Non-Gi complaints w/ IBS
#207536 - 08/22/05 03:56 PM
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lalala
Reged: 02/14/05
Posts: 2634
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I don't see anyone mentioning fatigue w/ IBS unless they also have fibro. ISOT, and found this list of Non GI complaints more common in IBSers, but I didn't really get a good idea of how many folks currently posting here would list fatigue as one of their IBS symptoms. It's definitely a problem for me since I was first diagnosed with IBS, and I've had all the bloodwork and tests (repeatedly) to rule out anemia, thyroid problems, inflammation etc. I'm healthy, just very tired at times.
Here's the list of complaints if you don't want to clicky-click on the link: 
In the new UNC digest newletter they list 26 non gi complaints more common in IBS then normals.
headache
dizziness
heart palpitations
back pain
shortness of breath
muscle ache
frequent urinating
difficulty in urinating
sensitivity to heat and cold
constant tiredness
Pain during intercourse -sex-
trembling hands
sleep difficuties
bad breath-unpleasant taste in mouth
grinding your teeth
jaw pain
flushing of face and neck
dry mouth
week or wobbly legs
scratchy throat
tightness or pressure in chest
low sex drive
poor appetite
eye pain
stiff muscles
eye twitching
Symptoms, such as pain, sweating, heart palpitations, and feeling faint are related to the exaggerated nervous system response to eating that occurs in people with IBS.
Anyway, this list just reminded me how complicated and chronic IBS is. Yep, we're special! 
Edited by Maria!Maria! (08/22/05 05:33 PM)
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I am always tired. I used to hop out of bed at the crack of dawn and walk to the Diner and then the gym. Now I can't seem to get myself up and in the shower without a lot of effort. All I want to do is sleep. I figure my body is over worked trying to digest all the food I eat that is just sitting inside me. I don't know how I would be able to work double shifts like I used to. I couldn't eveen do one shift now.
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Carol
nós somos o que nós somos e o descanso é merda
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Fibro
#207540 - 08/22/05 04:14 PM
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melitami
Reged: 02/23/04
Posts: 1213
Loc: Ewing, NJ, USA (IBS-D, Vegetarian)
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The "official" symptoms needed for a diagnosis of fibro are widespread pain in all four quadrants of the body for at least 3 months and 11 out of the 18 tender points. If your blood work has ruled out anything else, then maybe get your doc to do a fibro tender point exam.
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Melissa
Friendship is thicker than blood. ~Rent
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I never associated those symptoms w/ the IBS before...intersting list...a couple of those...scratchy thorat, dry mouth, I just assumed is a side effect of the lomotil...the extreme tiredness is an absolute after a particular extreme attack...wears me out...the cold and heat affectation, I just figured was me...interesting...
Blessings,
Elaine
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Maria,
I don't know if this is either interesting or helpful. I've always wondered if I had fibro or if I'm just a hypochondriac. I'm more than half afraid of being taken seriously. This is what I live with most days. (I do not have a thyroid problem and my anemia is monitored/in remission.) I do have asthma, which may explain the breath associated answers and I have EVIL TMJ. I also have epilepsy and GAD, so some of the fatigue related responses may be related to anti-convulsants.
headache xxx
dizzines x
heart palipitations xx
back pain xxx
shortness of breath xx
muscle ache xxx
frequent urinating xxx
difficulty in urinating
sensitivity to heat and cold xxx
constant tiredness xxx
pain during sex-intercourse
trembling hands
difficulty sleeping xxx
bad breath/unpleasant taste in mouth
grinding your teeth xxx
jaw pain xxx
flushing of face and neck
dry mouth xxx
weak/wobbly legs xxx
scratchy throat xx
tightness or pressure in chest xx
low sex drive
poor appetite xx
eye pain x
stiff muscles xxx
eye twitching
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Hello, very interesting, because IBS is such a complicated thing, let me add to the confusion. Yes i get a lot of those symptoms, a lot of which are present in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). I have always attributed my IBS to a severe case of Ciguatera poisoning when a child. Ciguatoxin is the most potent neurotoxin known, 10000 times more toxic than arsenic w/w. There was a study run in Hawaii not long ago on CFS patients in which about 98% of them tested positive for traces of ciguatoxin! I really do wonder if IBS patients all went and got tested what % might also have been exposed to it at some time.
Of course its speculation, but science does sometimes identify causative agents that have far reaching consequences.
Incidently one of the symptoms of ciguatera poisoning, apart from the severe gastro etc, is a reversal of temperature sensitivities, ie hot things feel cold, cold things hot.
