[Guest]

I have recently been told l have IBS, after having numerous tests - which have been all clear. I suffer from Constipation, but mainly bloating and severe pain in the left side, especially lower ribs and around the lower left shoulder blade. I have not heard of anyone with IBS having this type of pain. Is this a common symptom. The pain is unbearable, nothing seems to make it go away.Anyones help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Kathleen M.]

Pain and discomfort are required for IBS to be diagnosed using the most recent diagnostic criteria.Most of the literature focuses on the stool consistancy when what is often the most bothersome symptoms are the pain and discomfort of the disorder.The pain of IBS can be completely incapacitating. My pain when the IBS was really bad was SEVERE. I mean can't walk, can't move, can't do anything at all severe because every little movement would bump it up from the background of 4-7 that I had all the time to 10+ on a 1-10 scale with 1 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain you know of/can imagine.Bloated sensations and abdominal distension are also commonly occuring symptoms in IBS.Why the pain can be so bad is because something is wrong with the "wiring" of the nervous system that controls the IBS. Many of the most painful conditions known to man are caused by diseases that effect nerves/malfunctions of nerves.Treatments for pain includeAntispasmodicsAntidepressants (nerves are nerves and the ones in the body respond to these drugs just like the ones in the brain. The doses used tend to be either at or below the lowest dose needed to alter mood)Mind-Body work.It took a combination of all three to get my pain under control and with the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy I did I am pretty much pain free 95+% of the time with minimal amounts of an antidepressant like drug and the occasional antispasmodic for flare ups and my flare ups of pain are about 2-3 on the same scale used above.K.

 

[Kathleen M.]

Pain and discomfort are required for IBS to be diagnosed using the most recent diagnostic criteria.Most of the literature focuses on the stool consistancy when what is often the most bothersome symptoms are the pain and discomfort of the disorder.The pain of IBS can be completely incapacitating. My pain when the IBS was really bad was SEVERE. I mean can't walk, can't move, can't do anything at all severe because every little movement would bump it up from the background of 4-7 that I had all the time to 10+ on a 1-10 scale with 1 being no pain and 10 being the worst pain you know of/can imagine.Bloated sensations and abdominal distension are also commonly occuring symptoms in IBS.Why the pain can be so bad is because something is wrong with the "wiring" of the nervous system that controls the IBS. Many of the most painful conditions known to man are caused by diseases that effect nerves/malfunctions of nerves.Treatments for pain includeAntispasmodicsAntidepressants (nerves are nerves and the ones in the body respond to these drugs just like the ones in the brain. The doses used tend to be either at or below the lowest dose needed to alter mood)Mind-Body work.It took a combination of all three to get my pain under control and with the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy I did I am pretty much pain free 95+% of the time with minimal amounts of an antidepressant like drug and the occasional antispasmodic for flare ups and my flare ups of pain are about 2-3 on the same scale used above.K.