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Thread: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    2,446

    Re: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

    I just found this great old thread. It has been very helpful to me at the moment.

    The past few weeks I have been really struggling with what I think is my IBS flaring up again. I usually can cope pretty much ok with my mental anxiety symptoms these days, but I find that what scares me far more lately is the physical stuff, especially the gastric/bowel stuff I have going on lately.

    My IBS used to be very simple to identify. Always the same thing - lower, far left side, nagging abdo pain. I could feel my colon spasming like mad. It would pass in days with a bit of buscopan, and I would go months or years without another flare up. The past few years though, my IBS has changed and worsened greatly. I have a mix of GERD symptoms as well now, and the pain is anywhere from around my tummy buttton right up to underneath my ribs......but always on the left side, never on the right at all. The pain can be stabbing, burning or just aching. I have been swinging between soft, frequent stools and constipation. Buscopan hardly helps at all now, and I get just marginal relief from Mebeverine and peppermint tea. The only thing that has helped me more than that is Fybogel with every meal.

    I have been feeling pretty deflated and down lately with this physical stuff. I feel let down by my body, just when my mental state is pretty stable. The trouble is that the worry I have when I have this physical stuff then stirs up my anxiety again. I have been battling to keep a lid on my panic symptoms since I have been feeling unwell.

    This excellent thread though has helped settle my brain a bit. I try to be rational when it comes to physical stuff, but this time I am struggling, so thank you for this.x

  2. #32

    Re: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

    Quote Originally Posted by Dahlia View Post
    As there have been quite a few posts recently from people who are having a horrid time with IBS and feeling very anxious about it, I thought it might be useful to post a few pertinent excerpts from a book I have.

    The book is called 'Overcoming Irritable Bowel Syndrome' by Jonathan M. Berkowitz M.D. You can buy the book from Amazon and it has a wealth of information, both in terms of explaining why your body feels as it does and ways to overcome it. I haven't gone into huge amounts of detail here, due to copyright, but perhaps it will lead you to reading the book.

    Obviously we have a fantastic fact page on IBS already on the site, so I am writing about specific concerns members have had recently.


    - At least 20% of the population have IBS and it is the second most frequent reason for missing work (in the US).

    - There are 4 types: Abdominal Pain-Predominant, diarrhoea-predominant, constipation-predominant, and constipation/diarrhoea pre-dominant.

    - Symptoms tend to undergo a period of remission and exacerbation, often in response to predicatable factors such as stress/anxiety or a known irritant (e.g. wheat).

    - 25-50% of people with IBS experience nausea and heartburn as symptoms. Indigestion and acid reflux are also common.

    - Many people with IBS also experience urinary problems.

    - People with IBS have been shown to have lower thresholds for bowel pain, which could relate to how the brain processes information about activity in the bowel.

    - Abdominal pain is nearly always present and can range from mild to severe. It may be partially or completely resolved by defecation, only to come back later in the day. Bloating may also accompany the pain.

    - Abdominal pain is sometimes caused by eating, and relieved by going to the loo.

    - Pain can be dull, crampy and widespread, but also sharp and knifelike. It is not uncommon to have pain in multiple sites of the abdomen. It may radiate to the lower back.

    - The lower abdomen is often affected in terms of pain, esp. the left side.

    - Some people experience pain in the upper left abdomen or quadrant, which they may also feel in their chest. This is caused by gas and known as 'Splenic flexure syndrome'. The splenic flexure is part of the colon near the spleen and gas accumuates there as it sits high in the abdomen.

    - One trick to relieve pain in the upper left quadrant is to lie flat on your back and rasie your buttocks so they are higher than your abdomen. This way the gas rises naturally and travels to the rectum.

    - The bowel is hugely responsive to emotional and psychological factors. IBS can be a learned condition to stress, with the intestines becoming sensitised. This is why CBT and hynotherapy can help ease IBS.

    - The rapid bowel transit in some people with IBS decreases the time the body has to absorb gas, leaving more gas in the bowel (and more smelly!).

    - Another source of gas comes from swallowing air. Known as aerophagia, this mechanism plays a more significant role in people with anxiety, who tend to swallow more air. Hyperventilation is another factor in increased gas.

    - People with IBS suffer bloating, or the perception of bloating, often as they are 'gassy'.

    - Many people also pass small amount of stool, with whitish or clear mucus.

    - Constipation is one of the most common medical complaints, amongst the general population. IBS patients tend to have constipation for days or weeks, followed by a bout of diarrhoea. Most cases are caused by inadequate fibre intake.

