IBS, Anxiety Relief

Digestive health
1

Hi everyone, I'm 18 years of age and suffer from serve IBS. I've had it for around 2=3 years now on and off, worse and some times than others. However for the past 4 Months it has been dreadful, i've been on numerous medication including buscopan and amitiptyline but nothing has seemed to worked. I thought i could have a gluten intolerance or celica disease but i had a camera down me and a biopsy and nothing was picked up medically wrong.

I do suffer from anxiety because i worry about getting my IBS stomach cramps and worry what to do when i have them. i do also feel depressed but not just when i have the IBS pains. My anxiety isn't just when i have the pains either. I am currently having counselling but that hasn't helped that much and i have also had CBT. I just find it so hard to go and do things with the stomach pains because i'm also constantly worrying about them. It also makes it a lot harder to fit in with my friendss going out drinking and socialising because of the pains and the worry of feeling sick when i'm out and about

. Just wondering if anyone had any advice what i can do short term to ease the pain when i have it, and also some long term advice so i can start enjoying my life!

Any help much be much appreciated

Thanks

2

Do check out the website for Coeliac UK - it offers masses of advice to both Coeliacs and those suffering from IBS symptoms. There is information on screening and the possibility of getting a false Negative for coeliac disease the first time. If you are eating bread and gluten containing foods every day you could go and request the specific blood test for Coeliac disease via your GP, especially as your condition has not improved at all. The biopsy which is also offered to diagnose Coeliac disease checks to see if the villi (little hairs) in the small intestine have pulled back into the lining - leaving the surface flat and smooth and not absorbing the nutrients it otherwise should. There are several stages which the gut goes through so it is always possible it wasn't showing as clearly at your previous test.

If you go to the Coeliac Org UK website (there is a dot between each but if I put them in, this website will not allow it to be printed on here) you will find down the lefthand side a "Talk to Us" link and if you click on this you can give all your symptoms and ask advice from them....they are the best people to help you as they have all the latest findings and knowledge.

It is understandable that you are depressed and anxious - you will find that most Coeliacs will relate to this - it can take on average 14 years to be diagnosed....by which time most are exhausted and debilitated due to lack of vitamin and mineral absorption. Similarly, IBS results in most of your food passing straight through you so does not have time for much absorption either....so do pursue this for the sake of your health. Good Luck!

3

hi i have suffered with IBS for years, getting it in bouts. But i now think that travelling either causes a bout or there is some link. Because lately when i travel...even fairly short distance, i have suddenly felt sweaty faint sick and had terrible sudden onset of diareah, during travelling, or a while after travelling. I feel so unwell that it ruins whatever it is i was going to do. The pain lasts for a day or two. indeed it feels like a i have a tummy bug. does anyone else get this problem with travelling?

4

If she has had symptoms for 3 years and the biopsy test is negative then she hasnt got coelics.

Alcohol is an irritant, so dont drink it.

5

Not necessarily - many people get false Negative results for various reasons....and that was 3 years ago and things can change. Information about this on Coeliac Org UK website. Worth checking to be well again!

6

ok thats great, got another test for coeliac soon. Thanks for your help

7

Hi I also suffer the same symptoms as you. The doctors can't help because they don't know what your eating. I did a food diary to try and find the problem. It took a few months for me to realise that the problem is an intolerance to soy. It causes inflammation in the gut causing nausea and diarrhea and painful cramps. Soy is found in a lot of foods especially the processed ones. You can still go drinking just say away from BEER and WINE also containing soy. I feel a gin and tonic is a drink where i never feel sick. A spirits drink is a safer option. Chinese food is also a NO!!!! Some people can eat a small amount of soy and feel fine that's why its hard to recognize the problem. I eliminated a lot of soy out of my diet and feel great. I would love for someone else to try and see if this this helps thanks smile

8

when you say you have had a camera into your tummy, have you also had a procedure called a colonoscopy where they pass a tube from the other end and look at your bowel or have you had any barium X-rays where you swallow a thick liquid and then they X-ray the bowel. If you haven't you need to speak to your Gp. I was diagnosed with IBS for over 20 years, I had. my gallbladder out before they found out that I had Crohn's disease. Go back and see your doctor . good luck x

9

Make sure you eat at least one portion of gluten containing foods every day for 6 weeks before the test - otherwise it will not prove anything and will just prolong the situation if you are a Coeliac. Grit your teeth and go for it! It is worth it to be diagnosed - believe me!

10

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.

11

For info - from Coeliac UK website:

"Keep eating gluten throughout the diagnosis process

If you think you may have coeliac disease, it’s essential to continue eating gluten until your doctor makes a diagnosis.

The diagnostic tests for coeliac disease look at how the body responds to gluten. Some people may start to reduce or eliminate gluten from their diet because they feel ill. Unfortunately this is very likely to cause an inaccurate result for both the blood test and the gut biopsy. Therefore, it’s very important to keep eating gluten throughout the diagnosis process.

If you've already reduced or eliminated gluten from your diet, you will need to reintroduce it to make sure you get the most accurate test results. While it may be difficult and uncomfortable, it’s essential for your long term health.

As a general guideline, the recommendation is to eat some gluten in more than one meal every day for at least six weeks before testing.

For children, you can mix wheat flour into foods such as yoghurt or baked beans to add more gluten into their diet.

If you are reintroducing gluten into your diet, you should discuss how best to manage your symptoms with your GP. Your GP will be able to arrange for you to be tested for coeliac disease as soon as it is appropriate.

We understand how hard it is to get diagnosed if you have started a gluten-free diet. Getting a medical diagnosis, however, is important to ensure you get the medical follow up and support that is recommended for people with coeliac disease. Unfortunately, there are no other tests that can diagnose coeliac disease other than the antibody blood test and the gut biopsy. These tests depend on people eating gluten."

"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".

12

Did you get a diagnosis and some relief?  If you do have IBS, perhaps it will help to read Jennifer Browne's journey, in her book Happy Healthy Gut.

The Virgin Diet by JJ Virgin was also a helpful book for me personally--discussing food intolerances and giving the body a break (or complete withdrawal) from foods that cause problems, to let your intestines heal. 

 

13

Hi there, reading your post really hit home, I'm not the only one that feels like this! I've had IBS for 2 years on and off, having counselling, done CBT, anxiety issues, camera, biopsy, celiac and gluten tests, the lot. 

My GP has prescribed me with Mebeverine, like Buscopan but alot stronger. It works most of the time for me. One of the most important things I find is keeping a balanced diet, and excercising. Even when I feel pretty crap I still go out for a walk or something, the fresh air also helps. As do duvets smile

It's really hard to keep motivated I know, believe me but try and work out what makes you poorly, it's different food for everyone I think. A friend can't have curries, I can eat as much hot things as I want, but I can't eat green peppers or celery! 

Short term pain relief is really hard to talk about, because I don't think there is a fix all cure to that pain. Long term, concentrate on what makes you anxious and deal with those problems. They cause the IBS flaring up. I've been told that anti depressants help IBS sympthoms, but I think that they're more trouble than they're worth.