Why doctors make me angry, part 38

I've had IBS for as long as I can remember. I have suffered so much and my IBS has changed many times over the years. Every doctor I've ever seen about IBS has tried to put me on Paxil or some form of anti depressant. I took Paxil (I relented) for a short time and then took myself off of it. It honestly didn't help. My GI guy believed whole heartedly that it was my personality and totally stress related. The things I later read in my patient notes floored me. They sounded more like the notes of a psych patient instead of a GI. I have given up hope that I will ever find a doctor that will believe me when I tell them I'm not stressed out or depressed!! I'm glad I found your site...It's nice to know that I'm not totally alone in my IBS hell! Thanks.....more than you'll ever know!

My doctor told me that I had GERD, hastily ordered a endoscopy($1,000+...yipee!) for me. Then went ooooops! I guess you have IBS! I trust doctors about as far as I can throw them. Nearly every doctor I've dealt with is more worried about lawsuits and health insurers than actually helping me. I'm sure there are some good doctors out there but with my expierence with IBS, I'd rate them below Lawyers and Drug dealers on who to trust.

I'm currently trying something new and so far so good but as I'm sure you know, most of these end up not working. I'm optimistic but that's all we really have. I'll try to keep you updated.

I go along with most of what has gone before.Perhaps I am lucky- but can an IBS sufferer call herself 'lucky'!!- that my GP. referred me to a gastroenterologist consultant as a private patient as I have some cover. That gentlman never once mentioned stress or all in the head, but after a battery of tests and colonscopy, confirmed my GP's diagnosis. He has guided me gently onto a regime of high fibre diet and the use of a gentle fruit laxative plus Andrew's liver salts !! I am not so sure about the latter, but plod away. Sometimes I can walk away from the loo, saying 'that was normal' but then I can't really recall what is 'normal'!! Other days like today ,the pain ( by far my worst complaint in the whole of IBS. symptoms)was awful, and I sat there moaning to the cat 'I can't cope with this any longer' No sympathy from her of course ! As long as all this doesn't interfere with my life too much, I CAN cope - I have just return from a weeks holiday in Madeira - and I went armed with the prescribed potions,plus a pocketful of Immodium Instant. The latter works well, but leaves me bunged for a couple of uncomfortable days - but at least I enjoyed the holiday, and only had to miss one excursion. I am 77 and in my worst moments feel that I am stuck with this to the end of my days!

Good to see the IBS catch 22 letter. I am tempted to just forward it on to everyone I know so that next time I mention my IBS (I do this alot now)then I wont get suggestions but perhaps some sympathy and a break now and then.
The last time I went to the doctor he said the usual 'It's imperical' and that I just have to try different things. But when I told him that Colpermin seems to make my D worse he just said no and moved on.
As I mentioned earlier I am talking about my IBS to as many people as possible friends colleagues etc - trying to be patient with their questions and just try to educate people.

I have come across the same reaction from the drs I have seen regarding my IBS. I feel so frustrated when I say that the IBS is getting me down. The response is that it is me being down that is causing my IBS. Another response from the dr is 'why have you come to see me, what is it that has made the IBS worse - you have been coping ok with it for a long time. What has changed in your life? I have replied nothing. There must be some stress that has caused it, says the dr. No, I say. He says, take this colpamine and come back and see me in a month. What is the point of that as the symptoms get better for a few days and then get worse again.

I hate what IBS is doing to me, but dont know how to change. My diet is baked potatoes, peas, gravy and chocolate in the evening. Nothing for breakfast apart from mint tea. Rice cakes and mint tea from about 10.30 am onwards. Also, biscuits during the day. Rubbish, ehh?

Have had IBS for years and I am fed up.

Thanks for listening.

Alison

you know the only good thing to come out of this ibs is being in contact with all you lovely people i am an entertainer so with long periods of travelling it becomes such a pain but when it really gets me down i think of all you folk and it means im not alone with it and it helps a loti sometime look into the audience and wonder if anyone else is going through the same thing
thanks guys for being here

Well, I've pretty much given up what I was doing which was a Colon Cleanse. I don't recommend it unless you maybe do it all natural such as a fast and not for very long. I think I was allergic to some of the herbs which caused some nasty reactions. Lets see, insomnia, nose bleed, biting my cheek till it bled during my sleep, panic attack!!! and GERD type symptoms. Hey maybe my Doctor was right the first time!

I did see something interesting on Day 7 that looked like it was a parasite - a 8" worm(God is my witness). This is the day that I got the panic attack. I was also tested negative for parasites by the doctor when I was first diagnosed but from what I understand they can attatch to the wall of the colon. If you haven't passed out yet by reading this it's atleast something to think about and it does make some sense. If I knew that was the only one I'd get I would've taken a picture of it but I picked at it and it fell apart so I flushed it. lol....what a wonderful syndrome IBS is.

I went to the Urgent Care today today and was lucky enough to get the doctor I had when I was a kid. He really is a good doctor, he cares about the patient, he's competent, humble, etc... Thank you Lord.

I told him about the 10 day colon cleanse I was on and the 10 pounds that I lost. He was glad that I didn't take any enemas which he said can cause complications but didn't have anything else bad to say about it. There was just no way I could do it for the recommended 90 days. I'll ask him if doing it for 10 days at a time is a good idea, maybe in another month or so.

He also took some blood to make sure I don't have something else and the blood test will also check for food intolerances that I have through the blood test.

You're in a fog while you're on the colon cleanse which he said lifts which I was glad to hear because I'm still in one. Overall I think my stomach is a little better than before but it's hard to say. Getting rid of 5-10 pounds of built up fecal matter can't hurt.

By the way the thing I thought was a worm will probably just be mucus.

i have had ibs as long as i can remember and im still only 16. there was this time at christmas when i had an ibs attack. my mum called a doctor to come and see me but when he got there he said i see oyu have ibs ill give you some medicine and that should help within a day and you should be fine.

Well ill fine them no one truly understands ibs except ibs sufferers. no one knows the kind of pain that you go through and how severe the pain can get. about a month ago i had ana attack of ibs and i went to my doctor she gave me medicine and said take that and youll be fine and remember to eat high fibre foods. But thats ok for them to say that we are the ones that have to put up with it.