Is this IBS ?

[LittleMissPanicky]

Hi there, I am new to this forum although I have used the health anxiety forum.

After 5 weeks of hell worrying that i have some terrible bowel disease,I had convinced myself I had the big "C" , but i am still worrying. I have had a barium enema, sigmoidoscopy and blood tests all of which have come back fine. Despite this i am still constantly worried that something is wrong as I have very loose stools and sometimes diarrohea. This is usually in the mornings, I find i can go to the loo up to 4 times. I get a bit of bloating , but not painfull. Even though my doctor has reassured me I still feel extremley anxious as they have never given me a confirmed diagnosis of ibs, which many people seem to have had.
I am trying to tell myself that this is anxiety related ibs and was wondering if anybody could give me any advice or their own experiences of this as I am finding things really hard at the moment ? xxxx

[Princess Sparkle]

Hi there!

I've been suffering a bit recently too with what I think might be IBS. I've had bouts of constipation and diarrhoea. And when I've had diarrhoea, it's mostly been in the mornings and then got better later in the day. I went to see my doctor today and they said my symptoms did sound like IBS. There's a great article on IBS in the No More Panic articles section - I managed to check off just about every symptom! Have a look and see what you think.

If you've had tests done already and they've all come back negative, then there's most likely nothing wrong. IBS is connected with anxiety and stress (my doctor seems to think stress has contributed to my condition), so any worrying you do will probably make it worse. And that will make you worry more (I know, I've been there - about this and other medical problems!).

My advice would be to go back to see your doctor. Be firm and ask them to confirm that all your tests were fine. Once you've got the all-clear on the tests, ask them to confirm that what you're suffering from is IBS (I believe it is possible to give a diagnosis of IBS once other possibilities have been ruled out). Then ask what you can do to help relieve your symptoms. There are things that can help IBS ad the doctor should be able to advise you on the best thing for you.

Don't be afraid to ask your doctor to clearly state what he/she believes is wrong with you. If you don't understand something, or if something isn't clear, just ask. It doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about now that your tests have come back all clear, but you need some reassurance to put your mind at rest and your doctor should be able to give this to you. Just be firm with them!

Once you stop worrying, you may even find that your symptoms improve all by themselves!

I hope this helps. I'm new here and I am in no way qualified to give medical advice, but I have had similar worries lately, so I can totally relate to what you're going through.

I wish you all the best and hope your symptoms clear up soon!

[macc noodle]

If you have had all these investigations and they are clear, it would more than likely point to a diagnosis of IBS.

There is a clear link between anxiety/stress and IBS - which sadly makes it a vicious circle for sufferers.

The worst thing I can do to irritate mine is not to eat regularly - you know how some people skip lunch if they are going out for dinner in the evenings? Well, if I do that I suffer for the next few days .................. I am sure lots of other people could tell you other triggers for theirs.

Anyway, hon, you do really need to go back to the GP and ask if their diagnosis is IBS and to see if they can offer any advice or support to help you deal with it.