Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | WARNING: when symptoms worsen/change, see your Doc!

Hi all

I'm relatively new to the boards but found this site about a month ago when my IBS suddenly took a turn for the worse (or so I thought). I've had IBS D for about 30 years, and all of a sudden, I had gas, bloating and pain/tenderness in the upper ab area. Naturally I thought that my IBS was morphing into different symptoms. Previously, I did not know about Heather's diet, so I assumed that if I followed Heather's diet, things would get better and life would return to normal.

Well, I lived on "What to Eat When You Can't Eat Anything" for awhile, but the symptoms persisted. I was drinking my peppermint and fennel tea, taking my fiber and the peppermint caps but still, no real improvement. I remembered that Heather has mentioned that upper GI pain is not normally associated with IBS and if you follow the IBS diet and your symptoms don't improve, perhaps you don't really have IBS but something else.

So after weeks of this, I dragged myself to the doc. I had lost ten pounds in 3 - 4 weeks and I was such a nervous wreck that I ended up crying in his office. Thank God, he took me and my symptoms seriously and ran some tests (blood and ultrasound). He also prescribed Prilosec which is a proton pump inhibitor (it blocks acid production in the stomach). Although the ultrasound results are still not in, the medication seems to be working. The doc thinks that because I am responding so well to the RX that most likely I have gastritis (inflamation of the stomach lining).

I just wanted to encourage everyone to see a doc if your symptoms change or worsen. All too often, we hesitate to see the doc and try to "fix" ourselves through diet, supplements etc. It could be quite possible that you have IBS AND gastritis/ulcer/gall bladder disease/etc and the only way to make sure is to see the doc and let him know your concerns.

I'm also on day 11 of Michael's tapes. They have helped tremendously. Every afternoon I make time for me. I go to my room, shut the door and surround myself with items that make me feel special....some beads from Hawaii, a sari from India. As I listen to Michael, I can feel the tension and stress just melt away.

I especially want to thank Bev for all her love, support and encouragement. There was about a week when I was doing everything right (IBS-wise) and nothing was working and I was so discouraged and distraught that I started having anxiety attacks. Bev would check in on me EVERY day. She not only was genuinely interested in me, a newbie, but she shared from her own experience to help me along. Gosh, is she ever a good story teller! I would read her stuff and get so engrossed with her writing that I would forget about my stomach. I would get up from the computer and actually feel OK.

Good health is to be treasured as are good friends. My heart just aches when I read about what some of you are experiencing yet I know that sharing the burden makes the load lighter. This is what community is all about.

I have learned so much from these boards. Thanks to all that post and share of their experience.

Janet

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