sudden development of ibs?

[Chloe68]

Hi; I was dx'ed with IC 2 months ago, and now that acupuncture and diet have really helped me get that under control, I am suddenly (4 times in the last week) having what seem to be IBS-D attacks within 20 minutes of eating away from home. Taking Prelief (which works wonderfully for me for the IC) doesn't seem to make any difference - the IBS-D attacks happen with or without it. I also started to experience a "nervous gut" kind of feeling sometimes, just an uneasiness. Is it common for things to develop this rapidly? I am overwhelmed. Thanks.

[SharonA]

I really don't know how quickly IBS can come on, but I do suggest you talk with your doctor about this.

[stef000]

i am an old veteran when it comes to IBS.....and it can come on suddenly but you should get everything else ruled out first......
But i remember having bad IBS-D all out of the blue and i had to go through rigorous testing to make sure i didn't have anything else.....
So go get it checked out first but it could just be IBS....
:hi:

[Texas Baby]

That is how mine started out, but like Sharon said, I would get it checked out. I highly recommend going to see a doctor. My ibs-d is controlled most of the time with a high fiber diet and amitiza. It has worked well for me. But I also have a wheat & milk intolerance that can bring on symptoms like something awful. I found that out after my bladder surgery.
Eva

[yvette]

Yes, IBS can come on quite suddenly. And I agree you should get to the doctor to rule out other things first. IBS can mimic more serious conditions.

If it is IBS....you can get it under control. With soluble fiber and other diet modifications you can get that nervous belly under control. Stress can exacerbate the symptoms, so it can be a vicious cycle. IBS has been referred to as a "brain-gut" syndrome...so when you feel anxious or stressed...it shows up sometimes in your gut. Practicing stress coping strategies are a great thing to do.

For away from home outings I always take immodium advanced chewables (found at any drug store) with me and I found that as a side effect, it calms sown my bladder as well, which is always a plus! :)

[jen74]

I am having bowel issues as well now for the last week, so I feel for you. I guess you should talk to your GI doc if you have one and see what he/she says. Now a days you dont have to go through all that testing just to get a IBS diagnosis. Heck, when I was having upper gut issues, I cannot begin to tell you how many docs tried to tell me I had IBS, which I did not have at that time. They usually know the difference between IBS symptoms and something more serious. For instance, My mom had coilits which is differnt and more serious that IBS. She use to get severe diareaha, with mucous and sometimes blood, but usually alot of musous and the flares would last for days. I would say call you GI doc if you have one, or maybe get an appointment to see one.
Jen

[yvette]

Jen have you been tested for SIBO...I was just thinking since it seems EVERYBODY's been struck with one of the stomach bugs floating around...just a thought...:confused:

[jen74]

No I have not been tested for this. Is this a bacterial overgrowth? I have heard of this. I called my GI today and his nurse said to maybe try some benefiber and see if it helps. I take probiotics daily and have been for over a year so I do not see how I could have a bacterial overgrowth, though I guess it is possible. I also take fresh garlic everyday as well as oil of oregeno. I have read that fresh garlic acts as a infection fighter and can kill off bacterial infections. I wonder if garlic can also kill all your good bacteria as well? I asked a person at the health store and they said no, that garlic is a food actually and would not do that. I just dont know. Thanks for the tip, I will ask my GI about that SIBO though. I think they can check it through a breath test, is that right?
Jen

[yvette]

Yes, I beleive it stands for Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Its a simple breath test....it takes a few hours, and they can give you the results after it's over. If you have it...a round of antibiotics wil clear it up.

There's also a antibiotic out there that's been tried on IBS patients because it works on the small intestine and it won't get rid of the good flora in your gut....
It sounds something like rifaxamin or something like that.

Good Luck! :hi:
I'm going back to bed...my bellly has been angry with me since 4am :cussing:

[jen74]

Thanks for the info. I will call my GI back this week if things do not clear up. Now I am bloated today and have not even went yet Ughhhh! This is such an unconfortable feeling. I also have ALOT of gas as well. It sucks to have these issues, but it sucks even more to have IC and all these other health issues to go along with it all. Thanks again and hope you are doing well.
Jen

[Chloe68]

Thanks Yvette, Jen and others...

The stress thing does make sense. It is day 16 after my first diarrhea "attack" after eating in a restaurant and I had another attack tonight after eating in a Greek restaurant. I've had 3 colonoscopies in the last 8 years as a precaution since I had breast cancer, which presents a slight colon cancer risk (but all the colonoscopies have turned out well). But who knows... I'm going to see a couple of docs this week about the diarrhea. In the meantime, if you do have IBS, is it possible that the attacks would ever be restricted to "restaurant eating only"? It seems like if you had it, you'd have problems at home, out, wherever you were eating. At the moment I'm not following an IBS diet -- just an IC diet. But still, I only have diarrhea when I'm eating food prepared in restaurants. I never have pain -- just that distressed kind of nausea and diarrhea thing.

Just wondering if IBS means you have issues whether you are eating at home or at a restaurant. Any thoughts?

[sandberg4]

I have alot of issues when I eat out. It seems like I always end up with diarrhea when I eat at Olive Garden and I don't eat the salad. I notice sometimes salad bars have that affect on me also.
Someone told me once that they use a preservative that gives some people that problem but then I read again that restaurants don't use it anymore.
It makes me want to stay at home.

[yvette]

Ahhh yes restauarant food has a lot of sneaky triggers...Cream, butter, oil , grease/lard and even healthy EVOO (your gut could care less if its good fat or bad fat) any fat is a HUGE trigger. And most restaurants are not low fat or no fat....fat makes food tasty. Other triggers include: red meat, Dark meat from poultry, dairy, egg yolks, caffeine, soda and alcohol. And yes there are preservatives that can just wreak chaos and destruction in the gut.

And if the kitchen/waitstaff isn't very...ahem, clean.....that could make a belly very angry as well. ;)

You might not have issues (or as many issues) at home for a couple reasons: You're at home and your mind is less stressed in your comfort zone, and you can control exactly what goes in your food, how much and how fresh it is. :)

[Chloe68]

that's all very interesting -- and i did an experiment last night by eating the leftover food that had made me sick at the restaurant the night before. this time i was at home. i noticed the familiar intestinal gurgling soon after eating it, but then it just subsided and that was it. it does seem like a brain/gut thing here. seeing doctor anyway but felt this was interesting.

yvette, do you take the immodium before, during, or after a restaurant meal? just wondering if you are able to stave off an attack completely; thanks for any info!

[yvette]

I usually take immodium before I leave the house and take additional chews with me....just in case. It all depends on how good/bad I'm feeling...there's been episodes that the PAIN is unbearable and leftover Vicodin has barely touched it. Those days I just stay home and rest. :)

[Chloe68]

thanks yvette,

sounds like you are able to prevent an attack altogether by taking immodium beforehand?

that's terrible about the pain -- is abdominal pain one of the main symptoms of IBS? I have never had it.