Several months back I joined this forum because my doctor said I had IBS. I was told to trust my diagnosis from numerous people. I felt that something was not right so I continued to have multiple tests: ultrasounds, colonoscopy, endoscopy, blood tests, fecal tests, urine tests, xrays. Nothing could be found so I was told it was IBS. Turns out that persistence pays off. I never had IBS although I had all the symptoms. I had SIBO which is small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Experts think that 80% of IBS case are actually SIBO. I finally got treatment and after 5 months the overgrowth is gone.
I wanted people on here to know that you should not always accept the IBS diagnosis because it could very well be something else. If I had accepted that diagnosis I would still be suffering horribly.
how did you get tested? and what treatment plan did you have?
do you struggle with constipation or diarrhea?
this is what I’ve thought i had. how did you find out and get rid of it??
I am so happy for you that you found out the real reason for your health issue. Did you have a breath test to establish that you had SIBO? Also, did you go through a course of some antibiotics to get rid of SIBO? Good luck.
SIBO and IBS can have similar symptoms.; hence your doctor confusing your symptoms with IBS. They say one of the causes of IBS is in fact SIBO. You were very unfortunate to get misdiagnosed, but this doesn’t happen to everyone.
sarah, you agree with me fight for a very clear diagnosis. i was told this was ibs 12 years ago. nonsense i had coeliac disease all the way through. i am thoroughly disgusted, not with my current doctors but my last doctors. i am currently awaiting a letter off nhs england. ooh let’s see them wriggle out of that.