Stomach bug or IBS?

[tsethi]

I am from India and moved to US in August 2017 for education.

I was down with Chikungunya in August 2016 and have abnormal burping since then. I was taking pantoprazole 40mg twice a day along with Antacid but nothing worked. In Jan 2017, I started having pain in lower abdominal and was given Normaxin for approx 20 days - twice a day. No more pain until August 2017. Gradually it started getting better after couple of months and I stopped taking antacid but was taking pantoprazole regularly. Along with this, I noticed semi solid stool daily for my first visit of the morning. For this, I was given couple of antibiotics which used to work for 2-3 days but then again it used to be back. So then I was given Rifaximin 550mg twice a day for a week, but I got acid reflex on 4th day so my Gastro advised to stop it. Stool was fine for around 30 days but then it started again in similar pattern. That Gastro told me it would be mucus and to ignore it if there isn't any other symptom and gave me pre and probiotic something of the name Gutek or Gutex for a month.

I consulted another gastro after few weeks as burping was still there (though less than what it was in August 2016) and he told me to continue pantoprazole but reduce it to once a day. On reducing, I used to have cramps in evening daily and by end of the day, I had to visit toilet multiple times. It was fine if I was taking panto twice a day.  He then told me to continue it as long as it helps. Then I went again in August 2017 for the semi solid stool I was having since an year -first stool of morning every day since an year. He gave me secnidazole for single time only. From next day, I started having burning sensation after stool and it became strong after every bowel movement. So I was given albendazole once a day for 3 days and it went fine. Issue of semi solid stool was no longer there. Then next week I moved out of country and after about 2 weeks, I ate at a friend's house cooked in little unhygienic condition.  Next day, I got diarrhea. It lasted for couple of days along with abdominal pain. That friend also had severe pain in stomach that night but he recovered in a day or two. This was in early september 2017. Since then I get semi solid stool once in a week or 10 days followed by abdominal pain for 1-3 days. My physician told me its acidity and stress, to take Normaxin whenever this happens.
In mid of december, I started having semi solid continuously for few days. I thought I caught a bug and after waiting for 3-4 days, I started antibiotics which I got from home -combination of Ciprofloxacin 500 mg and Tinidazole 600mg twice a day for 5 days. Then I got burning sensation after stool and I was over with this medicine and thought to continue antibiotic for atleast 7 days. So I switched to combination of Tinidazole (600mg), Norfloxacin (400mg), Lactobacillus (120Million spores) twice a day along with Albenda on alternate day for 3 days. All those cramps, semi solid stool ,bloating etc I was having from months was gone. It was fine for another 35 days. During those 35 days, I was crashing at my relative place and I ate too frequently from restaurant.  No issues of any type. I reduced my dose of acid reducer as well. I was able to reduce it alternate day as well. During last 2 days of my stay, I noticed my stool going back to semi solid. I thought maybe just a little issue and it will fix on its own. And i came back to my place in mid Jan 2018.

A week after coming here, I noticed the same thing. Semi solid stool followed by abdominal pain lasting for 1-3 days. I told my doc about the experience of ciplox which I took around 2 months back. He gave me Ciprofloxacin 500mg once a day for 14 days. Things were fine for 10-11 days and then I got semi solid stool with abdominal pain which fixed on its own in a day.

I visited doc again to which he told me its IBS. To satisfy me, he ordered stool culture and parasitic and ova test. Parasitic test came negative and I am waiting for result of stool culture.

I don't think I am having IBS, cause :
1. Why antibiotic worked in the first place?
2. During my second time with antibiotic, it was under control as long as I was taking it. I got issue once during that time but it resolved in a day. But after I stopped antibiotics, it takes days to resolve the issue. And it keeps coming back after few days.

I do not have fever. I understand inconsistency is something similar to IBS, but while I am on antibiotics, things work better. I tried to notice for any triggering food, I noticed 70% of the time I have chicken, I used to have this issue. Back at home, I was mainly on vegetarian diet and had chicken barely 2 to 4 times an year. For the time being, I am again on vegetarian diet but it still does happen but its less severe than what was when having chicken.