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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 1/30/2006 2:14 AM (GMT 0)
Hello,

Can anyone help if the doctors can't, i don't know what's wrong and i'm scared. Do any of the symptoms below seem familiar to anyone?

I guess I have to start from the beginning for it to make sense. If anyone reads this and can offer advice or opinions i would be very very grateful. I feel very alone with my worries and symptoms. Outwardly i am a confident and 'normal' 21 year old at university, and all my friends at uni are great but have no experience of being ill or of illness and i don't feel it's fair to burden them with my fears. I also feel to embarrassed to talk to them about it.

I'm a uni student who has had IBS since i was 17 and then 2 summers ago i started bleeding ansd the cramps and dairrahoa became much worse. I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy in the summer of 2004 and they tested fro food alergies: none and IBD. They found mild inflammation and it wasn't severe enough to be diagnosed as anything other than 'just' IBS, so they packed me off with physillium Husks and told me to eat more vegetables and fibre. (I have always had a great diet and look after myself). 

I started bleeding regularily again about 9 months ago on and off with blood on the paper and on the stool but only in it once, there is no cut visible and no piles visible. I have to run to the loo alot and i have regular cramps. They are doing another endoscopy and colonoscopy in 2 weeks and for the last month they have told me to eat gluten which i normally stay away from and it makes my symptoms worse.

My symptoms are cramps, bloating, diarrahoa, bleeding, no weight loss, fatigue, skin tags and occasional constipation.

I'm scared about the tests for different reasons. I just want to know what's going on and i want to be well. I feel trapped in a circle of constant blood tests (done the celiac test twice:negative too) and having to eat wheat for the test and getting ill from it and i see my friends, all my age so full of energy and i'm tired all the time and am thinking about poo! I want to enjoy being young. Please help, if anyone can, in any small way. what can i do to feel well and peaceful again?

Posted 1/30/2006 6:37 AM (GMT 0)

Hey Jessica, welcome to HealingWell; sorry you are feeling so crummy!  You have come to the right place, though.  All of us have been through the diagnostic rollercoaster with different results.  Some of your symptoms - diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and cramps - are consistent with IBS, but bleeding and inflammation are not.  Did they take biopsies during your scopes?  Make sure they do next time around; sometimes biopsies are the only way to diagnose IBD, because it can present microscopically (meaning docs cannot simply visualize it with the scope, they have to put it under a microscope to inspect the tissue for abnormalities).  Even with scopes, the answers can be elusive.  My experience has been pretty frustrating as well, as I had occasional bleeding that could not be explained by hemorrhoids, as well as fevers and significant weight loss; but my scopes were essentially normal.  I tried everything - from anti-cholinergic and anti-diarrheal drugs to more "natural" methods like fiber supplements and fish oil and calcium - with inconsistent results.  I was diagnosed with post-infectious IBS since I had significant parasitic infections in the past after traveling extensively in developing countries.  Have you done much traveling?  Because a lot of parasites - which can be really tough to find - cause these symptoms.

For your next appointment, I would make sure your doctor knows about the bleeding you've experienced.  Also bring along a diary of your symptoms (how many times a day you're having diarrhea, what time of day you're having abdominal pain/diarrhea, etc.) and also a food diary.  These tools can be invaluable in helping a doctor to diagnose you. 

In the meantime, feel free to ask more questions or simply vent; that is what we're here for.  We know what you're going through!

Posted 1/30/2006 3:41 PM (GMT 0)

Hi Jessica,

I'm actually a uni student myself in the UK, i'm 22 and in my final year but i haven't gone away to uni because of my IBS problem - i still live at home. My Ibs came on when i was about 16. I know what you mean about not wanting to talk to friends, because it can be embarrissing - but recently i've let on alot more to my mates about my problem and i think it has helped a bit. You know, i've just explained that i don't like going away or going on holiday too much because of my ibs and that sometimes i feel too rubbish to socialise alltogether. I haven't been too graphic over the minor details tho! - but i think just letting them know you have a problem helps, my friends certainly understand. I think your mates will suprise you and be very supportive, don't be worried about unspilling you problems on them because that's what good friends are for!

I myself suffer from a generally 'upset' stomach, with alot of bloating, some D and occasionally C - a bit of everything really!

Bleeding on its own isn't usually a sign of IBS, but can be a product of an illness like Ulcerative collitis (sp?) or IBD which are sometimes also experienced by IBS sufferers  - so it probably is best to get it checked out with another colonscopy (i've had one myself, not fun, but unfortunately neccesary!) 

Good luck with the tests and hope they get to the bottom (no pun intended) of your problem - make sure to check out the advice on IBS on this site because a number of people have found very successfull ways to allievating their symptoms.

roadtrip :-)

Posted 1/30/2006 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the train. I know the feeling of being young and feeling emabarrased about trying to explain to your friends why you don't want to go out and do stuff. Heck I have problems telling my wife about it, and she has been to the Dr. with me. Like Sarita said, most of your symptoms are normal for the IBS, the bleeding however is not. It could simply be internal hemmies like I have that get mad at you every so often and take their toll on you. Or it could be something worse. Hopefully the Dr. will be able to tell you something soon. I have found that my diet doesn't affect my symptoms, I can eat whatever I want, whenever, just as long as I dont pig out; well except for ice cream, that about kills me.

But, the people here are great, and you dont have to feel embarassed at all, because we have all been there. As odd and mean as it sounds, I actually laugh at myself sometimes, especially when reading other peoples stories, as you know what they are going through, and know how they feel. Where as others just kind of look at you and are like thats disgusting.
Posted 1/30/2006 3:49 PM (GMT 0)
Hi jessica!

   Don't worry your not alone i'm 19 from UK and i also get bloating, cramps, diahorrea and i on top i get sickness aswell.

 I also had bleeding at one stage, my doctors have been the same with me i've had 2 colonoscopys and a barium meal. They first thought I had Crohns disease then ulcerative colitus but all tests were also negative. My doctor evetually decided mine too is IBS.

  I know how you feel when you don't have much energy i'm the same. To help myself get happier i have decided to look more positivley about things and know that you are not alone and there are people worse off.

   I have got to go back to a consultant for more tests, my doctor has told me although the are not many good drugs out there for IBS at the moment there are some which are going through testing which very good in helping IBS and they will be available in the next few years.

Posted 1/30/2006 4:00 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Jessica,
Welcome to the IBS forum :)
Posted 1/31/2006 2:47 AM (GMT 0)
thanks everyone, Mrmagoo-so true that here we all talk about poo with no embarrassment. KI have got so used to doctors poking me around that i'm not shy there either anymore... in a way it might be easier if my mates were more open about poo at uni, then i could share my symptoms and i wouldn't feel so alone with all this pain, D, blood and fear. I'm hoping the colonoscopy will just say they are internal hemaroids and that the skin tag and inflammation around my anus is just due to the loo roll and sking tags CAN be quite common.... here's hoping... It upsets when i bleed, i hate seeing the blood.
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