It's all about ME (just like a man!)
#191102 - 07/02/05 04:38 PM
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Anthem
Reged: 10/01/04
Posts: 76
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Although comparison is not a very good trait, I am wondering if there is even any relevance in trying to determine where I fall or stand (or kneel?) in the spectrum of IBS patients. When I go to my GP, he shouts "eat fiber" and I shout back "I am about to overdose on FIBERCON as it is, and I burp Metamucil!"
Anyway, if anyone feels any tendency to reply to this self-centered silly post, that's fine.
I have IBS-A and I go like a big grandfather clock pendulum. I can start off June with very firm well shaped stools, minor left abdomenal discomfort, and some gas after meals. If it would stay this way, I'd donate my hunky body to science and be a happy man. But about every 30 to 45 days, I seem to swing from this into "D", and I have yet to find a culprit food that puts its hands in the air and (like in old Perry Mason TV shows) confesses on the witness stand "I did it! I made Anthem sick! Boo,hoo, hoo..."
If I realize that it is a full fledged "D" flare-up, I hit it with Immodium (since I already take Bentyl every day as a safe guard). This seems to work pretty well, and I end up with "C" for a few days, then the system seems to slowly return to being in a state of firm stools again with small abdomenal discomfort and gas.
Sometimes the "D" flare-up is awful, and I feel like I have to go to the bathroom every few minutes. That makes me want to die, and I wish God would take me away from this life. But Immodium seems to help that, but I never know when to stop taking it.
Well, being a typical man, I am wondering where I might fall in the realm of IBS sufferers. I also have occasional TMJ problems, and (thank god) fall in the TMJ-lite crowd, even though I'd rather have a vampire bat bite me in the neck than suffer a TMJ flare-up.
Well, thanks for reading this far. Happy Holiday.
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Anthem, welcome to the wonderful world of IBS-A. We get the best of both worlds  I totally understand the being fine thing for weeks then bam out of nowhere major D attack for no reason. It sucks but hopefully once you are stable will become a thing of the past (I'm not there yet  ).
As for TMJ flare up's sorry but I don't know what they are?
You have my sympathy.
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Amy
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I don't really have an answer othet than your symptoms sound all too familiar. I can't figure out what makes what happen. I started out C and now am moving to A. The D attacks are the weirdest thing and I never know what actually caused them-but I am miserable too and the pain stinks. I know the bloat, gas, and left side discomfort well too.
You sound like an IBS'er to me. I envy the IBs-lites that can tweak one or two things and get stable. That's not me-I haven't figured it out yet. I have tried everything and what works for a while seems to stop working after while so I am always adjusting what I eat. It really isn't fun.
Sorry no answers, other than you are really not alone at all and very much like most of us.
Good luck and feel better. If you find something that works-please share!!!
Mary
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It only takes a few committed people to change the world!
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TMJ is an acronym referring to the jaw joint. The muscles and jaw joint can become damaged for various reasons. For me, it was most likely from teeth clenching, especially at night when people tend to grind their teeth (the old "knashing of teeth" mentioned in the Bible). I now wear a mouth guard at night, but the symptoms are:
1. popping when you open/close the mouth.
2. pain in the joint and muscles.
3. tension in the joint and muscles.
4. pain in the ear (since the joint is next to the ear, it gets referred pain in the ear although the ear is fine).
5. pain in the teeth on that side of the mouth.
My case is "lite" because the muscles are mostly impacted. If the joint is damaged, there isn't a lot that can be done. Some folks kill themselves because the pain can be unimaginable. Isn't the human body wonderful?
I read a book that said doctors are beginning to think there is an irritable BODY symdrome, and that IBS and TMJ are just 2 manifestations of it.
Note: Burt Reynolds suffered from TMJ. His cause was being hit in the face by a stunt man during a movie. It damaged his joint so bad that for years his career suffered and he was on heavy drugs. He lost about 70 pounds and people were gossiping that he was dieing of AIDS. Eventually, I believe he had some sort of major surgery to put in a fake jaw joint, and I guess that helped. Whenever I see an old Western movie, and the guys are having a fist fight, I think "Every time a guy gets hit in the jaw like that (for real), they will suffer from TMJ for the rest of their lives". Of course, in movies every macho guy gets hit 30 times in the jaw and still can have a thick tough steak for dinner!
