How do you know when your IBS is flaring??

[havingsuccess]

I have alot of digestive problems. No gallbladder for over 4 years and everytime i eat, no matter what I start cramping in my lower abdomen and I feel like my guts are being twisted, then I get a huge cramp and have to go to the bathroom. The pain goes away after that.

Other times I get a bad pain in my side (my mom calls it a catch if that helps), it's my left side and it feels like my colon is about to rupture. Sometimes I can't even stand up straight it hurts so bad. I still Have bowel movements with this but the pain doesn't go away. i also get extremely gassy and bloated. I'm gonna make an appt with a gastro doc but does any of this sound familiar to you IBS'ers? I'm scared it's something bad. Oh yea, I've had my ovaries checked out and they were fine.

Thanks for any help!!

Success

[ICNJess]

Sounds like the IBS I get. I get pain, so bad that I can't even walk. But my pain gets lesser with bowel movements. Could you have a bowel obstruction maybe? I had one and it was so painful, that I switched from diarrhea to severe constipation within a month, and they found the blockage in a flex sig. Those are so painful. frown

[havingsuccess]

Jess,

I made an appt with a gastro this morning. It's not until Feb 3. I would think if there was an obstruction it would more and all the time. This just happens in flares (like everyhting else huh) plus I have good bowel movements and it's semi formed. Today the right side is hurtine. After I see the gastro, I'm gonna schedule an appt with a gyno for a complete checkout of all the female parts. I have had them checked but it's been about 8 months ago and alot can happen in 8 months I guess. Thanks for the reply.

Success

[ICNJess]

Hi Success,

That does sound like IBS. With little flare ups. I know for me, grapes, pizza, steak--they all trigger and IBS episode. Hmmm maybe diverticulitis? Good luck at the gastro!

[havingsuccess]

Thanks Jess,

Maybe i'll go ahead and see every ologist there is and get everything checkedlol

I'm beginning the hate ologists wink

hugs,
Success

[ICNJess]

LOL I hear ya. If there's an ologist, I've been to it. lmao Ok that's a little overexaggerated. But seriously, you get so sick of being poked and prodded and you just want an answer and a solution to get to feeling better! Since your a nurse, I won't lecture about the dreaded flex sig eek eek eek . Those things are a literal pain in the rear. Good luck with the ologists. wink

Hugs and love,
Jess

[Teri]

I go thru all of the pain, severe pain, with no bowel movements so when mine hits, I'm curled up in a ball with strick orders to my husband not to even think of talking to me. Sometimes when it's so bad I'm crying he will come in a rub my back (he's still not allowed to talk) and even tho the back rub doesn't make the problem go away....it doesn't make me feel so hopeless.

[Kelli]

Teri's sounds like mine too. Pain so bad you think you are about to die. I thought one time I had appendicitis because it hurt so bad. Went to the ER and they checked me all out and was getting me ready for surgery when they found it was IBS. How embarrassing!!! I also get fluctuating bouts of constipation/diarreah (sp) I notice the most severe pain is during the transition from one to another. I have pretty much learned what to stay away with as far as food goes so I don't think I am eating anything I shouldn't. But those No No foods can sneak up in just about anything!!!

Ya'll have me laughing about the ologists...I think I have pretty much seen em all too! I said one time that I should just put up a billboard of my crotch and see which dr's can correctly guess who it belongs too..... they've all seen it so it shouldn't last long...LOL

[Teri]

That's funny Kelli because there are ALOT of us with very badly scared a$$ while going thru the interstim crap and I would love for all of us to drop our drawers infront of our uro to see if he could tell who's was who's....wouldnt that me a scream scream blink :p

[ICNJess]

That was funny, I always tell my docs to call me by my first name since they've already seen just about all of me!!! lmao

[kiffy313]

I hate to sound whiny, but my stomach always is bloated and gassy (look about 5 months preggers...). I also usually have the cramping pain, too. I do know what foods to avoid to keep from having the real bad flare up, tho...corn, okra, tomatoes, oatmeal...I would not know how to act if my tummy did not "hurt" to some extent every day, I would sure like to find out, tho. :D .
Take Care All,
Kandy

[nifer]

I had a barium enema a few years back so my bowels were COMPLETELY empty and I still had pain... which is a definite IBS thing. I do abdominal massage as well as take Dicetel when I need it.