    - For more than 90% of people, there is no identifiable reason for their constipation, and most of these will respond to increased fibre and water and taking exercise.

    - Constipated stoods are 'ribbon-like', 'pencil-thin', hard, or marble like. There will be a feeling of incompletion.

    - The longer the constipation goes on for, the more abdominal pain you will experience.

    - Most people feel the urge to defecate after breakfast and other meals.

    - IBS patients with diarrhoea will often need to defecate urgently after eating, often lots of gas is passed too.

    - It is unclear whether fibre works well for IBS-diarrhoea. For a minority of people it slows down the gut, but for many it exacerbates the problem. There are howevere different types of fibre - soluble vs. insoluble.

    - The Brain-Gut model shows that many people with IBS have autonomic nervous system dysfunction similar to those found in people with anxiety and depression. These systems stimulate each other, creating a vicious cycle of IBS, anxiety, and depression.

    - Oestrogen and hormones can impact on IBS symptoms, as can periods.

    - The pathways that control the bowels are also related to psychological disturbances - leading to a learned response.

    - One study showed that 77% of people surveyed had a psychiatric disorder just before or coinciding with their first IBS episode. It has been observed that IBS patients tend to have more concerns about their health (e.g. think they have cancer). These concerns have a dramatic effect on IBS symptoms and the likelihood of a poor treatment outcome.

    - However, it is not fair to say that IBS is purely psychological. IBS can initially start up after an infection, such as food poisoning or a virus.

    - Food allergies and intolerances can be partly to blame, in around 16-33% of cases. The most common offenders are alcohol, milk, eggs, caffeine, wheat, sorbitol, fatty foods, corn, sulfites and gas producing veg such as broccoli, sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, onions. Smoking is also a culprit.

    - The only way to ascertain intolerances is to eliminate foods, keep a diary of what you eat and the symptoms, and reintroduce foods slowly one by one to see what happens.

    - If you identify a culprit food, do not be surprised that you experience IBS symptoms if you continue to eat it.

    - It's worth bearing in mind that some foods are blamed, but are not necessarily the culprit. When patients are told they have unwittingly eaten a food they believe they are intolerant to, they consequently show symptoms of IBS - despite not having been given the food in reality.

    - Certain vitmains and minerals, such as folic acid, Vitamin A, calcium, zinc, vitamin c, probiotics can all potentially help.

    - Acupuncture, CBT, Biofeedback and hypnotherapy have been shown to be very good for IBS. Exercise is also very important.

    - Prescription meds can also help.
    I'd been suffering from inflammatory bowel conditions for a long time. It's radical. The symptoms are occasionally persistent. There is diarrhea and abdominal pain or constipation and bloating.
    I could not commit to anything too far in advance or anything that was often occurring. My life was significantly changed by it and I'm glad that I was able to defeat it using the Holistic Gastroenterology Method.
    Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a functional bowel disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract defined by recurrent abdominal pain and distress accompanied by alterations in bowel function, diarrhea, constipation or a combination of both, typically over months or years.

  3. #33

    Re: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

    I've recently come off anti depressants and am having a problem with bad ibs symptoms, very painful spasms, nausea and constipation. I've seen 4 doctors, had 2 examinations and a sigmoidoscopy, a few weeks back (for another reason), which was ok. I've been prescribed a number of medications over the last three weeks but still struggling with the pain. Is this a usual side effect? I've had the flu like symptoms, which have passed and I also have insomnia! These conditions exacerbate my anxiety and I'm exhausted. I'm determined to do this as the anti depressants have made my anxiety so bad it's affecting every area of my life. Thanks in advance
    Linda
    Last edited by Linda Todd; 18-08-15 at 14:42. Reason: missed out a couple of important adjectives..

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    94

    Re: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

    just to add to the symptoms you get pain in the lower right quadrant of your abdoman docters call it lower illiac fossit meaning lower right abdoman

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
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    1,000

    Re: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

    Hello,
    Thank you for this thread. I agree I too find a link between emotional upset and IBS symptoms, but I think it is crucial to mention food intolerances as you have done. I have posted before on NMP that for me, resolving IBS turned out to be mainly about food intolerances. I hadn't realized that these can suddenly develop when they have never been present before in a person, but they can. After getting breakthrough attacks after a long while on a strong prescription acid blocker (Nexium), which were only partially alleviated by buscopan, I was put on an elimination diet. This is the best way to learn which foods, if any, could be the culprit. For 28 days I didn't eat: dairy; gluten (allowed oats, rice, and quinoa); corn in any form; sugar (can cause heartburn); ditto alcohol; caffeine; and soy in any form. Shellfish, eggs and peanuts are also to be avoided as these are very common allergens.

