Is this just IBS?

Digestive health
1

Hi All

Just wondering about peoples experiences of IBS. I was diagnosed with IBS 10 years ago and have plodded on with it since then with it causing me minimal problems, the main ones being alternating constipation/diarrhoea, and abdo bloating, but after playing around with foood and supplements found Psyllium husks kept me regular and avoiding my favourite foods (bread and rice mainly!) minimalised the bloating, I didnt completely cut them out but I knew if I ate them I would feel bloated and a bit rubbish the rest of the day, but they didnt really have any effects on my bowels.

Anyway, the past few years I have been getting more issues rectally in the guise of pain. The alternating constipation/diarrhoea still remains, but I also find now when the constipation strikes I sometimes feel like my bowel has just stopped working completely, like I will get the urge to go, and feel cramps in my upper stomach, but the lower bowel just doesnt move. When it finally releases the pain is horrific. I am also getting alot of pain, an increased amount abdominally (I have discomfort most of the time, and it generally feels worse after any bowel movement. The bloating is also present more often), and the worst of it is rectal pain. I get a degree of pain on opening my bowels, which I have acredited to an anal fissure, as have had a lot of bleeding in the past with some bowel movements which was sorted with GTN cream, but I can cope with this pain. What I am struggling to cope with is pain I get that starts approximately 30 minutes after a bowel movement and stays for potentially hours afterwards. It is a rather severe stabbing pain, and if I should need to have a bowel movement close to bed time it will either prevent me sleeping or wake me from sleep. Analgesia does not help. I thought it might be due to an internal haemorrhoid I believe I have which descends every time I open my bowel, but my GP seems to think this would not cause this degree of pain.

Finally for the last few weeks I have also been experiencing near constant nausea, and quite a bit of vomitting, sometimes after meals (not always especially big ones, but  if I eat a big meal I suffer afterwards), but sometimes just in the mornings after taking the psyllium husks (sorry for the mental image, but I just bring up the 300mls of water and partially disolved capsules. Its not plesent). This has only started recently and I put it down to stress irritating my IBS further (new job, training, and the whole worry with the rectal pain), but have never had this before with IBS. I am taking omeprezole, which I have been on for about 2 years for acid reflux. I do tend to find I feel less nauseous eating little and often, but when I am at work this is just not possible to achieve. I've not lost any  unintentional weight recently (mores the pity!).

Do these symptoms strike a chord with anyone else? I'm thinking it is just an exacerbation of my IBS, but theres just so much going on!

Any thoughts/ experiences greatly appreciated.

2

Hi Vicky. I have had ibs for over thirty years so can relate to some of the symptoms you are having. I have always suffered more with constipation but now as l am older get more alternate diarrhoea/ constipation. Recently l too had constant nausea, the GP thought it was a virus and eventually it stopped. I increased my fluid intake drastically as nausea is linked to constipation. The pain you are having sounds horrendous and l would think requires further investigation, possibly colonoscopy. By the way l too have internal haemorrhoids but these were only found with a sigmoidoscopy so again would ask for a referral. Hope you feel better soon. 

3

I think that your Doctor should be referring you to a Specialist.

With IBS I sometimes get gut cramps after bowel movement, but usually these start very soon afterwards and don't last that long. We're all a bit different, so you could have IBS, but you should be having tests.

4

Thanks for the replies. My GP has referred me to a colorectal specialist, but with NHS waiting lists as they are I've been waiting for 2 months, but do have an appointment in a month, I have just been worrying about it since I was referred, and although I need it investigating wanted to see if anyone else had simular symptoms to give me some idea of what might be going on. I think the nausea is more stress related because I'm worrying about all this to be honest!! I had a recent spate of severe diarrhoea when I went about 10 times in a few hours and I was in such excruciating agony afterwards. The worst part is not knowing what is causing it all!

5

Hi Vicky, I have IBS for 5 years now. The constipation/diarrhea/fissure is something I know. The pain caused by the fissure is so bad... Lately I moved to Israel and there they gave me a preparation made of Nifedipine 0,2%/ISDN 0,2%. It's a gel, and it really helped me a lot. Good luck