[Guest]

hello all. I just wanted to say, that although I do not want anyone else to suffer from the dreadful disease, I have been noticing that some people have been posting on how other family members suffer from this and there seems to be some genetic connection. I didn't know of anyone in my family with this until today. (I always suspected my sister had it but she has never been diagnosed). So, my uncle (mom's brother) had gone for a colonoscopy to check for colon cancer. It came back negative, thank goodness, but the doctor said it looks like IBS. Like I said, not that I wish this disease on anybody, but I feel better knowing someone else in the family has it. Thanks for listening, I just needed to tell someone! And I'd much rather him have IBS than cancer, no matter how bad I think this IBS may be.

 

[Missycat]

I think there just might be a genetic component - like sensitivity or something like that. Or maybe we're genetically predisposed to getting IBS after antibiotics or intestinal trauma. My father had severe digestive problems - from his esophagus on down...... he had half of his stomach removed and 2 feet of intestines..... he had diarrhea for as long as I could remember. My Mom says she suffers from a "funny stomach" but she doesn't call it IBS. But I'm sure it's a mild form. She takes immodium on a pretty regular basis, and in my humble opinion, that means she probably has IBS.------------------"When I find myself fading, I close my eyes and realize my friends are my energy." (anonymous) Missycat

 

[Guest]

I agree that IBS is better than cancer any day and from what my GI has told me, there doesn't seem to be an increased risk for cancer in IBS patients like there is in other intestinal diseases.Thinking about the fact that so many members of my family have IBS, I really do think there is some sort of disposition genetically for IBS. All of us in my family who have IBS, seem to really be effected my stress and our intestines seem to take the brunt of the stress. I can't help but wonder if we are just overly sensitive to stress or what?? I now have trigger foods, partly because of my Crohn's disease, I believe, but when I was a child, I only seemed to have what I now know is IBS, when I was under a lot of stress (first day of school, before any concerts I was in, before anything that I was stressing out about basically). My father didn't show his IBS until he was under the stress of a 2nd divorce and that is the same time my sisters came down with their symptoms.Interesting conversation if anything else!!Chris------------------Live life to its fullest!!

 

[Guest]

Yeah, I definitely think there is a genetic component even if, like I stated before, no one else in my family was diagnosed with IBS until today, with my uncle being diagnosed. However, my father has always had a "tricky" stomach, and he is always very stressed out. I think him and I are the 2 biggest worrieres that I have ever met...we worry about everythinga nd I'm sure that doesn't help things!

 

[Guest]

I read an article about IBS from a Johns Hopkins Journal last year that said that IBS tends to run in families because people in the same families have similar life styles. They don't think that it is genetic actually. My grandmother sufferred with a "spastic colon" as long as I knew her, and my brother has mild IBS. My son is almost 12 and sometimes he gets IBS like stomach aches. My 14 yr old niece also has "stomach problems". I also believe that it is not related to or predisposes one to cancer. I also read that people with IBS tend to have a lower incidence of bowel cancers as we are more aware of bowel health and consume more fiber.------------------Nancy

 

[Guest]

I don't see how it can be caused by 'same lifestyles', I think that is a sorry excuse that the experts are using. Most of my family members have had IBS since birth...and that cannot be from any lifestyle, since babies don't share any lifestyles with other family members.

 

[Guest]

I agree that the same lifestyles line is probably not a complete accurate. As I stated in my earler post, my father and two half sisters have IBS, but I have not lived with my father since I was 4 and have never lived with my half sisters. I'm lucky if I see them once every ten years or so. We definetly do not have the same lifestyles either, so for my personal case, I believe it is a genetic disposition.------------------Chris in Colorful Colorado!!

 

[Guest]

I also believe it is genetic. Of the people in my family, only my uncle has been diagnosed, and he lives in Australia and I live in the Unites States! What is about as far as two different lifestyles that two family members can get! Plus, that uncle is on my mom's side, then my dad has a lot of problems, but he's never been diagnosed. Also, I think my sister has it, but she has never been diagnosed, and she was 18 when I was born so she moved out a couple of months after I was born so we never lived together!

 

[Guest]

I also believe that IBS is genetic. I clearly remember my Granny drinking hot water with all of her meals followed immediately by a glass of ENO. In fact she actually died at a young age as the result of a calcification in her colon following a berium enema x-ray. My momther has IBS and so does my older sister. Coincidence? I don't think so. We all suffer from Migraines too. Sadly, my youngest son has been showing signs of IBS for several years now.------------------Have a blessed day! Globetrotter