I'll try to make this brief. I am a 40 year old female who has suffered with IBS for many (10+) years. It has gotten progressively worse thru the years (ie, more and more gassy and bloated) but recently, I am having symptoms that are scary, frustrating, embarrassing, depressing, etc. My stomach/intestines/bowels - basically my whole digestive tract - make VERY loud, uncontrollable noises. I feel gurgling and movement/vibrations in my stomach/abdomen/bowels almost all the time. I've also been more "burpy" than ever before. I'm extremely gassy and bloated, but whereas I used to be able to fairly easily pass the gas, now it doesn't seem to want to come out! My bowels "vibrate" and move alot. I've tried changing my diet, to no avail. I've tried low carb. I've tried dairy free. I've tried vegetarian. Nothing seems to matter. In addition to having them all during the day, the symptoms are waking me up and keeping me up at night! It doesn't seem to matter what I do - I cannot make the stomach movements/noises go away. I try to push on my stomach where the noises are coming from, hoping to move the gas towards the exit, but this doesn't work. Sometimes I can even "feel" a "bubble" of gas or whatever it is, and when I rub on it back and forth I can actually move it around - as if it's a cyst or something - but since I can do this in several different parts of my stomach at different times, I'm sure it's not that (a cyst or some type of cancer or tumor). I've been having these severe type symptoms for less than 6 months. I am still having regular bowel movements, altho they lean more towards soft than hard. This is fairly new - my stools used to be solid but now almost 100% of the time they're light orangy colored and soft - but I wouldn't classify them as diarhea. It could be my diet in that I don't eat ALOT of meat. The newest symptom is that I'm feeling a little like I have indigestion in addition to the other stuff. I am definitely a "nervous" type person, so I'm sure stress is factoring into this somehow/some way, but even when I try to relax, do deep breathing, etc. it does not lessen the symptoms. I've described some of what I feel as if dropping a small rock into a glass of water - the "ploop" noise and feeling that would make is what happens in my stomach, in addition to all the other noises/movements. Other times my stomach make noises that sound like there's an alien in there! Whizzing and squeaking and bubbling and chirping. The symptoms seem to have a mind of their own and as I said, they are even waking me up at night. This is interfering with my life - I don't want to leave the house or be out in public! The noises are that loud! I'm wondering what the heck is going on with my insides. I feel twisted and nervous stomach and bloated all the time. I still have my appetite, altho my stomach is only able to hold very small amounts of food before I feel very full. I usually eat 4-5 very small meals a day. A "normal" meal for me would be less than half a meal for the average person. I eat a very healthy diet. Breakfast usually consists of fresh fruit (usually pineapple) and pecans with coffee (caffeine), splenda and soymilk. I take vitamins. I try to stay low carb (so I can keep my weight in check - I'm 5'2 and 115) but I'm not super strict or anything. If I eat bread or pasta, I make it whole wheat. I eat lots of veggies. I do eat cheese and other dairy products (sour cream, cream cheese, etc.) but I don't think I go overboard or anything. But again, even when I cut dairy completely out, I still had the symptoms (maybe I didn't stay off dairy long enough). I just want to know what is going on. I want to get my life back. I can't begin to tell you how this is affecting me and my marriage. My husband sees me upset and becoming a hermit because I'm so afraid of someone hearing my stomach. Even when I'm alone and my stomach is "acting up" I'm disgusted with myself. I can't stand to hear it/feel it any more!!!! It's gotten so bad that I've hit myself in the stomach to try to make it stop. It's brought me to tears and I'm at my wit's end. Any information would be so very helpful. I've tried beano but it doesn't seem to help (maybe I'm not taking enough). I've tried taking probiotic pills, also no help (again, maybe I'm not taking enough). I feel totally abnormal and disgusting and it's making me terribly depressed. I have been both to a "regular" doc and to a gastroenterologist and both think there's nothing wrong except for the IBS. I've had my bloodwork done - one test came back with normochromic normositic (I'm sure I spelled that wrong) anemia which no doc has been able to really figure out. I had a gastric empty study which came back normal. The gastroenterologist wants to do an endoscopy & colonoscopy but our insurance doesn't pay for it and we really can't afford it (altho if that's what I need I'll do it but I'd like to avoid it if at all possible). The doc says he's really doing it mainly for my peace of mind because as he said, he'd be "shocked" if anything came back as abnormal in any way. But I sure do feel abnormal! This is NOT normal! I'm hoping to just find out what could possibly be going on and how do I solve it. I appreciate this forum - even if I don't get any answers, it feels good just to have a place to talk about it with people who understand. They say 1 in 4 have IBS but when it's you, it feels like you're the only one on earth! Thanks.....