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Do you get tension headaches from that as well? I have this thing with my jaw... I don't know whether I'm a bruxist (grinding one's teeth while asleep is called bruxism, my partner does this every night)... but I often wake up with my jaw locked and I can't open my mouth fully. This makes it quite difficult to brush my teeth! And it also seems to relate to the whopper tension headaches I get. It tends to go away after I wiggle my jaw round a bit and pop it back out to "open", but it sort of pops when I open and close my mouth for a while afterwards. I never really thought about it too much, what with my collection of other minor ailments.
As for my IBS, I'm pretty mild, fortunately. I'm A, I'll not go for three or four days in a C cycle, and I don't really get watery on my D cycles, rather just loose and urgent. My main problem is nausea, or it may be that I just notice that more because I'm emetophobic. I get some pain and bloating also, but they don't bother me as much.
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*Emma*
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I have TMJ in an evil way, too and wear one of those mouth guards. I grind, clench, etc. When it's really bad, I have to take time off chewable food and blenderize everything. If you saw the extent I have ground my teeth you'd be frightened!
It's obscenely painful and the sound of me doing it gives me headaches, too. I've gone through periods of virtual lockjaw. And the headaches!!! The neckaches!!! The earaches!!! Seriously, when I say, I have irrepairabley ground my teeth, I'm not joking. My teeth cannot grip food anymore because of TMJ. I hardly have any rear teeth left!
So, in a strange way, my TMJ has forced me to be an herbivore. I basically have no desire to eat chewable food and put it in the blender. Eating even a bowl of cereal is frustrating! I couldn't chew a crust of bread if I tried. I dream of an apple I could bite into! Even chewing a cracker hurts.
TMJ really bites. Thank goodness for food processors because if they didn't exist, I'd vanish.
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I'm a teeth gnasher. I don't do it to the point where I'm causing damage (well at least I think I don't) but I give myself headaches from it all the time and anyone I sleep near says I drive them nuts with my teeth grinding, he he.
I also have a "pop" jaw. I used to entertain my friends by being able to pop my jaw. I never made the connection though. Just thought it was something I was born with. Thanks for telling me what it is. You learn something new every day huh?
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Amy
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Ooooh yeah...
#191137 - 07/02/05 08:36 PM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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Another A here. I know all about how it goes. My pendulum might swing a little differently, but swing it still does. 
I was always pretty much a D-predominant, and I still am. I have bad D attacks, I take imodium. Most of the time, the imodium then makes me C. I'm better now than I used to be - pre-IBS-diet, my C spells would go for a week or longer, but now it's usually just a couple days. Then it's right back to D, just as bad as before.
And yes, I definitely had D days that had me wishing for the end... but gods, for the sheer pain factor, still, nothing beats my C spells. Ack.
At least your body's cycles are somewhat predictable - I know, small comfort. Mine isn't, though, and it's pretty darn annoying. I was actually "stable" for a couple months, after almost of a year of steady, continuous improvement. Now I'm right back to the C/D cycles, and I'm literally not doing anything different... so like you, I can't point to a single food, either, nor can I point to other life circumstances (stress, etc) that might be the culprit.
I just keep reminding myself that it could be worse. Much, MUCH worse.
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and what a pain in the butt! I was pretty C for weeks on end, but when it does swing it swings very fast!! And hard!!
Youy totally have the sympathies of at least 6 of us here. um, Atomic, me, Double trouble, Linz, and I know there are nore. a is the most complicated IBS to control. Diet helps a ton!! And sticking to it helps even more, LOL!!
Ps- if that's really you in the pic, you are one cutie! If not, I'm sure you still are! 
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Keep on keepin' on...
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You are the first I have heard who has TMJ.people look at me like I,m crazy when I say I have TMJ. mine is because I'm old an my teeth are old,an my jaw Joint are out of linement,but the pain is very bad,the only way they can help me is get new teeth,I would like to hear more from you.
my e-mail is gerrydick@aol.com please write,one dentist won't even look at me till I go see another special dentist
who only treat TMJ,an I know that will cost so much,
Gerry.
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Neta G.Yale
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