Hi everyone,
I've finally made an account and am hoping someone here has experienced what I'm experiencing or can give some insight.
This is an issue that's been going on for years and I can't seem to find any answers.
Basically I've been having sporadic and excruciating stomach "attacks" for years and am not sure if it is a symptom of my IBS or not.
I was diagnosed with IBS-D about 3 years ago, a few years after these "attacks" started. When I told my doctor the symptoms, he immediately said it was IBS. The diagnosis of IBS made a lot of sense - I was having a lot of digestive troubles at the time, and after my diagnosis I radically changed my diet and have been able to almost completely control my symptoms. i know all my triggers and trigger foods. However I still get these attacks sporadically - sometimes they're once or twice a month, and sometimes i can go months without one.
Having IBS and knowing my triggers, I have taken notes over the years every time I have an attack, trying to narrow down a trigger. My diet on the days I have these attacks is no different than any other day. I eat regular meals, at regular times, I'm not under stress or anything. It happens on any, regular, normal day.
Generally what happens during one of these attacks is:
I feel a dull stomachache come on in the afternoon (almost ALWAYS afternoon), and it gets gradually worse over an hour or two. When it peaks, it is probably the most excruciating pain I've ever felt. It feels like someone is twisting a knife in my stomach - really, really bad spasms. Usually these attacks come on at work, around 3 pm, and after my 10 min walk home at 4pm is when it peaks. Once i get home, i have to lay down and just moan and writhe in pain. It's so bad, I have to change my breathing. I would say it's a 9/10 pain-wise. I have been very close to calling my husband to come home and take me to the ER many times. But, the peak only lasts 15-20 minutes and then it slowly subsides over another hour or so. My stomach might be slightly achy for the rest of the night. The pain is not localized - its the whole lower part of my stomach, just kind of all over. My stomach also gets COMPLETELY bloated - I can look 6 months pregnant, and i'm a petite/thin person. Before, during, after I do not feel any urge to go to the bathroom whatsoever, and I never feel nauseous. I can still feel hungry during an episode but usually cant eat anyway as I can't really do anything except lay down. There are no common foods or any kind of pattern at all that I can find.
Is this really due to my IBS??? Lots of other things seem to almost fit (biliary colic, chronic appendicitis, gallbladder attack) except the pain is never localized to one side or area, and I'm never nauseous. And, like I said, I am never constipated or running to the bathroom or anything. Hoping someone can say whether this is a normal symptom of IBS, and if so, is there any medications I can take when one of these attacks comes on, or any way to prevent them??
Thank you!!!
I've finally made an account and am hoping someone here has experienced what I'm experiencing or can give some insight.
This is an issue that's been going on for years and I can't seem to find any answers.
Basically I've been having sporadic and excruciating stomach "attacks" for years and am not sure if it is a symptom of my IBS or not.
I was diagnosed with IBS-D about 3 years ago, a few years after these "attacks" started. When I told my doctor the symptoms, he immediately said it was IBS. The diagnosis of IBS made a lot of sense - I was having a lot of digestive troubles at the time, and after my diagnosis I radically changed my diet and have been able to almost completely control my symptoms. i know all my triggers and trigger foods. However I still get these attacks sporadically - sometimes they're once or twice a month, and sometimes i can go months without one.
Having IBS and knowing my triggers, I have taken notes over the years every time I have an attack, trying to narrow down a trigger. My diet on the days I have these attacks is no different than any other day. I eat regular meals, at regular times, I'm not under stress or anything. It happens on any, regular, normal day.
Generally what happens during one of these attacks is:
I feel a dull stomachache come on in the afternoon (almost ALWAYS afternoon), and it gets gradually worse over an hour or two. When it peaks, it is probably the most excruciating pain I've ever felt. It feels like someone is twisting a knife in my stomach - really, really bad spasms. Usually these attacks come on at work, around 3 pm, and after my 10 min walk home at 4pm is when it peaks. Once i get home, i have to lay down and just moan and writhe in pain. It's so bad, I have to change my breathing. I would say it's a 9/10 pain-wise. I have been very close to calling my husband to come home and take me to the ER many times. But, the peak only lasts 15-20 minutes and then it slowly subsides over another hour or so. My stomach might be slightly achy for the rest of the night. The pain is not localized - its the whole lower part of my stomach, just kind of all over. My stomach also gets COMPLETELY bloated - I can look 6 months pregnant, and i'm a petite/thin person. Before, during, after I do not feel any urge to go to the bathroom whatsoever, and I never feel nauseous. I can still feel hungry during an episode but usually cant eat anyway as I can't really do anything except lay down. There are no common foods or any kind of pattern at all that I can find.
Is this really due to my IBS??? Lots of other things seem to almost fit (biliary colic, chronic appendicitis, gallbladder attack) except the pain is never localized to one side or area, and I'm never nauseous. And, like I said, I am never constipated or running to the bathroom or anything. Hoping someone can say whether this is a normal symptom of IBS, and if so, is there any medications I can take when one of these attacks comes on, or any way to prevent them??
Thank you!!!
