Can anyone help with this

Digestive health
1

I have had IBS for about 3 years. Usually not too bad. I am having the flare up last 4 days. This is

how it goes wake feeling anxious (suffer from anxiety) then start getting stomach cramps and

pressure in rectum followed by several bm's over about 2 hours only small amounts each time not C or D but leaning towards C I suppose. After this I am ok rest of day apart from tiredness and some

bloating. Appetite is normal. I am on various medications. After recent cataract surgery I was on

steroid eye drops for 5 weeks which gave me oral thrush and reflux. I took nystatin drop for thrush and still taking omeprazole. My question is this has anyone had problems with these drugs. I have

taken omeprazole before ok but read that it affects IBS. I am 66 years old and just want to enjoy the

rest of my life arthritis ibs etc permitting. Thanks

2

Hi there Libralady! I can totally identify with the IBS symptoms you describe. Ive had an irritable bowel for most of my life (Im 57 now) and have pretty much tried everything to treat it. The morning symptoms you describe are extremely common with IBS sufferers, apparently research has shown that some of us (especially those who suffer from anxiety) produce more Cortisol than is normal. Cortisol is a stress hormone and one of it's effects is to make your bowels more active (hence the 'morning rush' to the loo that IBS sufferers often describe).

I think different things work for different people. I found that Symprove, a probiotic drink, worked well for me at first, but it has now stopped working for some reason! I also found that a low dose of the antidepressant Amitriptyline helped for a while, but has now stopped working also!

Diet definitely helps. If you havent already heard of it research the Low FODMAP diet, as this has been found to be extremely successful in treating IBS. My trouble is having the willpower to stick to these exclusion diets, I like sugar and carbs too much, and thereby lies my whole problem!

3

Omeprazole can stir up ibs as I know only too well. There are other PPI s out there but they all seem to have same effect. Why have you been prescribed this drug?Is a simple antacid a possibility. ?

4

Thank you elizamac and david55359 for taking the time to reply to me. I will look at Symprove at the moment

I have started taking yakult again I used it sometime ago and it helped with bloating. I will also look at low

FODMAP diet but think like you would find it difficult. If only I could get rid of this anxiety but it is so hard with so many things wrong with me and not knowing what symptom is caused by what and what drug might be

causing side effects and never feeling 100%. I have tried antacids but they gave me constipation and pain.. I should add I have to take a glaucoma eye drops for 8 weeks because the steroids

caused a rise in pressure. They have a long list of side effects and I seem to suffer with several of them.

Best wishes to you both will let you know how it goes.

5

Hi there, I'm lucky that I don't have this, but a friend of my has tried various things and found that a daily dose of Aloe Vera Gel helped him. Like said above, everyone is different but might be worth a try?

6

Yes I think aloe vera can help with constipation smile

7

I have to ask - have any of you been offered the blood test specifically to check for Coeliac disease?

The symptoms you are all describing are very similar - along with fatigue, iron deficiency, calcium deficiency, bone and joint pains, tummy upset etc....it is worth requesting the test if not. On average it takes 14 years for Coeliacs to be correctly diagnosed - we have all been through years of illness beforehand and it is only in recent years that NICE have told GPs they should test for coeliac disease much sooner, especially anyone thinking they have IBS. Coeliac disease needs to be ruled out before you start limiting your diet as if you stop eating gluten containing products beforehand you may get a false Negative result. I tried everything to make myself better, probiotics, yoghurts, aloe vera...to no effect. I finally moved house and a new GP tested my blood - and my iron was so low it was at transfusion level - she said no wonder I felt so ill and tired and immediately referred me to a Gastroenterologist. He told me within 10 minutes of talking to me that he thought I had Coeliac disease (which is an auto-immune condition, not an allergy) - I had the gut biopsy soon after which confirmed this. Gluten (in wheatflour) can cause the villi in your intestine to withdraw into the lining and so you do not absorb vitamins and minerals as you should - and eventually this becomes serious. Once on a gluten free diet the villi return to normal and you start to feel a lot better...it took me 18 months to feel well again. Sticking to a gluten free diet is a small price to pay....I got my life back. Check out the website for Coeliac UK for information and details - so that you know what the condition is and what you need to do to get well - but get the official diagnosis first. It could save you years of feeling ill - so do ask for the test as soon as you can. Local Coeliac Groups will be only too happy to advise you on the condition as well - members will understand exactly what you are saying and going through - and this is what we all need initially. If diagnosed with the condition join Coeliac UK for a small annual fee and get a Food Directory to help you when you go shopping - it is invaluable in the early years as gluten is is so many items where you wouldn't expect it! Good Luck to all.

