Horrible cramping - IBS???

I can relate to all of the pain everyone on here is describing. I get horrible pain in my left abdominal side that shoots through to my back and goes down my left leg making it very difficult to walk.  It has been going on over a year now.  Doctors say it is spastic colon or IBS-C.  I have had 2 CT scans which show normal except for some constipation. I've had a colonoscopy which was fine too.  I am seeing a second GI doctor now and during my last visit was in the pain that we all describe.  He sent me for an xray while it was happening and the xray showed stool in the colon despite the laxatives, and fiber I am on daily, which causes many soft bowel movements throughout the day.  They are saying that soft or watery stools can go around the hard ones stuck in the colon.  So they are now prescribing MORE Miralax (3 times daily) to try to alleviate this. My question is this:  When I had my colonoscopy my colon was completely emptied for the procedure.  But the morning of the procedure I woke up with the spasms.  And during the colonoscopy, the doctor said my colon would clamp down on the scope so much that he had to wait for it to relax before he could move further.  So if constipation is causing these spasms how was I spasming with my colon competely emptied???

Ok I'm not sure what's wrong with me but I found you guys and my symptoms sound alot like this. I was wondering if anyone that has IBS feels like this..... My stomach hurts really bad on lower right side whenever it feels like it, I feel like I need to make a bowel everytime my stomach hurts, sometimes I have to force it. I get really cold when my stomach hurts but sweat really bad at the same time. And last but not least when I do make a bowel movement it's not normal it's small or thin but only when my stomach hurts??? Can anyone relate? oh yeah it started when I was 22 and lasted for 20 minutes now I'm 27 and it changed over time, it now last for 40-45 minutes. One last thing, a hot shower really helps alot but I have to lay there and let the water run on me for 20 minutes before I feel good enough to stand.

Post Edited (Bina1521) : 10/20/2011 11:51:42 PM (GMT-6)

I too experience sever abdominal pain. Sometimes1to 3 a month a few times I have gone a couple months without having it happen. I have been told it was diverticulitis and ibs. But every doctor I have seen doesn’t seem to understand the degree of pain I am experiencing. Most of the time I’ll get a champ like a tapped gas bubble. I go to the bathroom and 9 times out of 10 I end up on the floor because I physically can’t sit up any longer. It has become so bad that I started keeping garage bags in the bathroom, cause I end up crapting on the floor. I’ve stop trying to fight it now when it starts I grab a bag take off my close and crawl into the tub it is much easier to clean up this way. I cry, scream, sweat, roll around trying to find a position that is comfortable until finally I have pooped all I can at this point I grab a two towels one for a pillow and one for a blanket and I fall asleep from exhaustion. I wake up feeling better and covered in crap. I didn’t know anyone had experienced anything like this until I read this forum page.

Hello out there. I've been dealing with gastrointestinal issues for 3 years now. It took them a year to test me for H.pylori. The doctor immediately informed me that others in my family most likely have it. Low and behold my sister and mom were having stomach problems, got tested and they had it too. My husband on the other hand had no symptoms but he had it. My brother had mild systems and was diagnosed with H.Ppylori too. We all got treated, it actually took three rounds of antibiotics for me over a six month period because it wouldn't go away. I was okay for very short period changed gastro doctors because I had new pains. In my second year I found out I was severely lactose intolerant. I completely eliminated dairy and pork from my diet and felt somewhat better for a while. Here I am in my third year with new gastro doctor trying to figure the horrible pain, cramping, bowel discomfort once again. He recenty mentioned I had IBS. I've had ultrasounds, blood work, pap, endoscopy and kept a food diary. Today I had the worst cramping pain yet again. My poor husband must think I'm crazy. I think the doctor is crazy and wrong. IBS seems to be the simpe answer for when they dont know what's wrong with you. The problem I had the first year is completely different now in my third year. I sometimes wonder if 3 strong antibiotic treatments in less than a 6 months messed up my stomach. I'm so glad I found this forum because I thought I was going crazy. The pain and cramping is horrible when it comes on.

Post Edited (Miserablepain) : 1/4/2012 10:25:52 PM (GMT-7)

hi, so glad to discover this forum, hear i am not the only one; i am going a little mad with the pain & frustration, and surprised the gastro-specialist didnt tell me that so many people suffer like this -- that it is normal.

i have severe pain in the pelvic area, apparently for no obvious reason or pattern, and pass gas with great difficulty, even though I get plenty of exercise. every night, i wake up at the Same Exact window of 2 hours when I cramp and pass gas slowly (usually not smelly), and I get really hot and throw off the covers. After this, I fall back asleep. It is terrible. GASX kind of works.

I am familiar with IBS for 15 years but these last 2 years have been a new kind of hell. Bloated and now this new consistent pelvic pain. Also, there is a sharp pain going up vertically on the left side from the pelvis to the stomach. My left leg cramps as well and rubbing it makes me pass gas. 

