[Spirit]

I've had IBS for most of my life, and NEVER have I had to deal with smelly gas/poops. In the last few weeks I've had cramps, and the urge to have a BM, with lots of gas. Increasingly, day by day, it's been getting worse. Even the smallest of bum toots can send me RUNNING from the room! It's the classic "rotten egg" smell, and it's STRONG! Funny thing though, is that if I have to let one riiiip (one of those "move a feather from 10 feet away" kind fo farts), there's no smell.Then there's the toilet issue. All my poops have been somewhat dark in color, and VERY soft. Oh, and they ALL float.As for my diet, I'm very broke right now, so I've been living off of whatever I can find. In the last few weeks, I've consumed maybe the equivelant of 3 peices of toast a day. And in the last few days, all I've eaten are chips and twizzlers because I've been too nauseuos to eat anything heavier.There's no possible way that I'm eating as much food as I'm pooping... There's WAY more poop coming out of me! No D, a little bit of C, but mostly extremely soft, dark stools that float. Does anyone know what that means, or how to fix it? The pain is one thing... The smell is a WHOLE other thing... Gross...Spirit.------------------He who loses money, loses much;He who loses a friend, loses more;He who loses faith, loses all.

 

[JeanG]

Spirit:I'm no expert, but it may have something to do with the fact that you're not eating right.We go through periods where money is tight too, and at those times we eat a lot of rice and beans (if you can tolerate beans) or other grains. So, I guess you can say I'm kind of an expert at eating cheaply when need be. Veggies can be fairly cheap and if you get in 1 1/2 cups per day that's enough. Look for what's in season, or if you get frozen stuff, check out the sales. Fruit can get expensive so look for things that are in season -- they'll be cheaper.Yep, money can be a problem. But there are ways around it. Try to stay away from the junk food. In the end it costs more and is less nutritious. Jean------------------"Never let the fear of striking out get in your way." Babe Ruth. And I'm also Praying with Bettie for a cure for this NASTY IBS! Jean

 

[Jan8]

Spirit, Last thing you will want to hear and Im no expert, but do recommend you see your Doctor, dark stools may be more than IBS unless your eating food likely to give you dark stools, it doesnt sound as if you are so seek medical advise asap.The fluffy floating part is usually a sign of healthy BM I always thought, although with the other things you have mentioned may not be. Do understand about the gas, live with that everyday, have also found caltrate a great help, only been using it just over a week since finding this site and great information.Again do get your BM tested just in case, please, any change from your normal ways needs to be looked at. Jan8

 

[Guest]

Hey Spirit, I know what you mean about the gas, but here's one for you. I get that rotten egg smell by burping! It's absolutely the grossest! Almost always before I have an attack, my first symptom are these rotten egg burps. It's so bad at times, I have to burp and leave the room immediately-Makes me very popular!! I agree about diet. I have money problems too right now, but please lay off the chips and Twizzlers. Sometimes, all I can eat is baby food. I usually stick to The fruit. Let us know how you are doing!Kerri

 

[Guest]

I agree with Jan8. See your doctor ASAP.Dark stools (black) can mean bleeding from higher up in the intestine. Not necessarily a serious problem but if it is bleeding, you need to find the cause and take care of it.That would also account for the bad smell. Old blood smells very bad. If you are using pepto bismal that accounts for the dark color. Take care and let us know how you are doing.

 

[Spirit]

The color is normal. It is no where near black... Just very dark brown.It's the smell!!! That and the fact that I'm pooping more than I'm consuming!Also, I've been STUPIDLY nauseous lately. I'm sure it's connected somehow. If all is not better by friday, I'm going to go see my doc.Spirit.------------------He who loses money, loses much;He who loses a friend, loses more;He who loses faith, loses all.

