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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 4/24/2007 9:04 AM (GMT 0)
I'm having trouble getting a diagnosis from the doc. My symptons are as follows:

Burping after eating and even before eating e.g getting up in the morning.

Gurgling and discomfort in the gut after eating sometimes. This makes me feel very woozy and irritable.

The worse bit is i often wake up at 5am and cant get back to sleep and when i do get up, my lower gut aches and I feel absolutely wiped out - no energy and poor concentration. It does seem to be lower down my gut that the effects seem to be worse, but i dont get reflux.

Going to the loo can come on very suddenly, and its never a good hard stool, generally very loose and i feel that my body just isnt getting the goodness out of the food before evacuating.

These episodes occur sometimes after eating quite simple meals, but can go on for entire weeks with poor sleep realling bringing my mood and energy levels right down until i'm really quite depressed.

I've tried acidopholus and aloe vera juice. The juice seems to exacerbate the problem and my gut reacts almost straight away with this really uncomortable feeling.

Any help would be appreciated.

Steve

 

Post Edited (SS1234) : 4/24/2007 3:20:09 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/24/2007 2:34 PM (GMT 0)
You should not take aloe vera juice if you are having loose stools: it is a laxative.

Acidophilus may help you, but you need to use it a little while to see any effects. It can cause extra gas at first, but this is usually further down in the digestive tract, not up in the stomach.

Your doctor needs to do an endoscopy on you and look for any signs of acid reflux, weak valve, and do a biopsy of your stomach lining to check for h. pylori, the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. Not all acid reflux burns; you could be having it without having heart burn. Nausea and upset stomach are commong side effects of ulcers and excess acid. Have you tried an over the counter antacid to see if that helps with the burping and nausea?

If your stomach checks out clear, then you need to have your gall bladder checked out, as nausea and upset stomach and even acid reflux are some of the symptoms of that, not to mention messed-up stools. It sounds like your symptoms are all in the upper part of your digestive tract, so I wouldn't think you'd need a colonoscopy unless your stools get worse. I'd be surprised if they couldn't find out what's wrong with your stomach by running those few tests.
Posted 4/24/2007 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
 

I was having symptoms close to that when I first started about 2 months ago.  Mine first started out with constipation.  I had gas build up which would cause me to hurt in my side.  That last for a couple of weeks.  I belched water.  I belched all the time and then I started having dirreaha.  I did go to the doctor and he told me it was IBS. 

Before I went to the doctor I was completely stressed out.  I was not sleeping well, my hormones were getting the best of me.  I was depressed.  I started taking Green Miracle, Trace Minerals and Papaya Juice and Complete Enzymes.  The founder of these products is a Lady named Dee Simmons.  This stuff gives you so much energy its unbelievable.  I swear by it.  My mother has taken it for a year or two.  I never messed with it until now.  I am fixing to start my second month on it.  I did also order some probotics from somewhere else and having been taking them for 2 weeks.  My symptoms are I would say 90% better.  I am still having gas build up sometimes. 

I have started trying to walk and reduce the stress in my life and I've really started watching what I eat.  I know what you mean by the gurgiling in your stomach.  I could sit and listen to mine do it.  I was always  in the lower part of my left side and it would just burn and make noises until it left or I would go to the bathroom.  Then I would be fine.   

Have you tried taking the probotics and digestive enzyemes? 

bennettgirl

Posted 4/24/2007 3:23 PM (GMT 0)
Hi SS1234,
Welcome to HealingWell! :-)
What sort of trouble is your doc giving you (not ordering tests, etc.)?
I have/had the exact symptoms you describe. Over ten years ago when I was in high school I started to get nauseated a lot with lots of burping and noises, and occasional D. I was also a very nervous kid, which I'm sure the stress didn't help. I was sent for my first EGD when I was 17. They found nothing and kind of shrugged me off as producing too much acid. I was given Prevacid and sent on my way. The Prevacid helped, but sure didn't cure me.
Fast forward about 8 years and I still had the symptoms, except more severe. I found a new doc and had a pluthera of tests done (EGD, colonoscopy, etc.). Final result: IBS. Ever since (a couple years now) I've been taking probiotics, eating healthy, and upping my fiber. I still get the symptoms but definitely not as often and severe.
As mentioned before, DO NOT take aloe as it is a laxative. Probiotics are a great add, and so is fiber. You can also try keeping a food diary to see what foods irritate you most and then try eliminating or minimizing your intake.
Oh, look for a new doc if you're not happy with yours.
Posted 4/24/2007 3:39 PM (GMT 0)
Yeah fiber!  Right now I do 1 tsp of benefiber 3 times a day.  I does work wonders.

bennettgirl

Posted 4/24/2007 8:03 PM (GMT 0)
I will give up the juice then, but cant see how i can need fibre when i have to go fairly often anyway.

I've seen my doctor a few times. The first time they said IBS and gave me a muscle relaxant but this didnt really do much. The second time i was given Lansoprazole (i think) for a month to subdue any over production of acid. This did seem to help, but not completely.

I find that once i've had an episode overnight, it usually affects me for days to come. Its a vicious circle. I have an episode, then suffer from lack of sleep, which leaves me run down and therefore susceptible to continuing problems. Its often the weekend when i start to get some slight relief, only because i have the chance to sleep longer or just relax. I'm pretty sure that a great deal of my problems are down to stressful living, working uptown in the city and general anxiety. I was also a nervous child, especially at school and went through a difficult time gaining confidence later in life. I'm still working on this but i remember at school how often nerves would get the better of my bowels and prevent me leaving the house on time in the morning.

Maybe i need to pursue things further with the doc. I just dont fancy being probed up there, when all they'll probably say is that i have IBS or some other untreatable condition.

What sort of digestive enzymes should i try?

Thanks all for your help

Post Edited (SS1234) : 4/24/2007 2:07:52 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 4/24/2007 8:43 PM (GMT 0)
Insoluable fiber actually adds bulk to your stools. All fiber products will have some soluable (which wettens your stools) and insoluable fiber, but most lean one way or the other; if you try a product that has a lot of insouable fiber, you may find that it actually helps your loose stools.

What happens when you have one of these episodes?
Posted 4/24/2007 8:53 PM (GMT 0)
As Keri mentioned, fiber can help. Fiber works both with helping C and helping D. It will help make you go if you can't, AND it will help add bulk to your stool (harden them up) when you go too much.
It's really a win-win situation. Besides, fiber is a key component to good health; it especially helps with hemmrhoids, fissures, keeping diverticulosis away, and preventing diabetes, gallstones, kidney stones, cancer and heart disease.
Posted 4/24/2007 9:25 PM (GMT 0)
Did you have a Colonoscopy?
Posted 4/24/2007 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
You are getting some smart advice from these ladies.  I can't add anything to their wisdom, but wanted to welcome you!

Posted 4/25/2007 8:42 AM (GMT 0)
I havent had any 'scopy's', but if nothings else works i suppose i may have to. Will try the fibre, but to be honest i have a pretty good intake of this anyway, but suppose its worth a try. Thanks
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