IBS + Gerd + ? = tablet depression!

[Dfektor]

Howdy, where to start :( 4 years ago, Id got myself back on my feet after a few years of serious depression, I started my own business and new additions to our family, which focussed my life and everything was going well for awhile, I had painful BM 's and diarrhoea which continued with out let up, as a stereotypical man after 6months I went to my GP, and as my family has a history of gastro-problems my grandma had GERD and diverticulitis My mother had gall stones and pancreatitus and my sister is very porrly with severe pancreatitus, S.O.D (Sphincter of Oddi Dysfunction?), GERD, short bowel syndrome, as her bowel inpart died, diverticulitis and a now reversed stoma.

So I was sent down for a "barrage" of tests, all blood-works and micro-biologys, endo/colon -oscopy, biopsys,  ultrasound and xrays

I had unusual liver function in bloods, oscopys uncovered a kinked bowel???, Helicobacter pylori and clusters of ulcers on the entrance to the stomach.

To this point I had been on Amytriptaline 75mg a day for stress and sleeping.

I was put the course of treatment for the pylori which didnt clear it up so i was put on a second course which fixed.

I started getting major pain, cramps, nausea, vomiting and spasms that only direct heat or morphine touched, I was in ER 6 times in one month, and i hate hospitals!

I was diagnosed with GERD and IBS. and prescribed accordingly,  and now on:

Nexium 20mg twice a day
Domperidone  10mg twice a day
Buscopan 20mg twice a day
Naproxen 500mg twice a day
Amytriptaline 50mg at night
and co-codamols for pain relief?? that don't touch my pain and just causes major impaction and then I'm on the movicol :(

Ive been dumped on tablets with no end in sight and finally my question I only had painful bm and diarrhoea? where did i go wrong? I'm on 10 to 16 tablets a day its so depressing, there has to be another way, right?I'm on so much I dont know what works and what dosent...I would know whats side effects i have from my actual ailments. Any ideas?

[FurballsMom]

I suggest going gluten free.  Most people with IBS do better on a gluten free diet.  One reason is because of Tyramine Intolerance.  Most conventional doctors don't agree with natural doctors that IBS could possibly be a lesser form of Celiac.  Just because their fancy shmancy blood test shows negative for Sprue antibodies that the case is closed.  There are so many false negatives out there with people who do have Celiac that this isn't funny.  I have reason to believe that I am one with false negatives.  I definitely still do better with the gluten free diet, even if some doctors still refuse to give me any credit for knowing what's best for me.  You will find this to be true if your symptoms improve over all, even if you do still have some symptoms, when you go on a gluten free diet.  Many doctors view gluten free diets for anyone without a conclusive diagnosis of Celiac to just following the latest diet fad.  This is ridiculous if you feel better without eating gluten.  Just be prepared for the backlash from both doctors and family if you also have a negative blood test result after testing for Celiac.

I was fortunate that my PCP recognizes that I at least have non-Celiac gluten intolerance.  And, it is true, in spite of what you see in the media and from what certain medical doctors will tell you, there are other things that can go wrong from gluten intolerance besides Celiac.  Gluten intolerance is responsible for other auto-immune illnesses besides Celiac.  The medical community is ill prepared to thoroughly investigate this however.

My own IBS definitely feels better going gluten free.  I am not symptom free, but the severity of the symptoms is definitely reduced.  But, that's not why my PCP believes me.  I have Dyshidrotic Eczema that will get so bad that my hands were getting so raw from the giant mega blisters that would flare up on my hands prior to going gluten free.  I haven't had these flare ups since going gluten free.  This is the primary reason why my PCP believes me, even though the Celiac tests for Sprue antibodies came back negative.  To me this doesn't prove I don't have Celiac, but at least I'm not being completely dismissed about the need for a gluten free diet.

[Sechmeth]

So the ulcers and the pylori is gone, but you had a dozen courses of antibiotics? The antibiotics always kill a lot of probiotics, which then cause IBS due to an imbalance in the gut flora.

There is no easy solution, but if you are desperate, google special carbohydrate diet and pecanbread.com (for a great phase chart) and try it for 30 days, after 3 days on the intro diet. See it as a huge experiment, and test what helps you and what not. I wasnt able to have honey or apples from the beginning, even though they are one of the first stables. Now, 9 months in, I eat an apple a day again.
The diet is designed to kill bad bacteria, reduce inflammation, get some nutrients into you and change your gutflora to healthy again.

Good luck!

[patient915]

Welcome to the gastroenterology community!  This could all just be due to the ulcers that the H Pylori caused, which will go away.  I am surprised that your doctor put you on naproxen with your history of ulcers.  This can cause ulcers on its own and I would highly recommend you talk to your doctor about stopping this.