Anyone with IBS?

[Turkish Delight]

Hi,

I have severe bloating and cramping where my tummy would expand to looking like 9 months pregnant all of a sudden. I have been diagnosed with IBS a few years ago after a colonoscopy and also discovered myself that i have become lactose intolerant after having Devrim.

The bloating and cramps have started to flare up again and right now i sit here in agony, the crampiness is unbelievable having had no dairy foods at all today.

Just wondering what your IBS symptoms are like.

[briggsy's girl]

i go from one extreme to the other - either i can't go to the loo, or i'm running there flat out. the cramping is horrific, bloating really ordinary. i also get nauseous regularly, which one dr said is related to the IBS.

i find certain foods trigger the symptoms - and if i've been having trouble going to the loo for a day or three, i'll deliberately eat the trigger foods to help me out!

it's bloody uncomfortable, and i HATE it - but i've learnt to live with it

[Turkish Delight]

Hey BG,

I am always clogged IYKWIM. I don't have any foods which cause the opposite. I eat grains, fruit, drink at least 1.5l of water per day, exercise and still no action in my bowels (TMI).

I hate it too. I stay off the dairy as i know it triggers it but on days when i have no dairy and am bloated with cramps, i wonder what else causes it. Emotions can trigger mine too. Can't be too happy or sad as i start bloating!

i just wish i could let the gas out from back there IYKNWIM BUT I CAN'T

[briggsy's girl]

yeah i know what you mean. i think a lot of mine is from the meds i'm on for the PCOS - i have to take a diabetes medication that sends me running to the loo. it's horrible!!

i would increase your water intake - try and double it if you can...

[Beatrix]

I have IBS as well

I find it more affects me more as im running to the toilet constantly..
I feel so sick at times, hot flusehes and cold shakes plus nausea when i have a bad day.

Dairy is def my trigger as well

[Tish]

Hi! I have IBS too, and I'm always clogged.

I've found I have been heaps better since I've been drinking 3-4 litres a day (this sounds like a lot, but goes quickly if you sip all day), and doing at least a little exercise most days. Enough to make me sweat.

I HATE metamucil because of the bloating it causes me. Have you tried normacol?

Something I had found really helpful was a big strong cup of coffee first thing in the morning. I think because it's a stimulant it gets the muscles moving....

I don't know what my triggers are. Seems like even when I'm behaving I'll have really bad days.

I was on prepulsid for a while which was wonderful and seemed to help a lot, until they discovered it causes heart attack!!! Doh!

[Turkish Delight]

I have an appt with a bowel specialist this morning. I can't wait to see her.

I was thinking about when was the last time i went to loo and i can't remember! I was thinking at least last week sometime, i guess.

Normacol, never heard of it. I shall ask about it as well as the strong cup of coffee. Anything to get me regular but drinking 3-4 litres of water per day...i'd be struggling there!

[Turkish Delight]

Went to the specialist who says its normal for women our age (i'm 31) to get chronic constipation, Plus having 2 c/s's didn't help either as the incisions can tighten the bowels at that particular spot making it harder for the stools to move through. Great!

She wants me to have an u/s as well as xray to determine how much poop (TMI) i have in there which i'll be having done today and then gave me some picoprep solution to empty me out fully over the weekend. Honestly can't wait. I am so full of sh*t (no pun intended )

She is also getting me to have some bloods done to fully determine if i am lactose intolerant and suspects that i might be coeliac too. She gave me some IBS Support tablets which controls IBS and helps with regularity. May be give this a go?