[BackFire44]

I was looking at the official definition of IBS, and it looks like, according to the Rome criteria, that I don't qualify for IBS -- or, at least, I didn't.Before I went on Levsin, all I had was urgency and diarrhea. I never had cramps. I would have lots of gas at times, but never cramps. No pains, tightness, or bloating.Since I started the Levsin, though, the diarrhea has definitely gotten better, but I started having cramps and fit squarely within the Rome I diagnosis. Because the frequency of problems is only about twice a week now, though, I figured that the cramps/diarrhea mix twice a week is better than the diarrhea almost every day.But, if I don't qualify with IBS outside taking Levsin, perhaps I have something else? I've read the boards about bile-salt D and Questran, but, aside from my doctor not thinking that it will work in my case, I don't have some of the other things that go along with bile-salt D like yellowish stool. Also, sometimes before the Levsin, I would have urgency, but without D. My doctor thought, then, that clearing up the D would not solve the problem.Got a colonoscopy, blood work (don't know for what, though), endoscopy, and minimum stool culture with nothing. Have had problems for over three years now. Not lactose intolerant either. It seems to make sense that I have IBS, and the treatments suggested are having a positive affect on me, but if I don't strictly satisfy the Rome critieria, maybe its something else that is being treated?

 

[BackFire44]

Eric, perhaps you know something about this?Thanks,BackFire

 

[eric]

Backfire, there are some thirty functional disorders.The Rome Criteria is a guideline and is important for sure, but there can be some variables in symptoms, but discomfort or pain is one of them for IBS.But one of them is functional D, which is where you have d, but no pain. Also blood work nowadays shows a lot really, more then in the past. On the stool culture it is a good idea to have three of them done.Some of the ibs treatments might also help some of the other functional gi disorders like functional d. However.Irritable Bowel Syndrome:How Far Do You Go in the Workup? http://www.med.unc.edu/medicine/fgidc/how_..._the_workup.htm