I’ve spent about four hours today dealing with varying levels of pain. Nothing mind-blowing, I’m not about to collapse in a heap, but it’s still pain, and it still means that I can’t focus on anything properly because I’m too busy trying to ignore my stomach.
It’s worn off now, so I’m OK again, but it’s reminded me of the one thing above all others that is difficult to cope with – and that’s the pain. When you read about IBS in the media they often write about how embarrassing it must be to have IBS, and sure, it’s not exactly fun in that department; but if the embarrassment were the worst part of IBS then I’d be laughing.
The truth is, I don’t really care if people laugh at me if I have to run to the bathroom, because I’m too busy worrying that I might not be able to deal with the pain. I don’t really care if I have another excruciating conversation with someone who asks me what my symptoms are and then decides that they wish they hadn’t, as long as I don’t have to put up with another bout of IBS pain that’s so bad it makes me want to garrote myself with the shower curtain.
And I could cope with the bloating, and the weird gurgly noises, and the rushing to the loo, and the never rushing to the loo, and the avoidance of all foods which taste like something I might want to eat, if it just meant that I would never have the pain. Cause it’s the pain that really saps your spirit; it’s the pain that grinds you down.
I tottaly understand. When my ibs first started, it didnt bother me that I was having to go to the loo every flippin 5 minutes.. I still went out, did everything I wanted to do – didnt let it effect me that much. It was when the pain started.. over a few months I was worn down to a complete wreck.. the pain is something you cant discribe – and no matter how hard you try to tell someone, they will never understand unless they get it themselves. Its frustrating. Its painful. And it takes over lifes.
Sophie, I take it this means that you’ve had a relapse? Did you eat foods that you weren’t suppose to? Please tell me you’re not reverting back to your old painful self. The rest of us sufferers need hope! I should be getting my food allergies test back in another week or so. I’m also probably getting the CDSA done this week as well but it sounds like it takes a month or so to get back?
The pain that I get is now spread out over my body and I’m thinking I have LGS. I also am getting heart or gut palpatations and muscle spasms throughout my body. I think I was getting Fibromyalgia like you said but it’s now completely gone. I think it was my body telling me that I’ll be getting that next if I have another setback. I had pains in nearly everyone of the 18 spots they test for it but they’ve been gone for weeks. The dizziness has also been getting better after not eating certain foods that seemed to be causing it.
Sophie, sorry to hear about the 4 hr bad patch. And I agree, the pain does grind us down and is something that can’t really be explained in words. I remember being astonished years ago when, after going to the ER, sure something had burst … after my rounds of tests … when the gastroenterologist said there was “nothing wrong,” that I had IBS. How could there be NOTHING wrong, with such pain? I wanted something I could see, something they could cut out, something visible, surely there was an alien in there trying to get out, which is how it feels.
It’s a total mystery to me how such intense pain can appear, and then disappear, without there being something seriously, visibly “wrong” in there.
I also get migraines, and the feeling that my head is absolutely going to explode is rather similar to the gut pain in the toll it takes. And then, it’s gone, like a miracle. Only to reappear, whenever it feels like it, apparently.
Anyone who doesn’t have IBS, doesn’t get it, especially the part involving pain. I read a post on the IBS forums where a woman who was going to a pain clinic for help, was actually told to try yoga. Yoga! “Here, honey, try yoga instead of methadone for your pain, I’m sure it’ll help.” Yikes. What idiocy, and these are the people we look to for help, the professionals? No wonder she was writing about being suicidal.
If I add up the hours, days, weeks, no doubt months I’ve spent IN PAIN with this, I get pretty pissed off, that IBS has taken that much time off me living my life.
Quote “It’s the pain that grinds you down”
As a fellow sufferer of some 25 years you have my full sympathy, at your recent relapse. The only advice I can offer is hang on in there it will get better, I know that is as useful to you now as chocolate teapot ,but it will and you know it will.
I too have had one in the last few days, the first really bad attack for at least 7-8 years. I have been poorly for three days now. Started for no reason I can discern on Tuesday evening and has not stopped since. All I can do is take the drugs and drink build up type meals as I can’t face solid food. It ‘s like you said the varying levels of pain that grind you down.
The not knowing until you have the spasm how long or how ferocious it will be….Just a small one 5-8 minutes or so….Or anywhere in between up to the full hour slog where you just want to take a shot gun and put yourself out of your misery.
Being the mother of two children I thought I could handle pain..Hey give me unaided child-birth any day in preference to an attack of IBS. It started in my earlier 20’s and at that time I am sure that Doctors thought I was just play acting with the pain, the shouting at yourself as you sit on the loo pleading for the pain to stop, rolling around on your bed biting the pillow knowing that if you could sell your soul to the devil in exchange for relief you would. The hot and cold sweats the come with the pain and sometime feeling as if you will pass out from it.
