[Guest]

If you have read my posting below you'll know i've suffered chronic D and weight loss for 3 years.I have been investigated for .....IBD, pancreatitis, coeliacs, standard stool MC+S investigation (infection screen), i've had small bowel x-rays, large bowel x-rays, biopsies, numerous blood tests (slightly abnormal LFT's but nil else). I am cutting out as much milk as possible and i have previously been on a wheat free diet with no improvement. What else might cause chronic D? i 'd be grateful to know whether others with suspected IBS have been investigated for anything other than the above.I suppose i am clutching at straws, i cant beleive i have IBS because my syptoms are so severe and every day i struggle, it is worse when i'm stressed but even when i am not i still have to take 10 imodium every day. I have also tried colofac (Mebeverine )which helped a little but the effects seemed to wear off, and i have had a little sucess with cholecystamine (bile salt binder) but nothing works consistently.Anybody suggest any tests i should ask for next? I am sure i have something wrong with my small bowele to account for my weight loss but i'm not sure what!

 

[Kathleen M.]

How much alcohol or caffiene do you consume?Do you consume large quantities of sugarless gums and candies?Any of those can cause chronic diarrhea.IBS can range from quite mild to as severe as any organic disease, so severity of symptoms generally doesn't eliminate IBS as a cause of the problem, but severe symptoms may make more testing to rule out more things a good idea.Sounds like you've been though the works, so I don't have anything to add for things to be tested for.Some people find it takes a combination of things to get good control, and IBS waxes and wanes, so what controls you most of the time may not control things all of the time.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html

 

[ewink]

Hi Steve,I have had a weight loss problem for the last 4 years, and lost about 18 pounds at some point. I have been regaining a little bit slowly (gained about 4 lbs in the last 2 months). During those 4 years I have not been D the whole time, I tend to go from C to D for long stretches of times. Have been D type now for about 3 months, with a few days of C every once in a while the last 3-4 weeks or so. Fat is a major problem for me also. The way I see it is that it is a malabsorbtion problem. I think my doc is kind of clueless at this point, so I have to figure it out for myself. So far I don't think I have found the cause for this malabsorbtion problem, but have figured out a way to at least improve it, hence my slight weight gain recently. I think I was probably close to where you are right now a couple of months ago, where I'd have watery D every day many times, in spite of taking many imodiums (though not 10), AND being on a strict fat free diet. At some point I decided to let my system rest and fast for 24-48 hours. I asked my GP if that was ok, so if you decide to try, I'd ask my doc too, just to be on the safe side. I only lasted about 36 hours, I felt so starved after that that I had to start eating again. Then I only ate small amounts of very easily digestible foods, like toasted fat free white bread (if you're not wheat intolerant), a little bit of fat free sliced turkey breast, rice and some yogurt. Also started my supplements again. After that I got gradually better. I stuck with a fat free fiber free diet for quite a while. I started to really get better slowly once I started taking oil of oregano though, so I have a hunch that my problem may be either candida or bacterial overgrowth. It's worth a try I think. (See the other thread if you like)I obviously don't know if these things would help you, we're all so different. Plus like I said I take a whole set of different supplements that all help a bit (calcium is one of them).Hope you find something that helps soon.Take care,Edith

 

[ewink]

Hi Steve,I have had a weight loss problem for the last 4 years, and lost about 18 pounds at some point. I have been regaining a little bit slowly (gained about 4 lbs in the last 2 months). During those 4 years I have not been D the whole time, I tend to go from C to D for long stretches of times. Have been D type now for about 3 months, with a few days of C every once in a while the last 3-4 weeks or so. Fat is a major problem for me also. The way I see it is that it is a malabsorbtion problem. I think my doc is kind of clueless at this point, so I have to figure it out for myself. So far I don't think I have found the cause for this malabsorbtion problem, but have figured out a way to at least improve it, hence my slight weight gain recently. I think I was probably close to where you are right now a couple of months ago, where I'd have watery D every day many times, in spite of taking many imodiums (though not 10), AND being on a strict fat free diet. At some point I decided to let my system rest and fast for 24-48 hours. I asked my GP if that was ok, so if you decide to try, I'd ask my doc too, just to be on the safe side. I only lasted about 36 hours, I felt so starved after that that I had to start eating again. Then I only ate small amounts of very easily digestible foods, like toasted fat free white bread (if you're not wheat intolerant), a little bit of fat free sliced turkey breast, rice and some yogurt. Also started my supplements again. After that I got gradually better. I stuck with a fat free fiber free diet for quite a while. I started to really get better slowly once I started taking oil of oregano though, so I have a hunch that my problem may be either candida or bacterial overgrowth. It's worth a try I think. (See the other thread if you like)I obviously don't know if these things would help you, we're all so different. Plus like I said I take a whole set of different supplements that all help a bit (calcium is one of them).Hope you find something that helps soon.Take care,Edith

 

[Kathleen M.]

How much alcohol or caffiene do you consume?Do you consume large quantities of sugarless gums and candies?Any of those can cause chronic diarrhea.IBS can range from quite mild to as severe as any organic disease, so severity of symptoms generally doesn't eliminate IBS as a cause of the problem, but severe symptoms may make more testing to rule out more things a good idea.Sounds like you've been though the works, so I don't have anything to add for things to be tested for.Some people find it takes a combination of things to get good control, and IBS waxes and wanes, so what controls you most of the time may not control things all of the time.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html