I have a bunch of causes:
1. Hereditary - my great-grandfather also had IBS and also a longer-than-usual colon (which unfortunately I also have, confirmed by a GI doc after a colonoscopy). According to my mom I've always been prone to C even as a kid (no pain or bloating back then)
2. Antibiotics - I was a sickly child and I was on some sort of antibiotics (usually penicillin) at least 2-3 times a year. I had a good doctor who was very cautious about not prescribing them too often but these were the times when I really needed them. I've had it all - flu, pneumonia, even a scarlet fever (3x).
3. Lifestyle - we always ate fairly healthy at home, meaning regular balanced meals. Junk food such as soda, chips, candy were only a treat rather than a part of my daily diet. I didn't feel the need to overeat and was always pretty skinny. When I was 16 my gynecologist decided it wasn't normal that my periods weren't regular and put me on a hormone pill which really increased my appetite. I would buy cookies or chips on the way home from school and just eat the whole bag in one sitting. Not only I gained 15 pounds in 2 months but I also think this sudden junk food increase was harsh on my digestive system.
At the age of 17 I started noticing my distended belly but I thought I just needed to lose weight (not really at 130lbs and 5'9"). By the time I was 21 the pain, big C, and bloating were stuck with me. That's when I started looking into causes, go the the doctors' and eventually got diagnosed with IBS.
-------------------- IBS-C, bloating, cramps
pregnant
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