My husband has IBS that has evolved in the past year to include severe spasms of the colon (whichever part runs across his upper abdomen near the stomach). (Yes, I am the wife and somehow I am the one writing to the message board for "help".)
My husband's spasms come on out of the blue and cause such severe pain that he nearly passes out. About 8 months ago, I had to call the paramedics because his hands were becoming numb and he couldn't breath because of the pain. His regular "antispasmodic" meds didn't work and only oxygen and a powerful narcotic pain killer delivered in the ER finally caused the colon to unspasm. After carefully following all of the diet and fiber recommendations on Heather's great website, he has managed his IBS so that he had none of these severe spasms until today. Today, my husband once again ended up in an Emergency Room after suffering the most severe pain ever from a spasm of the colon that lasted more than two hours and had him nearly passing out from pain and lack of oxygen.
Yesterday, my husband travelled for 12 hours and followed nearly all of his routines the same as always except that instead of taking the acacia fiber 3-4 times a day, he took many guar gum chewable tables...he says they provided a precise equivalency of soluable fiber, but it was in a new form for him.
I have several related questions....one, are these kind of severe spasms in the colon (in his upper abdomen)typical for IBS? After reading everything, somehow I wonder if it really is only IBS causing these...they seem separate from any constipation/diarrhea symptoms.
Second, could the switch from acacia fiber to the chewable guar gum tablets be the "cause" of his horrible colon spasm the following day? Is it possible that insufficient water with these tablets could cause the problem?
In general, when he has a spasm, should he analyze for the cause any changes in diet/fiber that occured 24 hours earlier or only an hour or two earlier?
And, finally, what can be done for him short of the Emergency Room when he does get one of these horrific spasms? He says that he has noticed each time that once given supplemental oxygen in the ER room that the spasm seems to moderate some and then once given a powerful pain killer the spasm will quite suddenly just release and disappear.
Help, please, I am desperate for suggestions. My husband has to travel for a living and is considering whether he will have to quit what he does. Also, the pain he suffers is just unbelievably bad.
Thanks for any and all comments.
Maureen, Wife of IBS Guy
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Severe colon spasms send my husband to ER
