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Constant and sometimes severe stomach pain. IBS getting worse? Or something else??
I've had a weak stomach my entire life, and by weak I mean that I can't eat big meals, especially heavy meals such as Italian food, and my stomach becomes upset easilly. I was diagnosed with IBS in march. My doctor sent me to the hospital because of a stabbing pain under my right rib. I had to have an ultrasound, and it caused me extreme discomfort to where I was almost on the verge of tears. However, they didn't find anything and I was diagnosed with IBS.
Recently my stomach pain has gotten very bad. About a month ago I began feeling nauseous in the mornings and at night, when I stood up quickly, and after meals. I loose my breath easilly and have the feeling of my heart beating in my throat. About two weeks ago I began feeling a discomfort under my ribs on the right side of my stomach. It didn't hurt at first, but instead felt very full, as though there was something there that didn't used to be there. The pain has turned into barely noticeable pain the past few days, mostly evident when I lean my torso to the left. Within the past couple months my abdomen has become increasingly sensitive. For example, merely raking leaves in my yard causes discomfort in my stomach and gives me the feeling that every time I use my ab muscles my insides are shifting around. The past few nights I have experienced severe pain in my stomach after meals. It has nothing to do with the amount I eat. Today I only had only a few bites of mashed potatoes and some carrots, but half an hour later I had the pain in my stomach. This pain can only be described as a feeling like lightning ripping through my abdomen, and it is worse when I take deeper breaths.
I am in my junior year of high school and have been very stressed this year due to worries about grades, getting into college, heavy workloads, etc. Could my IBS be worsening because of this stress? Or could it be something else? I used to only experience symptoms of IBS on school days, but now my stomach is in some kind of pain 24/7. I'm hungry but have no appetite. I think I want to eat something, but when I look at food I feel sick.
P.S. There is no possibility of me being pregnant. Also, my stomach pain sometimes "echoes" in my back. I don't really know how to describe it.
Recently my stomach pain has gotten very bad. About a month ago I began feeling nauseous in the mornings and at night, when I stood up quickly, and after meals. I loose my breath easilly and have the feeling of my heart beating in my throat. About two weeks ago I began feeling a discomfort under my ribs on the right side of my stomach. It didn't hurt at first, but instead felt very full, as though there was something there that didn't used to be there. The pain has turned into barely noticeable pain the past few days, mostly evident when I lean my torso to the left. Within the past couple months my abdomen has become increasingly sensitive. For example, merely raking leaves in my yard causes discomfort in my stomach and gives me the feeling that every time I use my ab muscles my insides are shifting around. The past few nights I have experienced severe pain in my stomach after meals. It has nothing to do with the amount I eat. Today I only had only a few bites of mashed potatoes and some carrots, but half an hour later I had the pain in my stomach. This pain can only be described as a feeling like lightning ripping through my abdomen, and it is worse when I take deeper breaths.
I am in my junior year of high school and have been very stressed this year due to worries about grades, getting into college, heavy workloads, etc. Could my IBS be worsening because of this stress? Or could it be something else? I used to only experience symptoms of IBS on school days, but now my stomach is in some kind of pain 24/7. I'm hungry but have no appetite. I think I want to eat something, but when I look at food I feel sick.
P.S. There is no possibility of me being pregnant. Also, my stomach pain sometimes "echoes" in my back. I don't really know how to describe it.
Thank you for all the great advice! I actually went on a gluten free diet about three years ago for six months, and noticed considerable differences. I had more energy, felt happier, and just felt healthier all around. However when I entered high school I felt so stressed all the time that I resorted back to glutenous foods as a form of comfort food. Thank you for the tip about vitamin D! I'll make sure to get tested.
I've had similar right side pain about where you've described yours. If the doctors have already run the ultrasound to see if you have gallstones and have found nothing, then I would say that this is your IBS and the doctors are right. You are right about stress aggravating IBS.
The description of feeling hungry and wanting very much to be able to eat only to look at food and lose your appetite sounds like what I've experienced in the past myself. The nausea can seem unreal at times, like you might feel a little better if your body would just throw up and get it over with.
I suspect you have food sensitvities and allergies that you have never been diagnosed with. A way to find out which foods are causing you problems is by way of a long process through the elimination diet. You'll have to do some online research to find out which foods are to be avoided with the elimination diet. You should feel a lot better while you are on the elimination diet, because the concept behind the elimination diet is to bring your body back to a neutral state. When I did the elimination diet, I found other food sensitivities myself that were not on the list of foods to avoid, like black pepper, apples, celery, and carrots. Incidently, potatoes are on the list of foods to avoid on the elimination diet.
