I can't do this anymore...
#367363 - 05/02/12 12:13 PM
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SweetTony
Reged: 11/17/10
Posts: 26
Loc: Maine
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I am never going to accept this. Out of the blue I began having issues almost 3 years ago. Two days of uncontrollable bowel movements on the way to work and I have not been the same since. Bloating, stomach pain, constant sensing of needing to defecate, and uncontrollable bowel movements about every two weeks. Frantic panic attacks when a bathroom is not accessible. Needing to go RIGHT NOW and then having nothing happen. After all of the testing found nothing I was dx with IBS. I tried Heather's diet for 6 months and eliminated everything from my diet. No coffee or tea except peppermint and fennel. No alcohol, dairy, red meat, fried foots, fats, HFCS, soda, and grains. No tobacco. Took the acacia fiber and peppermint bills. Took dicyclomine, hyoscyamine, Zoloft, and other meds. Did the hypno CD's twice. Exercised. Tai Chi. Buddhism. Chiropractor. Acupuncture. Meditation. Nothing really helped. I have no real stress in my life except for this which is now in control of my life. I panic my way to work and through meetings and I wear a diaper when I ump Little League games just in case. I am 42 years old for Christ's sake! I am at the point where I am considering either stabbing myself in the leg with a hunting knife or driving my car into a concrete overpass on the highway. I figure that it might reset my synapses or something after they fix me up. My doctor disagrees but, obviously, what does he know? I cannot accept that I am going to feel the way I feel right now for the next 40-50 years of my life. I am not going to make it. And this is WITH happy pills. I have a wonderful wife and two wonderful boys. At this point, if it wasn't for them I would be in a high tower somewhere with a rifle. Any suggestions?
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Hi SweetTony,
I understand you problem. IBS can start right out of the blue from a GI infection. This sort of IBS is called post infection IBS (PI-IBS). About 50% of people who get it get better within 5 years. For the rest IBS remains. I am a member of the later group.
I know you have tried dozens of dietary approaches as well as other things like supplements. I was in that boat too until I (1) came across Heather's web site and (2) learned about the FODMAP approach to managing IBS symptoms. Now I use a combination of both with fairly good results. The FODMAP approach is discussed in the first two links in my signature. It is a clinical tested dietary approach that has shown 70-80% improvement in symptoms in a whole range of functional bowel disorders like IBS. You might consider giving it a try. If it works you should notice an improvement with 2-3 weeks. However, the information in the links assumes that you know to reduce whole grains and insoluble fiber and remove stimulants like caffeine. This were Heather's diet comes into play. I use a combination of both as neither one alone works.
Ask lots of questions. However, you will likely get better responses if you post you questions on the diet board.
If you wish to exchange emails about IBS I can give you an email address to contact me. Hang in there. There is hope 
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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Thanks. I will give a look.
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I have something in mind. I am convinced that I do not have IBS. I think I have Pelvic Floor Dysfunction. I am going to have that eliminated as a possible dx. I will let you know how it goes.
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Been trying the FODMAP diet. Not much of a change. I actually feel worse but that might be the change in meds. I will try to keep everyone (anyone) updated.
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Hopefully you are following Heather's EFI diet too with no caffience, alcohol, low fat and insoluble fiber too?
What meds are you taking?
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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Hi Tony,
You are feeling at your wits end  --- very understandably.
You refer to a "my doctor" in your post. IS this Physician the only Dr. you have consulted over this issue? If so, (IMHO) it is high time, (actually, it's well beyond high time) that you seek the opinion of another physician elsewhere.
If you have had multiple exams with no finding of any organic bowel disease, the diagnosis will always be Irritable Bowel Disease (that means assigning a functional cause to your complaints) because they simply can't find evidence of any organic cause.
However, G.I. practitioners can vary greatly in their experience level, especially within the spectrum of the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. I take the liberty of assuming something here --- I assume that you have had a colonoscopy which was reported out as negative (i.e. normal). ?Possibly you have had multiple colonoscopies -- with that same outcome? Were biopsies taken from throughout the entire colon on each and every exam? If not – why not?? If taken, --- where were they read and reported out, and by whom?
Time to venture out to seek out a different G.I. Doc. Look for a Doc. that states to having a special focus and interest in the Inflammatory Bowel Diseases. Probably either down in the Boston area, or perhaps in New Hampshire.
You might run through this list of recommended Doc,s to see if you can find a Doc. in some fair proximity to you.
http://www.perskyfarms.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=14422&start=0
Best of luck, let us know what you can find.
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It was first my GP then gastro specialists (I'm on my second one). Yes on the colonoscopy. Also an endoscopy. As well as both CAT scans and MRI's. And all of the blood work, of course. As for the out-of-State docs I will have to check with my insurance first. It will be a battle, I am sure. Thanks for the info.
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Well, I followed the diet for 8 months and it made a bit of a deferrence but not really much of one. I am currently on Zoloft, Hyoscamine, and Desepimine (sp?). I also take Heather's fiber and am currently on a FODMAP diet.
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