8

I was taking Omeprazole (to protect from Diclofenac usage) after a serious RTA. Soon after my IBS improved greatly and also with the acid reflex and indigestion. The cramps resolved and even if slight symptons remain, an immediate bowel movement and all was fine.

With IBS, the foggy brain and weakness in limbs, joint pain often occurs. That has resolved too and I have not felt this well in a long time and indeed back in the gym building myself up from the weight I had lost over 12 years.

Everbody knows that there seems to be no exact specific trigger and whilst heating healthily, supplements or FODMAP etc is commendable, it never results in permanent success. It seems to me that every this and that is attributed to IBS; anxiety, food intolerences, gut imbalances, etc etc but nobody can get to the root cause. We all cant tolerate certain foods for individual genetic reasons, bananas or peanuts or sweets but there is no one common feature identified causing IBS. Following the FODMAP, I would then cut out a whole range of nutrtious healthy, fibrous foods! Which I eat now with no problems.

I know all of you like me have tried all these options and it still returns with less or more severity. On occasions just drinking water caused cramps and diarrhea! So I am intolerant to water? Probably not.

I can see the Cortisol response, flight or figh response would cause bowel evacuation but I bet my last pound that high cortisol levels are not found in all IBS sufferers. Anxiety or stress may well raise cortisol, as it should, these primal hormones are very powerful for that reason but once the fear has passed, all should return to normal. Cortisol may well excesserbate IBS but its not the problem. We cant all be anxious!

I am on a starchy diet, lots of pasta, rice and oats to build myself up again and very little signs of IBS problems if I eat regurlarly, eat small and non processed whole foods. Caffeine and Alcohol are irritants to me. I also replaced dairy milk with Almond and Hemp Milk which increased my Omega 3/6 fat intake. I`m not lactose interolerant though. I also avoid all chemical additives, cleaning products, shampoo and chlorine in water.

I havent had the Coeliac test. But I still suffer lots of joint pain and fatigue but I fight it.

I never had IBS until I got food poisoning, then 2 months later it started. I had guts of steel before that.

9

This is a very reasoned and balanced view of treating ibs and I fully agree with the contributor that there are so many causes and factors and it comes down to discovering just what works for you. It's obviously a long and often frustrating process but there doesn't seem to be any alternative.some,like myself ,find that one treatment or supplement produces results but I think a lot of us are doing a balancing act especially when being treated for some other medical problem In my case I have medication to control hypertension but cannot tolerate that prescribed to prevent platelet aggregation.Clopidogrel and Asprin result in crippling gastritis and ibs. My only defense is Garlic,a no- no in the fodmap diet but I have no choice. Anxiety can be helped,in many cases,by hypnotherapy and CBT.reliable test kits for Coeliac disease and Lactose intolerance can be obtained from the net.As Icecreamsarnie says,it's a suck-it-and-see process and in the end,a highly individual journey and an exhausting one especially when your resources are low when suffering an attack.

10

It is best to have the Coeliac blood test via your GP as you need help with this diet - it is an auto-immune condition and not easy to eliminate gluten unless you have all the information about it.

Ice-cream Sarnie - you have the same symptoms as I did...request the test....it could change your life! I am also on other meds now for cholesterol and glaucoma...but nothing to do with the way I felt before...which was all due to Coeliac condition...People do not now about it so dismiss it. Also there are fad dieters around now who are eliminating gluten from their diets without real cause. For Coeliacs this is an essential way to stay well, so they do not help us as we are all tarred with the same brush by those who do not know the facts.

