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Do I have IBS?

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 10/5/2014 1:41 PM (GMT 0)
Hey peeps.

I've been struggling with a gastrointestinal issue for around nine weeks. Symptoms include:

- constant nausea*
- fatigue
- loss of appetite
- sporadic stomach gurgling
- unpredictable stools in the morning
- abdominal tenderness
- weight loss (10kg)

* The nausea is particularly debilitating, robbing me of any social life and making it difficult to work.

I exercise regularly, eat a FODMAP diet, and lead a relatively stress-free life.

Does this sound like IBS or something else? A lack of diagnosis makes addressing the problem and reclaiming my life very difficult.

Ta.

Post Edited (WaylonMason) : 10/5/2014 8:01:50 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/5/2014 2:09 PM (GMT 0)
It could be, but then again, losing 10 kg in 9 weeks is way too much. What do you mean by unpredictable stools in the morning? First of all, you should pay a visit to your doctor and do some stool and blood tests in order to rule bacterial infection and inflammation. If all results come back negative then you probably have IBS.
Posted 10/5/2014 2:49 PM (GMT 0)
I agree...please see your doctor to rule out other possible causes. IBS is a condition of exclusion. Meaning that if nothing is found in tests but yet you are having issues, IBS then can be diagnosed.
Posted 10/7/2014 9:06 AM (GMT 0)
Apologies. I should have added that I've received a number of blood and stool tests but they've all come back clear. A specialist has referred me to the hospital for an endoscopy, colonoscopy and scans, but that isn't for a while as the NHS can be slow.

My stools vary. I have diarrhea a couple of times a week (porridge-like rather than watery) and on other days I go just once in the morning. It's the nausea that I struggle with, and I also have a raw, hollow sensation in the left of my abdomen that doesn't go away.

It's all rather draining and I'm worried that if it's IBS that I won't improve as I'm already doing everything I can.

Post Edited (WaylonMason) : 10/7/2014 3:16:40 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/7/2014 1:27 PM (GMT 0)
You might want to visit the GERD forum. The nausea and left sided pain sound like gastritis and there are ways to deal with that while you wait for your scopes.
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