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have both irritable bowel AND irritable bladder

   I am female and suffer from both irritable bowel with diarrhea and irritable bladder which causes me to run back and forth to the bathroom day and night. I try to watch what I eat and avoid foods that seem to trigger IBS symptoms such as nuts, broccoli, etc. I take Immodium when I have to.  I take Vesicare for the bladder symptoms.  Is it unusual for a person to have both problems?  I have had both of these since I was a child.  I wonder if I have been misdiagnosed.  I have a great niece who had been misdiagnosed with IBS, but she has Crohn's disease.  I had a colonoscopy about 5 years ago, but haven't had an upper GI.  Sometimes my abdomen hurts so badly that I break out in a cold sweat and my abdomen actually feels hot to touch on the lower left  side.  My stools are always either the diameter of my little finger or loose and watery.  Could there be another explanation for my having the same kinds of problems for my bladder and my colon?  Off and on for years my bilirubin serum has been high and my spleen is sometimes enlarged upon examination.  I don't have hepatitis.  I had a very large parathyroid adenoma removed recently that    had been causing big problems with my bones and kidneys.  It had rendered one half of my thyroid useless because it was embedded in it.  One half of my thyroid had to be removed.  I was born 3 months premature and have had problems with my colon since I was a baby.


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Avatar universal
Thank you for your consideration of my symptoms.  I will see my physician very soon.  I had been having hyperparathyroidism symptoms with terrible bone pain for about 20 years before it was diagnosed.  I'm hoping for a quicker resolution to my problems than that this time!
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233190 tn?1278549801
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
I am not aware of urinary symptoms being associated with irritable bowel syndrome.  

Repeating the colonoscopy can exclude inflammatory bowel disease.  Sending the stool off for analysis and culture can evaluate for infectious or malabsorption.  Blood tests can be done to evaluate for celiac disease.

If the tests remain negative, optimizing treatment of IBS can be done - including tricyclic antidepressants or antibiotics like Rifaxamin.

The urinary symptoms can be evaluated separately by a urologist.  Urodynamic studies and a cystoscopy can be considered to further evaluate this symptom.

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patients education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
www.kevinmd.com
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