeding with Post-Infectious IBS has been observed.
Good luck. Truly the best medicine to alleviate some of the hardship of this condition is diet, exercise, stress-relieving activities (yoga, meditation), and a great support system. We just keep reminding ourselves that it is not life-threatening, working on a healthier life-style, and knowing the symptoms will pass.
Do you have any allergies, even mild ones? We were fortunate that during one scope my son was having a mild seasonal allergy bout. They were able to diagnose him with focal allergic colitis. Have your doctor take note of any bumpy areas during your scope that appear "manufactured," in other words not naturally occurring. Even mild bumps can be a sign of allergies. These bumps become incredibly sensitive when bile/stool passes them. Think sand paper on soft tissue. This can be a cause for some of the bleeding.
Post Edited (chessie1097) : 5/21/2008 7:11:27 AM (GMT-6)