I didnt realise that Apples were so bad, and had just started eating them regularly.

i found the exercise this site helpful to pass gas, have not tried the other remedies yet.

http://www.ehow.com/way_5628338_home-remedy-gas-chest.html

This is really awful. In the past, I found acidophilus (orally & douche) very helpful to counteract IBS. But I dont know WHAT I have anymore. The gastro-doctor says he thinks it is my colon reacting to my brain -- emotional stuff from bad relationship --

Hi, I am 53, and for years now I have had occasional IBS symptoms. I have tried to pinpoint what I have eaten, or whatever, to cause these symptoms, which are usually cramping in the lower bowel, feeling like I have to go, but find it hard to do so, and pressure on my rectum. It usually last a couple of days, then I am fine, for a long while. I think stress often brings it on, but it is miserable when I have it, I just don't want to go out or do anything. I have found the heating pas has helped this last bout, which I have had for a couple of days. It is somewhat better now. I feel if it were anything serious, it would not have gone on this many years without getting worse. By the way, I never have nausea, and my appetite is fine.

Hi.  Am currently stressed out and boy does it affect my bowels.  Every time I get under stress I get cramps in my abdo.  Last couple of days it feels like there is a belt across there and really difficult to pee for same reason.  I have lived with IBS for about 12 years.  Originally had laporoscopy cos of heavy periods and ended up coming round with painful shoulders from the gas they used and got given a box of Fibogel drink and told to go away!  Since then it just erupts whenever I feel out of control due to stress and anxiety.

It's stop-start-stop-start on the loo.  I go and then I want to go again.  It is every consistency known to man (too much info I know) and there is no relief as such for days.  The pain in the gut is the worst.  Like a really bad period cramp that just clenches your stomach in and you have to walk around like that all day.

I really commisserate with others that have vomiting.  Thank god I don't have that.  What can you do though?  If you cannot stop the stress but also have to put up with the pain in the body and affect, as a woman, on your periods?  It's like vicious circle.  Anyway, helps to moan about it a bit.  Is hard doing normal things with it and just been signed off for 2nd month with anxiety and depression and my doctor cannot give me anything for the IBS cos says it's (shock horror) stress - which I knew.

Mine is genetic as well.  Mum and sister fine but dad in the loo about 5 or 6 times a day for years and then had a polyp removed, saw a nutritionist and went veggie and he's fine now.  That also cured his psoriasis.  I do find that if I eat meat (I don't much now - only fish and vegetarian) it doesn't help and wheat.

Best of luck all.

Luv

I fully understand what many of you are going through. I suffer horribly from ibs. I've tried virtually everything under the sun to relieve the horrific pain, but nothing really helps. I feel that this diabolical condition is like some kind of curse and there are days I wish I'd never been born. Ibs is a truly terrible affliction and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the pain sometimes drives me to the point of madness and I'm fearful that there'll come a time when I can bear it no longer.

I am so devistated!i 've been experiencing these horrible lower left abdominal spasms for the past couple of days now. Doctor diagnosed me with IBS, but I'm not sure anymore if thats what it really is..I'm afraid it might be something more serious, because the pain is just unbareable, i cant take it..I have to get down on my knees because standing up it feels like someone is squeezing my intestines inside. I dont know what to do anymore, I dont even want to leave the house anymore. I just sit at home with my heating pad on my belly the whole day. I was thinking of going back to the doctor and getting a colonoscopy to be sure..i know its a very unpleasant procedure but I'm just so desperate, I cant live like this anymore. Everyday bloated and this horrible spasmodic cramping pain is just devistating... :( :( :(

The fear of having an episode can make life difficult. When I have an attack I wish I could pass out or die, but I can't. I have been having this on and off for years. I had a doctor prescribe me some antispasmodics and Miralax and it helped tremendously for years. Miralax was a wonder. It is not a drug. I took a 1/2 capful every night before bed. For years I had no more cramps. Than I decided to get off all drugs (including Miralax) and my cramps came back. I will be back on the Miralax again and the anti spasmodics - before bed. I know there are certain things that provoke an attack: skipping meals; eating after 7:00 at night; when I have severe heartburn; opioids; caffeine - Mountain Dew; But none of these things ALWAYS causes a problem.

I wish the best and healing for all of us.

 

Well, I have IBSD and had a horrible flare in mid June. Things would get better then horribly worse. I went to the dr on July 5th. It was that or the hospital. The only way to relieve my cramps was to force myself to vomit...which is odd because I don't have any upper GI issues. So they put me on Bentyl for the spasms and after about six days I began to have far fewer issues with cramping. I have been fine until today when I woke up with diarrhea and cramps this morning. I have been in the bathroom with various results most of the day. Sometimes the results are fairly normal, no blood no mucus but once that's about all there was. Now I seem back to normal but I am petrified to eat although I know I have to in order to not make the situation worse. This weekend, I ate about two oz of red lean meat and about 6 plain boiled shrimp along with my IBS foods. I was hoping to expand my diet a little. Is it possible that these additions caused this new flare up? I thought protein was good for IBSD. I have a list of about 12 foods I can eat and that has been it. Very bland. Anyone have any ideas on whether the protein could have caused this latest unwelcome flare?

I am new to all of this but and am glad to be able to read other peoples stories. I have been suffering with IBS for about a year and have only just been diagnosed with it. I am only a teenager and thought this was the end of my life with this pain I thought how am I meant to carry on with the rest of my life in this pain. But my doctor has been very helpful and I am on Nortriptyline 10MG and I take one every evening and there a miracle!!! I now don't have the boating feeling the upset stomachs or pain unless I eat too much, but that's my own fault! When I get the pain I use buscopan on prescription they nearly always help me!

Does any one else use Nortriptyline or buscopan? And does it help them?