Trying to determine if I really have IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Message Board

tama_chan · 01-06-2006, 03:31 AM

Hello!

Please bear with me, as I’ll try to be brief on what I’ve experienced so far with my problem:

I'm a 20 year old male and have been diagnosed with IBS from my intestine specialist doctor, though I will admit right now he was a very cold hearted man towards me, and many a times refused the procedures I kept dogging him about before diagnosing me with something so broad as IBS. This is what I’ve tested on in 2005 to rule out:

Upper Endoscope: Came out fine
Upper and lower GI tract scan: came out fine, everything passes fine
C.A.T Scan: came out fine
Colonoscopy: came out fine
Celiac testing: don’t have it
Parasite check: don’t have any

I’d rather not get into the specific details of how much of a hassle it was to find a competent doctor, but the main reason I kept seeing this specialist is because it takes over 6 months here in MA to get an appointment with these people, and at the time when my pain was not tolerated well in my body, I couldn’t wait, and I needed some kind of hope or help fast.

Brief Symptom list:
1. Pain in the lower middle part of the abdomen, that grows after each chunk of time that passes until I relax in the bathroom
2. Stringy mucus that comes out of me every time I use the bathroom
3. Severe constipation (rabbit dropping issue)
4. Gas doesn’t seem to be the problem
5. Time of day doesn’t seem to matter
6. I have tried Fiber diets (soluble fiber diet from Heather Van Vorus, and an insoluble fiber one).

Detailed Symptoms: This is what occurs every single day for me. After about 1 to 1 ½ hours, I will experience a growing pain in the middle my lower abdomen area. I have no idea if this is in my intestines are not, but its deep in there, and its right behind, or next to the pelvic bone in the middle. This aggravating pain I can tell is caused by this mucus that comes out of me. So after this set amount of time passes or comes up, the pain will usually get to the point where I must use a restroom, where I ALWAYS pee first, then usually lots of mucus comes out, followed by bouts of constipation. Now more often then not, I wont even have a bowel movement. I’ll just pee and mucus will come out of my bottom. I personally do not think this is a bladder issue because when I urinate it never hurts, but I just think its weird that I get the feeling of my bladder filling up while the mucus comes at the same time. (I’m guessing this is because the constipation is so bad, the intestines are pushing against the bladder in the middle, but this is just speculation).

In conclusion: What I’m hoping is that somebody has had a similar symptom reaction, and can give me his/her opinion that it definitely sounds like an IBS problem or not. The reason I have been so worried that it wasn’t IBS is some of the symptoms it seemed for most people is that when they ate something, it would immediately effect them, while my symptoms seemed to be based around a actual time slot. Anyway, thank you all for reading this, and I hope I can get some kind of feedback to at least bring some hope into my life.

Thanks again,
Chris

bulletinboard25 · 01-06-2006, 12:01 PM

in my opinion.. and as a 12 year sufferer and someone who researches this daily, i believe it sounds like ibs.

all the tests came out fine.

the only other test options that you might want to look into are possibly an enteroclysis to get a good look at the small bowel, as well as the capsule endoscopy, which also looks at the small bowel. the GI team I see uses the combination of the two to compliment one another.

this is if you wanted more peace of mind.

honestly, it sounds like IBS.

have you taken Zelnorm?

tama_chan · 01-06-2006, 12:33 PM

Thanks for your input! No I haven't tried Zelnorm before...

Harry · 01-06-2006, 11:20 PM

Chris,
Zelnom is a woman's medication and I don't think it works on men --- at least that is what the manufacturer says..

You said that you tried taking fiber diet by Heather. I don't think it's something you try -- it is what you need to do. The type of constipation (small round rabbit type of stool) indicates that you are not drinking enough water daily. --- You need to drink 6 to 8 glasses of water daily.

To make your intestines function properly along with adequate water -- a person needs to intake 25 to 35 grams of fiber daily. It needs to be a combination of both soluble fiber and insoluble fiber.

Insoluble fiber is mostly fruits , veggies including all greens & green beans, nut & seeds and wheat bran.

Soluble fiber is the inner part of grains like rice, oats, corn, barley & wheat-- the outer husks are insoluble. Beans & peas but the outer part is also insoluble. Root veggies like potatoes, beets, carrots, turnips and of course psyllium in Metamucil, Citrucel, Benifiber and Inulin used in some OTC fiber supplements -- really chicory root.
These lists are by far not complete but gives you the idea what is and is not soluble and insoluble fiber.
Insoluble fiber is needed to make the muscle in your intestine contract and work better. Soluble fiber is a bulking agent and will expand your intestines and sorta act like a cleaner of the mucus in your intestines!!

All meats, seafood and all dairy products contain NO fiber.

I wish you well~~~Harry

tama_chan · 01-07-2006, 01:55 PM

It just seems like when most people seem to have an episode after they eat something in particular, I can't find a pattern. After around an hour, my pain will start to grow in the lower middle pelvis region, until it's gets bad enough where I need to use the restroom during a total course of two hours. The thing is, this happens to me EVERY SINGLE two hours. Now, I am having C and no D (I'm having rabbit pellets), but could C with that type of stool give you a pain that grows every couple of hours, until you release it in the bathroom?

I think my main problem lay's within the small intestine because thats the only thing that was shown as a mild concern to the doctors after every single test was done to me that I've gone through. I had some aggitation in the small intestine. But if anyone can answer that above question it would be helpful.

Thanks again,
Chris