 

[Jan8]

Sprint, Glad your on to it, have been rather concerned for you. Did not like to mention the blood factor, just in case you did a panic, pleased for you that not black, still fluffy and dark and overly large amounts must be coming from somewhere also with the sickness do not delay that consoltation. I get the gas and burps, rather the burps than the other though, I have a very long history so more the norm for me.It is so important that any real change from our norm, even if our norm is rather strange, should be investigated. Unless of cause we can put it down to a particular food. Do not believe your intake should be causing all of your symtems. Jan8

 

[Guest]

for your info, feces that float can be due to a parasite-(specifically Giardia Lamblia(am an expert, believe me- have had it 2xs and in my daycare several more times in 20 yrs and I am the cleanest freak u have ever seen(drive everyone nuts with my compulsions to keep things as em free as possible and we still have gotten this in the house-the reason it floats is that the parasite interferes with the digestion of your fats- get several stool specimens done and ask for the specific one for Giardia Lamblia-( it is difficult to find this, sometimes need several specimens over several days because it migrates from the upper intestine and "sheds" to the lower- so if it is in the "high" part, it won't show up in the specimen-another symptom of this is the awful smell and copious amounts-this is very common in daycares now -Used to be unheard of in this country, not anymore-

 

[bkitts]

Mine go Dark brown, light brown, green, normal paper sack brown as they call it!!! Never know what to expect!!!

 

[Guest]

Spirit -- I am glad you are thinking of going back to your doc, just as a precaution. Yes, it is amazing how we sometimes seem to "poop" a lot more than we eat, isn't it? Don't quite know why.Please, please get off the junk food. I agree that fresh veggies really aren't that expensive, and it sounds like you may sorely need them. Please try to get some protein, too, even if only soy, which is very inexpensive. Get back with us again!

 

[flux]

Feces only can float when they contain excess gas, so that in an of itself is neither normal nor abnormal. It is not related to fat absorption.[This message has been edited by flux (edited 11-17-1999).]

 

[Guest]

This is an exact description of my symptoms when I had giardiasis (see Giardia above). Luckily, my doctor didn't wait for a stool sample, but put me on Flagyl right away. This has happened twice and I don't have a clue how I got it.------------------SueTrying to live a "normal life"!

 

[Jeffrey Roberts]

Your symptoms make me think of some sort of bacterial infection. I'd see a Dr. and do a few stool cultures to see if anything bad grows. You might consider some acidophilus supplements or yogurt, if you can tolerate it.Take care of yourself.J*[This message has been edited by Jeffrey Roberts (edited 11-17-1999).]

 

[Spirit]

Thanks everybody. I made an appointment for friday at 2. My main concern is the cramps, along with the nausea. Then of coarse the smell... I don't think this has anything to do with my diet because it hasn't changed at all. Granted, I've been snacking a LOT more on foods that I should not be (chips), but I'm not eating any more than I ever have. When I get nauseous like this, the only thing I can do is snack, and for some reason the only foods I can snack on are dry "munchies" as I call them. Like chips, or croutons. I've done this before and never had a reaction like this.Another thing that I forgot to add in my previous post, is that when I pass the smelly gas (only the smelly ones), it burns really badly. Feels very hot. Is this normal? I can't figure out why all of a sudden out of the blue, I'm getting these really foul smells! It's AWFUL! Today I seem to be a bit better, but this morning was pretty bad. The cramps are definately NOT going away though. Let's hope tomorrow will be better. Oh yea... And my meds aren't working anymore for the cramps or nausea.The funny thing is though, that everytime I get sick like this and make an appointment, the day I go see the doc I feel fine! I HAVE to see him when I'm having an attack... That way he can monitor what's going on and I won't feel like an idiot. I only saw him once when I was having an attack, and it was the one time I felt like he really pulled through for me. All the other times I feel like he's just playing a guessing game with me and gives me a pill to make it better. It's so frustrating...I'll keep you posted.Spirit.------------------He who loses money, loses much;He who loses a friend, loses more;He who loses faith, loses all.

 

[Guest]

Hi Spirit,I know what you mean about the smell - it's got to be the WORST part about IBS for me. Thankfully, it doesn't happen often, but when it does. . . .God help us all!!! It's almost like sulphur, you know, so nasty - I can't stand to be in a room with myself!! Anyway, I find I get that when I eat really crappy foods, like fast foods or really sugary foods. So maybe it;s the chips and twizzlers. I also get that when I overindulge in everything - wine at dinner, massive meal, coffee and dessert afterwards - hits me about 1/2 hour after I'm done my binge. When it's really bad I take Phazyme (2 super duper ultra strength), but if it's gotten to that point, nothing will work and I usually have to sit it out for the night and apologize to anyone that is within a 20 foot radius of me.. . you just gotta laugh (mind you I don't find it so funny when it happens though. . .) AS for the nausea and stools that you've got, I don't know what to say about that - I'm glad you're going to the doctor though - there are so many symptoms of IBS but you can never be too careful.Carol