6th_sense

Hi tracy,

IBS has been given a very strong definition in the ROME criteria (the requirements to have your disorder called IBS). Nevertheless, it is still used as a blanket for many pains that are not diagnosable.

Personally, I have had many different kinds of pains which I would label as IBS - including pains in the sides - which I could have assumed was something else. Fortunately, I've created home-made visual techniques which I've successfully used to counter IBS and its related pains. They are hard to describe/explain though and so I tend to avoid writing about them often.

As for whether or not you have IBS, that is a difficult diagnosis to make. Usually people go by what their doctors say. But are they taking a risk that it could be something the doctors pushed aside - it is possible.

Regarding whether you should or shouldn't have more tests run - it is a matter of choice and your level of comfort with the disorder you have and your belief that the doctor didn't miss something or that he didn't give you enough options.

For most people, IBS tests their doctor-patient relationship very rigorously. A good trusting relationship is necessary when the doctor starts to work with problems that are beyond his capability of curing. He needs to offer a great deal of concern and care to deal with problems, whose only treatment may be to chase down each symptom, one by one - while never necessarily fully alleviating the problem.

In my case, I wish I had a doctor like me, or at least as knowledgeable as I am regarding IBS (my opinion again). I would run to that doctor first - just because I wanted an assessment to see what he'd say. Its just wishful thinking though - I don't think there is a doctor on the planet who is as aware of the situation as I am.

In either case, I hope that someone here is able to offer some helpful advice as to how to deal with your pain - as for trying to figure a visual technique specific to your situation over the Internet - its like trying to give detailed instructions to someone on how to put a specific model airplane together without ever seeing the model and only having a vague idea as to what the model looks like.

Hope I've helped somewhat though.

Cheers, Raju.