Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Becca, Heavenlee,

**** WARNING: It's long! I type fast...so sometimes length gets away from me!

I was just officially re-diagnosed with IBS-C. And this week has just been PAINFUL. Awful cramping from my stomach all the way through the intestines, all at once. Pain on my left side along my back. Feeling as if someone just used my stomach (right at the start of the ribcage) as a punching bag...all this I associate with C. If you read up on regular C (non-IBS), pain is also a symptom. So having pain and C doesnt' surprise me so much anymore.

With all the spasming, I end up with sore stomach and back muscles since the muscles have had such a workout...seriously. I'm sore like I had a nightmare exercise routine!

Solutions for the pain (& C)? Microwave heat packs are FABULOUS. I also take Levsin in an effort to calm the spasms to (hopefully) allow the stool to pass through - Levsin sorta helps. Peppermint Tea (Tazo "Refresh" tea has a great flavor!) can also help...make sure it's VERY strong, & I sometimes add a packet of "Sugar In the Raw" to help with taste too. Also, taking an SFS like Citrucel caplets (start at 2 pills in the AM, 2 in PM) w/ lots of water helps create that "mushy" goop in the GI track which helps "cushion" the spasms & cut down on pain. It's NUTS sometimes!

Good luck to you. I'm figuring things out right along with ya!

~ Emily

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East Palo Alto, CA (San Francisco Bay Area/Silicon Valley)

IBS-C, pain, nausea

Edited by Memmles (05/06/06 03:58 AM)

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