Wheat is a big item to avoid on the elimination diet. Wow, when you first try to eliminate wheat from your diet it sure seems like a daunting task, since wheat is so widespread in the Western world. There are some rice pastas available at places like Trader Joe's, which should help, since you mentioned Italian food and pasta. I also just found brown rice tortillas there, too. They have to be cooked first, or they'll break too easily, just like the ones made of corn. Corn is to be avoided, too.
You should also find a naturopath to work with, because the naturopath will help guide you through the elimination diet process and offer helpful suggestions if you're still experiencing a lot of pain and nausea.
You should also find an allergist and ask your family practitioner (general practitioner) for a referal (most health insurance carriers require this) and go through the series of food allergy tests. They'll start with the skin ***** tests, but you may have to do what I'm about to do and ask for blood tests, like RAST, MAST, FAST, which from what I understand are all done with the same blood tests. I also read about skin patch tests, which are done when a person still has an allergy to something but is a delayed response. I'm pretty sure the allergist won't do these tests when I see him next, no matter what, though, since I'm going in for some stressful allergy tests that involve my asthma. So, my body will already be going through a lot to begin with.
It doesn't sound like you were told that most people with IBS don't tolerate gluten or lactose very well. Wheat was specifically mentioned on the elimination diet, but I have to avoid ALL gluten. That is all forms of wheat, including semolina and durham, spelt and kamut, but wheat is not the only thing that includes gluten. The other main culprits are barley, triticale (a hybrid that is usually rolled and used like oats), and oats. Oats don't technically have gluten in them, but they are included because people with gluten intolerance still can't tolerate oats. Don't make the common mistake that many people make about couscous. While it looks like a grain, it is actually a tiny form of semolina pasta that resembles small grains. Don't forget to stop using dairy products altogether. Contrary to popular belief, you can get useful calcium in the foods you eat and not just through dairy. You can also use a calcium supplement, if you're still concerned about not getting enough calcium. Remember though, calcium supplements are constipating. (Don't use those chewable tablets, like Tums, either, because that's not a healthy choice for getting your calcium.)
Other grains that are gluten free are all forms of whole grain rice (you need the fiber anyway--don't go for white rices because there are a couple of them on the market that do contain gluten), wild rice (not really a rice), millet, quinoa (go to care2.com under healthy living for some important cooking tips), amaranth and teff. Just so you know, Trader Joe's has the white quinoa available, but I have found red quinoa and black quinoa. I found the black quinoa at Whole Foods.
I know about the pain being bad enough that it reaches to the back. I've been in the e.r. when my IBS was so severe that I couldn't even walk unaided. More than likely, you need fiber supplements. I strongly advise against using psyllium fiber, which is what things like Metamucil are, because psyllium fiber is harsh and irritating, which is the last thing you need when you're already feeling sick to your stomach. It is often initially constipating, too. What I use, as do several other people I know, is flaxseed meal. This is also available at Trader Joe's. It is not a Trader Joe's labeled product. Just ask someone working there to show you where it is. The beauty of it is that this is NOT an expensive product. That package will last you for a while, too. I just add a spoonful to whatever I'm eating. One person wrote in that she just mixes it in water and drinks it down twice a day. Either way that works for you. This fiber will really help you. Fiber is not something just for older people. I had problems when I was about your age myself, so I understand very well what you're talking about.
Once you get your food issues figured out and you're ready to go off to college, do yourself one last favor. Get your blood tested for your vitamin D levels and make sure you boost your vitamin D levels. This is essential to your immune system and is often times ignored. You really don't want yours to be as low as mine was. That's far too dangerous. When you are around so many people in crowded dorm rooms, you are more likely to be exposed to every virus under the sun. For useful information about vitamin D and the healthiest ways to get it, go to mercola.com and type in the key words "vitamin D" in the search bar. You will be taken to a page of archive articles, so you'll see that there is a lot of information about vitamin D that you should know that you most likely weren't told, because the general population hasn't been given all the information they need about this. I'm taking supplemental vitamin D, because my levels are still too low, and it's the winter season now. FYI: Don't use cod liver oil! There is information that it can lead to vitamin A toxicity. I'm using the natural vitamin D capsules, which aren't really so expensive. If you choose to use vitamin D supplements, be sure to get your blood tested for vitamin D levels regularly to make sure you're getting the right amount and to make sure that you're not getting too much.
The description of feeling hungry and wanting very much to be able to eat only to look at food and lose your appetite sounds like what I've experienced in the past myself. The nausea can seem unreal at times, like you might feel a little better if your body would just throw up and get it over with.