Ciguatoxin attacks the sodium/calcium channels in the nervous system causing nerve cells to trigger rapidly but then take a long time to recover. Sound a bit like IBS? Overactive gut or sluggish gut????
Having been exposed to ciguatoxin, a patient is apparently hyper-senstivie to re-exposure. I have often wondered if occasional tiny amounts in food i eat may trigger IBS attacks but have no effect on a normal person.
Anyhow i rant, i have posted similar info once or twice before, sorry if i have bored anyone, but it is very interesting to me, and of course not ever likely to be investigated or proven.
cheers
Ralph
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Kate
#207573 - 08/22/05 05:30 PM
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lalala
Reged: 02/14/05
Posts: 2634
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I'm sorry if this isn't helpful or even interesting. I certainly don't want to bring out the hypochondriac in anyone.  My point in posting this was to have the opposite effect. Now that I think about it, I probably just should have left out my personal musings about fibro; I think I'll go ahead and edit those out. However, because sometimes I forget all the non-GI symptoms included in a diagnosis of IBS I'm leaving the list up. I thought it was a good reminder that there's nothing else "wrong" with me--I have IBS in all its glory and manifestations. 
Edited by Maria!Maria! (08/22/05 05:40 PM)
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I can't get through a normal day without taking a 2-hour nap by mid-afternoon. Seriously. And yep, I've been tested repeatedly to rule out everything under the sun - other than IBS, I'm in shockingly perfect health.
But interestingly enough, I don't have ANY of the other symptoms mentioned. Not a one. Lucky me!
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It's really easy to think of IBS as *just* something that affects the GI tract, but your body isn't isolated neatly into systems that function without affecting everything else in your body. That's just not the way it works. So when you have a pile of symptoms, it doesn't necessarily mean that there's something ELSE wrong... it CAN just be "side effects" of the main problem, IBS.
I'm not saying that it's a good idea to just accept that you have IBS and never worry about things like palpitations or chest pain... but you have to be reasonable and not immediately panic that every little thing is a symptom of something else. As an example, I *just* had a very thorough physical and a lot of tests, and I'm confident that my problem is IBS only, and not something like fibro.
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Thanks for the clarification! (I've edited my post, but thanks for replying so quickly.  )
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This definitely wasn't boring! Very intriguing--it gets the "detective" in me all worked up. I just wish more studies were being done with a greater number of IBSers based on when their IBS first appeared (post-infectious vs post-partum vs post-operative etc).
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I like how you explained that the "body isn't isolated neatly into systems"--that's exactly it! It's like the brain-gut connection: IBS isn't psychological, but neurological, which would also explain some of those other symptoms.
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I can't even remember what it's like to not be tired all the time! And when the IBS is acting up, the exhaustion is unbearable. I've even taken time off work just because I'm so tired. I have experienced some of the other symptoms on the list, but not to the same extent as the exhaustion. One thing that helped was going on the pill, although I had to try a few out before I found one that helped.
Another problem I have is how I can't stay awake after I eat, even if it's not a big meal. I make a big effort to get lots of sleep at night, but sometimes I'm still so tired that I'll just sleep after work and eat supper afterwards, just so I don't fall asleep with a full tummy. Anyone have any hints on how to overcome this? I'm basically passing out before I even have a chance to get to the dishes, and then I get so groggy and weak I literally can't function. I'm too young to feel this old! 
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Re: Maria
#207644 - 08/22/05 08:46 PM
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Wind
Reged: 04/02/05
Posts: 3178
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I'm the one who is sorry! This is interesting, but it is so vague! I see that alot of IBS'ers complain of fatigue and other symptoms listed. I'm just not sure what the conclusion is, if indeed there is one. The parallels are fascinating.
Honestly--I'm always either wired or bagged. I don't sleep, but rather I nap. I have days where my jaw is so tight/stiff/sore that I cannot chew food, so into the food processor it goes. I have migraines and headaches at least 4 times a week. I freeze in the heat of summer and winter is unbearable. Excessive heat, also, bothers me.
It's beyond me. But the connections/co-incidences are very interesting. I'm just not sure what you're getting at. However, I'm probably just the village idiot.
Kate.
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I can't help, but I can relate. I take a nap after breakfast sometimes. I come in to get dressed and just have to lay down and close my eyes. Same with lunch. By 1 p.m. I am napping. It's not just laziness ... I HAVE to sleep. At least now I know there is a reason for it.
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Carol
nós somos o que nós somos e o descanso é merda
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Hi Ralph, Where does this ciguatoxin come from? I thought
maybe you got nailed by a platypus or something like that.