I felt as if they were judging me as some kind of boarder line schizophrenic with Munchausen’s Syndrome. However they humoured me and gave me all the tests including Barium enema, Colonoscopy, Flexible sigmoidoscopy only to tell me NOTHING was wrong I have no dominant food allergies such as wheat ,lactose, no colitis, Crohn’s disease or colorectal cancer. I have IBS…………Whoopee that’s OK then! SO you can give me some drugs and make it better? LOL.
Over several years of perseverance have learnt what will set an attack off and what to expect if I eat certain food stuffs, the pro-biotic yoghurt drinks definitely help me as do the avoidance of alcohol and peanuts. I have tried all the supplements and read extensively on treatments and exercise regimes but for me not a lot seems to work. So I live with my IBS on a daily basis and tolerate it most of the time.
But this attack just came of the blue for whatever reason known only to my intestines. Today I have only had the onset of pain 4 times so I guess its claming down but for the previous 3 its been 10 on the Richter scale, and lasting anything up to 90 minutes at a time.
I don’t wish to distress any one reading this site as I said earlier this is the first serious attack I have had in many years, but just be aware that once you have it , you have it !
Interesting reading the pain comments – it seems to hit us all at some time – I have a high pain threshold – for anything else- but this lower abdo. pain really gets me at my lowest. It is lucky that I live by myself and just have the cat to witness my moans and groans while sitting on the throne! An attack like that is often accompanied by vomiting, which I am told is not in the general pattern of IBS. symptoms – there I go again, breaking the rules! It all leaves me absolutely wrung out for several hours and I can’t find any energy which seems to have got up- and gone !! I’ve tried mebeverine – no good, Colpermin gives me marginal relief- otherwise it is a case of shout ( at the cat!) and bear it. Susans comments on the idea of her doing Yoga – I practised yoga for several years, keeping the old joints (I am 77) supple. It had to be abandoned as it was becoming all too embarrasing. The order ‘ clench the buttocks, then relax them’ came often, with the accompanying – well! you all know what – and the more embarrasing when clad in thick Yoga tights – I gave up !! Perhaps I am seeming all too casual about this affliction, but it is the best way I know of coping with it – along with keeping very busy and a permanent supply of Immodium Instant in my pocket – Juliet.
I know all about that pain. I’ve had a mild case of IBS (at least that’s what one doctor has told me after I visited 10 doctors who all said I just had acid problems) for about five years now. My only symptom was severe (and I mean really severe) stomach pains about once every other month, usually right around my period. But I never did anything about it, because it would only happen every now and then. I even thought I might have endometriosis (sp?) but my doctor said I most likely didn’t have that.
Anyway, I’m still not sure if I even have IBS, but I do know about the pain. Luckily, my stomach pains haven’t been as severe lately, but now I’m just getting an uncomfortable bloating and gassy feeling after I eat lunch and dinenr. No matter what I eat, be it fish, carrots, chicken–any of these “non trigger” foods–seem to just not sit too well. I’m taking these probiotics and enzymes. I don’t know if they’re helping or making it worse. They have taken away the severity of the stomach pains, but now I just have an uncomfortable gassy feeling. The only moment of peace is from the moment I eat my Goat’s Milk yogurt in the morning, until I eat lunch about four hours later. After that I just feel tired and bloated. I don’t know what to do.
I have just read some of the comments above and I have to say that after years of suffering very bad bouts of stomach pain, nearly passing out, breaking out in cols sweats, I rarely have problems now. I know it sounds really severe but I comnpletely avoid gluten, wheat, yeast and dairy (expect goats milk/cheese and eggs). I am also vegetarian so it is difficult but if I have the foods above I will undoubtedly suffer an attack. Since changing my diet I am not so tired, my stomach is not so bloated and I have more energy. It has definitely transformed my life.
I had finished reading your Ibs story and want to let you know that you gave many sufferers an hope to cope to their reseach until they can find what is better for them,and not only for Ibs but even for any other illiness,but sometimes people are very closed like those who never use internet or don’t know that they can find any advice in the internet what do you say ?because ,if you walk around there is nowhere mentionned shop or chemistry where they sell Digestrol!also I’d like to know about people leaving far in Africa where traitement is occasionnally ,if there is no test made by a Doctor they cannot use Digestrol?also what about people to whom the synthoms are from the first age until in they are adult ,they could use only the same product ?I thank’s you a lot. May God bless you.
how do you guys deal with the constant pain alll the time … ? email me please ty