IBS/IBD sufferers...

[Dramabyname]

Are you feeling better today? @WilmaHun

 

[Dogwithabone]

Topical abx are not the same as oral. Applying it to your skin would have no effect on your crohns. The reason we avoid oral abx is because they are very aggravating on the gut which obviously causes issues with an already delicate gut.

Topical antibiotics are absorbed into the bloodstream.

 

[Carapop]

Oh me too. I almost don’t even care what the results are as long as it is something definitive that I can work with. The way my life is limited at the moment is becoming impossible to endure. A week of rice krispies and mash is a small price to pay.


Gosh i was so impressed by the very lovely gastroenterologist today but now I’m a little furious that I wasn’t given any guidance re pre-prep diet!

I’m going to send a quick email to gastro to see what he recommends but reckon if a five day prep diet is optimal then I may as well. An excuse to eat buttery white toast! Thanks so much for all the advice

oh didn’t mean to quote myself ! @Blahblah93 thank you.

 

[Carapop]

Thankyou! I was tested for Coeliac back in December/January and nothing came back confirming!

Ah very good. If you could get a dietician to support you through an elimination diet it really is preferable. It’s so easy to develop food fears when the tummy is misbehaving. I’ve had such paranoia around nearly everything…dairy, gluten, sweeteners, fruit, fat…dropping one thing after the next hoping that I’ll find the one villain! And of course sometimes the anxiety around eating can itself prompt an attack.

ANYWAY, in short, don’t be me, get professional support!

 

[Dogwithabone]

Just sharing what my dermatology consultant told me when I queried if I could use the topical antibiotic she had prescribed. My gastro team told me to avoid oral but not topical. Antibiotics absorbed in the gut will aggregate the gut more than those absorbed into the bloodstream via the skin.

Thanks so much for sharing that. That’s really reassuring, just what I wanted to hear

 

[WilmaHun]

I've suffered IBS for years, usually bloating, will have times where I need to run to the toilet with minimal notice I need to go, never suffer constipation though. I had norovirus last year and since then any time I eat rich food I am crippled with bloating it's been awful. I bought some peppermint oil capsules a few weeks ago and one will massively help the painful bloating and rock hard stomach that makes me look as if I am 6 months pregnant.

Not sure if the norovirus had anything to do with this recent flare up but the peppermint oil has been a godsend. I get multiple minty tasting burps after taking it and it eases the pain within the hour. Hopefully this helps someone suffering too
View attachment 1024525

thank you for this! I’ve not seen these before but I’m going to pick some up today. Anything is worth a try, my symptoms sound really similar to yours so hopefully they work for me too!

 

[WeepingCassandra]

For some idiot reason I’ve been eating milk and eggs all through October and then wondering why I’m having a flare up. What a bloody doughnut I am.

 

[maytoseptember]

Unfortunately endo goes down the throat. Much rather have it up the bum any day. I think they use a stronger dose when going down the mouth. Every inch of you will want to pull it out but just count in your head and go to swallow every 5 seconds.

I was aware of that but I was hoping to allay any fears about how the sedation might feel.

 

[EllaEm87]

He needs a small bowel ultrasound and/ or a small bowel MRI.

 

[swimming]

Unfortunately this story is so common with IBD. I know it puts you in a shit position but you've got to turn into abit of an arsehole to get anything done. Turn up to hospital every time you're in a flare. Don't accept no. Make a huge fuss.

Unfortunately they don't tend to do shit until its too late and you're sitting on that operating table.

This is what I was thinking, but I’m on my own 99% of the time with a toddler. It’s just not practical to go to A&E. Im just fed up. I shouldn’t have looked on Google but I’ve got ALL the signs of IBD including the joint pain and fatigue. This bloody doctor didn’t even see me just because blood test was fine, that must been I’m ok.
It took 8 months to get that appt on the NHS and after just 2 phone calls, it’s done and dusted with.

 

[bluesky30]

I stay well stocked on peppermint tea and ginger tea. Ginger tea is very soothing for my stomach

 

[ChiRie]

This was my experience too. The prep was the worst part honestly. The rest was a breeze. Definitely opt for sedation though even though I probably could’ve done it without I think the sedation was nice

I've mentioned before the prep gave me seizures so the procedure didn't go ahead. I didn't know you could be sedated for it though, they never said that to me. I don't know if I'm brave enough to try and go for it again. They said I'd have to stay in hospital the night before to take the prep because of what happened last time, imagine that toilet wise! Still having a lot of problems soiling which is a nightmare.

