Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: Frustrated with results

Hey,

I too went through a phenominal battery of tests (vial after vial of blood, having to drink all kinds of nasty liquids so they could take pics of my insides - results of which made my IBS worse for a little bit!, cameras stuck up/down every orafice I have, etc.). All tests came back normal. To a degree, it really is frustrating to have to suffer through all the tests, only to find out you're "normal". You desperately wish that something more concrete than IBS would be wrong so that you could have a cut-&-dry treatment plan & not left to (essentially) figure things out on your own by trial & error. Besides, it's a lot easier to explain to someone that you have diverticulitis, gluten-intolerance, etc. than to tell them you have a wacked out GI system.

But...I also get a lot of comfort out of knowing that we've tested EVERY STINKING organ I possess and there is no chance that there are any hidden issues going on. So be encouraged (if you can). Also - make sure your Dr. is ordering all of the necessary tests to rule out everything else that could be causing your symptoms. It's tiring, but the testing really is worth it.

As for the drug you were prescribed...is that the same as Levsin? I have Levsin SL (sub-lingual), and I haven't felt a great deal of relief from that drug. More from applying heat during cramping & drinking peppermint tea. But I've also read that other people have had great luck with it. So...this might be another "trial & error" thing to see if the drug works for you. If it does - great! If not...look for other drugs or other ways to manage symptoms. There are lots of other options out there.

Hope this helps!

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

IBS-C, pain, nausea

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