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IBS
Anyone have it? I was just diagnosed... I basically haven't eaten much of anything for the past month. Anytime I eat, my stomach hurts. I get lots of abdominal pain, cramping, fatigued... I feel horrible all of the time. I'm really hungry, and every time I eat, I feel worse.
I finally saw a gastroenterologist (after my PCP basically told me to stop wasting her time, it's just a little gastritis, take some Nexium and get out of my office. i am switching PCPs after that nonsense) and he said it's most likely IBS. I feel like that's his way of saying "we have no idea what's wrong with you, so we're just going to call it IBS."
He wants me to get a sonogram (to rule out gallstones), a blood test (to rule out Celiac disease and others), and an endoscopy (to rule out Crohn's disease and ulcers). But if it is just IBS... is there anything you can do for relief? I'm at the point now where I'm so bloated that none of my pants fit anymore... I thought that I was just gaining weight at first so I started exercising. Now I'm so weak that I can't even jog. If I'm sitting down to eat, I have to unbutton my pants. It's so embarrassing.
Re: IBS
I was diagnosed with it a few years ago and I'm back to normal now. It's kind of a catch all diagnosis when doctor's don't really know what's wrong with you but most of your symptoms involve your digestive system. It's a syndrome whose "cure" or ways to manage symptoms varies from person to person.
Once you get back your test results and hopefully they are all negative or even before then I would suggest that you eliminate the seven major allergens and sugar from your diet. Even if blood tests or skin prick tests show you don't have a true allergy these foods they may give still give you problems. For me dairy constipates me and makes me congested but I'm not allergic to it. Too much refined flour and sugar makes it difficult for me to sleep and gives me a sore throat.
Your doctor's will probably not suggest eliminating certain foods. Most people who learn that medications like Nexium and certain foods make their problems worse hear about it through friends and family. Check out this article from the New York Times: http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/more-on-milk/?ref=markbittman
I would also suggest that you stay away from salads and eat mostly cooked foods. Salads are hard to digest. Also minimize they amount of processed food that you eat. I didn't realize how much it bothered my stomach until I didn't eat out for a month. When I started eating out again I didn't sleep well and when I woke up my stomach was still digesting. I feel better now and only eat out a few times a week now.
I hope you find out whats bothering you and that you feel better soon.
I know it stinks because it's a time-commitment and costs a ton, but I would definitely follow through on ruling out those other conditions with your doctor.
I was hit with two of the things you mentioned. I had both gall stones and IBS, so I can definitely empathize with what you're going through. IBS is kind of a "catch-all" as pp mentioned, so everyone has different triggers, and individuals may present different symptoms. I have had to make dietary changes, take meds, and add fiber supplements. Other things like sleep schedules, stress hormonal balance, and exercise can affect symptoms as well, so it's kind of all about moving the pieces and finding the right balance for you. It takes some experimentation to figure it all out and gain some normalcy. There are cookbooks and guidebooks that can help you navigate some of those things. I liked this book:
http://www.amazon.com/First-Year-Irritable-Essential-Diagnosed/dp/1569245479/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1343763245&sr=1-3&keywords=IBS
I am feeling a lot better now that I have a handle on a lot of triggers, but there are still times when stress causes a flare-up or I inadvertently eat one of the foods that are on my "do not consume list." I assure you, you're not alone in your frustration. Hang in there!
My endoscopy is in 2 weeks... and I had blood work done yesterday. I'm still iffy about doing the sonogram, because I really don't think it's my gallbladder. It's not sensitive to touch at all, I'm not overweight, and I've never had kids.
Because my diet has been so unbelievably bland lately (basically nothing but rice since July 4th. Occasionally I can manage yogurt or eggs, but not much else), a friend of mine suggested adding Ensure once a day. Today will be my 3rd day on Ensure, and I actually feel a bit better. It helps that this week I'm not filling in for 2 people at work. All week last week I had to be at work by 4am and some days worked until 6pm or 7pm.