Sounds like an acute flare of IBS. There are several steps you can take to minimize the impact of this condition:
1. Reduce the consumption of greasy food and alcohol, if you drink coffee ,add Cremora to it to decrease the acidity. If you have to drink alcohol, mix it with water or cranberry juice, and never drink it in is pure state. Cut beer from your life.
2. establish a daily routine of abdominal exercise (at least 15 minutes). Lie on your back and lift your legs rythmically at least 60 times per session.
3. Avoid orange juice. Add natural yogurt to your diet.
Good luck.
Fantasma on
Hear my warnings, unbelievers. We have raised altars in this land so that we may sacrifice you to our gods. There is no hope in opposing the inevitable. Put down your arms, unbelievers, and bow before the forces of Chaos!
One thing about Chrohns is that my roomate has it pretty bad and painfully. She regulates it by eating a specific diet and is quite successful with that. Now, I don't have the details on the diet, but you might try just looking up different ones online and trying those diets for a week or two to see if you feel better. It could help.
According to what my doc said, the diet is specific to each person, just have to try your way with different foods and see what works and what doesnt. I have Crohns, and figured out i cant drink regular fanta, everything else is fine, weird stuff i tell you
As others have said, but I'll say in a slightly different way, IBS isn't a disease, it's a catchall termy describing a class of symptoms, and not the cause. For that matter, so is Colitis.
Crohn's is serious. But, it's also testable, and well worth eliminating as a cause.
There's a stupid large number of causes of IBS, up to and including "we have no clue, we've tried everything we know about". The only way to get to the root cause is to get a good specialist (a GI in this case) to work with you. You may have to shop around for a good one, as doctors are hardly infallable, and some are outright flippant and/or negligent.
A colonoscopy really isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Yes, the idea of it is humiliating, but in my experience, the people who perform these procedures do this all the time, and are well aware of how uncomfortable people are in that situation. The procedure's usually done under sedation, which isn't the same thing as general anesthetia, but I promise you, you're unlike to notice or care about the distinction. They'll prep you for the procedure, put you on the table and you'll wake up when they're done. You won't feel, or remember a thing. That being said, the test prep is miserable. The laxitive they perscribe, no matter who makes it, tastes awful - even the stuff that comes with "flavor packets". It's vile.
CT scans aren't painful, mostly tedious. As Jasconius mentioned, they'll probably use a radioactive dye, which you'll drink or they'll give you via IV.
If you've done neither type of test before and you are apprehensive while you are in the lab, ask questions and let the technicians know about your concerns. Keep in mind, this stuff's routine for them, they do it every day. Every time I've engaged a tech in conversation or asked questions, I've usually found them to be quite willing to explain the process and appreciate the interest; that might help put you at-ease.
BTW, IBS is also (along with a long list of other things) an attendant symptom of Fibromyalgia. Which can be an overlooked corner case (since the other symptoms aren't things you'd necessarily dicuss with a GI in the first place). Not relevant unless you have most/all of the other symptoms of Fibro as well though...
I also have been battling this for the past 6 or so years. I even went in, had a colonoscopy, the whole nine yards, and was finally told "it's IBS" and given some prescription that did nothing.
What I did then was write down everything I ate every day for about 2 weeks, and put notes on what days I had these stomach attacks. Eventually I narrowed it down to dairy and rare red meats. I think it would help if you did the same; write down everything you eat for a bit and make notes of what days you're hurting, then go from there.
Also, a million times yes, get a second or even third opinion. Doctors are human too, and sometimes you get stuck with one who thinks you're a hypochondriac and will misdiagnose you (or misdiagnose you on accident).
I feel you though, it really made me not want to ever go out too, because it's no fun being out with friends and then having to rush to find a toilet or to sit there uncomfortably.
The problem is that IBS behaves differently for many people.
I've had it (and been diagnosed) for over 10 years with it.
Basically it comes down to learning your "triggers" which will set it off.
For me they are excessive garlic, waking up too early without enough sleep, and too much coffee.
