What does it feel like to have Iritable Bowel Syndrome?? (Both constipation and diarrhea)
And, is it possible to have IBS w/ constipation AND dirahea?? (I get REALLY constipated at times, for days on end, and then, I eat something that perhaps I shouldn't have, and then BAM....Well, you know where I"m going with this! ) Then... a week later, the constipation comes back again ....What's up with this? Is this possibly IBS?????
Also, what's the symptoms of IBS? Is it normal to cramp up? Abdominal pains outside and inside the pelvic region?? And, most importantly, lower back pains??
Thanks beforehand for repsonses!!
__________________ Kristen (Me) - 25, DH - 36
Mommy to my miracle twins, Evan & Leah, born at 28 weeks, 4 days
Leah - Fed via G-tube currently
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I have IBS,the condition varies with each individual as does the symptoms.
I rarely have constipation,but many people with IBS have alternating Diarrhea with constipation.
There are many websites online that give a total list of the symptoms,the ones you describe can be part of Irritable bowel syndrome or it can be something else.
Go to a Gastro-intologist to rule anything out,and get proper treatment!
I am also sending you a few helpful links,so you can get more information,but dont use it as a substitute to seeing the doc!
[b]ibs Symptoms IBS symptoms vary from person to person, but the typical IBS symptoms include: diarrhea constipation alternating diarrhea and constipation bloating excess gas or wind abdominal pain nausea back pain. You do not need to have all these symptoms to be diagnosed with IBS, but most people will have some form of stomach problem and one or two accompanying symptoms. Some IBS sufferers find that they have more diarrhea than constipation, while others find that they have more constipation than diarrhea. These two types of IBS are called diarrhea-predominant IBS (or IBS-D) and constipation-predominant IBS (or IBS-C). Other sufferers find that they alternate between diarrhea and constipation and find it hard to strike a balance between the two. Your symptoms may have come on gradually over a period of time, or may have been set off after a specific event. It is quite common for people to notice IBS symptoms after a bout of food poisoning, for example, and also after surgery - classic cases include symptoms appearing after a hysterectomy or removal of your gallbladder. You may also notice symptoms during a particularly stressful time in your life, such as moving house or an emotional upset. If these symptoms do not disappear after the stress has gone, then you may be diagnosed with IBS. In countries such as the UK and US, as many as 10 to 15% of the population are diagnosed with IBS, and doctors suspect that more people suffer in silence. Diagnosis of IBS If you are experiencing some of the above symptoms it is very important to confirm that IBS is what you are suffering from, because bowel symptoms are also found with a number of other conditions. These include: bowel cancer endometriosis fibromyalgia intestinal parasites inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis celiac disease. Therefore, make sure that you are diagnosed as having IBS by a medical professional. This is both because something like bowel cancer needs prompt treatment, but also because some of the diseases in the above list can be diagnosed relatively easily and then treated. For example, if the doctors suspect that you have celiac disease they can do a simple blood test which will confirm the diagnosis, and you can then cut out gluten from your diet to prevent the symptoms from recurring. Diagnosis of IBS itself is unfortunately not as simple as having a blood test. In fact there really is no test for IBS, as it is often more a diagnosis of exclusion. What this means is that a doctor may try to rule out things like celiac disease and inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease if they suspect that they may be at the root of your problems. If the doctor can find no evidence of one of these conditions you may then be given a diagnosis of IBS. Alternatively, some doctors will diagnose you with IBS without any tests if they have the experience to do so, or if your symptoms seem to fit the standard IBS pattern. To help doctors in their diagnosis, something called the Rome II criteria was developed. This consists of a list of common IBS symptoms, and also so-called ‘red flag’ symptoms which are not indicative of IBS and suggest that you may have another medical condition which needs investigating. This is what the criteria say: The Rome II Criteria Irritable bowel syndrome can be diagnosed based on at least 12 weeks (which need not be consecutive) in the preceding 12 months, of abdominal discomfort or pain that has two out of three of these features: relieved with defecation; and/or onset associated with a change in frequency of stool; and/or onset associated with a change in form (appearance) of stool. Symptoms that cumulatively support the diagnosis of IBS: abnormal stool frequency (may be defined as greater than three bowel movements per day and less than three bowel movements per week) abnormal stool form (lumpy/hard or loose/watery stool) abnormal stool passage (straining, urgency, or feeling of incomplete