 

[hol20x]

I've mentioned before the prep gave me seizures so the procedure didn't go ahead. I didn't know you could be sedated for it though, they never said that to me. I don't know if I'm brave enough to try and go for it again. They said I'd have to stay in hospital the night before to take the prep because of what happened last time, imagine that toilet wise! Still having a lot of problems soiling which is a nightmare.

Christ! When was this? A friend of mine gets them regularly cos she has crohns and she said they've changed the prep recently and it's not as bad now?

 

[Carapop]

My doctor has given me buscopan but tests ruled out chrons and IBD. I am lactose intolerant as well so obviously dairy out the window. I find I can't eat red meat or alot of things without being bloated and gassy for DAYS. Sometimes I'll have night sweats as well. Apparently everything is all normal but when I'm living on a diet of porridge, fruit, coconut milk and rice cakes clearly something is amiss.

Ah i am so sorry. I know how frustrating that is. Can you get a dietician referral maybe?

 

[Captainmouse]

Good to see talk on here about IBS. I was diagnosed with it many years ago, and suffered in silence miserably for may protracted periods. Back then the very mention of it raised a giggle among non-sufferers. Thats thankfully changing.
If anyone is interested, I get great relief during a flare up, from Colpermin (peppermint oil capsules)/ Buscopan.

Silicol is the answer

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

Thats the type i get. I sometimes look pregnant with it, and its really noticeable because im slim. It can be very uncomfortable. It can also make you anxious because you know when you are not going to be able to go. If colpermin doesnt work i use fybogel but only on rare occasions if its been 3 days or so. It can also make you nauseous. Mine is also worse at ovulation time, when i am bloated anyway. Sorry for you x

I have tried the fybogel sachets in the past and they didn’t do anything for me. Dulcolax don’t even work!! I try and make sure I drink lots of water and eat prunes the bloating had gone down by Thursday morning, but when I took my skirt and tights off on Wednesday night, my stomach popped out and was rock hard.
Although, it’s horrible other people experience, I’m glad I know there people out there that suffer too.
I wish I didn’t have to watch everything I eat incase it triggers a reaction in my stomach.

 

[Inforapenny]

But just talk about IBS then because I don't think it helps comparing it with IBD helps anyone.
They are really not similar and it suggests that they are

 

[Inforapenny]

It sounds like Crohn's to be honest. Especially the mouth ulcers.
I've got crohns (had it since I was 13) if you ever wanna chat or ask anything just drop me a message.

Thank you so much I feel a bit lost tbh. Especially when they just chalked it up to endometriosis. However I now take meds to stop ovulation so in theory if it was endo it would stop any flare ups.
When I'm well I am fine and think maybe it's all ok and I'm better but then I have a severe attack and I feel defeated.
I've been struggling for 18 years.
How did you get diagnosed?
And are there food that cause issues for you?
I can't pinpoint it but when I've eaten sometimes I immediately need to go to the loo of feel like I need to throw up.

 

[Sheabutter]

@bongsandstuff Really sad to hear what you’re going through. I’ve found relief from bloating by eliminating FODMAP foods from my diet. There are over the counter solutions you should try as well - things like IBgard. See if your pharmacist can recommend other items as well.

 

[Inforapenny]

My diognosis was quite unusual. I didn't really have any symptoms then one day had insane stomache pains, rushed up to hospital with a suspected appendicitis. They opened me up and found the majority of my bowel was completely fucked and cut it out, sent it off to be tested and it came back as Crohn's.
Crohn's is autoimmune disease so food doesn't really trigger a flare, but you can have IBS aswell and that is all food related. When im in a flare I do tend to avoid food with skins such as tomatoes, Sweetcorn etc as its hard to digest so when my intestines are all swollen food has a hard time getting through which can sometimes cause blockages.
I'm apart of quite alot of Facebook groups and would really suggest joining them. You can have a read of how people were diagnosed and treatment plans as its such a big spectrum of severity (just type in crohns UK and loads should pop up) . Fight for a diognosis and don't let them fob you off. Another great help is the crohns and colitis charity they have helplines and honestly it's a real comfort. You got this!

Thank you. Jesus that sounds horrendous for you. I'm so sorry to hear this as I can only imagine how much pain you were in.

I've struggled with flare-ups for so long and then got so unwell last year they suspected appendicitis/diverticulitis (I don't fit any of the criteria) as well but they did a scan and found a severe infection throughout my bowel. They discovered tethering and weak/fatty areas of the bowel.
I was on the bowel ward for a week. However my colonoscopy seemed fine.
But by then my flare up had gone.

I feel like no one cares.
Feel like I may just go private but then o don't even know who to see!
Thanks for the suggestions and help!