IBD — diagnosis, next steps?

Well, of course it’s stress! Stress is one of the triggers for IBS. So, have any doctors put you on anxiety meds? When I talked to my doctor about my symptoms, the first thing she did was to ask if I were under any stress. After I stopped laughing, she suggested trying me on anxiety meds since they frequently help with IBS issues. And they have! I’ve gone from having attacks at least weekly to every 2 months or so.

A side benefit is that I’ve also been sleeping better and more able to stay focused at work. I simply hadn’t realized how much I was worrying about things I just couldn’t change. So, I changed myself.

This.  Hope you feel better soon.

I self-diagnosed myself 20 years ago and one thing that has worked wonders for me is to take Calcium Carbonate every morning and every evening. Agreed that you should go to the doctor, but in the mean time, maybe you can try the CC if you haven't already.

Please go and see a doctor. IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, they need to rule out everything else first. If your symptoms have changed and you are having constant diarrhoea, you need a colonoscopy, sorry!

If you're going to see a gastroenterologist, I wouldn't change anything until he or she has seen you and completed testing.

My husband has ulcerative colitis and his symptoms are similar to yours. You need a gastro workup immediately. IBS is an elimination diagnosis--once they have tested for Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, and celiac. Crohn's and colitis are autoimmune disorders and have to be treated with meds. Celiac requires strict dietary management. 

You have to advocate for yourself. Request a referral to a gastroenterologist. Go to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation's website for more information.

And, if you need to be scared into standing up for yourself, my grandpa had diarrhea for two years. His doctor kept telling him it was stress and had him taking fiber supplements and tranquilizers. He lost a lot of weight. By the time they finally did a colonoscopy, it was too late. He died of colon cancer a few weeks later.

I hope you get answers and effective treatment soon so you can feel better.

My DS just went through this process and was diagnosed with advanced Crohn’s disease. I really glad you are following through, but PLEASE insist on being seen by a gastroenterologist.

Sorry to hear how you're feeling right now. I have stomach issues also and know how miserable it can be and then to add on the other things must be awful. Hope you get to feeling better soon!

You say that you have been diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), but your post title references IBD (inflammatory bowel disease, which is ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease). In spite of the similar names, the two diseases are nothing alike, so you should make sure you are talking about the one you actually have

And that is why you have to push for more tests when they throw IBS at you.  Yes, IBS is real, but it could be something else, too.  There are many other issues that can present that have nothing to do w/IBD.  If IBD test came back normal I'd push for futher testing.  There are sub specialties w/in the gi arena.  I see neuro-gastro docs.  My issues are gi and neurological, as well.  Don't settle.  I'm glad that they're running more tests, but I'm sorry that you're feeling so awful.  Hopefully, your gi will find answers quickly.

Not a gastroenterologist, but it sounds like you may have fructose malabsorption. The raw vegetables, red peppers and soy were my clues. Wheat flour can be a problem for those with fructose malabsorption who are sensitive to fructans. There are a number of people who think they are gluten sensitive who really are only reacting to the fructans in wheat, not the actual gluten.

I have had IBS for years. Have had lactose intolerance to one degree or another since childhood. I often assumed that something had some hidden lactose in it, until my symptoms got increasing worse a few years ago. Something clicked and I finally put it all together. Eliminating foods that are high in fructose was critical to improving my symptoms. Then, for other reasons, I adopted a low carb diet. After several months of eating low carb (keto at one point), I noticed that I was much better able to tolerate fructose containing foods. Obviously, if I eat too much of something, my symptoms will return temporarily but I definitely eat more fresh veggies and fruits than I could tolerate before. Often, the higher glycemic fruits are also higher in fructose, so it goes nicely together.

Anyway, I think from what you have written here, it is worth at least reading about fructose malabsorption. There is a test that can be done but you can also get a pretty good idea by eliminating the higher fructose containing foods. It can be quite a boring diet when you eliminate as much as possible, but it's worth it to feel better. Once you are stable and improved, you can start adding back food and seeing what you can tolerate. The other thing to understand is that there can be causes of this, such as an overgrowth of certain bacteria in the gut. In those cases, it can be treated with a course of the right antibiotics. So, while you can look into this yourself, it may very well still be worth a visit to the gastroenterologist