Pain and loose stools every morning - sound familiar?

Digestive health
1

HI guys,

so I'm finally getting a CT colonography in 5 days, I'm terrified actually - mainly of taking the prep - barium sulfate to be exact.  It says that there have been fatalities whilst taking it and it's freaking me out, that and perforation!

Anyway I guess I"m worried that it's something else now - that my IBS isn't actually IBS but you know what I mean, I"m too scared to even say it.

I've had non stop IBS for 8 months now, with little normal poop in between, sometimes, I get all the bristol stool chart in one poop!

For me it's worse in the morning, I ALWAYS wake up with gas, pain - like period cramps (for the woman) and then an urgency that I need to go - it's normally a number 5 on the bristol stool chart, followed by a 6 then maybe back to a 1.

Anyone else relate?

I'm so tired of this - diet doesn't help, I've tried everything, now my motto is f$c% it, nothing works, so I just eat what I what, however not PASTA!

I should give up coffee and other than that I eat a pretty healthy diet, green smoothie every morning, toast or oats, salad for breakfast and fish and salad for dinner  - the occasional fatty food but I'm a good eater, always have been - stress and having an anxiety disorder are my two worst accomplices.

Anyway sorry this is really long, I'm just tired of having IBS, looking forward in a scared way to the CT - at least I'll know what it is or not and then can move forward without freaking out all the time, or freak out more but move forward.

x THanks for listening, love to hear your experience with CT and/or IBS

2

Hi Kinder145101

snap!

I was told 9 months ago it was IBS, I thoight really but ran with it. Now I suffer bad constipation, blood in stool, indigestion and such bad gas.

I have altered my diet to, I noticed just eating White meat and fish my stomach settled and only had red meat once a week, I.e steak or bacon sandwich it's actually tough cause we actually eat a lot red meat when you think of, lasagne etc.

But it's now got so bad but I've lost a lot of weight, I will be doing that lovely stuff to get ready for my colonoscopy on the 8th June.

All I can say is hang in there, and your so not alone this test how ever odd it will be will give that finally ans no guess work!

Have you had your bloods taken yet?

Be good to see what you blood count is & iron level also liver function mine came back today.

My iron is not right which shows a sign of a bleed somewhere, they are telling me two things IBS or Celiac Disease.

I hope you get the results you need to get better, and if ever you feel fed up or need chat we are all here to lean on!

Good luck

Zara x

3

Hi Zara, thank you for replying.

I've done stool test for blood - clear

parasite test - showed I had blastocystis

CRP test  - clear

Calproctactin test - clear

Iron, Liver, kidney, wbc count, everything FBC - all came back in the right range. 

So next step CT colonoscopy - I don't want a proper colonsocopy and my dr said I wouldn't get one due to not bleeding so hopefully this is just as good, I"m just over it - I want normal poooooop!!!!!

4

HI kinder,

Your symptoms sound nothing more then ibs to me. There isn't anything alarming there so don't stress at all. Poop is also almost never normal with ibs and as I said it doesn't look like there is anything there to worry about.

I have not had a ct scan but had a barium meal on two occasions before to look at esophagus and it is nothing to worry about . The most it will cause you is a bit of constipation and white stools for a few days . You can always take a mild laxative afterwards if you want. The side effects you are talking about are extremely rare and docs can take care of side effects that arise so relax. You'll be absolutely fine.

Have a good evening.

5

have you tried leaving of the smoothie , the oats and the salad 

these can cause problems in some people lettuce is totaly indigestable 

in fact if you give to much to rabbits you kill them with direeh . 

i have fibro and i can tmanage salad at all and i love it , oats rip thru me to and as for smoothies if you purifi veg its going to go through the same way it went in . 

trying leaving them of for a while,

and give your liver a gentle detox by getting bottled still water , poor in to a 2 pint fridge jug slice and peel half a cucumber into it and drink as much as you can

.my stools are normal now after months of problems worth a try .it cant hurt .   and just to say i can eat a mac donalds no problem but give me a salad and i am in agoney get constipated windy then direeh .

 

6

Hi,

I've done a colonoscopy 5 years ago... the prep is not too bad as long as you're at home - close to the toilet. The colonocopy itself - I didn't feel a thing - I was asleep. They did not find anything through it though. Good and bad at the same time. Good luck.

7

Hiya,

Have you been tested for bile acid malabsorption with a sehcat test? (BAM for short). It is a common condition in as many as 1 in 3 ibs-d sufferers & can be treated with simple prescription medication. I have had colitis(under control presently) for over 2.5yrs, have ibs-d, & recently been diagnosed with BAM & fructose malabsorption. I have been put on questran for the BAM, & in 3wks it has made a remarkable difference. My stools are more formed 80% of time, & my chronic stomach pain is now absent 80% of the time, & my stomach no longer sounds like the amazon rain forest! The sehcat test involves taking a safe mildly radioactive tracer capsule that mimics bile acid. You then get scanned & go back 1wk later & get scanned again. From this they can tell if too much "free bile acid" is leaving your body via your colon which causes the same symptoms as ibs-d. I had this done at my local hospital through my gastroenterologist on nhs. It really is worth asking about. diet wise, I keep off all fruit & veg for now as it seems to cause diarrea & it comes out of me looking like it went in! (undigested). I am waiting for a dietician appt to help me with a combined ibs-d/fructose free diet. good luck, hope this helps.

