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Whats wrong with me? HELP!!!
Im 25 for a while now I have had mucus in my stool and no blood that I can see. Ive been to several GI Dr.s and they all say its IBS but the do NO TESTS! My symptoms are upper pain after eating, gas, bloating, and tender spots in tummy area..which the Dr.s say its where my small intestines are. They seem unconcerned and send me home. Im in alot of discomfort it seems 24/7. Please help if you can relate?
real quick - just got out my 'Symptom Book' and looked up IBS - this is a quote: "Clear mucus mixed with the stool reflects an irritable colon". Put your mind at ease and ask your doctor for some antispasmodic medication and you'll gradually feel better as time goes on. Take care.
I have been having pain off and on for over 5 years now. I went to my primary doctor and she said it was colon spasms. Went to the gyn--pelvic ultrasound, vaginal ultrasound, nothing. Went to gastro doctor and he said I probably had IBS, but since this was ongoing chronic problem he wanted colonoscopy. I did that yesterday. No problem with prep or procedure, but finally an answer to my problems. I am 38 years old and he said I have severe diverticulosis. It was the worst case he's ever seen in someone so young. Also, I have IBS. If I were you I would have a new doctor do tests. Like I said, I have had problems for years. I have extreme left sided pain that hurts so bad, it hurts to sit, stand, walk, cough--a very tender sore feeling comes on with that pain that lasts a day or several. I have mucous in stools. Pain with BM that I have almost passed out with. Have had years of diarrhea mixed with lots of constipation. I do have a nervous stomach that does not help. I am glad the doctor found something wrong with me--now my family knows that it is not all in my head. There is no cure for what I have--just to increase fiber and water intake. I feel for all who have these stomach/rear problems--they are no fun and can really put a stop to a normal lifestyle.
Hi - I understand your frustration but I believe the reason they do no tests is partly because of your age, and partly because this is what they specialize in and pretty much know IBS when they see it, especially in someone who is only 25. Chances are someone as young as you is not going to have anything seriously wrong with her, and IBS is very common in your age group. I was diagnosed years ago when I was 29 - symptoms were identical to yours. Of course I thought I had something serious but I didn't. And my doctor based his opinion simply on my age and my symptoms - terrible gas and bloating, stools like yours, and sometimes pain so bad I would double over. The pains were spasms in my colon. The gas and bloating would occur no matter what I ate, when I ate, how much I ate. It was bad when I was first diagnosed, as yours probably will be too. They try to help you by changing your diet but mine acted up no matter what I ate. I could eat spaghetti one day and be fine, eat it the next day and not be fine. I found that nothing really helped me but time. Nothing I did really made it any better or any worse, but over the course of time it got better and it's been gone for years and years now. But to be honest, when I first got it, I was prety bad for at least two years before the 'attacks' started getting fewer and farther between. And my life settled down quite a bit too, which also has alot to do with it. They may be able to give you something to help your stomach and colon settle down so you don't have as many symptoms. But trust their opinions - there really are no tests for IBS except the symptoms themselves, and the fact that you have gas and bloating pretty much points to it. I wish I could tell you some magical thing I did that helped me, but the only thing that seemed to help me more than anything is leaving the person I was engaged to and all the problems along with him. After that was when I started healing. No kidding.
Hope this eases your mind some, and even though it feels like there's something terribly wrong, you'd have alot more symptoms going on if there was. Take care of yourself.
Hope this eases your mind some, and even though it feels like there's something terribly wrong, you'd have alot more symptoms going on if there was. Take care of yourself.
Hi mommyof3:
Sorry you can't double click the website from my previous messg...you'll have to enter it on your own to get there. Hope you feel better soon. Good luck!
Sorry you can't double click the website from my previous messg...you'll have to enter it on your own to get there. Hope you feel better soon. Good luck!