evacuation) passage of mucus bloating or feeling of abdominal distension. Supportive symptoms of IBS: fewer than three bowel movements a week more than three bowel movements a day hard or lumpy stools loose (mushy) or watery stools straining during a bowel movement urgency (having to rush to have a bowel movement) feeling of incomplete bowel movement passing mucus (white material) during a bowel movement# abdominal fullness, bloating, or swelling. Red flag symptoms which are NOT typical of IBS: pain that often awakens/interferes with sleep diarrhea that often awakens/interferes with sleep blood in your stool (visible or occult) weight loss fever abnormal physical examination. These criteria are not meant to be used by patients to diagnose their own IBS, but can provide a rough guide to indicate whether a patient truly has IBS or not. If the doctor wants to investigate your symptoms further before giving a diagnosis, you may be sent for tests such as a colonoscopy, where a small camera is inserted into the bowel, or perhaps another test such as an ultrasound. These kind of tests look for any visible signs of disease or illness, such as inflammation in the gut which would indicate an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). If you have IBS, however, typically no visible signs will be found at all and the doctor will then diagnose you from your symptoms alone. It is important to remember that just because nothing visible or ‘tangible’ has been found, it does not mean that you have been exaggerating your symptoms or that they are not real. Reaction to a diagnosis of IBS can vary, depending on how long you have been suffering and what you already know about IBS. If you were afraid that you had cancer then an IBS diagnosis can be a big relief, but if you have been suffering for years and know that IBS is not something that is cured with one pill, you may feel very depressed and worried about your future. At this stage it is important to work with your doctors to get the right treatment for you. Don’t be fobbed off by a doctor who says “It’s stress” if you know it is not just stress, or by someone who thinks that IBS is a minor complaint – or, even worse, a “female problem” that doesn’t deserve much attention! (Although IBS does affect men as well, women sufferers tend to outnumber male sufferers three to one). Although doctors are getting better at treating IBS and being more sensitive to patients, there are still some doctors who will dismiss your complaints far too easily. If your IBS is making you miserable then you deserve some help – don’t be afraid to ask for it. Causes of IBS Once IBS has been diagnosed – and it can be a long process – most people will ask for an explanation of what has been causing their suffering. Unfortunately, this is another area where understanding of IBS is limited, and the answer you receive could be anything from “No-one really knows” to “food intolerance” to “candida” to “neurosis”, depending on who you happen to be asking at the time. Some of the latest thinking says that IBS is a caused by a problem with the mind-gut interactions in the body, and some new drugs such as Lotronex and Zelnorm have shown results by working on serotonin receptors in the gut. There are also many people who believe that IBS is caused by some form of food intolerance or an imbalance of the 'friendly' and 'unfriendly' bacteria in the intestines. If you are interested in the latest research on IBS then visit www.ibsnews.org <http://www.ibsnews.org> or www.helpforibs.com <http://www.helpforibs.com> Read the second part of this article: IBS Treatment . This article looks at the symptoms of IBS, its diagnosis and treatment, as well as the emotional effects of IBS, and gives some ideas for further reading and internet resources. It has been written by Sophie, the IBS Tales webmaster, who has suffered from IBS for many years but who is not a doctor. This information is not intended to provide medical advice and should not be used to diagnose any condition. Please speak to your doctor before changing your treatment program.
I have IBS, and I also have alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea. I guess I would have constipation more dominantly, but the diarrhea gets bad when I have a flare-up. Those usually happen when I'm under more stress than usual. I know that IBS is also genetic - my sister also has it, and we have an uncle who died from Crohn's disease, a nasty "cousin" of IBS.
Just remember, EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT! The only way to be sure that what you have is IBS is to be diagnosed by a doctor, preferably a gastrointerologist who would specialize in this disorder.
Unfortunately, some of the signs of IBS (pelvic pain, constipation and diarrhea, lower back pain) are also symptoms of ovarian cysts, which makes being properly diagnosed by a doctor even more important!!
it seems as though i read through all the posts on this website and tell myself i have that and that and that it seems as though i am a hypocondriac. i have had some of those symptoms for most of my life and i just had my gallbadder out, that could explain why it seems to have gotten worse.....
Irritable Bowel.....Question....... 
....What's up with this? Is this possibly IBS?????
IBS Symptoms 