8

CT colonography is "colonoscopy light" really; it's less invasive. The major reason for performing CT colonography is to screen for polyps in the large intestine. As IBS is mostly in the small intestine it sounds like your doctor may suspect something other than IBS.

Mind you, your diet doesn't seem to be aimed at stopping IBS. If pasta affects you badly then you shouldn't be eating toast - that is if it's wheat, rye or barley-based. Too much coffee is also bad, as is milk and quite a number of fruits and vegetables, especially onion and garlic. Google Monash University Low Fodmap to see what foods are recommended for IBS sufferers. That said, we are all different and you may be able to eat some of those foods fine (I have no problems with pasta it seems) and some "OK" foods that you can't handle (anything made with cornflour in my case).

9

I am waiting for colonoscopy date having had diarohea for 9 weeks, no one seems to care drs, and when i asked for a ct scan first i was refused said i have to have colonoscopy and heard bad things that they are painful  so all a worry and the prep is bad as well  obviously worried as the dr told me to assume it is cancer which is pretty scary too wondering how long i have left

10

Ow bless you, it's one of those subjects people don't really talk about. Until you have a problem, I literally talk constantly about it now with everyone because what is normal? Normal for you is different to the person next to you.

That is frustrating your not going to be given a full colonoscopy, as much as thought of it being uncomfortable the results you can get...could be so rewarding not to suffer anymore & to have correct treatement and care plan in place.

My colonoscopy is Tuesday, I start the food adjusments Sunday morning. I'm literally went veg mad this week as my GP confirmed last week bowel obstruction & bad swelling.

So constipated!!! I've taken my Laxido and been able to go but I'm just constipated and producing loose stools. So it's obviously its passing the hard stool that's there.

I literally am nervous to death with the procedure actually the sedation!

But I keep saying in August when they tell me it will be worth it, someone told me today if you can give birth you can do this best way to think of it. Which made me feel a bit strong & positive.

So sorry I haven't been around to write back, I've had teeth infections & all sorts.

How are you doing this week??

X

11

Same here every morning I am also waiting for a CT scan .good luck to you xx

12

Hi Kinder,

Everything you've said, the painful cramps in the morning, the loose stools, the stressy personality, the incompatibility with pasta,... It's an exact reflection of my own current situation. My own colonoscopy is only a few weeks away.

I know that I'm a bit late to this party, but could you please give us an update on what's going on with you these days? What did the colonoscopy reveal? Have you seen any progress or have you found any good coping mechanisms?

Thank you and best regards

13

I feel you I smoke weed to get rid of the pain but the worst are the mornings always wake up at around 5 am with horrible cramps n i get this morning sickness like i wanna vomit sometimes i do and somtimes it comes take me by surprise and the pain is just unbearable specially in public im just tired i dontwanna keep waking up w horrible pains every morning for the rest of my life yeah weed helps but it doesnt make it go away

14

Would love to know how some of test and procedure went? Pray all is well. 

I currently have symptoms similar to all and IBS. Now my child has started to experience as well. Very alarming and depressing. Praying answer are route to healing. 

Thanks in advance to any replys. 

15

This sounds exactly like what I've been goin thru for the past yr. Right down to the time. 5am every morning. Im getting so tired of this. Have you found any relief?

16

Every single morning I'm in absoulte agony. It really makes me dred getting up in the morning. Sometimes I pray to my guardian angel, which DOES work.

17

Hi! I can see myself with you, I've been there. I get so tired of everything and eat what I want, still the loser at the end. Have you tried the low fodmap diet? I"m doing that now, a bit of work with all the journaling and notes but some days I get no signs and some days are bad. 

18

Hi Chris! I’m going through something similar. Have your symptoms improved at all? What are you doing to cope?

Thanks!

Rebecca 

19

Hi Emma- I wake up with a fast heartbeat and diarrhea every morning followed by dry mouth and nausea most of the day. I’d like to think it was a stomach bug that’s just lingering because it all started the same time

My kids got the stomach flu but it’s been 10 days with little to no improvement. Does this sound anything like what you’ve been experiencing? 

20

Hi. I know this thread and question is a bit old and I hope you are able to see my response. But the symptoms that you are describing related to your digestive issues sound a lot like what i am suffering from which is endometriosis. Endometriosis is a full body disease where it starts to attack the uterus and then jumps to your bladder, ovaries, intestines, and other organs. Ask your doctor about bowel endometriosis. Unfortunately, with this disease it can’t be seen on CT, ultrasounds, and even MRI unless the damage is extreme. The only way to see the disease is through a laparoscopic surgery. Endometriosis is an invisible illness. I hope with this information and help you on your journey to find some relief.