Is this normal?

[redmowii]

So I have been having the weirdest thing happen. I have gotten really worried that it isen't normal for IC. I just want to know if anyone else experiences this. I will feel like I have to have a bowel movement but then it starts hurting really bad, and feels like diarrhea. :toilet: So I run to the bathroom, and it seems like my whole intestines empty. I finish and go about my normal business and then a little while later it happens again, the urgencey and pain but this time it is diarrhea. It will happen 3-6 times in one day then go away. The more times it happens the looser the stools get. It has sometimes happend like once a week, then will leave for months and happen again. Is that sound like IBS to anyone? :hmm: I hope not. Do you think I need to tell my doctor? If yes which one, uro, ob/gyn, or internist? It thankfully usually happens when I'm at home, but last week it happened at work. Any help or ideas would be appreciated.

[icjen]

That would happen to me all the time before I started taking Immodium everyday. I do have IBS. It still does happen sometimes. I think it's probably a good idea for you to ask your primary if you can see a gastroenterologist.

[Betsie]

I absolutely agree with ICJen.

I have dealt with IBS on and off for years, nothing I couldn't deal with and intermittent at best...typically brought on by stress or my period.

This past spring it really ramped up, much in the way you describe. I had just lost a parent and was sure it was just stress and continued to deal with it, until I finally realized it was far from normal. IC has never woken me up in the middle of the night, but this started to repeatedly. :rolleyes:

The short version is after a colonoscopy I was Dxd with Ulcerative Colitis in the fall. I am still struggling to get into remission. So now I deal with IBD (inflammatory bowel disease) as well as IBS alongside it.

I would call your Primary Care Dr right away and get a referral to a GI Dr for another opinion. It is very likely it is IBS, but do get this checked out. I waited and suffered far too long. Regardless of the reason, there are treatments available and possibly a special diet could help a lot. :idea:

[ICNJess]

I agree with the girls, you should get in to see a GI to get a diagnosis of some kind so that you can begin to deal with whatever is going on. On my worst IBS days, I am in the bathroom several times an hour with diarrhea, and it is so painful. Pepto Bismol and I were best friends for a long time!!

:grouphug:

[ICNDonna]

My suggestion would be to contact your primary care physician. You do need to see someone.

Donna

[mary124]

I agree with the other girls, you need to see your doctor. My IBS was under control for the longest time till recently, and all of a sudden, it hit. The meds that I was on just didn't seem to help, so I had to go back to the doctor, he switch them to something else. Told me if this doesn't help, we'll have to do some checking into. (This was a few months ago, I haven't seen a great improvement, so as soon as I can I might have to go back to the doctors, but the trouble is I go to too many doctor appts as is, seems like I'm never at work!! (my boss asked me once how do I managed all of my appointments? she wasn't saying anything bad about it- she knows that when I'm at work I do my job and all, but still.-- she even lets me work around the appointments so that I don't have to take leave).

[ads]

I would tell your doctor. Sometimes severe endometriosis can cause this type of things. Please call and tell your doctor or get a quick appointment. Keep up on your fluid intake too.

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[redmowii]

Thank you all for your support, I will take your advice and talk to my doctor about it. It has been a while since it has happened but I would hate for it to be a condition and get really bad then be hard to treat. I really appreciate all of your advice.

[jen48446]

I agree with everyone else, inform your family doc then take it from there. He/she may recommend a Gasterenterologist. My OB/GYN diagnosed me when I was 18 through a Laparoscopy /D&C...when I later learned that you need to see a Gastro for this when we had good insurance I went and got the barium stuff done, fasted for 2 days (NOT fun!), he confirmed what my OB/GYN told me, keep up the high fiber diet & it's hormonal imbalance that is causing it. Now that I've finally gotten my hormones balanced my health conditions have improved so much it amazes me!

[gardengirl]

I have IC and IBS but both seem to be totally under control now. I keep trying to tell everyone about the things that have helped me but I feel no one is listening or believing me. I take Probiotics and a digestive enzyme (called "absorbaid"), flax fiber, and fish oil, plus a lot of vitamins. I also drink lots of water. I take a probiotic everyday, these are kept in the frig because they must be kept cold, they are live "good" bacteria. They promote good internal health. I no longer have cramps from IBS that I had for 30 years. I no longer have burning and pain from IC. I can't begin to tell you how much I believe these things have helped me. Do a search on probiotics on google. They are so good for so many things! If you have ever taken antibiotics, you have not only killed the bad bacteria but also the good. You need to replenish the good bacteria, thats what probiotics will do. I wish some of the professionals and monitors on this website would check out and talk more about probiotics. I truely believe this is something that could help everyone with IC and IBS if only someone would help get the word out. These things have worked for me, I only want to share with everyone what I feel will help them too. By the way, I have seen 3 specialists and not one of those Dr's told me about this stuff. Out of frustration with pain I decided to treat myself, with the help from a great health foods store. I also believe perscription drugs had alot to do with my IC. Thats another long story!

[jen48446]

I agree with you on the doctors!!! I've been lucky enough to find a family doctor who isn't against the natural route. Just so you know the pure acidophilus doesn't need to be refridgerated. Most of the supplements & vitamins available aren't pure & raw to the form, it's cheaper to manufacture & sell them this way. I learned the hard way after wasting a lot of $ on many different kinds of vitamins & supplements. They may be pure but aren't the most potent either...there's a lot of propaganda out there especially in health food & vitamin stores, they'll tell you what you want to hear to make their $$$.

[creatingkarma]

I have IBS too. It was diagnosed through a colonoscopy to rule out any other diseases. I would go - felt like I emptied - then 20 minutes later I was going again & on & on. Then after that, I'll get constipated for a couple days, then back to the going all day. Everytime that I go, it hurts! I can feel my bowels pushing on my bladder & that makes my bladder mad & it starts hurting - along with the bowel contraction pain. I agree with gardengirl - probiotics have helped my IBS a lot! It's not so bad anymore. I still have flare-ups, but they're not so frequent. Also, what I eat has a lot to do with it. I've figured out that beans, MSG, processed meat, & dairy are very bad for my IBS.

[jen48446]

I've learned that cheese & chocolate are my triggers, meat has never bothered me for whatever reason!!! I either take a double dose of fiber if I eat more than usual or I have a supplement that I take if I'm gonna eat a lot (for those occasional cravings!!) & it goes right through me without any problem whatsoever it's nice. Thankfully I love oatmeal so I eat it as much as possible...sometimes I get tired of it though that is when I grab the fiber or supplement.

[Janie Miranda]

Hi Garden Girl,
I'm "hearing" you! I started taking acidopholis after reading your posts and doing some research on it. Can't hurt anyway, so it is worth a try.