[girlieatSWT]

Hi I am a new here but I was diagnosed with IBS 3 years ago and GERD 1 year ago. My main problem that I am having with IBS is the gurgling and gassy noises my stomach makes. It is so embarrassing. I am a senior in college and the stomach noises just really started giving me problem in August and have gotten progressively worse. It is so hard for me to be able to get through my classes because if I'm not going to the restroom every hour then I have to be able to walk around because the noises are almost unbearable and very disturbing. The constant gas and bloating is not much help either. I have been prescribed an assortment of pills Bentyl and Levisan which both give me serious dry mouth and don't help with the cramps. I am currently on Donnatal for the cramps, take Phazyme for the gas/bloating (but it doesn't work), and Reglan for the heartburn/reflux. What else is out there for me to take especially with the alternating diarrhea and constipation, and the painful intestinal cramps. I have also being looking at research on the correlation between obesity and IBS. I have noticed that since I have put on a little weight that my symptoms have gotten seemingly worse. Has anyone else read research on this and if so do you find it to be true. I'm desparately seeking advice of anyone suffering the way I am.Thanks and any advice/suggestions would be grealty appreciated!

 

[Guest]

Sorry Girlie - not any help but a question - what on earth is GERD? Never heard of it. I suffer like you with hideous rumbling from time to time - not much fun when you work in an advice centre either. Let me know please?Sue

 

[girlieatSWT]

GERD is Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease. It is a lot easier to live with than the IBS. The way I found out I had GERD was I kept having frequent heartburn/acid reflux and having a hard time digesting food (it always wanted to come back up or made me want to vomit just tasting it). The reason it does that is because the food gets partially digested in the stomach and then comes back into the esophagus which in turn would cause the heartburn or nausea (partially digested food has a strong acid in it like that of car batteries) . So I went to my doc and at first he thought I had a hiatal hernia so he put me on the Reglan which is given to rule out the hernia. It really helped me manage my symptoms. But most individuals with GERD also have hiatal hernias. Regardless they are both unpleasant, but I'm managing. Hope this info helps.