Questions about attacks...
#62367 - 04/18/04 05:58 PM
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Hi!
I was just wondering what everyone means by attacks. Alot of posts have mentioned that they were attack free for 5 months, or that one attack lasted almost 2 months etc.
I am just wondering what exactly that means.
I personally have had diarrhea nearly everyday for the past 5 years. I can't imagine not having it, and basically have delt with it for so long that it doesn't even faze me most of the time. But I'm wondering if what I have is not what the majority of people suffer from.
Is it safe to assume that people have IBS attacks for a few days and then it goes away and they have normal bowel movements for a few months before being struck down again by a hurting tummy a few months or weeks later? I am just curious beacuse this is not the case for me. My bowel movements haven't been normal if YEARS.
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Mine are so rarely normal that it is a remarkable occurrence when it does happen. I can't speak for anybody else and what they mean by "attacks," but for me, and "attack" is when I have extreme cramping pain and a need to find the bathroom ASAP, usually only relieved by (warning: TMI) explosive diarrhea.
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Oh man, I know what you mean...
I was just confused cause I've seen people write that they had one that lasted two months.. is that two months spent on the toilet.. or it comes and goes..
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Hi,
You sound just like I used to be. Now I just have "attacks", sometime lasting for a week, now they usually last for 2-3 days.
I found through a process of elimination that firstly I had coliac disease and lactose/dairy intollerance, then later I found out that I had IBS. When I was still having problems, I found that because I had chronic fatigue syndrome, I had a yeast infection throughout my gut.
If you don't have coliac, which gives similar symptoms to IBS, the yeast infection could be what is giving you continual D. Because of your weakened state, your immune system gives up and its very common to have a yeast overgrowth in your gut. This gives you constant wind and D.
I'm fighting off one again now.
Anyway, perhaps this could be your problem. A nutritionist or naturapath could help.
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I think it varies depending on each person's IBS. Have you started Heather's diet? I had D all the time for ages until I started the diet and now I'm nearly stable (only very occasionally have any major symptoms)!
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Not Just D
#62477 - 04/19/04 07:53 AM
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Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
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I am a D. I've never had C. But I don't have D every day. Are you taking any soluble fiber supplement? What about probiotics? Are you following the program religiously? Not cheating? What about water, how much are you getting? Exercise?
I've always had 3-4 "normal" poops every morning, like clock-work. But when my IBS got bad, they were no longer "normal" until I began taking acacia and probiotics.
To me an "attack" comprises both D and cramping, not just D. I will get D after eating something my tummy doesn't like. For example, yesterday I had some extra-lean turkey bacon, and my tummy was NOT happy with me, so I got D as a result -- no cramping, just severe bloating which lasted a few hours. But I don't consider that an attack.
Your assumption that "people have IBS attacks for a few days and then it goes away and they have normal bowel movements for a few months before being struck down again by a hurting tummy a few months or weeks later" rings pretty true for me.
I keep a food journal, and when I have such an attack, I refer back to the journal and can always pinpoint the culprit. So now, by this time, I pretty much know what I can and can't have. That turkey bacon I had yesterday? I was wary of it, even though it was the first I'd ever had, because I know I can't tolerate turkey pepperoni. Now I know for sure.
Here I am rambling again. Sorry.
I'd try a good fiber supplement, and maybe even a probiotic. I'll bet you'll find a big improvement!
Bev
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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Quote:
have extreme cramping pain and a need to find the bathroom ASAP, usually only relieved by (warning: TMI) explosive diarrhea
that's an "attack" to me... add: sweating, chills, shaking, dizziness, wanting to vomit, stabbing pain in the lower right and left abdomen (in addition to the cramping) and the feeling that you would rather die than experience the next 15 minutes.
the problem was, for awhile there last year, that was happening to me on a daily basis (multiple times a day), for many weeks at a time. naturally, that wore me out and then being tired makes me have D, then i got more tired.... as you can see, a situation that feeds itself....  that's what i mean when i say i had an attack for 2 months last January. it was technically a series of attacks multiple times daily from 2 days before Christmas to late February. to me, that's "one attack." crud- i couldn't eat, sleep, or leave the house! i can call it whatever i want! 
prior to that, i had diarrhea every day for about a year, maybe longer. sometimes i had attacks, other times just "the regular diarrhea." and by "the regular" i mean upwards of 12 trips to the bathroom in a day, 8 or 9 of them before noon!
PS: the upside... my last "attack" was so long ago i can't remember (may have been "the date from hell") and i have fairly normal BMs on a nice normal schedule (only once a day! GASP!) and no pain for weeks now. no bloaties, either! 
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Quote:
Mine are so rarely normal that it is a remarkable occurrence when it does happen. I can't speak for anybody else and what they mean by "attacks," but for me, and "attack" is when I have extreme cramping pain and a need to find the bathroom ASAP, usually only relieved by (warning: TMI) explosive diarrhea.
That's what I consider an attack, too. I usually get chills, feel nauseous, etc. I also have bad episodes sometimes that go on for weeks or months, during which I just don't feel well all the time. I think people also call those "attacks". I guess it all depends on how you use the terminology. 
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"Anyone can exercise, but this kind of lethargy takes real discipline." -Garfield
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Normal BM, whats that?? To me, if I'm just a little C or have a bit of D, thats what I consider normal. An attack to me starts with shortness of breath, having to pee way more than usual and extreme pressure (imagine an elephant sitting on your tummy)Of course there is always the usual gas and bloating involoved. If I'm lucky this will only last a few days but these bad attacks have last 6 weeks before 
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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You know, I dont get as much D or C (tho it's there) but what I notice right away is the pain way down in my groin area.. if you're a girl it's almost over the ovaries. Much of my pain has gone since being on the ibs diet for 3 weeks now, but I am due for a pelvic ultrasound this friday as we're just not sure if it's something else. I've been getting up to pee 3 - 4 times a nite (and that's on a good nite..) for almost a year and it's been rough sometimes. The best part is that the IBS related symptoms mostly are gone, so perhaps the rest will catch up once I really get stable. However, I'm still pushing the Dr to look at all the possibilities just in case.
Rosey
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