    This diet entails cutting out almost all processed foods, as a thorough check of ingredients will contain soy bean/oil/lecithin/isolate or other form, corn starch/syrup/flour etc., wheat in some form or other gluten (barley for example), and, of course sugar! A few of the organic or natural bottled sauces and dressings may be all right, but mostly it will be a diet of whole foods, cooked from scratch. Fresh lean meats, and fish are encouraged, cooked from scratch with fresh herbs and simple spices (no MSG), lots of fresh vegetables and fruits as well, but my doctor had us avoid white potatoes. No sodas, no coffee, limited green teas allowed though.

    And yes, I survived, lol! Within a week I was doing much better. She had also ordered me to stop taking my prescription acid blocker and all over the counter antacids, and instructed me to use organic raw apple cider vinegar. I found a "recipe" online of a palatable way to take it with baking soda and honey or agave syrup, and took it after meals, two "doses" if necessary. (1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar, 2 teaspoons agave syrup, stir, add cold water to cover, dash in 1/4 teaspoon or so of baking soda, stirring briskly. Drink while still fizzing.) I was allowed my buscopan only if absolutely necessary, but it wasn't needed. Taking the fizzes and then "walking it off" relieved my gas every time!

    After the 28 days I added in the eliminated foods one at a time at least 3 days apart and learned absolutely that soy and dairy were the root cause of my IBS! The stronger the influence of soy (eg tofu, miso soup) and dairy (cheddar cheese and ice cream), the harsher the symptoms, particularly stomach distress, clenching stabbing pain and diarrhea. Excess fats and spices, tomatoes, or citrus juices will often provoke intense heartburn and acid reflux. Wheat and other gluten bring on constipation, headaches and symptoms like brain fog.

    I am able to eat eggs in relative moderation but the sulphur can be gas-forming. Old-fashioned sourdough bread is made in ways that break down gluten naturally and I will have it a couple of days a week without a problem. I take a strong digestive enzyme formula before eating beans and lentils and don't suffer unreasonably when I eat them. Lots of people don't bother much with eggs or legumes, but being vegetarian I like to include them more often.

    Days when I am having a hard time with my digestion I will have oatmeal with banana, homemade vegetable soup with lots of simple broth, and rice. Most of us can always manage some rice and broth with no trouble. So easily digested, which is why rice is baby's first solid food!

    Thanks for letting me share, rather longwindedly, my success story here. 3 years later, what was a constant cycle of painful constipation and diahrrea and constant acid reflux has been drastically reduced. When i am under a lot of emotional stress, I have also found that by sticking to the simplest of foods I can feed myself without incurring digestion trouble as well. I feel that where IBS symptoms are frequent, an elimination diet is worth a try, as it may reveal physical triggers that can be easily resolved as a starting point, before or while seeking treatment for emotional factors at play.

    Marie
    Last edited by SADnomore; 25-08-15 at 09:19.

  6. #36

    Re: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

    Thanks for posting this. Helpful and has calmed me down some. Truly appreciate it.
    hope everyone is having a good day/night (Australia)

  7. #37

    Nucific Bio X4 and Perfect Biotics

    I find two probiotic supplements Nucific Bio X4 and Perfect Biotics by Probiotic America. My questions if this probiotics combat IBS?

    Details here:

    nucific.net

    probioticamericareviews.com

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Sep 2016
    Posts
    857

    Re: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

    This is great news whn it comes to reasuranceses. I am one of thos not fearing IBS; in fact I hope that is what I have; becuse my stomach has felt abnomral the last months and it is not just my imagination that`s for sure.
    But from what I read here a lot of the symptoms found in IBS are very similar to the "milder" symptoms found in colon cancer and pancreatitis; which is why most of those who fears these two diseases; which I have feared for 3 months now; usually turns out to just have IBS.

  9. #39

    Re: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

    Very helpful thanks I can relate to this a lot

  10. #40
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    106

    Re: For those scared by their IBS Symptoms

    I have recently have burning and gas right between breast. Is this ibs too? I know when I think about it i tend to panic and cant stop dwelling on it. Seems every year my anxiety finds another place to manifest. Last year was shoulders year before arms. Now it goes directly to chest. Thanks for the wonderful information. Glad to find this site. No one here understand .

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