[Rick-O-Shay]

Hello,As far back as I can remember I have always had lower abdominal discomfort with any kind of pressure. I have had an upper GI barium swallowing, endoscopy, abdominal ultrasound, and an abdominal xray with contrast. The only things noted were some barrett's with the endoscopy and large amounts of retained gas and feces throughout the colon with the xray. My pain is constant and continual. It never leaves. The pain has been worse lately, especially with any kind of pressure. Now throw in my anxiety issue and I obsess about this thing night and day. The Dr. says it's just IBS/Dyspepsia. My naturopath wants me to try glutamin and probiotics. I just started those today.I am scared that this may be something else, but I have had many tests done. All my blood work is perfect too. What are your thoughts? IBS?Anyone every try glutamin & probiotics?

 

[Kathleen M.]

Pain is a major symptom of IBS. IBS pain can range from a few hours a couple of days a month to constant.Perfect bloodwork makes one think IBS as most of the other things show up in the blood work.

 

[Rick-O-Shay]

Yea, I am just scared because it never goes again. When I push on my stomach it hurts really bad. It makes me feel sick, not very hungry, and just scared that it will not go away... I don't know what to do. Sometimes it triggers panic attacks...

 

[Rick-O-Shay]

I just went to the Dr again today for this. She recommended that I get another CT scan of my abdomen. After she double checked my record and saw that I already had 2 CT scans (1 was only 1.5 years ago) she said it would be unlikely to find anything, which she would have to diagnose as IBS. She said if you had any other symptoms (blood in stool, abnormal scan etc...) there would be more they could do. I told her I have anxiety and she said for sure that it had to be IBS. When she pushed on my gut, I yelped out because it hurt that bad. Anyone else have pain like this from IBS?I have been told time after time by various physicians that I have IBS, but I have such a hard time believing it since the pain is so chronic, consistent, and painful... My next visit is to a psychiatrist. Maybe treating the anxiety will help with the abdomen pain.

 

[Oasis]

I just went to the Dr again today for this. She recommended that I get another CT scan of my abdomen. After she double checked my record and saw that I already had 2 CT scans (1 was only 1.5 years ago) she said it would be unlikely to find anything, which she would have to diagnose as IBS. She said if you had any other symptoms (blood in stool, abnormal scan etc...) there would be more they could do. I told her I have anxiety and she said for sure that it had to be IBS. When she pushed on my gut, I yelped out because it hurt that bad. Anyone else have pain like this from IBS?I have been told time after time by various physicians that I have IBS, but I have such a hard time believing it since the pain is so chronic, consistent, and painful... My next visit is to a psychiatrist. Maybe treating the anxiety will help with the abdomen pain.

I do have the same issue as you.. not the pain.. (well I do have constant pain) but its not made worse with pressure... but I do panic and worry and im 100% sure that makes everything worse

just try to relax and take your mind off it

(easy to type this but I dont listen to myself either.. lol) if you ever need anyone to chat to about this im sure it would help take your mind off things

 

[shell69]

I do have the same issue as you.. not the pain.. (well I do have constant pain) but its not made worse with pressure... but I do panic and worry and im 100% sure that makes everything worse

just try to relax and take your mind off it

(easy to type this but I dont listen to myself either.. lol) if you ever need anyone to chat to about this im sure it would help take your mind off things

Yep, I'm right there with you both, constant pain, and the thought of leaving the house gets me petrified that i'm going to humiliate myself in public by doubling over suddenly, I have lost count of the times my kids have seen me doubled over on the floor, it ocassionally hurts more when pressure is applied but not always, I have friends with IBS that don't suffer with the pain so why is it some do and some don't? They look at me as much to say it can't be IBS because IBS doesn't give you that amount of pain............... oh how wrong they are

 

[cherrypie09]

IBS does give you real bad constant pain, I know, I have IBS-D and have constant pain every day on the left side of the abdomin, its so bad at times I cry, no tablets have helped, its worse than child birth.

 

[Kathleen M.]

So your doctor refuses to give you any antispasmodics or antidepressants for the pain?Treating the anxiety will help a lot, but there are treatments for IBS pain and they shouldn't tell you there is nothing at all (may need a more up to date doctor).IBS pain can be severe and can be there all day long, there is no line where 12 hours or less a day is IBS and more than that can't be.Pain is a major symptom of IBS and it is like the nerve pain (like the kind of pain diabetics get from nerve damage) and while there is "nothing" for the pain nerves to be reporting on they are sending pain signals anyway, and they may do that all the time depending on how severe the problem is.

 

[Rick-O-Shay]

So your doctor refuses to give you any antispasmodics or antidepressants for the pain?Treating the anxiety will help a lot, but there are treatments for IBS pain and they shouldn't tell you there is nothing at all (may need a more up to date doctor).IBS pain can be severe and can be there all day long, there is no line where 12 hours or less a day is IBS and more than that can't be.Pain is a major symptom of IBS and it is like the nerve pain (like the kind of pain diabetics get from nerve damage) and while there is "nothing" for the pain nerves to be reporting on they are sending pain signals anyway, and they may do that all the time depending on how severe the problem is.