It doesn't sound as though that's the case. -Bob
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<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
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I have 6 of the 26. I couldn't find the original newsletter itself - I think it would be really interesting to see what the methodology was. For example, were the people who listed the symptoms on medications? Were they severely restricting their diets because of their IBS? Were they largely inactive because of their diets? In other words, were the symptoms caused directly by whatever type of systemic malfunction caused their IBS or were their symptoms caused by responses to their IBS - taking meds, not eating enough, not eating a remotely balanced diet, not getting any physical activity?
I'm hoping it's the latter because although my IBS is now largely under control, I haven't really bounced back in terms of overall health. I'm hoping I feel bad because I haven't gotten my diet adequately balanced and my exercise underway, rather than as an unavoidable consequence of IBS.
--------------------
[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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headache -- yes
dizziness -- no
heart palpitations -- yes
back pain -- yes
shortness of breath -- yes but I have asthma
muscle ache -- yes
frequent urinating -- no
difficulty in urinating -- no
sensitivity to heat and cold -- extreme
constant tiredness -- yes
Pain during intercourse -sex- -- no
trembling hands -- no
sleep difficuties -- just that I never want to get up!
bad breath-unpleasant taste in mouth -- no
grinding your teeth -- no
jaw pain -- no
flushing of face and neck -- no
dry mouth -- no
week or wobbly legs -- yes
scratchy throat -- no
tightness or pressure in chest -- yes, asthma
low sex drive -- no
poor appetite -- I wish
eye pain -- no
stiff muscles -- yes
eye twitching -- sometimes
I am getting my thyroid tested because of the constant fatigue and the extreme sensitivity to cold, and because my temp is always a little too low. I wonder if it's all related after all?
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Amanda
I live in the Big Apple, but I don't eat the skin
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Ha Ha, no Bob, not a platypus (as vicious a wee beastie they are), ciguatoxin is a neurotoxin that builds up in the food chain and accumulates in large reef fish, some species worse than others, Barred spanish mackeral was the culprit in my case. The toxin is produced by a dinoflagellate organism amongst the algae on coral reefs, little fish ingest it, get eaten by bigger fish, etc etc up the food chain until the big fish end up with quite a concentration of it.
It doesnt affect the fish, can't be detected by taste or odour, is unaffected by freezing or cooking, and up until recently there was no test for it. The test is still largely unknown and unused, and of course fishing industries don't want to know about it as it would cost them to test their catch. Of course it's one of those things people just don't give a damn about UNLESS of course they've had it as it is an extremely nasty thing and i am still suffering effects 35 years later!
What with all the omega-3 fish oils being added to breads and who knows what else these days, it is of some concern to those who have had it, even the tiniest bit of ciguatoxin can have a devastating effect!
Sorry for the long winded reply but i do like to eduate folks when i get the chance, and if i had been spiked by a stroppy platypus all those years ago instead i would've been a lucky guy!
cheers
Ralph
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My checklist- a lot of the ones I do have I can attribute to something else or have them since before I had IBS. The muscular and sleep ones could be fibro indicators (Linz/Nelly etc can you comment on this?)
headache - no
dizziness -no
heart palpitations -no
back pain -yes but not related
shortness of breath -asthma!
muscle ache -yes
frequent urinating- yes
difficulty in urinating-no
sensitivity to heat and cold- yes
constant tiredness -yes but think this is lifestyle based
Pain during intercourse -sex- no
trembling hands no
sleep difficuties no
bad breath-unpleasant taste in mouth -post nasal drip from sinusitis gives me this sometimes
grinding your teeth -no
jaw pain -no
flushing of face and neck -no
dry mouth -no
week or wobbly legs-no
scratchy throat -no
tightness or pressure in chest- asthma
low sex drive -no
poor appetite -no!!
eye pain -no
stiff muscles -yes but attributable to other things ie lack of exercise
eye twitching-no
--------------------
S.
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How about RLS- restless leg syndrome? Ask Pad if you kick in your sleep. RLS is a big indicator of fibro. Also cold hands and feet. I just can never heat up during a flare, no matter how close to the heater I huddle! 
~nelly~
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Wow. I never knew that all these were IBS syptoms but that makes a whole lot of sense now that I know. I suffer from
dizziness
muscle ache
sensitivity to heat and cold
constant tiredness
Pain during intercourse -sex-
sleep difficuties
dry mouth
scratchy throat
low sex drive
poor appetite
And I thought it was just all in my head. Fatigue and sensitivity to cold are a big problem for me.
And I'm kind of embarressed to say that sex can get extremely uncomfortable sometimes - especially when I am bloated. It's like my mind says one thing and my body say "You have got to be kidding" 
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