Dr told me "it's in my head"

He told me to ask my PCP for some anti depressents because the pain is in my head and I'm bringing on the IBS myself.

I think I could cry. I'm really not crazy!

 

These Doctors see us when we are most anxious cause we don't know what is going on with us and they jump to conclusions. Of course our nevers can bother our stomach but seldom on a day to day basis. I agree about keeping diary. Sometimes antidepressants help ONLY because they work on Serotonin and there is more Serotonin in our intestines than in our head or their should be. In that respect it can help. Same with anti anxiety meds, they can help some but the problem is a functional problem. my other suggestions is to get another after you keep a journel and try the various things suggested. Please do use the probiotics for a few weeks, heating pad,etc. We are not all crazy and I doubt you are either. I hope you have a good PCP that you can talk to aobut this.

I always advocate grabbing a man by the balls and saying "Why are you squealing? It's just in your head. Men really don't have the pain in their testicles that they think they have." LOL

No, you are not imagining you pain. BUT, at the same time, certain antidepressants (note, you have to get the right kind) are doing wonders for people's bowels. And not just with the pain; they can make you regular again. So don't dismiss the anti-depressants, even if your doctor is an idiot and an anus.

And yes, while stress can worsen IBS symptoms, it has been PROVEN that you can't "give" yourself IBS. PROVEN.

I hate it when Drs tell us we're "nervous nellys" or other bull like that. My GI told me that this morning. I've had IBS for over 20 years and my pain is on my right side, just under my ribs. Some days it's just awful, and others it's just in the background. But it's nearly always there. I tend towards D, but C is also there.

Over the last two months, I've had a recurrance of my GERD even though I was on Aciphex. I had constant feelings of splashing up my esophagus and burning pain in my stomach. In 6 weeks, I lost 10 lbs and couldn't eat much of anything because of the nausea and burning and feeling of something stuck in my throat. Endoscopy showed gastritis, but my esophagus looked normal.

Almost 2 weeks ago I got severe cramping pains that had me sweating and nearly crying. Horrendous diarrhea followed and that was followed by mucus and pure blood. That got the GI to make me have a colonoscopy last week. Colonoscopy showed severe inflammation of the colon. Lots of swelling, ulcerations, narrowing and redness. He took a biopsy to check for UC.

I went for follow up today and he accused me of being a nervous person, a real "nervous nelly" and that was the cause of my IBS. The biopsy didn't show UC (he didn't say what it did show, but I thought UC wasn't just based on the biopsy). He gave me flagyl last week and it's helped me feel better (I think it's used for UC?), Dr said it is the standard for treating colitis. That's it? I just have non-specific colitis? Did my nerves cause that, too?

My GERD and abdominal pain have lessened since I started the flagyl. What will happen when I stop it? Do people have IBS and IBD together?

Something else for me to worry about, right?

Wendy

I've never heard of anyone worrying themselves into making their colon bleed, Silvara. Sounds like a quack. I'd take my test results to another doctor and tell him flat out that you have passed blood in your stools and your doctor found inflammation in your colon, but then dismissed it. Antibiotics are good for people with bad bacteria problems, or parasite problems, but I don't think they can truly help someone with an IBD; you need other kinds of medicines to help keep your colon from ulcerating.

Although, yes, you can have IBS and IBD at the same time. I still haven't figured that one out, myself, but they say if you are having problems without visible inflammation, then you are having an IBS attack. Personally, I think that IBDs should be reckoned to cause bowel problems anytime, even without constant visible inflammation, but doctors would rather label you with both.

IBD is inflammatory and IBS is functional so yes you can have both. Its the same thing as having both asthma and allergies, lupus and fibromyalgia, etc.; these are all different diseases that can go hand in hand with each other although having one does not mean you have or will get the other.

Are you sure you are on the kind of antidepressants that help IBS? As far as I am aware, certain antidepressants don't help IBS. It's actually been some of the newer ones that were found to help IBS. I think only the ones that increase your serontonin levels help IBS.

Silvara, Not all people with IBS benefit from antidepressants. I am one that has not. Not everyone will have the same reaction thats why there are so many different treatments for the same thing. Unfortunately, IBS is one problem that needs more options however I am confident that will happen soon. There are tons of trials on new meds that we never see until if it makes it to the end so at least we know they're trying which counts for something. For now, just a bunch of trial and error unfortunately.