I'm sitting up after another sleepless night in pain thinking about how I probably have an IBD. I've always had a sensitive stomach (suspected IBS) but flare ups never lasted more than a day or two. Then over Christmas I had bad diarrhea. It started in the middle of the night and I had nonstop diarrhea for 3 days.

After that cleared up I was back to relatively normal, but still had diarrhea a couple times a week. Then I started feeling bloated and crampy all the time. I went to the doctor and she said it might be GERD. I started taking a PPI but it actually seemed to make the gas worse so I stopped. I actually felt constipated so I ate a salad to get things going again. It worked too well and I had diarrhea. Since then I have not had one normal bowel movement. As soon as I'm fully awake (which is earlier than I want with the insomnia) I have to go to the bathroom and have a loose, pale, smelly BM. Even though they're small loose stools it hurts to pass. I have a constant cramp in my lower left abdomen that won't go away, and the "urge" feeling all day, as well as farting and burping all the time (and the farts smell!) Other days I'm constipated in the morning but then have diarrhea later. When I have to go it's very urgent.

Everything I eat makes me gassy and worsens the cramping, so I'm down to eating just toast, plain rice, boiled chicken, etc. I've been on this diet for over 2 weeks and I've lost almost 10 pounds. This is also incredibly demoralizing since I love to cook and going out to eat with friends was one of my main activities on the weekend.

I got blood work done and I'm still waiting on some results but I think I might be anemic because the doctor ordered additional iron tests.

I keep doing research and all my symptoms seem to point to an IBD. Probably Crohn's not UC since I haven't seen any blood. I have some other possible Crohn's signs too like itchy bumps on my skin. I can't stop thinking about how I'll never be able to eat normally again, will have to quit my job, spend all my time in the hospital, etc. I live alone and don't have anyone to take care of me if that happens.

I got a referral to a GI doctor but their first available appointment is 4 weeks away I'm in pain and freaking out. I'm starting a new job in a few weeks and I don't know how I'm going to deal with it if I'm always sick.