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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 6/9/2010 8:25 AM (GMT 0)
Hey everyone, I've been searching for a community of fellow IBS sufferers (You all have my truly deepest sympathies) and it seems I've found the right one.

Long story short, I got the stomach flu in March, went ER, and the docs gave me morphine which constipated me darn well for 2 weeks. My gastro doc said I got IBS from that incident.
Fast forward to today, I suffer from gassy, bloated, burpy flare-ups on a regular basis. Almost always (around 80%) at night. Which brought on my insomnia. I take Zantac 75 daily to control acid reflux, and take a Digestive enzyme tablet with each meal. I run every night in the wee hrs when I have my routine gassy flare-up. I've looked everywhere for solutions, cut out gluten, soy, milk, wheat, and even purchased fennel tea and eating for ibs guide from Heather's IBS site.

My question is, should I push for any other tests from my doc? I'm fraid of the idea of colonoscopies, and etc. But I'm also skeptical and think that I may have something else. I have been tested for H.Pylori and other diseases, all proving negative. My doc just tells me to change diet and to just live with it *sigh*. It really feels like IBS has taken over my life, and despite my diet changes, supplements its still acting up.

Any suggestions? How long does Post-IBS stay for ? Thanks in advance to you all, any help/comments is Greatly appreciated.
Posted 6/9/2010 6:21 PM (GMT 0)
Optimist22

wow that is a short amount of time really.

PI IBS can stay sometimes or go, it depends on the infection and other reasons.

Have you seen Mike's hypnotherapy program? There is a major reasons I mention this really.

Also, I would be taking probotics right now, especially ones with Bifidobacterium infantis. Some probiotics help repair cells in the gut.

You also sound like you have two different conditions here, gerd and IBS.

So you have had blood work and stool work?

There is no absolute test to diagnose IBS, but it can be confidently diagnoses based on a specific cluster of symptoms and minus red flags.

These are red flags

"Symptoms NOT Characteristic of IBS
Symptoms of...

•anemia,
•blood in the stools,
•unexplained weight loss, or
•fever
are not characteristic of IBS. You should alert your physician immediately if you are experiencing these symptoms.

Other signs or symptoms that call for special consideration before being attributed to IBS include:

•Age of 50 or older
•Nighttime symptoms that awake the individual
•Change in the symptom quality (e.g., new and different pain)
•Recent use of antibiotics
•A family history of other gastrointestinal diseases like inflammatory bowel disease or cancer. "

This is on diagnoses

http://www.aboutibs.org/site/about-ibs/symptoms/


when you had the flu, did they have you on antibitoics for a long time?

Do you have other symptoms, besides these?

" gassy, bloated, burpy flare-ups on a regular basis"

Do you have altered bowel movements and pain or discomfort in the lower abdomen?
Posted 6/10/2010 8:03 AM (GMT 0)
Hey shawn, thanks for reply!!

I appreciate the info you've given. I've ordered Heather's hypnotherapy program and is waiting for it to arrive. I don't experience anything out of the IBS symptoms, however I did notice that I do have incomplete bowel movements, I havent had normal movements that I use to anymore. Only in little amounts. Sorry for the explicit details, I didn't know how else to explain it. And every now and then I'll get bit of pressure in my lower abdomen, like a dull pain.

I have tried probiotics, but I guess I'm not use to it yet because I got really bloated and gassy when I took it so now I just rely on Digestive enzymes with every meal with the occasional fennel tea for attacks. I have also had the stool and blood work done a month ago, and they haven't called me back yet so I'm guessing it is all fine. After the morphine from the hospital, all I was on for 1-2 weeks was zofran for nausea/vomitting. I guess everything I took just constipated me severely.

Oh, last year I suffered a bout of ulcer pains, lucky for me atleast now I don't have the insanely painful cramps associated with that. Just the nauseous bloated and gassyness and constant burping.

How do you determine GERD? Once again, thanks for your advice!  :-)

Post Edited (Optimist22) : 6/10/2010 2:10:19 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 6/10/2010 6:02 PM (GMT 0)
The hypnotherapy program can help possibly to keep from getting long term IBS or worse symptoms in the long run. It is also likely to help you with the insomnia.

Gerd is acid reflux. This is a different condition then IBS. Its an uppper gI condition, whereas IBS is a lower gi condition.

Don't worry about details, I have been moderating bb's for ten years and basically have heard all the details, as well as having IBS myself for over thirty nine years. Mine oo started with a gi infection.

Incomplete evacuation is a pretty common IBS symptom. Part of it has to do with sensitive nerves in the rectum area.

I would reconsiered the probiotics, because as I said they can help heal immune cells in the gut and that could be very benefical for you right now. It might have been you had a flare that coincided with taking them. I would really considered trying them again. This could be important long term.

It was probably the stomach flu that set this in motion, perhaps not so much the drugs.

Now this is really important. " ulcer pains" were you ever diagnosed with an Ulcer?

This is info on gerd.

http://www.aboutgerd.org/

 

Posted 6/10/2010 9:11 PM (GMT 0)
Wow, ur post-ibs lasted for 39 yrs?! I don't mean to be nosey but how have you been controlling flare-ups? I'm guessing you'll only occasionally have a bad day? And yea, I was diagnosed with an ulcer last year, and after a long 6 month treatment of nexium (really strong proton blocker) it went away. Now I only take OTC stuff like Zantac/Gaviscon for any heartburn.
Posted 6/11/2010 12:41 AM (GMT 0)
You have to be careful its not an ulcer flare up, because they can be reactivated.

I have severe IBS from an interic infection. I take one drug recenlty and I do the hypnotherapy. I was really well for a long time and have relasped some. My biggest issues is severe Pain.

I am super glad I did the hypnotherapy years ago. and still do it.

MY IBS goes up and down sometimes I will have long good spells and sometimes long bad spells.

I have learned to manage it, although it still disrupts my life.
Posted 6/11/2010 4:48 AM (GMT 0)
That sounds bad, you have my sympathy as I am a victim of a nasty bug that left its mark. What drug do you take for IBS? And which form of it do you have? And how does one determine if its an ulcer again? I noticed that it wasn't severe pain that I have noticed with my ulcer episode last year. I'm guessing I'm due for a round of tests that I need.

Thanks a bunch for your help.
Posted 6/11/2010 6:04 PM (GMT 0)
On the ulcer issues that is something to work with your doctor on and ask them those questions.
There are different ways and symptoms. But its important, if your symptoms change at all since you had one previously.


I have alternating IBS and pain predominate, leaning more on the d side of things.

I take propranolol which is actually a blood pressure medication. I have a little elavated blood pressure right now. But they origanlly gave t to me to help damper down the bodies stress responce. It has hellped a lot with pain for quite a while, but am having a slight flare for a couple weeks.

The hypnotherapy I did years ago when I first did it gave me great results, about 85 percent better. For many years, but I got heat stroke and then shingles which were really bad and that set me back quite a bit for quite a while. So I am working on normalizing everything again.

Thanks for the good thoughts. I know it will get back to being better. IBS can just do that wax and wane for a while.
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