Hello mommyof3:
I found an interesting paper by Dr. Borody, a leading expert in intestinal disorders. He discusses Clostridium Difficile and how people can be infected with it in various degrees and can have varied symptoms. He believes many people infected with it are wrongfully labeled as IBS patients. I'm not suggesting that you have this bacteria but it might be worth reading. Actually anyone diagnosed with IBS should read this article. It's easy to read...you don't need a medical background to understand.
I know IBS is a very real syndrome and many people suffer from it and there are things that people can do to help alleviate the distressing symptoms but I also know that it is too commonly used to label patients with bowel trouble caused from other things such as bad bacteria, parasites, etc...
The advice that the posters have given you is good...particularly the section on IBS and what foods to avoid. As with any disruption in the intestines it's good idea to avoid fatty/greasy foods, cheeses, meat and such. Double click link below to see article by Dr.Borody:
http://www.cdiffsupport.com/drbappch.htm
I found an interesting paper by Dr. Borody, a leading expert in intestinal disorders. He discusses Clostridium Difficile and how people can be infected with it in various degrees and can have varied symptoms. He believes many people infected with it are wrongfully labeled as IBS patients. I'm not suggesting that you have this bacteria but it might be worth reading. Actually anyone diagnosed with IBS should read this article. It's easy to read...you don't need a medical background to understand.
I know IBS is a very real syndrome and many people suffer from it and there are things that people can do to help alleviate the distressing symptoms but I also know that it is too commonly used to label patients with bowel trouble caused from other things such as bad bacteria, parasites, etc...
The advice that the posters have given you is good...particularly the section on IBS and what foods to avoid. As with any disruption in the intestines it's good idea to avoid fatty/greasy foods, cheeses, meat and such. Double click link below to see article by Dr.Borody:
http://www.cdiffsupport.com/drbappch.htm
here is another cut and paste on what to eat and what not to,
Eating for IBS
An Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diet and Cookbook
175 Delicious, Nutritious, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy
by Heather Van Vorous
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New! The First Year:IBS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For news about the IBS cooking show, upcoming books, and other events, enter your email address below then click the button.
Powered by Yahoo Groups
Endnotes
A New Way to Eat
The fundamental idea of eating for IBS is to avoid foods that over-stimulate or irritate the colon (via the gastrocolic reflex that occurs when food enters the stomach), and eat foods that soothe and regulate it. This will relieve and prevent both diarrhea and constipation, as well pain, gas, and bloating. This is best accomplished by strictly limiting the amount of dietary fat (the single most powerful digestive tract stimulant), eating soluble fiber consistently with every snack and meal, eliminating coffee, carbonated beverages, and alcohol, being very careful with insoluble fiber, and avoiding overeating by having frequent small meals instead of large ones. It is also important to avoid cigarettes, as tobacco wreaks havoc on the digestive tract.
Trigger Foods - Warning! Eat at Your Own Risk
The most difficult foods for the body to digest are fats and animal products. As a result, they are the most powerful IBS triggers, and you must strictly limit or, preferably, eliminate altogether these foods from your diet. Will this require an enormous change in the way you eat? Probably. But it is a change for the better, and we will walk together through the steps needed to make this change as easily and deliciously as possible.
I sympathize tremendously with people when they are told of the dietary changes they need to make to control their IBS. At first glance these changes can seem overwhelming and just too difficult, as by nature most of us are resistant to any great transformations of our lives. It is almost always easier to not alter a habit, simply because inertia takes less effort than action.
However, I really cannot stress enough that the changes in diet required for IBS do NOT equal deprivation. You will not be expected to simply give up all the foods you love, and offered a tasteless starvation diet in return. These changes are in fact a terrific opportunity for a better life, as you can easily learn how to eat safely for IBS without giving up an ounce flavor, fun, favorite restaurants, or delicious home cooking. It is simply a matter of substitution, of replacing trigger foods with safe choices. Remember that the only thing you're really giving up here is the constant worry and dread of attacks, as well as the pain and agony they cause.
