hi im new here

alittle history about me :
now that I have been diagnosed with IBS im looking for anything and everything I can do to battle this cond .
the everyday cramping / bubbly feelings is becoming a real annoyance , there isn't a day that goes by that I don't know its there weather its mid stomach cramps lower stomach cramps , I go to bed with them every single night at 8:00pm and I wake up in the morn at 3;30am and its says hello to me
AAAAHHH ,,,, in serious need of relief im really not big on taking medications , I don't even like taking headache meds .
im just not into taking pills and stuff .
my doctor told me I have a combo IBS and mild acid reflux
Wonderful .
and I have to admit swallowing gas pills everyday or the occasional antacid is an annoyance as well ......
however I have to admit the gas tablets and the occasional antacid do relieve the cramps for a short time . as well as a rest room visit does .
but I have noticed that after a rest room visit my hunger urges are extremely high . and I need food
being a man im not the type to run and complain to a doctor with everyday aches and pains , I guess guys are just like that , but this is aggravating
everytime I eat something I feel like I swallowed sand paper or a pile of Rocks . then here come the cramps saying hello of course .
RRRRRRRRRRRR !!! :(
but I love to eat so I just keep eating .
so add on my eating problem to this mix because with my hectic lifestyle and job requirements , if it doesn't hold on to the plate when I grab it im eating it
Note : I have No food allergies , I have pretty much eaten whatever I want when I want ,
also my doctor has done a battery of tests on me incl , full blood screens , panels everything , nothing much popped up to concern in him anyway other then a bit of a cholesterol issue which is some what common in men my age .
running a security company I work an average of 6 days a week 13 hrs a day , been doing this for 10 years now .
I am stuck at a desk in a chair in a small office most of the day processing guests and visitors , and im trapped in this desk chair wearing a 2' thick duty belt and heavy fire arm holster in full uniform .
but I do try to get up and walk around when I can to try and get the blood flowing from sitting so long so yeah I battle my share of back aches and pains which the doc told me was normal because im stuck sitting so long wearing a tight dutybelt .

so here are some questions maybe other suffers can help me with please .... so I don't feel like im the only 1 suffering with this

1. after a restroom visit is it normal to be so hungry ?
2. when I take an antacid or gas pills they take away the cramps instantly but when I drink something and in a way washing down the coating the cramps come right back .
3. can anyone recommend a good OTC cramp reliever for men
darn I hate taking meds .
4. does anyone else go to bed with cramps and wake up with them ?
mid stomach , under ribs , lower stomach . just moving everywhere .

I have a hundred more questions but lets start with these
sorry about all the questions and my RANT , because my stomach Hates me , but im new to this ibs thing
yes ive suffered for years with it probably but being a man I suffered quietly till it just got to a point that it became a daily annoyance .

I appreciate any and all advise and suggestions and support I can get .
again thanks for reading .

Post Edited (Flaguy48) : 9/4/2014 7:30:28 AM (GMT-6)

you might even consider a colonoscopy and a endoscopy.... surprised dr didn't do that

razzle51 said...
you might even consider a colonoscopy and a endoscopy.... surprised dr didn't do that

when I went and was checked out for this problem when was told I have IBS , the doctor had done a battery of blood work on me ,,, everything under the sun , nothing odd popped up I was in good shape across the board , everything was normal , and a colonoscopy etc wasn't ever mentioned and probably not warranted because nothing at all showed up in all the blood work that was done . he did a complete CBC everything all my counts were normal , no signs of infection nothing , red / white blood ct normal it was explained to me if you were battling any type of infection or abnormality It would of been seen in your ct count . only thing that came up was my cholesterol was a few point higher then normal ,
that's it .

kazbern said...
Are those processed meat sandwiches that you make at home? They're probably alright, but you'd do better to eat leftovers from your home-cooked meals.

And are those lowfat yogurts the kind with sweet stuff mixed in? Ditch them in favor of plain yogurt (fat content not an issue) that you add stuff to.

I'd skip the juice, too, especially if you are having reflux issues. Fruit juices are really acidic.

Where are the fruit and veggies in your diet?

I do 1 piece of fruit a day maybe an apple or melon or whatever im in the mood for ,
as for the juices I mentioned its always like a grape juice or ocean spray something like that cran-grape etc the doc suggested .ice tea also ...... I make my own by the gallon every sunday
veggies : there is always a stack of steamed carrots "YUCK" but the wife forces me to eat it ,or she wont shud up all night ,or some other type of veggie on my plate every night . pasta sometimes with fish or baked chicken whatever I never know till I walk in the door .
and since I had this lil cholesterol matter I got mayo taken away ,
doc said eat all the mustard you want . not gonna hurt ya .
honestly diet wise im a lot better off with it then I was several years ago ..... however almost and I say almost
every single day here comes the cramps ... and the bloating and the this and that .... in some form or another ... from the mild to OMG this is bad . on my worse days .
but in some form or another its always there .
IBS and gastro intestinal issues do run in my family , my mother also has IBS so does my sister .
my Grandmother just recently passed from septic shock where her bowel ruptured and poisoned her , she was just to old to battle the infection wasn't responding to the anti biotics and she passed .
so im really watching things now ....
im just need these cramps to ease up and go away .
2 weeks ago I must say though I had 1 of those days where I felt completely normal no cramps nothing .
went out to a party had a sm piece of pizza stupid me and boom hello cramps
I can honestly say the worst part are the gnawing cramps and the feeling like I have to hit the rest room like the urge and I don't .

I have to be honest here and I will be the first to admit this and I will do it openly .....
as a man that hole scope thing I cringe just saying the hole word
scares the ba jesus out of me .... it really does I don't like doctors to begin with . I really don't I do all I can to avoid them at all costs I really do ..... its just gimmie my physical and let me get outa here .
but that hole scope thing uuuummm I don't know about all that now , I don't care how much they sugar coat it and all or how nice and smooth the doctor is , it is what it is
period . I have a nurse in my primary care office I haven't spoken to in years because her and my wife conned me into my first prostate exam when I was 40 . oh they thought it was so funny as all get out trapping me into it as much as I hate doctors haven't spoken to her directly since , oh she has tried to speak to me but not happening . 2 of my friends had that done and wound up torn up and both needed follow up care after I wound up in the ER 2 days later ,,, very horrible experiences I was told about .
I have a serious phobia concerning doctors but ..... uuummm that hole scope thing I will be the first to admit the idea horrifies me .
it just plain does .

Post Edited (Flaguy48) : 9/4/2014 1:52:00 PM (GMT-6)

Well, you've taken the first step toward being proactive with regard to your digestive problems by posting here.

You must realize that being afraid of a colonoscopy is not because you are a man but because you are afraid. Lots of people are afraid of this; it is a pretty invasive procedure. The scope itself is nothing - you are asleep and unaware - but the prep can be unpleasant. Nonetheless, it isn't something anyone really enjoys (except my dad - he loves feeling so light weight after a good fast and purge, LOL).

I'm pretty sure you're not interested in anal intercourse and none of the DRs or nurses are interested in having anal intercourse with you. No one wants to embarrass you. This is a medical procedure, nothing more and nothing less. Plenty of people, men and women alike, have procedures like this everyday. Some are freaked out by it and they get over it. Some don't get over it and continue to suffer from whatever condition they've got.

check out the anxiety forum here for some more focused discussion about phobias. And perhaps you should visit with a therapist to deal with this specifically.

Well, then. Let's just say that our ability to help you resolve your problems will be severely limited by your choice to avoid the key diagnostic procedure.