[redelephant]

Hi everyone,I'm 20 years old and female.I was wondering if anyone has any advice on explaining symptoms to Drs? I find it very difficult to make myself understood clearly/be taken seriously. I've been sent to a gastroenterologist because my Dr said I might have IBS. My symptoms are: constipation, bloating, tenderness, incomplete bowel movememts, etc.; but recently (3 months maybe) I also have this strange burning sensation, like dry sore skin on the inside, all over my abdomen, down my legs, up my back and accross my scalp and shoulders. My intestines also feel inflamed and tender, just touching my stomach lightly hurts. Around 8 months ago I was told I had post-viral fatigue as a result of undiagnosed (didn't take me seriously then, either!) glandular fever, the effects of which I am still experiencing. I also have anxiety and depression. Basically I'm a wonderful bundle of nerves, HOWEVER I'm also generally quite proactive and do my best to deal with things in a positive way, so I think there's a bit of a gap between how bad I feel and how bad other people perceive me to be feeling. I generally get told to pull my socks up, or I'm dismissed with 'it's not that bad, it's all in your mind' kind of attitudes. I'm starting to worry that I am just a hypochondriac, even though I'm pretty much in constant discomfort/pain now. I had an ultrasound scan which came back clear.Does anyone have any advice on how to a frank discussion with a Dr? What questions should I be asking regarding these problems? What questions will a good Dr ask me? Are there any tests I should demand to have? Do my symptoms sound normal for IBS? I am beginning to think I'm just going crazy... Thanks for your time

 

[Waray]

I spent years trying to tell doctors and they just dismissed me. I was diagnosed with anything they could think of to pile a few more drugs on me. Fibromyalgia was the biggie. It's like IBS: if they don't know what it is they call it fibromyalgia or IBS. I fired the doctor and deal with it on my own. It's such an embarrassment to tell them to begin with and to be treated like they don't want to deal with it or don't care is more than any of us should have to deal with. Hang in there and don't give up.

 

[miche]

I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and IBS , I have your symptoms whenever I accidently consume food with msg, google monosodium glutamate , there are excellent forums like " THE msg myth " , TheFoodIsHorrible.com , http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/ Dr Blaylock has an excellent video you can watch on his site , when a few doctors started to question the role of msg in sickness the manufacturing companies started to use other names for it like natural flavor , hydrolysed protein etc, etc, etc, if it is harmless why do they have to hide it, even the products with no MSG on the label have a disguised form of msg in it , I had a bad attack after consuming carregean , hope this helps