Please note that individual tolerances for IBS trigger foods may vary. The following list is comprehensive and should include all potential dietary sources of trouble. You may find through experimentation that you have a higher degree of tolerance for some of these foods than others.
Red Meat (Beef, Pork, Lamb, etc.)
Poultry Dark Meat and Skin.
Dairy Products.
Egg Yolks.
Fried Foods.
Coconut Milk.
Oils, Shortening, Butter, Fats.
Solid Chocolate.
Coffee, Regular and Decaffeinated.
Alcohol.
Carbonated Beverages.
Artificial Sweeteners.
Artificial Fats.
For complete information and all 175 recipes, click here to order Eating for IBS
What's All This About Fiber?
One of the most troublesome pieces of advice routinely given to people with IBS is the dictate, "Eat more fiber!" It prompts the question - what kind of fiber?
Most people are never even told that there are actually two types of fiber. The term "fiber" in general refers to a wide variety of substances found in plants. Some of these substances can be dissolved in water ("soluble fiber"), and others do not dissolve ("insoluble fiber"). Insoluble fiber is "rough"; it passes intact through the intestinal tract, increasing the frequency, water content, and looseness of bowel movements. Insoluble fiber, and particularly wheat bran, decreases the transit time of fecal matter in the G.I. tract. Although this has the crucial benefit of reducing the colon's exposure to carcinogens, thus inhibiting colon cancer development, it can also trigger painful attacks in IBS sufferers, with severe cramping that can result in diarrhea or constipation.
Soluble fiber, in contrast, is "smooth", and soothing to the digestive tract. It absorbs excess water in the colon, forming a gel that pushes through impacted fecal matter, and it stabilizes and regulates intestinal contractions. In this manner it helps prevent the painful spasms, and relieve both the diarrhea and constipation, of IBS.
How can the same diet work for both diarrhea AND constipation?!
The IBS diet is based on soluble fiber foods, and soluble fiber is magic. Why? Because unlike any other food category (fats, insoluble fiber, protein, etc.), it soothes and regulates the digestive tract, stabilizes the intestinal contractions resulting from the gastrocolic reflex triggered by eating, and normalizes bowel function from either extreme. That
Eating for IBS
An Irritable Bowel Syndrome Diet and Cookbook
175 Delicious, Nutritious, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy
by Heather Van Vorous
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New! The First Year:IBS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For news about the IBS cooking show, upcoming books, and other events, enter your email address below then click the button.
Powered by Yahoo Groups
Endnotes
A New Way to Eat
The fundamental idea of eating for IBS is to avoid foods that over-stimulate or irritate the colon (via the gastrocolic reflex that occurs when food enters the stomach), and eat foods that soothe and regulate it. This will relieve and prevent both diarrhea and constipation, as well pain, gas, and bloating. This is best accomplished by strictly limiting the amount of dietary fat (the single most powerful digestive tract stimulant), eating soluble fiber consistently with every snack and meal, eliminating coffee, carbonated beverages, and alcohol, being very careful with insoluble fiber, and avoiding overeating by having frequent small meals instead of large ones. It is also important to avoid cigarettes, as tobacco wreaks havoc on the digestive tract.
Trigger Foods - Warning! Eat at Your Own Risk
The most difficult foods for the body to digest are fats and animal products. As a result, they are the most powerful IBS triggers, and you must strictly limit or, preferably, eliminate altogether these foods from your diet. Will this require an enormous change in the way you eat? Probably. But it is a change for the better, and we will walk together through the steps needed to make this change as easily and deliciously as possible.
I sympathize tremendously with people when they are told of the dietary changes they need to make to control their IBS. At first glance these changes can seem overwhelming and just too difficult, as by nature most of us are resistant to any great transformations of our lives. It is almost always easier to not alter a habit, simply because inertia takes less effort than action.
