IBS Support Group

Hi tiggerlilly88,

You need to go to a different doctor. Most doctors will run the standard blood/stool tests, and if they all come up "negative" for celiac, crohns, parasites, etc. they'll tell you that you have IBS and send you on your merry way.

I finally have a good doctor...and my current doctor tells me that most doctors find diarrhea as 'boring' and will just want to label it as IBS if the standard tests don't find anything.

Ask people in your social/work circles. Yes, it is/can be embarassing...but I have found others (at church/work) who have or know someone who has gastrointestional issues, and I found my current doctor through them!

It's a LOT of work and yes, a pain-in-the-butt, but it's something that you have to do. Your doctor should be setting you up for other tests--ultrasound (of your abdomen area), colonoscopy, stool tests, and such because there are other things out there besides celiac--crohns, colitis, diverticulitis, intestional parasites...just to name a few.

Sometimes a simple blood test will show 'negative' for celiac so you should be tested a couple more times for that...and parasites can be tricky to find too.

Again, I would strongly suggest that you work on finding a new doctor. If you live in Tucson, I would recommend Dr. Tamura up on the NW side of town.

Good luck to you!

-Barbara

hey barbara,
thanks for your replay. and i too feel i should be tested. and unfortunately i am in canada but thanks again. i am on my second doctor. my first doctor was a bit too intimidating for my taste and i did not feel she was helpful. my second doctor i started going to this may and well the first appointment i was hopeful with her. she told me to take Tuzen probiotics and if they did not work then she would send me for tests. and well im not sure what happened within a months time because my second time i saw her i lost hope. she did not bring up testing. all she stated was that gastrointestional specialists do not like patients with IBS and it takes way to long to see them. i just think maybe there is somethings else or maybe i have ibs and something else...i graduate this june (RN) so i have many nursing books with diseases and i have thought of h pylori and diverticulitis etc...with ibs you have flare ups and i feel i have been having a flare up none stop since jan...

thanks again.

I second the need for a doctor who will actually do the testing required before saying IBS - that's a diagnosis of exclusion, and they haven't excluded anything as you haven't been tested for anything. You have an undiagnosed digestive tract problem, and that's what GI's doctors are for. Sometimes you have to push to get anything done.

I'm in Canada too, and I can tell you I've been able to get a lot of testing done. At the very least you should be able to get blood, stool and urine testing (we can brainstorm and come up with a list of tests later if you want) - those are usually the first thing the doctor will do. At least you can get that done while waiting to see a GI (which admittedly does tend to take awhile). It sounds like you'll have to push the doctor to make the referral.

The testing for celiac is notoriously inaccurate which might be why you were told to try the diet.

what you just said makes total sense...i do need testing and i havent. so how could they exclude all the other possiblities..im going to mention that the next time i see my doctor..the pills they give me dont work. all the duiretic did was bring my blood pressure lower which it already runs low.

I know how you feel - I've been dealing with IBS for 40 years & it's taken a long time to get it right. I've been through all of the testing & the doctors. You will need to eliminate or adjust the amount of your intake of several things from your daily diet to find tolerance levels. The doctors can eliminate any major health problems that may be lurking & they can point you in the right direction in regards to things to look for, but in the long run, if all other health issues have been eliminated, it really come down to you. It will be up to you to do the testing of foods and vitamins to make the necessary adjustments to your diet.

Things to look at: dairy products, sugar, alcohol, caffeine, carbonated drinks, wheat (gluten), very greasy foods, & yeast (like sourdough bread - this was a big problem for me at one point).You should consider eliminating all of these for a while & then slowly re-introducing them back into your diet. Why? You need to find out what bothers you. Everyone is a little different in what bothers them. You have to find out what specifically bothers you!

Things you might want to try: Enzymes like Primadophilus w/Bifidus (time released), Pancreatin. DGL before every meal (licorice - takes getting use to the flavor) And if things get really bad, take a charcoal pill after each meal. Coral Calcium - this helps me with my acid/alkaline balance. This saved me!! This is what got me started on the road to recovery. Best thing I ever did. (give it time to work) More fiber. This part is a little tricky because, from my experience, some things will make things worse, not better. I didn't like the flax seed, fiber pills & metamucil - for me, it required to much water. I use Chia seeds & Quinoa.

In order to get to a point of feeling better, you will need to be patient & persistent. Again, what works for one person might not work for you. Start by eliminating all of the things that you think are making you sick and stay away from them. (I personally go 2-4 weeks before going back to any foods) Don't introduce to many new things at once. Try 1-2 things (like vitamins) and see how you react. Eat smaller meals. Don't eat until you feel full. You might still feel hungry, but your body will adjust over time. Find healthy snacks for between meals.

There is so much more I could say, but this is a start. From what you have mentioned, I would start with some DGL & Charcoal pills to try and get a more immediate relief. I would also try come Coral Calcium pills (I have found Source Naturals to be very good) Hope some of this helps. Feeling somewhat normal will take time. Be informed. Use the internet to gather information and don't be afraid to test out new ideas. Good luck!

TIGGERLILLY...I've just gotten off an 8 week episode where I could not wear a bra or clothes after 12 noon. The bloating was g-d awful and I was downright miserable. I also suffer from ibs-C and I'm on "pallative care" with Chia seeds (they seem to work) and ground flaxseed both of which I put on my oatmeal. I take Domperidone 4x a day and also a generic of miralax that is an Rx. I also take Align every morning and eat only little meals, 4x a day. You have to advocate and try stuff by yourself to see what works. I take Beano before I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner and take ULTRA gas X after each meal....that seems to help too. for the abdominal pain, I take 1/2 a Donnatal. I hope this can help you. If you are under 50 years old, you can take Zelnorm. Bring that up with your doc.....LEZ