My problem now is trying to figure out which symptoms are IBS and which are IC.

[Julie Smith]

My ibs comes and goes. It's definitely here now. Tummy pain so bad it hurts to move and talk. i have to force myself to drink so i don't become dehydrated. i just sleep and curl up on couch w/ heating pad. belladonna, prescribed by my gastro. helps. this usually goes on for 1-4 weeks. when i feel a little better i live on crackers and 7-up. it's just a part of my life. banghead frown

[Julie Smith]

oh, forgot to add i have been hospitalized for dehydration and blood loss with a really bad flare. this has been going on for 11 years and my gastro is wonderful. also, two bouts of e-coli and ghangra (sp), it's also a bowel infection which can be serious. so the moral to this story is know your body and contact your dr. when you know it's gone on too long.

[casper06]

What is ghangra that Julie mentioned in the above post??? Does anybody know the correct spelling??
Thanks to anybody that can help me out!!!!

[tillysav]

hi

I have the same problem. Pain and swelling in my tummy from my IBS (constipation). When sharp pains and swelling come I can hardly walk. I go to work at 7:30 a.m. so the pain/swelling always happens at work OUCH :( !

My question - does anyone know of anything that helps with constipation or the swelling of tummy or both? I have this problem everyday and I already take Milk of Magnesia and watch my diet everyday!

Any suggestions appreciated. Thank you :)

[poetgirl]

When my IBS starts acting up, I know right away because I'm running for the bathroom! toilet

I tend to have more diarrhea than constipation, but usually it's sudden cramping and tummy swelling with diarrhea that signals that my IBS is kicking into high gear. It usually happens after a rich, fatty meal or if I'm stressed out. Which means that most of the time it happens after lunch at work! :rolleyes:

If I do get constipated, I take a stool softener and that usually does the trick. Not much anyone can do about the tummy swelling; the bloating seems to be par for the course. Just try to stay away from lots of dairy and salt during an IBS flareup and drink water.

[YankeeCandle224]

Hi sweetie,

Did you have a colonoscopy yet? Sorry if I'm repeating something someone else said, cant read all the posts tonight.

If not you need one. I was originaly dx'd with just IBS but turned out to have Crohns and GERD wth erosions from the espohagus, to the stomach, to the small and large and small intestine....basically from in to out.

PM me if you'd like, I'm not an expert, but I know IBS well, very well, and my Crohns started with a dull ache, then a pain in my lower left quadrant, the simoid colin.

As I said in my vent post after a while of not going or not going enough, you can develop a blockage, or may even have one even if you have bm's that slide by the block.

Do you have round, formed stools, or skinny, long stringy ones? Sorry to get so gross, but these things are important.

Lemme know, pm me, or whatever you'd like and we can get more graphic, IF I can stay up tonight.

Love ya, Sandy

[Pristine]

If i eat the wrong thing I swell so big its bigger than a 9 month pregnant womans tummy. My pants wont fit and i nearly die with the pain. It feels like my back is being ripped out, it bends me so far. At times my intestines twist and bang against my raw bladder and its awful pain. I'll end up running to the toilet with explosive bowel movements. The pain is directly under my belly button and it feels like a knife stabbing me. I've had an upper endoscopy and a colonoscopy and nothing has been found other than IBS. My current Dr.'s refuse to do a lap type surgery to explore this belly button region and I'm looking into finding a new stomach Dr. I'm tired of fighting this. It's over half the pain I go through and IC is nothing compared to this. I never had any IC or IBS problems until my Gallbladder was removed. Thats when everything fell apart for me. I'm also getting periodic blood in my mouth but my Stomach Dr's still wont budge to do a thing. scream So yeah i can totally sympathize with anyone who has these problems. It's just very painful and worrysome. grouphug