I have been taking my daughter to many different doctors for stomach pain. The OB yesterday said he thought it was IBS. She doesn't have diarreah or major constipation. She goes once a day, everyday. I asked her if it hurt her stomach afterward and she said yes. Her stomach hurts with cramps sometimes, but mostly just hurts really bad all the time. It is across belly below bellybutton, and sometime really bad on Right side. It was hurting some on left side yesterday. She has also had acid reflux. She is in homebound schooling for the pain and depression. She is 14. Can you have IBS without diarreah/constipation?
Kessa

Hi Kessa,

Yes, some people can just get the pain and / or spasms.

But I'm wondering whether she's been on acid reflux treatment, OTC or Rx, in the recent past?

Best wishes

elmhar- she has been on antibiodics recently for sinus infection. she has been taking pain meds for all the pain she is having. She is taking antidepressants for a month now. She hasn't been taking her nexium in quite a while. She also takes homone pills for period problems. I think she is over medicated, but don't know what to do about it. Everytime i take one away she has more problems. Let me know what you are thinking
Kessa

Hi Kessa,

A lot of people try probiotics for IBS relief,and some are successful. Probiotics help your body replenish the "good bugs" in the gut. If your daughter tolerates dairy, yogurt with active cultures is a good source of probiotics. If she's a nondairy person, probiotic supplements are available in pill, powder, or liquid form. Check a health food store, nutrition dept. -- or even Walmart had some the last time I was there.

The pain meds are for ... the gut? the sinus?

The acid reflux. Either too much or too little stomach acid leads to gut pain. Strange as it seems, stomach acid has at least 2 functions, one of which is protective -- the first line of defense when we eat -- that acid is there to tear up the bad bugs. I've heard a number of stories of folks who take a PPI med like Nexium, with it's strong acid-inhibiting effect, who end up fighting subtle, or not so subtle, gut infection that got established under the PPI.

I know you mentioned a number of diff docs. Has she seen a gastroenterologist? Been tested for at least H. pylori? Although there can be any number of viral/bacterial/parasitic villains other than Hp that can wreak havoc with the gut.

IME, pediatricians are relatively useless with the 14+ crowd. Too often they dx "functional abdomen," without ruling out other contrib. factors. But if your DDs gut prob were merely functional, related to her mood, etc., I'd think the AD meds would help her gut.

If she were my DD, I'd try probiotics/yogurt for a couple of weeks. If no improvement, I'd seek a gastro consult, and ask a lot of questions.

I'm sorry to hear your daughter is in such a miserable situation. I went through A LOT of grief with my own daughter's gut probs when she was 17.

Best wishes.