Since I know the triggers, I can usually avoid it happening. Sometimes it still does, but it's manageable.
My Crohns doesn't seem to have much in the way of specific foods that I have to be careful of - and the amounts/combination of foods that do cause trouble don't always have an obvious pattern. My tolerance for drinking varies quit wildly too. So yeah, clearly everyone has different experiences on this one.
It can be sort of controlled though. I've gone over five years now since my first surgery using just medication and as of about 2 years ago just one med, which is pretty cool. The pre surgery days were pretty horrible though
Sounds like an acute flare of IBS. There are several steps you can take to minimize the impact of this condition:
1. Reduce the consumption of greasy food and alcohol, if you drink coffee ,add Cremora to it to decrease the acidity. If you have to drink alcohol, mix it with water or cranberry juice, and never drink it in is pure state. Cut beer from your life.
2. establish a daily routine of abdominal exercise (at least 15 minutes). Lie on your back and lift your legs rythmically at least 60 times per session.
3. Avoid orange juice. Add natural yogurt to your diet.
Good luck.
I've been having similar problems, and I realize that 1. I have lots of greasy food (commuting uni student), 2. don't exercise much and 3. drinks huge amounts of OJ.
I guess I should get on that. Any tips for replacing OJ and the greasy food I eat at uni? I usually find it difficult to pack food for myself, if not only because of the heavy textbooks that are in my bag.
I've been having similar problems, and I realize that 1. I have lots of greasy food (commuting uni student), 2. don't exercise much and 3. drinks huge amounts of OJ.
I guess I should get on that. Any tips for replacing OJ and the greasy food I eat at uni? I usually find it difficult to pack food for myself, if not only because of the heavy textbooks that are in my bag.
You may replace Orange Juice for Cherry or Apple Juice. Food prepared with Olive oil is good, and you can find light Tuna in olive oil or water at the super market just to give you an example.
Fantasma on
Hear my warnings, unbelievers. We have raised altars in this land so that we may sacrifice you to our gods. There is no hope in opposing the inevitable. Put down your arms, unbelievers, and bow before the forces of Chaos!
Okay so I went to the doctor for the blood test and then for the CT scan. Both came up fine so it's probably not crohns. My iron is fine too. There was however blastocystis hominis. Going to the specialist on thursday, and for now I'm drinking yakult.
Not sure how they get rid of that bug but the symptoms sound familiar. I'll keep this updated.
Intestinal parasites are normally treated with medications such as Metronidazole, Nitazoxanide.
Do not medicate yourself though. After treatment, it is recommended to consume Yogourt to replenish the gut flora.
Fantasma on
Hear my warnings, unbelievers. We have raised altars in this land so that we may sacrifice you to our gods. There is no hope in opposing the inevitable. Put down your arms, unbelievers, and bow before the forces of Chaos!
Went to the specialist. Had the finger up the butt treatment which fucking hurt .
Now I'm on some kind of suppository for a fissure, antibiotics for blastocystis hominis and anti infammatories for pain, yakult, normafibre and uh...that's it I think. Going back in 3 weeks .
He said the fissure might be causing the problems, or the parasite. We'll see.
No, that fucking rocked. Having something known to be wrong with you means that they can begin to fix it, and you will be better.
Having an IBS diagnosis means you will never get better ever. Just handwavy things that may or may not help calm the symptoms, and not solve the cause.
No, that fucking rocked. Having something known to be wrong with you means that they can begin to fix it, and you will be better.
Having an IBS diagnosis means you will never get better ever. Just handwavy things that may or may not help calm the symptoms, and not solve the cause.
He said he wasn't sure it was either of those things. He just said it "may" be, and before shoving a camera up my pooper he'd like to check that :P
Posts
Sounds like an acute flare of IBS. There are several steps you can take to minimize the impact of this condition:
1. Reduce the consumption of greasy food and alcohol, if you drink coffee ,add Cremora to it to decrease the acidity. If you have to drink alcohol, mix it with water or cranberry juice, and never drink it in is pure state. Cut beer from your life.
