hi guys,


for the last week or so, i had had bad constipation, really, out of nowhere. It was drving me nuts, so at the suggestion of a very good friend, i bought the Walgreens MAGNESIUM CITRATE SODIUM laxative thing. I did according to the directions, and drank most of the bottle, and then waited. Well, about 2 hrs. later, it kicked in, and i spent about 5 hrs. on the toilet, which was fun!
Finally, sore and exhausted, it SEEMED over, and i felt better, and lighter, and fell into a deep sleep.! The next day, Friday, when i woke up, i knew i still felt kinda crummy and sickly, and still had the "runs" somewhat into the early afternoon on frida. HOWEVER, then i noticed, that my abdomen was BLOATED AND DISTENDED and felt like my upper intestines, under the breasts, were vibrating, i know, that sounds funny, but that was the feeling. Well, ok, so, I wondered if that wasn't anxiety, and took a xanax, and lo and behold, it went away! BUT NOT THE DISTENDED ABDOMEN, NOR THE DISCOMFORT i was feeling in there!

Now, i think i had mentioned on some earlier posts recently that i was having that lousy waist ache again, which did , wrap around to the back, up and down the back, and the kidney area too. But, that ache, had been gone for 3 days before i took the magnesium citrate laxative on thursday. Even the day i took it, thursday, the waist ache was still gone, so i felt just very constipated, and took the lax. So, i went from Friday (the day after the lax.) when i felt terribly distended, putty, gassy, and just plain sickly......to Sat. when i felt a LITTLE better, but still very puffy and distended and gassy. But the side ache was still pretty good, it was there a little, lurking around, but not to much of a bother. So, i was so happy, i ate this wonderful grilled fish dinner that my husband brought home for me from his friends very nice restaurant here in our neighborhood. I garfed it down, i was starving. I even ate the salad that came with it!..lol...well, that was about 6pm on SAt.(yest.)....i started to notice the waist ache sort of returning SLIGHTLY, and my lower back was really aching! So, i found taht if i leaned over and sort of squated, the back ache completley stopped, and i knew then it was muscular, so i took 3 Advil, bec. i really needed to sleep by now, and was sick of this back pain! I fell into a pretty good sleep. Well, today, EVERYTHING WAS DIFF. ..... when i woke up i felt kind of sickly again, but at least no back ache. So, i got up, and started to really feel this bad feeling in my intestinal area, left side of my abdomen.
It's hard to describe. It felt like some kind of pressure, gas, on and off "pain", and it would sort of come on me in waves, and when that would happen, say every 10 minutes or so, it would give me this horrible sick feeling, a little nauseas, sour taste in my mouth, and stomach....but MOSTLY this really bad DEEP ache or sick feeling in my left abdomen, i would say it eventually kind of targeted one area, about maybe, an inch or so over to the left, from my belly button. Ok, so, i panic at this point, thinking someting like diverticulitis.....and i was off to the ER with hubby!!!

Well, they took a urinalysis and found not infection anywhere in my body (and hey, can they do that? i mean, can they actully see if theer's an infection ANYWHERE in your body JUST BY A URINALYSIS, i thought you'd need a bloodtest for that), so he ruled out a kidney infection,,,,,then we dealt with maybe kidney stones, but again, he told me that NO, becaue, there would've been blood in the urine, which i didn't have. He basically said that my urinalysis showed that i wasn't taking in enough fluids, well, WHAT?!!!!!
THAT CANT BE THE REASON FOR THIS AWFUL SICK PRESSURIZED LEFT ABDOMONAL FEELING...and plus, i may not drink the entire 8-10 glasses of water everyday, but i DO try to keep abreast of my water intake!!!! So, what the heck could that be from?
We also took a regular plain old x-ray of my abdomen, came back nothing. Now, i know that if it 's a kidney stone, a reg. x-ray won't find it, you need a CT scan or ultrasound, which they were unwilling to do, but since he felt there was NO infection, and NO blood in my urine, he determined he didn't need those other tests, bec. he felt it wasn't a stone.

