In need of assistance - IBS Crisis

I’m desperately looking for any assistance regarding IBS or someone who has symptoms similar to my husband’s. He has been ill for approx. 4 years with chronic abdominal pain (described as dull but intense throbbing in stomach) sometimes this pain radiates to his head causing migraine headaches. Chronic constipation where he only able to evacuate maybe 3x a week at best. When the pain is at it’s worst he experiences shortness of breath as well as chest pain. He is currently on Tylenol 4 to alleviate the pain (works minimally) Clonazapam (chest pain & abdominal spasm) Miralax (assist with constipation this works some days with evacuation but not pain).

My husband is now receiving social security disability due to his debilitating symptoms. He is unable to lead a productive lifestyle, as every morning he’s plagued with this excruciating abdominal pain. We have been to several GI Doctors to which he’s had through gastrointestinal evaluations including upper and lower GI Series. He has been diagnosed and treated for H-Pylori and Gastritis, neither, of which was the cause of his pain. He also had two laproscopic surgeries; gall bladder removal the second was exploratory for lesions or other sources that could be causing the pain. They did not find anything of significance. So we’re back at square one. Dr.’s then advise that we seek help at a pain clinic. He was then put on different combinations of pain meds as well as nerve shots, these also provided little to no relief. One doctor mentioned that he might have IBS (predominate constipation). He was put on several SSRI’s and the side affects were worst than the initial pain so he discontinued use. He was also put on Zelnorm for a short time it proved and it too prove to be ineffective and he stopped taking that as well.

Doctor’s are becoming as baffled as we are, which is very discouraging to say the least. We’re very much on our own trying to find a doctor who will assist him on getting off the pain meds and on something that could relieve the pain. I have read about a new drug Amtiza that works better than Zelnorm. As it treats chronic idiopathic constipation and I believe this maybe something that may work for him but it’s a very new drug. Has anyone tried this new medication and If so please let me know as well as any advice you may have regarding IBS treatments, facilities or doctors that could assist us in the NYC area. Thank you in advance for any help you may be able to provide.

My applogies for the long story just want to ensure i plead my case entirely.  

nomeg

Hi nomeg,
I can only tell you my experience and you can take it from there, we're all so different in how we react to different meds & treatments. I can completely understand the chest pain & shortness of breath (SOB) you describe, luckily it has only happened to me twice. It was almost horrible enough to go to an ER, but I was in Austria for one of those & too chicken to go to an ER there. It was so bad I couldn't sit still, I paced through the whole event almost in a panic. My doctor said that those episodes were from acid reflux, which is something I have NEVER had before. I was put on a proton pump inhibitor called Aciphex. I was told to take 20mg twice daily & have not had any more bouts of that chest pain with SOB.
I also know that from working in a pharmacy forever, any kind of medicine with codeine in it causes constipation. You have to be very careful with those & a lot of docs will prescribe Colace (docusate sodium) with that to soften the stool. It's a catch-22.
I have had about 3 "visual" migranes myself & never bother with doctors when that happens because it goes away in about 30-45min. I know that if I ever did tell a doc about it & they add in my "IBS" or whatever I have, they'll say something about stress. It's always stress! Fortunately, visual migranes (or migranes with aura) aren't as painful, so I just premedicate with tylenol before the flashing lights stop & I don't get the headache afterwards. I assume you're talking about the full-blown migranes that make you really ill & I just remember my dad using Goody powder for those & going in a dark, quiet room.
Lastly, I have also had by gall bladder removed & had no positive results from that either. Still battling abdominal pain, but I think the bentyl they put me on at 20mg four times daily might actually be working now.
I wish your husband well, he's not alone.
rgrwfe

Magnesium supplements can be used for regularity, as can aloe vera capsules. They are both natural laxatives.

Look online for a product called "bile salts". Some people, after they have their gall bladder removed, don't produce enough bile to break down their food and that can lead to constipation. The bile salts are supposed to help replace the bile. Since your husband's constipation existed before he got his gall bladder out, they may not help, but I think it's worth a try if the aloe vera and/or magensium doesn't help.

Also, I have found since having my gall bladder out that a low-fat diet makes me severely constipated. If your husband is on a very low-fat diet, you might try gradually adding some good fats in to see if that helps any. Good fats include olive oil, dairy and nuts. Continue to avoid fast food, deep fried items (unless deep fried in peanut oil) and junk food.

Has he had the breathalyzer test? That's where they test for bad bacteria in the guts. It can lead to a lot of gas, cramping and usually diarrhea, but also constipation. It's a fairly new test, so you may have to hunt around for someone that has the machine, but if it's a bacteria problem, it can be treated with antibiotics and probiotics.

Hello I have had pain with irritable bowel as well and with the symptms what I have found to help the pain is digestive enzymes. You may want to talk to your Dr about giving your husband digestive enzymes. This takes some of the stress off of the stomach and forcing the stomach to produce digestive juices so often. It has helped me tremendously. Take care Phoelona