2. establish a daily routine of abdominal exercise (at least 15 minutes). Lie on your back and lift your legs rythmically at least 60 times per session.
3. Avoid orange juice. Add natural yogurt to your diet.
Good luck.
Edit: She also swears by yogurt and kefir.
Crohn's is serious. But, it's also testable, and well worth eliminating as a cause.
There's a stupid large number of causes of IBS, up to and including "we have no clue, we've tried everything we know about". The only way to get to the root cause is to get a good specialist (a GI in this case) to work with you. You may have to shop around for a good one, as doctors are hardly infallable, and some are outright flippant and/or negligent.
A colonoscopy really isn't as bad as people make it out to be. Yes, the idea of it is humiliating, but in my experience, the people who perform these procedures do this all the time, and are well aware of how uncomfortable people are in that situation. The procedure's usually done under sedation, which isn't the same thing as general anesthetia, but I promise you, you're unlike to notice or care about the distinction. They'll prep you for the procedure, put you on the table and you'll wake up when they're done. You won't feel, or remember a thing. That being said, the test prep is miserable. The laxitive they perscribe, no matter who makes it, tastes awful - even the stuff that comes with "flavor packets". It's vile.
CT scans aren't painful, mostly tedious. As Jasconius mentioned, they'll probably use a radioactive dye, which you'll drink or they'll give you via IV.
If you've done neither type of test before and you are apprehensive while you are in the lab, ask questions and let the technicians know about your concerns. Keep in mind, this stuff's routine for them, they do it every day. Every time I've engaged a tech in conversation or asked questions, I've usually found them to be quite willing to explain the process and appreciate the interest; that might help put you at-ease.
BTW, IBS is also (along with a long list of other things) an attendant symptom of Fibromyalgia. Which can be an overlooked corner case (since the other symptoms aren't things you'd necessarily dicuss with a GI in the first place). Not relevant unless you have most/all of the other symptoms of Fibro as well though...
Just did the cup thing. Now I'm off for a blood test!
The problem is that IBS behaves differently for many people.
I've had it (and been diagnosed) for over 10 years with it.
Basically it comes down to learning your "triggers" which will set it off.
For me they are excessive garlic, waking up too early without enough sleep, and too much coffee.
Since I know the triggers, I can usually avoid it happening. Sometimes it still does, but it's manageable.
It can be sort of controlled though. I've gone over five years now since my first surgery using just medication and as of about 2 years ago just one med, which is pretty cool. The pre surgery days were pretty horrible though
I've been having similar problems, and I realize that 1. I have lots of greasy food (commuting uni student), 2. don't exercise much and 3. drinks huge amounts of OJ.
I guess I should get on that. Any tips for replacing OJ and the greasy food I eat at uni? I usually find it difficult to pack food for myself, if not only because of the heavy textbooks that are in my bag.
Steam: CavilatRest
You may replace Orange Juice for Cherry or Apple Juice. Food prepared with Olive oil is good, and you can find light Tuna in olive oil or water at the super market just to give you an example.
Currently painting: Slowly [flickr]
Not sure how they get rid of that bug but the symptoms sound familiar. I'll keep this updated.
Do not medicate yourself though. After treatment, it is recommended to consume Yogourt to replenish the gut flora.
Went to the specialist. Had the finger up the butt treatment which fucking hurt .
Now I'm on some kind of suppository for a fissure, antibiotics for blastocystis hominis and anti infammatories for pain, yakult, normafibre and uh...that's it I think. Going back in 3 weeks
He said the fissure might be causing the problems, or the parasite. We'll see.
Having an IBS diagnosis means you will never get better ever. Just handwavy things that may or may not help calm the symptoms, and not solve the cause.
He said he wasn't sure it was either of those things. He just said it "may" be, and before shoving a camera up my pooper he'd like to check that :P
Bastard didn't even buy me breakfast