Now, we had to sit and wait for all the results for 5 hrs....lol....well, my husband and i certainly got out "quality time" together!
But during that time, i had to keep pacing, bec. this feeling in my left abdomen, which also was now beginning to kind of creep down farther towards the groin area, above the pubic hairline, where you have that awful, heavy, cramping feeling when you're going to gt your period...or for those of you (like myself) when you've had your children, that beginning labor feeling, down at the very base of the uterus? you know what i mean. Also, this made me feel slightly nauseas, and like i wanted to push something out of me....that was the feeling. I realize i'm being pretty descriptive here, but i really do want to expalin it all fully, so if anyone else has ANYTHING LIKE THIS, OR CLOSE TO THIS, please please please post! They didn't take a blood test, he said he didn't need to, i did press him for it, but he wouldn't do it, which i thought was funny. To be honest, they were all very very nice to me, and he was a very nice dr....i give him credit there! During those 5 hrs. of waiting, i thought i'd scream, because the anxiety was through the roof inside me, waiting to hear what the heck was wrong.....THEN add to that that feeling that kept coming like waves every 10-15 minutes making me feel very panicky, and hurting, and almost as if when that wave would hit the left abdomen, that would get this sort of mini convulsion, meaning that, the abdominal muscles would sort of VERY SLIGHTLY deep inside, convulse and make me feel like it was shooting up into my throat, and need to cough or gag. i never vomited, i didn't feel like that at all.

now, the whle reason i'm typing this entire story of mine here, instead of perhaps on some intestinal problems forum somewhere, is because, i'm wondering if this could be HORMONAL!!!!!! I mean, if thre's one thing i've learned since january, ANYTHING IS POSSILE WITH HORMONES! Between this site, and other women i know, i've heard some outrageous symptoms from peri!!!!
The dr. finally released me, telling me that i should follow up with a Gastro dr. bec. apparently, i may have some sort of intestinal something or other, maybe IBS.....and obviousl i can't live like this, and he's right, and that's what i'm going to do, this is way to much discomfort, i mean, i am afraid to eat, i'm afraid i'll set this off....i can't sleep, not bec. of some horrible pain, but bec. this left abdominal feeling is very uncomfortable, and you have to find the right position to sleep in, or sit, and when these little so called "waves" hit that area, it really can feel bad. So, come tomorrow, i'm calling for an appt.! He did'nt feel it was an emergency.

SO, IF ANYONE OUT THERE, HAS ANYTHING LIKE THIS, OR SIMILAR, PLEASE POST HERE! and if anyone, knows if hormones can actually BRING ON IBS....or can irritate, POST HERE! See, like i had said earlier, the waist pain had gone a few days before i did the lax thing.....it wasn't till AFTER, that this all started, and i wonder if i did someting to my intestines, or aggravated something, and then, if PERI would make that all the worse? I mentioned to him that i was definatley in PERI, and he smiled and agreed, and actually agreed that hormones can cause a myriad of very bad intestinal symptoms! SO...ladies, i know this has been an exceptionally long post, and to anyone whose bothered to read all the way through it, THANK YOU!!!!!

if you have any knowledg, please share that with me! THANK YOU, GUYS! Sincerely, MyDarling

P.S.........he also said ANXIETY can cause ALL these symptoms! anyone out there with someting similar due to anxiety?

Hi MyDarling,

I am so sorry you have been through this. I am quite tired at the moment from a full weekend, but am going to try and describe what my IBS is like for you to be able to compare. If my example sounds like something you relate to, then a change in diet can definately help.

I suffer with IBS C-D, it used to always be IBS C but since peri, it can go either way, but IBS D is not as painful for me as IBS C.

When in an attack, it will start with pains in my intestines, and gradually build in intensity. At the peak of the attack, it will end up in waves of pain which I know from what my doc has told me, coincide with the movements of the bowels. The pain levels with IBS C can easily be almost as bad as child birth labor for me, and they DO come in waves. The pain can also make me feel nausea.....and can even put my heart rate up.

When it goes to IBS D, I still get pain, but the waves are not as noticeable, and soon after getting rid of it all, it seems to gradually get better.

ALL of this became worse with Peri/Meno, and now I have to be so careful as to what I eat, but more importantly "how" I eat it.

The fish you ate, now that could set me off on an attack unless I ate some soluable fibre first. That would mean me eating a serving of say for example, some potato, rice etc, and then the fish and salad. It is annoying to have to eat this way, but strangely, soluable fibre keeps me far healthier than insoluable fibre, and due to Peri I had to make massive changes to my diet, and it has worked.

Can I ask a ?