Ask your GP for the test. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Coeliac disease does have physical repercussions which can prove it one way or the other - but only via you rGP or Gastroenterologist referral.

11

Hi all.

I have recently been diagnosed with IBS following a C Diff infection last summer. Luckily I was already seeing a gastroenterologist and he seems to be on the ball.

I have to take a fair few drugs some of which cause side effects similar to other health issues I have. mad

I am seeing a Dietician in March as my consultant has recommended the low FODMAP diet. There are a few good websites out there dealing with the diet and I have an excellent (IMO) book which I can recommend to anyone interested in it. It not only explains the illnesses well and the way in which our gut can react to foods and external influences but also has a range of really good recipes.

I think one of best pieces of advice I was given was be persistent with your GP and/or specialist consultants and try and get the very best out of them as it is your life that is being impacted by these ghastly and debilitating gut disorders, not theirs.

With heart felt best wishes to you all.

12

Hi Elizamac, the aloe vera is good for the digestive system (and immune) system in general, so long as you get the right stuff - the inner leaf is the best bit .

(I think the green bit, the outer leaf is better known as the bitter aloes which might be the part people know to be good for constipation)

13

Please read the following taken from Coeliac Uk website - and share with anyone whom it may help -

N.B. the 4th line below Screening for Coeliac disease - first paragraph:

"Screening for coeliac disease

People can have coeliac disease and yet show no or few symptoms

Screening can help diagnose coeliac disease earlier

Close relatives of those with the condition should be offered screening

Coeliac disease must be screened for before irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is diagnosed. !!!

Screening for coeliac disease - There are certain factors which can suggest a person may have coeliac disease, even if they don’t necessarily have symptoms – in particular if they have a close relative with the condition. Screening people can help diagnose the condition earlier and so start treatment earlier.

NICE has advised that people with close relatives (for example father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister) are at increased risk of coeliac disease and so should be considered for screening. This would involve going for a blood test and a gut biopsy.

If you suffer from the symptoms of coeliac disease, you should discuss your concerns with your GP, who may then offer you a blood test. NICE has advised that your doctor should also offer you a blood test if you have:

Type 1 diabetes

other autoimmune thyroid disease

dermatitis herpetiformis

irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

anaemia without an obvious cause

certain symptoms related to your digestive system (such as frequent diarrhoea, abdominal pain or vomiting, nausea or sudden weight loss)

close relatives (parents, children, or brothers or sisters) with coeliac disease

if you are tired all the time

or for a child who is not growing as fast as expected.

Irritable bowel syndrome

Almost a quarter of people with coeliac disease had previously been told they had IBS or were treated for it before they were diagnosed with coeliac disease, according to recent research1.

It is important that the NICE Guidelines are followed and that coeliac disease is screened for before a diagnosis of IBS is given."

Please share this with others it might help.

14

I would suggest that if its just achey tummy, loose stools in morning or before going out than thats more likely an gastrocolic response due to anxiety. The very act of eating or drinking can provoke an overreaction owing to their heightened visceral sensitivity, and this may lead to abdominal pain, diarrhea, and/or constipation.

True IBS is a multitude of symptoms incl diarrhea, stomach cramps, constipation, hot flushes, back ache, bladder sensitivity, gastroesophageal reflux, tiredness and aching limbs. All at once!

A lot of the drug treatments arent getting at the cause, they are quick fixes at one of the body functions to interfere with those specific symptoms. It is pharma-savagery! Last thing you need is messing around with serotonin (5-HT) production when all is well.

It may be caused by parasites, unknown viruses, bacterial infections, bacterial overgrowth, that need specific treatment.

Lets not get IBS confused with known diseases like coeliac, diverticulitis, crohns which can be tested for and treated.

So fed up, I went on my see-food diet. Isee food and i eat it. I eat to enjoy now and if I crap myself in public so what!

15

Irritable bowel syndrome

Almost a quarter of people with coeliac disease had previously been told they had IBS or were treated for it before they were diagnosed with coeliac disease, according to recent research.

It is important that the NICE Guidelines are followed and that coeliac disease is screened for before a diagnosis of IBS is given.