Do I have IBS at 15

[Jayy_]

Im 15 years old, female, and experiencing recurring nausea, but only very seldom do I experience pain.

The nausea has been going on for a while (maybe 6-7 months) but it stopped for about a month. It just began recently. I feel really sick and as if I need to "poop" all the time. but when I sit on the toilet nothing happens, no matter how long I stay or how hard I try. I also experience a lot of gas and I feel less nautious when I "let it out".

I also think Im bloated; I cant really tell because a lot of my fat is stored on my stomach. My stomach sticks out pretty far but not all of it is fat!

I've also had a lactose intolerance test; Im not lactose intolerant. I have as much dairy as I possibly can because I want to grow taller, but theres no point if I have digestive problems as I wont absorb the nutrients/minerals etc.

Help! Im sick of these stupid symptoms. Is it IBS? What do I do?

[Jayy_]

Thanks very much Furballs =] I appreciate your quick response. Ill try to get an appointment with my doc ASAP so I can get a refferal for a specialist. Ill post back what happens =]

[FurballsMom]

Just so you know, people can have IBS at any age and can even be born with the problem.  It sounds like you have the kind I have with chronic constipation.  There are pediatric gastro docs, in case you weren't aware of this.  I wish I would've known what I know now when I was your age or younger.

So, I would see a gastro doctor and a naturopath.  A naturopath can help with balancing your diet and fiber supplements and help you figure out what food sensitivities you likely have.  The most common food sensitivities that happen with IBS are gluten and lactose intolerances.  If you have one you always have the other.  There are a lot more gluten-free foods available more widely than there were when I was your age.  Rice will likely become your new best friend.  But, there are actually several gluten-free grains available these days.  Often people with IBS also have trouble with corn, which isn't really very digestable in the first place.

I read that you said that you tested negative for lactose intolerance.  Well, I test negative for all the things that I know I'm sensitive to.  This is common with food sensitivities versus food allergies.  You find out your food sensitivities through trial and error with something called a food elimination/challenge diet, which a naturopath will be able to guide you through.  Rest assured that you can still get calcium through your diet from non-dairy sources, such as dark leafy greens and broccoli.  Incidently,  dark leafy greens are also a good vegetarian source of iron.  This is where the naturopath can help you where the gastro doctor leaves off.  

Combining conventional medicine with natural medicine is referred to as integrative medicine.  I have found that integrative medicine works best for IBS.  I still have to take the antispasmodic medication, which is the conventional medicine, but I've gotten more help by combining this with the natural medicine.  Gastro doctors always say to use Metamucil or Citracel or Benefiber.  Well, Metamucil and Citracel are both based on flavored psyllium powder.  I can't take these fibers because they irritate my GERD.  My naturopath explained that psyllium fiber actually irritates the digestive tract of many people.  Benefiber works, but I usually use flaxseed meal for my fiber.  My gastro doctor said that the important part is to take some kind of dietary fiber.

What works for one person may not work for someone else, but both conventional and natural medicine agree about dietary fiber for constipation.

The gastro doctor will suggest a stool softener.  The naturopath may suggest a different kind of stool softener than the gastro doctor does.  Integrative medicine says to choose the stool softener that works best for the person being treated.