However, I really cannot stress enough that the changes in diet required for IBS do NOT equal deprivation. You will not be expected to simply give up all the foods you love, and offered a tasteless starvation diet in return. These changes are in fact a terrific opportunity for a better life, as you can easily learn how to eat safely for IBS without giving up an ounce flavor, fun, favorite restaurants, or delicious home cooking. It is simply a matter of substitution, of replacing trigger foods with safe choices. Remember that the only thing you're really giving up here is the constant worry and dread of attacks, as well as the pain and agony they cause.
Please note that individual tolerances for IBS trigger foods may vary. The following list is comprehensive and should include all potential dietary sources of trouble. You may find through experimentation that you have a higher degree of tolerance for some of these foods than others.
Red Meat (Beef, Pork, Lamb, etc.)
Poultry Dark Meat and Skin.
Dairy Products.
Egg Yolks.
Fried Foods.
Coconut Milk.
Oils, Shortening, Butter, Fats.
Solid Chocolate.
Coffee, Regular and Decaffeinated.
Alcohol.
Carbonated Beverages.
Artificial Sweeteners.
Artificial Fats.
For complete information and all 175 recipes, click here to order Eating for IBS
What's All This About Fiber?
One of the most troublesome pieces of advice routinely given to people with IBS is the dictate, "Eat more fiber!" It prompts the question - what kind of fiber?
Most people are never even told that there are actually two types of fiber. The term "fiber" in general refers to a wide variety of substances found in plants. Some of these substances can be dissolved in water ("soluble fiber"), and others do not dissolve ("insoluble fiber"). Insoluble fiber is "rough"; it passes intact through the intestinal tract, increasing the frequency, water content, and looseness of bowel movements. Insoluble fiber, and particularly wheat bran, decreases the transit time of fecal matter in the G.I. tract. Although this has the crucial benefit of reducing the colon's exposure to carcinogens, thus inhibiting colon cancer development, it can also trigger painful attacks in IBS sufferers, with severe cramping that can result in diarrhea or constipation.
Soluble fiber, in contrast, is "smooth", and soothing to the digestive tract. It absorbs excess water in the colon, forming a gel that pushes through impacted fecal matter, and it stabilizes and regulates intestinal contractions. In this manner it helps prevent the painful spasms, and relieve both the diarrhea and constipation, of IBS.
How can the same diet work for both diarrhea AND constipation?!
The IBS diet is based on soluble fiber foods, and soluble fiber is magic. Why? Because unlike any other food category (fats, insoluble fiber, protein, etc.), it soothes and regulates the digestive tract, stabilizes the intestinal contractions resulting from the gastrocolic reflex triggered by eating, and normalizes bowel function from either extreme. That
Hello mommyof3:
Doctors are often unsympathetic. I suggest you find a good GI. There are numerous possibilities. Tests that I should think a reputable doctor would consider: CT of abdomen, ultrasound of gall bladder and other organs, stool tests for bad bacteria and parasites. If you've been prescribed any antibiotics recently this can wreak havoc on your intestines. Also getting stomach flu or just not eating healthy can disrupt intestinal flora. Getting more good bacteria in your intestines might help. Try eating yogurt and take supplement called Culturelle or VSL#3. Good luck!
Doctors are often unsympathetic. I suggest you find a good GI. There are numerous possibilities. Tests that I should think a reputable doctor would consider: CT of abdomen, ultrasound of gall bladder and other organs, stool tests for bad bacteria and parasites. If you've been prescribed any antibiotics recently this can wreak havoc on your intestines. Also getting stomach flu or just not eating healthy can disrupt intestinal flora. Getting more good bacteria in your intestines might help. Try eating yogurt and take supplement called Culturelle or VSL#3. Good luck!
mommy of ou3. You must be drinking a gallon of orange juice a day to get it that bad. Could it be you are lactose intolerant? If you leave it to the doctors you will never find out what is going on inside your gut. I would say that there is nothing wrong with you but most likely something very wrong with what you are eating. Course....I might be wrong
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