I suspect you have food sensitvities and allergies that you have never been diagnosed with. A way to find out which foods are causing you problems is by way of a long process through the elimination diet. You'll have to do some online research to find out which foods are to be avoided with the elimination diet. You should feel a lot better while you are on the elimination diet, because the concept behind the elimination diet is to bring your body back to a neutral state. When I did the elimination diet, I found other food sensitivities myself that were not on the list of foods to avoid, like black pepper, apples, celery, and carrots. Incidently, potatoes are on the list of foods to avoid on the elimination diet.
Wheat is a big item to avoid on the elimination diet. Wow, when you first try to eliminate wheat from your diet it sure seems like a daunting task, since wheat is so widespread in the Western world. There are some rice pastas available at places like Trader Joe's, which should help, since you mentioned Italian food and pasta. I also just found brown rice tortillas there, too. They have to be cooked first, or they'll break too easily, just like the ones made of corn. Corn is to be avoided, too.
You should also find a naturopath to work with, because the naturopath will help guide you through the elimination diet process and offer helpful suggestions if you're still experiencing a lot of pain and nausea.
You should also find an allergist and ask your family practitioner (general practitioner) for a referal (most health insurance carriers require this) and go through the series of food allergy tests. They'll start with the skin ***** tests, but you may have to do what I'm about to do and ask for blood tests, like RAST, MAST, FAST, which from what I understand are all done with the same blood tests. I also read about skin patch tests, which are done when a person still has an allergy to something but is a delayed response. I'm pretty sure the allergist won't do these tests when I see him next, no matter what, though, since I'm going in for some stressful allergy tests that involve my asthma. So, my body will already be going through a lot to begin with.
It doesn't sound like you were told that most people with IBS don't tolerate gluten or lactose very well. Wheat was specifically mentioned on the elimination diet, but I have to avoid ALL gluten. That is all forms of wheat, including semolina and durham, spelt and kamut, but wheat is not the only thing that includes gluten. The other main culprits are barley, triticale (a hybrid that is usually rolled and used like oats), and oats. Oats don't technically have gluten in them, but they are included because people with gluten intolerance still can't tolerate oats. Don't make the common mistake that many people make about couscous. While it looks like a grain, it is actually a tiny form of semolina pasta that resembles small grains. Don't forget to stop using dairy products altogether. Contrary to popular belief, you can get useful calcium in the foods you eat and not just through dairy. You can also use a calcium supplement, if you're still concerned about not getting enough calcium. Remember though, calcium supplements are constipating. (Don't use those chewable tablets, like Tums, either, because that's not a healthy choice for getting your calcium.)
Other grains that are gluten free are all forms of whole grain rice (you need the fiber anyway--don't go for white rices because there are a couple of them on the market that do contain gluten), wild rice (not really a rice), millet, quinoa (go to care2.com under healthy living for some important cooking tips), amaranth and teff. Just so you know, Trader Joe's has the white quinoa available, but I have found red quinoa and black quinoa. I found the black quinoa at Whole Foods.
I know about the pain being bad enough that it reaches to the back. I've been in the e.r. when my IBS was so severe that I couldn't even walk unaided. More than likely, you need fiber supplements. I strongly advise against using psyllium fiber, which is what things like Metamucil are, because psyllium fiber is harsh and irritating, which is the last thing you need when you're already feeling sick to your stomach. It is often initially constipating, too. What I use, as do several other people I know, is flaxseed meal. This is also available at Trader Joe's. It is not a Trader Joe's labeled product. Just ask someone working there to show you where it is. The beauty of it is that this is NOT an expensive product. That package will last you for a while, too. I just add a spoonful to whatever I'm eating. One person wrote in that she just mixes it in water and drinks it down twice a day. Either way that works for you. This fiber will really help you. Fiber is not something just for older people. I had problems when I was about your age myself, so I understand very well what you're talking about.
Once you get your food issues figured out and you're ready to go off to college, do yourself one last favor. Get your blood tested for your vitamin D levels and make sure you boost your vitamin D levels. This is essential to your immune system and is often times ignored. You really don't want yours to be as low as mine was. That's far too dangerous. When you are around so many people in crowded dorm rooms, you are more likely to be exposed to every virus under the sun. For useful information about vitamin D and the healthiest ways to get it, go to mercola.com and type in the key words "vitamin D" in the search bar. You will be taken to a page of archive articles, so you'll see that there is a lot of information about vitamin D that you should know that you most likely weren't told, because the general population hasn't been given all the information they need about this. I'm taking supplemental vitamin D, because my levels are still too low, and it's the winter season now. FYI: Don't use cod liver oil! There is information that it can lead to vitamin A toxicity. I'm using the natural vitamin D capsules, which aren't really so expensive. If you choose to use vitamin D supplements, be sure to get your blood tested for vitamin D levels regularly to make sure you're getting the right amount and to make sure that you're not getting too much.
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