I think the procedures (endo and colonoscopy) are worth it.

Mainly because the colonoscopy picked up the problem I had. Perhaps if people here will say whether either/both of these ops helped in diagnosis, you might have a decent idea of how useful they are.

I'm in the same boat !!
White male total disable viet nam vet. I've had 24 operations 1967-2001!
the va did over 300 lumbar nerve blocks for RSD like pain in both legs.
They caused all the problems I have now!"Free health care"
I'm seeing real doctors now but not much luck in this area??

I have a morphine pump for thoracic surgery and everyone keeps ordering all these test and nothing comes of them!!
The morphine causes conspation and they tell me everyone has it!!
I go weeks without having a BM ??
When I take something nothing happens??
I'm hoarse for a year now , have a sore throat,my teeth are yellow !!
It's hard to swallow sometimes ??
I sleep in a recliner and take 40mg 2aday purple pills (spelling)and nothing??
I cough stuff up looks like sinus but comes from my stomach.
Even took it to the doctor office to show him!

About the stomach noses !

I can't watch TV because of them !!!!
I keep hearing a beeping ?A hick up sound ?
It sounds like it's in my ears ?
When it's real quite I can hear it better !

What test have you had?
they want me to do the Ph test but I already know I have reflux???

I keep asking this group what pains they have but can't get a answer?
I'm read all about what it can cause and would like to know what it causes?

Sorry about not have a answer .

I think you should go ahead and get the procedures done if you can afford them because there may be something else going on

Have you tried anything with simethicone? How about Alka-Seltzer?
fly

Have you looked into adding some hydrochloric acid to your system during meals? I too had horrendous noises, tons of gas & burps that wouldn't come up & vibrating feelings, in my upper stomach & esophagus. I followed the idea that it might be GERD caused by excess acid & used lots of antiacid things to no real avail (I had a *little*short-term relief with some things). I started reading about how many excess-acid symptoms can actually be caused by too little stomach acid (HCl). You could try a Tbsp. of vinegar in 8 oz. of water before your first bite of a meal. If your stomach feels warm or even burny, you don't need the acid. But if it doesn't, see if you feel better after eating. You can add a little more at a time til you reach your dosage level (you'll know when it feels warm inside your stomach). I'm just starting this approach & last nigh tI had NO sounds after dinner, NO gas, NO sounds, no burps & just a little vibrationy feeling. I read that it takes about a month to give this a fair trial (unless your stomach feels burny right away, that is).You could also buy betaine hydrochloride tablets or capsules & try that, a little at a time. For small meals, use less. Also--digestive enzymes may help.
Hugs,
Maggie C.

I'd like to thank everyone for their responses! It is very much appreciated. I have been taking Beano religiously for the past few days and guess what - it seems to be working! I take one with the first bite of food at every meal and one right after the last bite. My symptoms have really decreased and I am overjoyed! To fly: I think incorporating something with simethicone will also be helpful - I will look for something to take in addition to the Beano. Thanks for the suggestion. If anything changes with my condition I'll post but hopefully the Beano and simethicone products will continue to keep my symptoms at bay. Thanks again everyone......

Maggie - oops - I didn't see your message - a thank you to you too! I will try the vinegar - I'm willing to try anything and everything at this point because this problem is really interfering with my life. Anyway, thanks!

You sound like a classic case of Celiac Disease, which is an autoimmune disease that destoys the intestines. It can be checked through blood work and then an endoscopy. A good diet does no good when it comes to that disease unless you completely cut out all products with the ingredient of gluten. This is extremely difficult to do and would require a health professional to explain the diet to you...it's not just cutting out one food type or another, it's scrutinizing all foods for anything containing certain ingredients.

The main symptoms of Celiac are feeling full easily, having soft bowel movements, gurgling noises in the stomach, gas, bloating, weight loss, and many more. Many Celiacs are misdiagnosed as IBS sufferers, and many have unexplained anemia. I'd request the blood test for it right away...if you want to learn more celiac.com is an ok site, and you'll also find many more on the web as well. Good luck!