My family dr did try to give me antianxiety medication, however, I refuse to let my family dr prescribe me anxiety medicine because I feel like they just don't know enough about it. I have SEVERE anxiety and went to my family dr for help and they gave me wellbutrin. They told me that it might make me feel sick for 2 weeks (they were right), but after 2 weeks I went back because I began to have even worse anxiety and the worst panic attacks of my life. They told me to keep taking it! I came back a few days later saying this is terrible and I need help and they wouldn't prescribe any kind of benzodiazapen because they say its "potentially addictive"... Needless to say I have an appointment with a psychologist this week to talk about antianxiety medicine.Kathleen, do you take anything for your IBS?

 

[papagrizz]

My family dr did try to give me antianxiety medication, however, I refuse to let my family dr prescribe me anxiety medicine because I feel like they just don't know enough about it. I have SEVERE anxiety and went to my family dr for help and they gave me wellbutrin. They told me that it might make me feel sick for 2 weeks (they were right), but after 2 weeks I went back because I began to have even worse anxiety and the worst panic attacks of my life. They told me to keep taking it! I came back a few days later saying this is terrible and I need help and they wouldn't prescribe any kind of benzodiazapen because they say its "potentially addictive"... Needless to say I have an appointment with a psychologist this week to talk about antianxiety medicine.Kathleen, do you take anything for your IBS?

 

[papagrizz]

This is not good news. I have had lower left ab pain for exactly one year now with bowel movements all over the spectrum. I had blood work, upper and lower GI scans and a colonoscopy....all negative. Right now my Dr. has me on Paxil and I am sick to my stomach, no pun intended.This pain is sapping all the fun out of my active life. I am a 47 y/o male with 5 kids and this pain is limiting my time with themAny advice is sorely needed. Heating pad seems to help some and lying flat on my back in a warm tub.

 

[Zanne]

I can really relate to the constant, stabbing, wake you up in the middle of the night, never goes away, driving you insane - abdominal pain. Zelnorm was my miracle med, but that is no longer available (thank you very much FDA*&%$*&^&)My doctor had tried me on a couple anxiety/depression meds over the years, buspar, wellbutrin, Lexapro plus antispasmodics, levbid, levsin, bentyl ...these did not help. But currently I'm taking a low dose of doxepin (50 mg in the evening) and that has greatly helped with my abdominal pain! I truly never would have believed it, but I was at the end of my rope when I tried it. Doxepin is a tricyclic antidepressant. There have been several studies showing that TCAs can help with the type of pain we are experiencing. And it is amazing how much easier it is to function (and not be anxious and depressed) when you are not in constant pain.I also follow my own very strict diet, avoid my triggers, take digestive enzymes for bloating/distention/gas, drink plenty of water and exercise. It is a lot of work to stay ahead of IBS. But maybe a TCA would help you with the pain. I know that I HATE taking any "psych" related meds, as in "this is not in my head" and I should be able to control this myself! But low dose TCAs have been proven to help with pain and that is why I'm taking it. Just so you know, my GI had thrown up his arms and gave me zero options, stating that I knew more about IBS then he did. It was my Primary's Physician Assistant who came up with the option to try low dose doxepin. I've been taking it for over 2 years now. I took a break from the med to see how I would do, but the pain returned and I went back on doxepin.Here is an exerpt from an interesting study:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19340896 (click on FULL-TEXT ONLINE is upper right corner or try this link)http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2669938/?tool=pubmedEfficacy of tricyclic antidepressants in irritable bowel syndrome: A meta-analysisTCAs exhibit clinically and statistically significant control of IBS symptoms; however, given their abundant side effects they should be reserved for moderate to severe cases. Subjects should be started on subtherapeutic doses for depression and choice of drug should be tailored for each individual. We suggest using TCAs with the least anticholinergic effects (i.e. doxepin and desipramine) for elderly patients or constipation-predominant IBS and imipramine or amitriptyline for diarrhea-predominant IBS and patients with insomnia.And here is another article from GUT:Antidepressants for irritable bowel syndromehttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1773590/I hope this helps in someway. And yes a symptom of IBS can be constant pain, with out this med I would have constant stabbing/radiating abdominal pain due to IBS. If a doctor ever says to you it is "just IBS", then they haven't lived with it day in and day out.Hang in there, I hope you find some relief soon.Zanne

 

[Deborah B. G. Kelly]

I am also experiencing this. My symptoms had all but gone away until after my surgery for Endometriosis. I also am on Lupron which makes me have the hormones of a 55-year-old instead of a 28-year-old, so that can't be helping. I am certain the surgery has something to do with all this pain. My doctor also has IBS and says drugs won't help. It is unfortunate because I have been trying to eat very very small meals throughout the day and I am still getting sick. She said that was the best option and keeping a food diary for another two months. I cannot deal with the pain. I am seriously afraid of eating even though I know not eating will make things worse. Peppermint tea sometimes helps, but not always. Ginger is the same way. I cannot eat the same three things all the time.

 

[searching4answers]

Is this a sharp pain in the left side of abdomen or lower right of pelvis? Nausea no matter what u eat or if you eat or not. Nausea with lots of gas and sweat when u have to go #2 but have to wait. Look into SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth). Get a hydrogen breath test to test for bacterial overgrowth. I also had 3 xrays which showed i was backed up w/stool in the intestine too.