Can IBS hurt this bad!!!!

[medic2012]

Hi,
I'm new to the site so any and all postings are really appreciated. I've had IBS pretty much all my life. I'm a 58yr old female. I'm healthy and exercise regularly. I've always had bouts with my IBS flaring up and I would end up going to the hospital for a shot of bentyl and a GI cocktail and it would finally wind down. Recently I started having major stomachaches..I mean the kind that will make you double over and pray you find a bathroom. The problem is I have always had constipation instead of diarearrha. I went to my GI dr. and he did a colonoscopy and took off 3 polyps and said I had some divertiulties. But I am baffled as to where these stomachaces are coming from. I've been taking miralax to help loosen my stools and it has helped with my constipation. He said that would help with divertitulitus. Does anyone have REALLY bad stomacheache's. You know like the old fashion ones we had as kids if we ate to many crabapples or to much candy. He's doing an endoscopy tomorrow but I don't know what thats gonna show him. I had a hida scan about a year ago and it was fine. Its keeping me out of work and it flares up when i eat as well. The gas is unbelieveable. I eat a box of Gas X a day. But I have never had these stomachaces this bad. Could it be my gallbladder even though my hida scan was positive? I'm very active and I can't seem to do anything!!!
Thanks everyone!

[medic2012]

Hi MissGia,
Can I ask you what you do when you have this problem!! Did your dr. say it was just IBS or something else! When they did an endoscopy he did say I had gastritis and put me on antibotics, cipro and flagyl but to be honest,,they torn my stomach up worse. I've scheduled another appt. but I would like to hear how you deal with this problem. Thank you so much for responding.

[MissGia1962]

Unfortunately, cramps can be that bad. I used to have trouble getting my family to believe how much pain I was in during an episode. I have said they feel like labor pains, but my labor pains weren't this bad. I say this not to upset you, but to let you know that I empathize with you, and so you won't fear that there is something worse going on. It's bad to hope something worse is going on - but at least gallstones and some of the other things you're worried about are treatable. Please update when you can.

[AskDrDani]

Hi,

Wow, it sounds like the stomachaches are a recent big change in your symptoms, which is something your doctor definitely should look more into with imaging tests, etc.  I definitely agree that more tests have to be done to make sure its not something else besides IBS.  It sounds more like gastritis symptoms.  Have you had any major life stresses in the months before this started?  Stress can cause physical changes in the gut too via neurohormonal pathways linking the brain and our digestive systems, including our stomachs and small and large intestines.  Looking again into some more gallbladder testing is also something you doctor will probably do.

In the meantime, for stomach cramping, enteric coated peppermint oil pills have proven to be helpful, and try to avoid spicy foods for now:)