Stuck in a cycle...

First off, I don't have medical insurance so please don't simply tell me to go to the doctor. When I did have insurance I went many times and they never provided any type of answer for me at all.

I have been going through the most miserable cycle for a year now and I've tried everything I know to remedy it to no avail. About once a week (sometimes twice, sometimes a week and a half in between) I get terrible bloating, and stomach pain and cramps that double me over. This may go on minutes or hours and the pain is unbearable. Eventually I will go to the loo but it is usually slow going for awhile and I'm doubled over in pain. Finally, the cramps will get horrific and I will have diarrhea and then it will be done. This happens over and over and over. Every week. Yet I can find no pattern to it as far as what I eat, what I do, etc. For months I was severely constipated and I thought that was the problem but even having remedied that (by discontinuing the medication that was causing the constipation as well as increasing water and fiber) I still am stuck in the cycle. There seems to be no rhyme or reason to what I eat or do that leads to this. Sometimes it can be a greasy fatty meal like last time it was pizza or sometimes it could be as simple and easy as a biscuit, like tonight.

When I had insurance I was tested for gluten allergy and H. Pylori and all of that with negative results for everything. In the end they said it was IBS from stress. I have a really hard time buying that, I feel like there is a genuine issue that I should be able to wrap my mind around and take steps to fix. I DO struggle with a peptic ulcer that comes and goes and is flared up right now but I don't think that would cause these symptoms? Any ideas would be appreciated, I am so tired of this misery.

Some additional info: 30 year old female, non smoker, no drinking or drugs, no red meat or fast food. I am at a very healthy weight and overall good health other than deallng with multiple kidney stones. I recently had a Mirena put in and I'm on Claritin daily for allergies. Pretty basic stuff I think.

Another side note is that often times after a bout of this I am ill upon waking every day for up to a week. I will feel so weak and shaky and queasy that I've learned to keep a granola bar or something small on my nightstand because I cannot get out of bed until I put something in me. After I eat I will begin to get some strength. That is a very new thing and seems to only occur with these stomach bouts and lasts anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

[patient915]

First off I would like to point out that IBS is a genuine issues and there are steps to take to treat IBS.  I assume that by tested for gluten allergy you mean you got a blood test (as opposed to an endoscopy).  This test can often be wrong and I think it would be a good idea to try eliminating 100% of all gluten from for diet for 2 months to see if that helps.  Even if you haven't been able to notice if something you eat is triggering this issue, most people are eating some form of gluten every day so this could be triggering your problem.  Also eliminating all lactose from your diet for 2 weeks would be another good thing to try.  Good luck.

[mamis333]

It just might be the IBS believe it or not I get the same way I have a severe case of it and it actually limits my activities work and my life I get all the symptoms you mentioned they give me meds but it doesn't help im still suffering and have been constipated for the last year I have to take all kinds of alternatives to use the bathroom ***** yes it does but I hope you find something that works for you but I do believe it is the IBS.....good luck

[Weffette]

Ahhhh...the fun of trying to NOT eat things with Gluten. Gluten is in SO many things.
This infliction is called Celiac Disease.  Many doctors over look this and it's becoming more and more common.   If these "ring a bell"...research Celiac Disease and find out the best diet for you.  No doctor appointment for a diet change.
Read over the symptoms and see if these sound like what you are experiencing.
Symptoms include but not all inclusive:
The symptoms of celiac disease can vary significantly from person to person. This is part of the reason the diagnosis is frequently delayed. For example, one person may have constipation, a second may have diarrhea, and a third may have no irregularity in stools.

A partial listing of gastrointestinal symptoms:
Abdominal pain
Abdominal distention, bloating, gas, indigestion
Constipation
Decreased appetite (may also be increased or unchanged)
Diarrhea, chronic or occasional
Lactose intolerance (common upon diagnosis, usually goes away following treatment)
Nausea and vomiting
Stools that float, are foul smelling, bloody, or “fatty”
Unexplained weight loss (although people can be overweight or of normal weight upon diagnosis)

A partial listing of nonintestinal symptoms:
Anemia (low blood count)
Bone and joint pain
Bone disease (osteoporosis, kyphoscoliosis, fracture)
Breathlessness (due to anemia)
Bruising easily
Dental enamel defects and discoloration
Depression
Fatigue
Growth delay in children
Hair loss
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
Irritability and behavioral changes
Malnutrition
Mouth ulcers
Muscle cramps
Nosebleed
Seizures
Short stature, unexplained
Skin disorders (dermatitis herpetiformis)
Swelling, general or abdominal
Vitamin or mineral deficiency, single or multiple nutrient
(for example, iron, folate, vitamin K)

I wish much luck in curing yourself!!!
Weffette