When you felt the waves of pain, did you also feel like you needed to go to the bathroom even though there would probably be nothing there? Have you had that feeling? That is a classic symptom of IBS, and yes, stress and anxiety can do terrible things to our tummys but so can Peri. Even though IBS is not caused by stress as was once thought, anxiety and stress are triggers for IBS sufferers. There is now a recognized brain-gut link, and I think the doc who saw you may have thought "IBS" for you.

And no one could pay me to take magnesium, and MD, I think you lost a lot of water with the D you suffered after the magnesium intake, and that showed in your urine.

Please feel free to ask me more if you need to. ((((((Hugs)))))))

Viktoria

Hello ViKtoria & Mydarling,

Please let me share what has been happening to me, I think I may have IBS. It actually has been happening to me for the past 5 years off and on. It is not something that happens everyday or even weekly. Sometimes it happens and then it goes away, only to reappear a few months later, is this typical of IBS?

What my symptoms are like, well I will eat a meal, and it seems that it doesn't matter what the meal is, somehow my intestines (lower stomach area) begins having really bad crampy pains, similar to contractions, they come in waves, minutes apart. They get more intense, the pain starts nausea, so then there is severe pain in waves and nausea while the pain is in full spasm. After about 1-2 hours of this (sometimes even longer), I will finally expell everything ( you know what I mean), then I will feel better.

I HATE when this happens to me, is there anything one can take to STOP this spasm??? It happened to me a few weeks ago, and honestly I thought I was gonna die. It has not happened since, but I know that it comes and goes. It did all start in my forties, and I think and believe that hormones have alot to do with our digestion and everything.

Thanks for any input, sorry that you are all in similar pain.

Juliann

Hi Viktoria,

well, thank you so much for that info....yes, it DOES help, and to answer your questions, yes, when i get that deep sort of ache, it does make you feel like you need to have a BM....yet, nothing is there. So, all day, and up till now, i've given up on actually going into the bathroom to try, bec. really, it's useless. Ok understand that these wave like feelings aren't "pain" per se....not screaming pain, not stabbing, or searing pain....more like a deep ache, or a rolling wave over that area of the intestines, (on the left, where do you have yours?), making it feel SICK, and like i said, it almost feels as if the muscles areound there are convulsing SLIGHTLY when this happens, give me the feeling of needing to either push something out, (i know that may sound funny), or to cough, becasue there's this little convulsion, or "force" feeling that happens with this darn ache! it's hard to describe, do you get that feeling too? Yes, the brain-gut link is not becoming quite popular, and it should ,it's only obvious for pete sake!
I should add here that with the grilled fish, i had mashed potatoes and gravy..lol..well, i was starving!!!! ok, was that bad?
Do you think that meal put me over the edge as far as starting this off today? Because, yest. as i said, it was "kind of" there, SLIGHTLY, but as you can tell, i was up and about, and EATING.....so, all i can figure is maybe that dinner did it?????

Now, as far as the mag. citrate, ok, i thought it would be ok, i didn't know, i'd never done it before. Yes, i do believe it dehydrated me a lot, becasue after that, my lips have been SO DRY, .... i can't say i'm always thirsty though, just very dry lips.
Now, they dont' tell you on the bottle that these may be the side effects, and they don't tell you to drink plenty of water afterwards, and since i wasn't experienced in this, well, i just thought i should be back to "normal", i did n't realize it may have dehydrated me.
But, i kind of began to thnk that yesterday myself really. Yeah, so at the ER, the nurse says to me that if i decide to follow up with a GASTRO, that he may want to do a colonoscopy, and that what they give you to drink the night before, is just like this BUT WORSE! no, i don't think i can do that then! .. lol ...geez! i mean, this was bad enough thank you! It reall;y isn't so much the trips to the bathroom, it's the soreness, and DEHYDRATION afterwards that scare me! Now see afterwards, you don't really feel to thirst either, that was strange. The following day, i was so bloated, i KNEW that was abnormal......something wasn't right.
I didn't feel AT ALL like eating, and was scared to death to take any water or wahtever, for fear i'd start pooping again..lol ....so, i drank basically cool green tea, in sips that day. But by yest...day 2 afterwards, i felt ok, and ate the fish....i had NO IDEA it would do this! i hope i didn't either damage my intestines, or perhaps trigger somthing off in there,,i mean, all that puffiness, that distended belly, that sick feeling the following day, can't be right.

i figured peri made things worse, yeah. peri makes EVERYTHING worse! i wonder though, it that can actually start that in you, even if you've never had that before, and as much as medical science may say it can't...that's only what they know NOW, that info. can easily change in time, just like so many other medical beliefs of yesterday, were changed eventually into what we "know" today....so, who really knows!

ok Victoria, thank you so much for getting back to me!!! i hope things are well with you, drop me a PM !!!!!!

