Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | IBS HELP

Hi, I am new to this board and this is my first post. I have read thru most of the website and even searched for my symptons with out any hits.

My symptoms started August 2003 with a very acute pain in my left side just below my rib cage.
Blood tests indicated H-pylori-bacteria (prevpak cleared it up within days). Symptoms returned 45 days later.
Numerous tests followed (exams EGD, colonoscopy, barium CTSCAN, blood tests), spastic colon and gastritis were diagnosed.
My symptoms: gas pains, cramping, bloating; all predominant above the belly button, especially underneath the left rib cage. My bowels operate normally, once a day in morning, sometimes twice a day, most of the time relatively soft, no pus no diarrhea. My stool has changed color since the first incident, it is now very green. I bought the IBS books, stared the diet and am still having chronic pain, mainly in the upper abdomen areas (starts on left side, migrates to right front and back). I can barely eat organic bananas and brown rice. Even drinking fennel or ginger tea irritate my stomach. Meds such as nulev, librax, donnatol allow me to eat but within an hour or so after eating, the pain returns. My mind is over taxed with this issue, depression and anxiety have set in. Xanax is my only avenue for relief.

Symptoms of interest, Abdominal itch occurs around the belly button sometimes after eating. Sensitivity (like nerves tingling) in the upper right spinal area behind the liver, when I get up in the morning and haven't eaten anything within the last 12 hours.

Do I have IBS ? Two Gastroenterologists think so. Another says I have an extra sensitive vagual nerve. Over the past year of agony. I can measure on one hand the number of times my lower abdomen has ached.

Points to NOTE: Prior to my EGD and my colonoscopy (in which biopsies were extracted) I had undergone a rigid course of antibiotics for 1 - sinus infection, 2 -the flu. In addition, the fact that after the first episode (prevpak) my symptoms disappeared for 45 days only to return, and that after my bought with the flu, my symptoms cleared up for another 30 -45 days only to return again, have me wondering whether I don't have Candida, a parasite, a bacterial infection etc.

Any help, recommendations, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

thx,
Greg

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gk

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