Hello all, I would like to have some advice as searching over the net can make anyone really worried.I have been having pain that ranges from 2 to 8 at time in my lower left side of my stomach. My bowl movements are loose stools or diareha. I have not seen any blood or thin stools. I have had a few cases of pebbles and occasional constipation.My primary doctor belives its IBS and gave me some pain medicine. I had 2 things of blood work from this office , the first one I was a lil low on iron/ slightly anemiac, but the second one came back fine.For the past month and a half I have been very stressed form this and not eating due to nausea or lack of appetite. I have lost between 6-8 pounds in lil over a month. I have went to a gastro doctor and she felt around and says it's most likely IBS as she could not feel any thing to be concerned with my stomach and the blood tests.Well this tuesday I went to the ER for my nausea as I was really worried as was my girlfriend. They gave me additiona blood work/ urine test which all came back fine. The then gave me a cat scan which came back negative. They recomeneded getting a new gastrologist because she didnttell m e to get tests and only gave fiber supplements and allign. I have stopped taking the allign since it gave me constant gas.I see my new gastrologist on christmas eve. I felt fine Tuesday and wednesday and even had a better appetite but seems like I am getting the pain back/ nausea. Any suggestions?Should I be frank and ask for a colonoscopy?I am overweight and 26 and have had a very stressful three months with finding out my girlfriend is pregnant then the following week my father passed all of a sudden.My primary has given me something for anxiety last week and it has calmed me down alot but any advice will be greatly appreciated.Thank You
A little worried
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Sometimes if it is clearly IBS they won't do a colonoscopy (especially with a lot of other normal tests) because sometimes all more tests do is stress people out enough to make the IBS worse. If the chance of perforating the colon or having a bad reaction to sedation is a lot higher than they think the chance they will find something, they sometimes won't do it. (or if they think there is no chance it will change their treatment).IBS is often more painful than the things they could see in a colonoscopy, and those usually have symptoms like bloody diarrhea (or copious watery diarrhea) and tend to show up abnormal in the blood work.I will say if you are in that much pain you need more treatment for the IBS than fiber and align. Some docs will do the colonoscopy just because the patient just has to have one to believe that they could have that much pain from "nothing" but sometimes all it does is change the anxiety to they must have missed something, I know they missed something.Depends on how your anxiety runs, but sometimes getting a test does not do anything to settle the mind.
Hi Brian Welcome 
What exact "pain medication" were you given by the Primary? Also... I find ginger tea or ginger capsules (Got them at the grocery store or I'm sure you can find them at a druggist or GNC or health food store) really stops my nausea.Of course managing your stress and anxiety is key. Those things don't "cause" IBS but they can aggravate it.Here check these advice essays out. They were written by our own Dr Bolen: "Relaxation Exercises & IBS" & "Healthy Thinking and IBS" (Many useful things to be found in them)http://www.ibsgroup.org/advice They are the 1st two on that page.Also very sorry to hear about the loss of your Dad. Grief CAN do a number on us.. so go real easy and if I were you I'd adopt some serious relaxation techniques into your everyday routine. EVen if only for 10 mintues a day. Some folks complain of gas with some probiotics. I have heard that if you find one without FOS in it... that would cut down the amt of gas for some people. Don't know if Align has FOS in it.. but check your bottle and see. The extra gas could be from that ingredient.If you are young... many GI's hesitate to do a WHOLE lot of testing. But there is never ANY harm in getting a 2nd opinion. So see how you do with new GI next week.Here is a good list of 10 questions to ask your Dr about IBS: (You might want to print this off & bring it with you next week.)http://www.webmd.com/ibs/guide/questions-about-ibsFor the pain I find heat helps. Can you use any of those heat patches ??? You typically see them for sore backs. I have used them with success on my abdomen as well as my back. So you might want to try them for extra help with the pain.Let us know how you do with the new GI. Hope you feel better.
What exact "pain medication" were you given by the Primary? Also... I find ginger tea or ginger capsules (Got them at the grocery store or I'm sure you can find them at a druggist or GNC or health food store) really stops my nausea.Of course managing your stress and anxiety is key. Those things don't "cause" IBS but they can aggravate it.Here check these advice essays out. They were written by our own Dr Bolen: "Relaxation Exercises & IBS" & "Healthy Thinking and IBS" (Many useful things to be found in them)http://www.ibsgroup.org/advice They are the 1st two on that page.Also very sorry to hear about the loss of your Dad. Grief CAN do a number on us.. so go real easy and if I were you I'd adopt some serious relaxation techniques into your everyday routine. EVen if only for 10 mintues a day. Some folks complain of gas with some probiotics. I have heard that if you find one without FOS in it... that would cut down the amt of gas for some people. Don't know if Align has FOS in it.. but check your bottle and see. The extra gas could be from that ingredient.If you are young... many GI's hesitate to do a WHOLE lot of testing. But there is never ANY harm in getting a 2nd opinion. So see how you do with new GI next week.Here is a good list of 10 questions to ask your Dr about IBS: (You might want to print this off & bring it with you next week.)http://www.webmd.com/ibs/guide/questions-about-ibsFor the pain I find heat helps. Can you use any of those heat patches ??? You typically see them for sore backs. I have used them with success on my abdomen as well as my back. So you might want to try them for extra help with the pain.Let us know how you do with the new GI. Hope you feel better.That really isn't classified as a "pain medication". It is an antispasmodic medication.. just so you know. It is to help quell spasms and therefore also any pain that is associated with them. Some antispasmodics are better than others. You might need to try a few to find one that works best for you. All of us are different. And also for me.. the MOST mine will do is just take the edge of the pain off. See how you do with your appt on Thurs. Hopefully you will get some answers, guidance & help there.
Hello all just following up with this.I went to my new gastro doctor and he spoke to me and reviewed my family history and the previous lab results and cat scan and says I have the classic example of IBS. He said he dosent belive a colonoscopy would yeild any results and says He makes money doing them and dosen't recomend I need one. He says due to the stress I have been threw it a cause of it and poor dieting. He has given me Chlordiazepoxide - Clidinuma and I was to see him yesterday. After I left I felt really relived and was enjoying feeling normal again. No diareha or lack of appetite /nausea for a weak. Not once did I have any discomfort. Well sure enough I got the pains back and such since sunday. Now I feel constipated and when i do go its flat but not pencil shape and its ever 2 days. I started taking the meds this week as at the time i didnt have the money for them.I go back in Febuary and am thinking of just asking for the colonoscopy if I dont feel improvement as this is driving me nuts. I now have more pain in my right side pesides the usual pain in my left side.Hope all had a good holiday
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