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Hernia or IBS?

I am facing incomplete evacuation of bowels and irregular bowel movements for almost year now and I have undergone colonoscopy and CT abdominal scans. Everything is clear except Left inguinal hernia. I have taking IBS medication for quite long now and also changed diet but I am still having this issue. Is IBS the real reason behind it or could hernia cause these issues. Doctors saying it's ibs only causing these then why all kind pills and diet modifications not working. Please help me by providing some advice.

  1. ,

    Thank you for your question. Diagnosing and determining whether someone has a hernia is really something only a doctor can answer. I'm sorry you are having such troubles right now and we are always here for support. If you feel as though your doctor is not giving you the answers or support you need, perhaps a new doctor? I know I've gone through several 😀. Please keep us in the loop and let us know what you find out. I hope you are having a good day. -Todd, IrritableBowelSyndrome.net Team

    1. Bingo! I hv found someone who has discovered something I did too and is helping: In my case it seems to be some sort of a hyperactive left Cremaster that seemed to be retracting the left testicle and that caused a swelling of the left inguinal canal right up into the abdomen. This seems to causing my IBS-C. Massage of the testicle and pulling it down gently works wonders. That plus digestive enzymes and stomach acid supplement (betain HCL) worked out. I am out of that stuffed up feeling and IBS-C seems to be almost gone...It was a 2.5 year fight. I wish I could help as many as I can. This thing is HORRIBLE. None of the tests shows anything abnormal and yet u hv to live with this day in and day out.......I will be more than happy gto help out with details.

      1. Thank you so much for commenting and sharing your experience. I'm so glad that you finally found out what is causing your IBS-C and are doing so much better with the massage and digestive enzymes! I agree that it's so horrible to live with these symptoms and not know why they happen.
        Wishing you all the best, Karina (team member)

    2. Bingo! This is exactly what I (male) have been going thru and I think I have found a fix (it works). I had IBS-C and a stuffed up feeling in my abdomen especially post lunch.
      Cause: A swollen Inguinal canal partially pushing the intestines and causing constipation+a stuffed up feeling.
      Here is my fix set: I am giving a summary of my self research for 3 years of suffering and nothing found on scans and tests
      1) Scrotum pulling and massage: The stuffed up feeling was mostly due to Inguinal canal swelling and that was due to 2 factors : A hyperactive Cremaster muscle (left side) which pulled the left scrotum up. Every time I got that stuffed feeling I notice the left testicle was pushed way up. The second: The inguinal canal seemed to be pushed far out on the left side - that may be causing the left scrotum to be pulled up (in addition to a hyperactive cremaster muscle). The day I started this scrotal massage and gently pulling down the testicles, I felt releived.
      2) wearing a belt all day works: That seems to hold back the inguinal canal and my scrotmu is more relaxed
      3) Abdominal massage: Using a traction belt around my waist. Front tied by a rope to a rod and I lean back. The belt sinks into my abdomen and massages the inguinal swelling to shape. I do . This exercise gives me the MOST benefit. I do 10 - 15 minutes a day twice
      4) Adding more stomach acid (using betaine HCL after meals) and digestive enzyme supplement(Pancreatin). Poor digestion was also contributing
      5) Homeopathy medicines for better renal function: This helps too
      I have tried to summarize the fix from my suffering above - it is a research and it has been vetted out with a gastro eneterologist, who gave me a patient hearing, also made me do a CT scan for a final confirmation and in his recommendation - he said I should continue with what I a doing......he was amazed at the level of detail I knew. I am out of this mess but I need to do the above ...life is finally good!

      1. I'm so happy to hear that you've found a solution for your IBS-C issues! Thank you so much for sharing what works for you, that's so helpful for anyone who might be experiencing the same things.
        Wishing you all the best, Karina (team member)

    3. I have been told I have IBS, however my own investigations and sports injury training, combined with my ‘gut feeling’ tells me differently. I think the Drs, yes Drs, decided to throw IBS at me because they couldn’t find anything else. Frustrated grrr

      1. I'm so sorry you're dealing with this. We've had many community members who were told they had IBS when in fact in was something else. Since your own research and gut feeling don't agree with the IBS diagnosis, I would trust that and keep pushing doctors to investigate further. How many practitioners have you seen so far? Is there a way to get another doctor's opinion?
        All the best, Karina (team member)

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