I am desperately in need of help!
I have been suffering from IBS for 8 years now, but over the last year my condition has gotten much worse. My main symptoms are heartburn, acid reflux, indigestion, bloating, burping, and gut spasms. I am now at a stage where I can get through the first 9 hours of the day feeling fairly OK, but every night at around 9pm my IBS flares up and then I have to sit on the toilet for 6-7 hours, passing wind and mucus continuously. This has been happening every single night over the last 8 years. It does seem to me like my stomach simply can't digest anything at the moment, and every time I eat food it just sits in my stomach, and the food rots and ferments. The thing that worries me a lot at the moment is that I am consistently losing weight, and it doesn't matter how much I eat or how often I eat I just keep losing weight. I now weigh about 45kgs, which I know is not a safe body weight. I am on a gluten-free low FODMAP diet at the moment, but it really does feel like my stomach just can't digest or tolerate anything right now. I would be very grateful if there is anybody on this forum that is ahead of me in their recovery precess, and can share some advice and suggestions. My life is absolutely unbearable at the moment, and I'm desperate to find something to alleviate these symptoms. Thanks for reading my story.
Have you been seen a gastro Dr.and got an endoscopy and colonoscopy done?
No, not yet, but I have been reading about these procedures recently, and I think it's a good idea for me to get them done ASAP. If you don't mind can I ask you have you had these procedures done before. If so, how did yo go about booking yourself in for them, where did you go to get them done, how long did you have to wait before you got your appointment? yes. Had those done at local Gastro medical place. Appointments can vary, but colonoscopy is about at least a month. Been like 5 years since I had endoscopy done, so forgot how long that took to book.( They don't do both at same time as far as I know). Have to get you instructions and prescription for the prep stuff for colonoscopy. They will let you know right after how things look once done. Just get those done ASAP!
I'm so sorry that you're dealing with these awful symptoms and that it keeps getting worse. Since you're losing so much weight and seem unable to digest anything, it sounds like something other than IBS is going on... weight loss especially isn't usually a symptom of IBS. Maybe you're accidentally eating something you're allergic to? Or could there be some inflammation in your gut that's causing these symptoms? I'm just throwing out ideas, I'm obviously not an expert.
What kinds of tests have you done over the last 8 years? Could you ask your doctor for additional testing and/or get a second (or third) opinion maybe?
I'm going to share an advocate's story who suffered from horrible symptoms for 9 years before finally finding a treatment that worked for her: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/hope. There's always hope. Please continue advocating for yourself and try to find a doctor who will take your symptoms seriously. You could even try an alternative approach like a naturopathic doctor: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/naturopath-experience, if that feels right.
Please keep us updated!
Big hugs, Karina (team member)Thank you for your encouraging words. I have had many blood tests done over the years, testing for various things like Crohn's disease and Coeliac disease, but I don't have any of those. I am now looking to book myself in for other procedures like a colonoscopy and an endoscopy, but I'm not sure how to go about it. If you have any further information on these procedures I would be very grateful. Or if there is anyone on this forum that lives in the UK that has had these tests done, can you please give me some advice? Also, thanks for the advice about naturopathic doctors, I had never considered that before. Would you have any advice in regards to how to go about finding one?
Regarding the colonoscopy, I'm going to link this article that explains the procedure: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/testing-and-diagnosis/colonoscopy-sigmoidoscopy. I don't know about the UK, but I imagine that your doctor needs to book you in for one? I'm in France, so it might be different, but here all the tests need to be prescribed by a doctor.
As for the naturopathic doctors, I would personally just google it and pick one with good reviews in your area. I also just looked it up and found this website that might help: https://www.gcrn.org.uk - I don't have any experience with this site though. What I've done in the past when searching for alternative practitioners is contacting them prior to booking an appointment to describe the issue and ask if they would be able to help. Based on the reply, I was usually able to tell whether the practitioner could be a good fit or not.
I hope this helps. Please keep us updated about the colonoscopy/endoscopy and if you're able to find a practitioner!
All the best, Karina (team member)
I have just recently had the endoscopy it showed the lining in my stomach is red and I have gastritis. Dr prescribed Pantoprazole with that no more heart burn, Geri, acid reflux.
