Is this IBS?

My mother is extremely ill. The doctors aren't really helping her and she is constantly ill...

Here is what she is going through:

She is healthy for 2 or 3 weeks, then for 10 to 15 days she is in complete agony.

She has been going through cycle since August 2007.

She has massive stomach cramps that feel like "her insides are burning away".

She had irregular bowl movents, and normally it is light colored and "stringy" - but she is on meds for constipation so that may be why.

The docs have her on constipation meds, ibs meds, pain killers, and nausia supositories.

She thinks the nausia is caused by the pain in her gut during her "contraction or wave like" episodes of pain.

She has lost over 60 pounds and has a hard time eating.

Her stomach feels "overly full" like you feel when you eat to much at Thanksgiving meal, but she only ate 1/2 cup of egg noodles.

She does want to eat, and knows that she must to have straight, but she is constantly forcing the food down.

Her stomach hurts and feels bloated, and after she eats she burps up into her mouth constantly. You can hear the food/liquid/acide coming up in her throat and mouth. She also vomits, but I'm not sure if it is becuase of the acid burping up or the pain.

She is very depressed and wants to give up. She says she just wants to die.

No one can seem to help her.

I feel like I'm going to loose my Mom.

I don't know what to do.

I don't even know if it is IBS, but the doctors seem to think it is.

When the pain gets really bad, my dad takes her to the ER. But all they do is give her morphine and send her home and charge us 600-900 bucks.

Please help.

Erin

No she hasn't. She is schedule to go to a diagnosis center in another city though. She will have to get a hotel room there, and have tests done for three days. Her Gyno sugested the place.

I've seen adverts for the Mayo Clinic, but I really don't know much about it. Is it for gastro intestinal issues?
I would have her go to any hospital/clinic if I thought it would help...
But right now, all the doctors are doing is drugging her up and shrugging their shoulders at her.
They say that they have exausted all tests and ideas . . . It is like they are giving up on her.... and it breaks my heart.

To make matter worse, my dad doesn't seem to help her much. He will take her to the doctors or ER if she needs, and he will be stirn and make her take her meds if she is being stubborn..... but he doesn't cook, clean the house, clean the cat boxes, do the laundry, shop . . . So even in the state she is in, she still has to do all of that . . . I know I can't change my dad, but I can't stand to leave her on Wednesday when I have to go back ot work 500 miles away. I feel like I'm leaving her to fend for herself . . .

Erin, can you afford to get your mother a weekly housecleaner? Depending on where she lives, there are even in-home chefs that will basically do your grocery shopping for you and then bring the food to your house, put some of it away and cook the rest into meals--however many meals you want per week. They package them all up and then all you have to do is heat them up and eat them. That way you can get made-from-scratch food without doing all the work yourself. Even if you can't find a chef, you might can find a personal errand-runner who will do her grocery shopping for her. Combined with a housecleaner, that would certainly make her life much easier.

How old is your mother? Is she going through the change? Hormones wreck havoc on the bowels and I can't help but notice you mother is on something of a regular cycle there. She has been THOUROUGHLY checked for ovarian cancer, I hope? It causes a lot of bowel problems and is more common in older women than younger ones.

Also, did they do a HIDA scan to check her gall bladder? Her symptoms are pretty general--could be from any number of things--but there's nothing there that's inconsistent with a bad gall bladder, and it should always be suspected where there is vomiting and/or a lot of nausea. Those aren't unheard of with IBS, but aren't very common. They are common with acid reflux and gall bladders and hietal hernias and stomach ulcers and a few other upper-GI tract problems. As is eating a little bit and suddenly feeling like you are stuffed. I had to have 3 HIDA scans done before they caught my bad ball bladder, so even if she's had one done in the past, she might consider getting another one done just in case.

Also, find a GI doctor that will do a breathalyzer test on her to check for bad bacteria. They are frequently the cause of bloating. And she may want to see an allergist and see if she has developed a food allergy. At the very least, have her keep a diary of EVERYTHING she eats and drinks, in good detail. Also mark when she eats. She should also record in detail (including time) when she gets sick and what kind of symptoms she has, pain or nausea on a scale of 1-5, etc. She may be able to find a link between something she's eating and when she gets sick. Don't forget to look at the less obvious things, like caffeine, carbonation, different types of real and artificial sugars--besides your typical culprits like nuts, dairy and gluten (from wheat and similar products). Yes, people can develop intolerances or out-and-out allergies at any point in their lives, even when they were perfectly fine with something for years.

Erin,
It is pretty uncommon for an adult to get Thrush. She must have some sort of bacterial problem. Did her doc address this? Did he prescribe and antibiotics or suggest she take probiotics? If not, that would be a great next step. Probiotics can't do anything but help your mother at this point. Maybe you could get her some probiotic yogurt or shakes (Dannon Acitivia or Active). If she can't handle the dairy, then a good ol' probiotic pill would be great.
As for her mental state, she might just need some help dealing. It isn't uncommon for people with health problems to spiral into depression. It's important to pull her out of that. She should see someone. They might be able to help her mentally and physically.

You're wonderful - hang in there still.

Yeast, an imbalance of it, can cause abdominal pain, changes in bowel movements, and many other symptoms, including that white coating in her mouth that was mentioned.
The book Gut Solutions, by Leonard Smith MD is really great-has chapters of many intestinal disorders/diseases/ailments.

Erin,
Weren't you supposed to be going home today? Did you extend your visit? I hope so, your mom could really use the advocate you have become and the wonderful support system you have been.
Please keep us posted on how things go.
Wishing you and your fam the best...