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I don't want to self-diagnose myself with IBS but...
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
I think it may be the case. Thing is, without looking at a list of symptoms, my own personal symptoms are:
- stomach pains and cramps, very often related to stress and anxiety
- frequent diarrhoea with constipation and a feeling of not empty, kind of
- the other day I had a 'tightness' on the sides of my stomach, same position as the kidneys except on the front
- VERY frequent gas
bleching, farting, you name it!
- burning sensation sometimes - though not always - when passing 'solid' waste
- solid waste seldom comes out solid, either like rabbit droppings or like some kind of mushy pea consistency. Sorry if that's a gross image, I imagine it may put some people off mushy peas for life.
- other symptoms which i cant remember now
Doubt it's related, but I also suffer tiredness, dizziness and lacks of concentration, but that might just be tiredness. The thing is, I don't want to see my doctor because he's one of those who will not help, I'm a bit intimidated tbh and every time I go he always makes me feel a bit stupid like I'm a) wasting his time and b) there's nothing wrong with me and I'm just attention seeking, or something.
And besides that, IBS afaik is one of those buggers you just live with it, and a formal diagnosis is damned hard to get, and treatment is few and far between except dietary things etc. I actually thought once I might be allergic to something but again, with the doctor we never found out.
This has been ongoing for quite a time now, I think it started off with the link to anxiety because of school etc. (i used to get nervous about going school, i still do sometimes) and that caused me stomach pain, and then I started getting symptoms and I thought it was my stomach playing silly buggers. But, it's carried on and carried on, sometimes it's worse than others but all the same it's still there.
Any advice or help would be appreciated, my doctor is one of those unapproachable ones who's always deadly serious.
- stomach pains and cramps, very often related to stress and anxiety
- frequent diarrhoea with constipation and a feeling of not empty, kind of
- the other day I had a 'tightness' on the sides of my stomach, same position as the kidneys except on the front
- VERY frequent gas
bleching, farting, you name it!- burning sensation sometimes - though not always - when passing 'solid' waste
- solid waste seldom comes out solid, either like rabbit droppings or like some kind of mushy pea consistency. Sorry if that's a gross image, I imagine it may put some people off mushy peas for life.
- other symptoms which i cant remember now
Doubt it's related, but I also suffer tiredness, dizziness and lacks of concentration, but that might just be tiredness. The thing is, I don't want to see my doctor because he's one of those who will not help, I'm a bit intimidated tbh and every time I go he always makes me feel a bit stupid like I'm a) wasting his time and b) there's nothing wrong with me and I'm just attention seeking, or something.
And besides that, IBS afaik is one of those buggers you just live with it, and a formal diagnosis is damned hard to get, and treatment is few and far between except dietary things etc. I actually thought once I might be allergic to something but again, with the doctor we never found out.
This has been ongoing for quite a time now, I think it started off with the link to anxiety because of school etc. (i used to get nervous about going school, i still do sometimes) and that caused me stomach pain, and then I started getting symptoms and I thought it was my stomach playing silly buggers. But, it's carried on and carried on, sometimes it's worse than others but all the same it's still there.
Any advice or help would be appreciated, my doctor is one of those unapproachable ones who's always deadly serious.
0
Comments
I also suffer from anxiety and stress. (I've had Psoriasis since birth which is also linked to stress/anxiety, which shows I'm a naturally anxious person!)
I have reason to believe that I was subconciously self-medicating on spearmint chewing gum - I chewed a packet a day when at school, and had no symptoms of IBS - the year I stopped chewing gum, the symptoms arose.
I often find 'Remigels' really handy and always keep a packet with me. Windeaze are also really good too.
My mum also has IBS and hers is mainly food/drink related - for example Stilton/cheeses, Red wine, Tonic Water etc.
Do any of your family suffer from IBS?
Ilora x
I wouldn't be sure how to go about that. Might be work a look into though. And Ilora, as far as I know nobody else in my family has IBS. I don't know if I actually have IBS, just my tummy acts really really strangely.
This article will give you some more pointers on IBS - I know you said you feel a bit intimidated by your GP but I would still suggest that's your first port of call. It might help to write down your symptoms before you go in so you can clearly get across what you're feeling?
Hope it goes well
I've got IBS and it does seem like thats what you've got but to be on the safe side go get checked out by the doc.
plus, (and i'm not being nasty) but people of a somewhat nervous disposition tend to suffer from it, and you are some what of a nervous person am i right?
Dude, do the eating diary and you may find that some foods affect you more than others - obviously roughage will have an effect. Personally I've found that garlic really screws me up and so I avoid it where I can...
not true, on either count, if you have a good doctor.
mine referred me to a gastroenterology specialist, who talked through my symptoms, did a few tests, and when he failed to find anything more serious, diagnosed me almost straight away. he also gave me anti-spasmodic drugs, colofac (which i think you can get over the counter in some form), some horrible fibre gel stuff and loperamide for, er, looser days.
he also talked me through things like food diaries and being aware of my triggers (wheat and dairy).
a good doctor will never dismiss you as being attention seeking, even if you are. they should understand the power of suggestion.
Now available in even more horrific Lime "flavour"...
Ilora x
they did LOADS of blood tests, cause in my initial bloods, my liver function tests had come back abnormal. then i had an abdominal ultrasound (more to do with the liver than the IBS, but kind of for both), lots of stomach prodding, and a light + inflatable tube up my arse (dignified or what?). They wanted to give me an endoscopy too, but i wasn't keen on that one, so never had one. I was also supposed to have had a colonoscopy at some point, but that never materialised.
shitting myself, actually (haha - IBS joke) cause i've got to go back to the hospital for my other issues tomorrow, and my guts have not been well lately, and am worried they will try and get a camera up my arse again, cause there was talk of it last time.
what a lovely disease
But yeah, thanks for sharing Kaffrin
Your problems don't sound very nice to live with without them being checked out, and I know IBS isn't easy to treat but there are stuff they can give you (my mum's got IBS and she has some meds for when it's bad).