'IBS' pain - has anyone else got similar symptoms?

Hi all, unfortunately I can feel myself going down the rabbit hole which ruined my life for 6 months a few years ago.

I know I had a glut of tests a few years ago which didn't find anything, but I never really felt I had an answer to this particular symptom.

I had loads of these flare ups before my sigmoidoscopy a few years ago and then they stopped when I wasn't diagnosed with anything nasty. However I had one flare up in May, and another one this week.

It basically starts off with a very bloated painful abdomen, feels like I'm full of wind. The pain is more concentrated on the right hand side and below my ribs, and is pretty consistent for 3 or 4 days - going to the toilet doesn't change it - maybe a slight, short term relief perhaps. Bowel movements are pretty much as usual. Clothes feel quite tight on me, and movement like bending over or moving from side to side in bed for example is painful. The most worrying symptom is that the middle to right side of my abdomen, feels really tender when I press in - feels bruised.

Now, I don't know what to do anymore. The docs will probably just tell me its IBS again, but this doesn't sound like anything I read online about IBS - especially the constant pain. IBS pain usually relieves itself after going to the toilet, this doesn't.

I've tried paracetemol, mebeverine, buscopan, peppermint capsules, Nothing helps when I get these flare ups.

I'm starting to think about Crohns, Diverticular disease because there are no other organs in that area. Except for maybe my appendix, but it's unlikely to be that.

It doesn't always relieve the pain after you've been to the toilet Have you tried anything recommended for trapped wind? I think I've used something called Windeze before.

Have you been having more artificial sweeteners than before?

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Originally Posted by Catkins

It doesn't always relieve the pain after you've been to the toilet Have you tried anything recommended for trapped wind? I think I've used something called Windeze before.

Have you been having more artificial sweeteners than before?

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No, don't think so. But I don't know if it is trapped wind either. I just feel all bloated, sore and uncomfortable - plus the pain when I apply pressure on the right side of my abdomen/stomach. Trapped wind wouldn't last 3/4 days either would it? Not with bowel movements.

Try Deflatine which contains simeticone for bloating? have a look at your diet and go easy on gas-producing foods. I think you said that you're a veggie? Fibre and cruciferous veg are lethal for gas as is bran and wholemeal stuff.

I take it that you have already diagnosed yourself with more alarming conditions other than textbook IBS? Owing to the inverted commas in the title? Sorry but to me it sounds very much like what I've had for many years (I have diagnosed IBS). I know that won't reassure or satisfy your HA at all though.

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Originally Posted by pulisa

Try Deflatine which contains simeticone for bloating? have a look at your diet and go easy on gas-producing foods. I think you said that you're a veggie? Fibre and cruciferous veg are lethal for gas as is bran and wholemeal stuff.

I take it that you have already diagnosed yourself with more alarming conditions other than textbook IBS? Owing to the inverted commas in the title? Sorry but to me it sounds very much like what I've had for many years (I have diagnosed IBS). I know that won't reassure or satisfy your HA at all though.

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Thanks for the reply Pulisa, I know you think I'm like a stuck record.

Is deflatine made by Rennie?? I think I've tried that already a few years ago.

Yes I am veggie, and wary that a lot of plant based foods, along with lots of fibre can be bad for IBS gas.

Not diagnosed myself with anything really, but I am just concerned about these flare-ups, especially when they seem to appear out of the blue.

Great, so I joined an IBS forum hoping to get some more advice and help, and the second comment I had was someone suggesting I maybe have 'Hypochlorhydria' (low stomach acid). Don't know why I bothered, it's just made me worry more now.

You'll always get suggestions from people on forums though. They aren't doctors, just people who are very "invested" in their conditions who will research the living daylights out of their issue.

You've had the tests and worried yourself into the ground before. I know how hard this must be after what happened to your Dad and go and see your GP if you really can't get past this discomfort but the best thing would be to try and reduce your anxiety over this and see if it reduces the symptoms. Try and put it to the back of your mind and keep busy?

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Originally Posted by pulisa

You'll always get suggestions from people on forums though. They aren't doctors, just people who are very "invested" in their conditions who will research the living daylights out of their issue.

You've had the tests and worried yourself into the ground before. I know how hard this must be after what happened to your Dad and go and see your GP if you really can't get past this discomfort but the best thing would be to try and reduce your anxiety over this and see if it reduces the symptoms. Try and put it to the back of your mind and keep busy?

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The flare up passed on Wednesday after 3/4 days. But I just want to know what causes them because they're incredibly uncomfortable, and doesn't make any sense.

Caved in and went to a docs appt this morning, my dad would be turning in his grave at the thought if me going through this again.

Unfortunately I saw a doc who I'd never met before, and I had to explain my history all over again. He didn't really provide any help regarding my IBS and my stomach flare ups and printed off an IBS leaflet as well as prescribing me more mebeverine.

The IBS forum is making my anxiety about this worse. Someone just said to keep on looking for answers because she had trapped gas pain which was actually a blocked artery, and someone else just started lecturing me on leaky gut (because I'm veggie) which can cause serious issues like Crohns and cancers.

Really concerned, I've gone back to googling, and been reading that a lot of crohns disease starts in the Ileum, where the small intestine meets the large intestine and can go undiagnosed for years. The ileum area is where the pain is most localised when I get these flare ups.

I'm going to have to go through a dreaded colonoscopy to confirm this..... :-(