FireWoman

I also got IBS right after the birth of my first child 8 months ago. I had her by C-Section and I was recovering from that, I was experiencing bouts of extreme ab pain and diarrhea. I also got terrible hemorrhoids from pregnancy so the Diarrhea only made that worse. Then 6 weeks later, right as I was recovered from my C-Section I had a gallbladder attack and had to have my gallbladder removed. They said that it is very common to have gallbladder problems after pregnancy as the hormones during pregnancy cause the gallbladder to form stones (for reasons I can't remember).

I went to every gastrointerologist to find an answer. I just knew that my IBS was hormone related, as it happened right after my baby was born. None of these docs would even entertain that idea and basically told me that I was stressed out by the new baby and that's why I had IBS. No, I was stressed out BECAUSE of the IBS. I finally went to my gynocologist who delivered my baby and he told me that he has seen this before, IBS after baby and that it IS hormone related and sent me to a Neurogastrointerologist in Houston by the name of Dr. ******* who works for the Women's Hospital of Houston. This man took me by the hand, told me I was not crazy, it was NOT due to my being stressed out, but due the hormones during pregnancy. In a nutshell (of which I am still attempting to figure out) the hormone Insulen in my body freaked out during pregnancy and basically stopped working correctly. I am now unable to process sugars correctly. When I eat sugar or any starches that are high or medium glycemic, which turn to sugar in your body (white bread, potatoes etc...) my body's gastrointestinal tract acts like a diabetics pancreas would - it freaks out (for lack of better phrasing), and over-reacts causing diarrhea, constipation, cramping, gerd in some, bloating, nausea etc... I have had to radically change my diet. I mainly eat only fish, chicken, cooked vegetables, salads (with my meals - not alone) eggs, and old fashioned oatmenal. I can eat Stevia Plus as a sugar substitute, but no other sugar substitute as they cause cramping and Diarrhea. He also has me taking flax seed oil and olive oil as it is supposed to help with the prostaglandin pathway to control pain and cramping. He also has me taking Klonopin as an antispasmotic. It is actually an anti-anxiety and an anti-convulsant but says it works 1000 times better on spasms because our intenstines area actually convulsing and this drug works on a more pecific nerve to control the spasms/convulsions. Although I am not completely cured. I mean, I am still in the beginning stages of tweaking my meds to see what is just right for me, but I certainly feel 80% better than I did before. I was literally housebound from the pain and diarrhea. I was so unhappy I was to the point of suicide. Now I stil have my days, but they are fewer and a lot more far between and will only get better.

Dana