Sincerely, MyDarling

Sounds like a result of the magnesium. I used to have to take it from time to time from my Dr. and know that if you take it at the wrong time (during a stomach virus)or if you take too much, the result is pretty much what you describved. The intestines have been working, contracting to expel whatever was in there and they can easily get *sore* afterwards. Keep your fluid intake very high because you lose most of everything when you have a bowel movement after that. Try some very easy to digest foods for a few days so that your intestines can get a break.

hi girlsmom and juliann,

oh boy, this is really to much, isn't it? juliann, i'm not to knowledgeable about IBS, to be honest, but i'm LEARNING FAST! a friend of mine has had IBS for many years, and she has similiar symptoms to you juliann, it comes like spasms, they first diagnosed her with what USED to be called SPASTIC COLON, remember that? now, they seem to have lumped so many diff. digestive problems into waht we NOW call IBS.....the dr. was telling me that yest. at the ER. It could also be triggered by anxiety or panic, do you suffer with that too, i SURE do! Anxiety can set off ANYTHING, and i bet, that is the BIGGEST trigger for so many sickess and diseases! I've had what you describe Juliann, over the years, i've had very similar symptoms to yours.. it's just that recently, when our family went through this intestinal thing that went around here, we were pretty much NEVER THE SAME, my kids, my hubby, all of us, are still dealing with the after affects of that thing. So, i may not have been fully over it, and then i did that mag. citrate thing, i don't know, i mean, the day i did that lax. thing, i felt fairly ok, so i thought i WAS over it, but who knows, maybe it was still luriking around in there. But yeah, the nurse at the ER told me that the mag. citrate lax draws out a lot of fluids from your body, so that might definatley have contributed to my problem as well.! I wish i could say for sure, so i could give myself a DEFINATE answer. i have an appt. with my reg. dr. fo the 25th of this month, and he may refer me to a GASTRO guy, i guess. This is so much fun!!!

Girlsmom, you said you thought it sounded like symptoms from the mag. citrate ... yeah, i agree, well, that was the first, and last time i'll ever do that! ... lol ...nope, from now on, it's good old EX LAX for me thank you! .. lol...

i hope others join in here and add to the info here, i mean, there has to me others here with similar gastro intestinal problems, and i'll bet, we can all benefit from sharing the knowledge that PERI may very well indeed, be the culprit, IT CERTAINLY HASN'T HELPED....

HUGS!! MyDarling

Thanks Mydarling,

Yes, I do also deal with anxiety and panic from time to time. It's a crazy cycle. Some days I feel fine and other days I feel jittery and jumpy. And don't even get me started on the pure panic that sets in for NO REASON at all, it's crazy. I deal with it, and it leaves.....for the time being.

A few months ago I had a really weird stomach flu type thing. Everything I ate, everything settled wrong and I had that colon spasm thing going on all day long. It lasted a month. I was getting ready to have myself checked out by the doc's and then it just finally went away.

During that time, I was also extremely constipated, so I used some suppostories, which BTW did work well, glycerin (sp) type, it worked the best for me.

Currently, I have changed my diet, and removed most of the sugar, and fried foods. This has helped me to feel better and lose weight. I eat more healthy.

I think stress and anxiety are big triggers for the colon. I do hope that everything checks out well for you and that you soon feel better.

Take care, Juliann

It sounds either like a kidney stone or IBS. I know laxatives will irritate the hell out of IBS and make you miserable for a few days. And feeling as if ya gotta go and going thru the motions but nothing comes out (or just mucous) sounds like what I go thru on occassion...havent been officially diagnosed with IBS but all the symptoms have been there for a few years now. I often get that same "full" sensation and have to "cleanse" even at the risk of ticking off my intestines. With IBS they work overtime by producing too much fluid which causes the runs or removing too much fluid which causes constipation...either way, their over working causes pain and the sensation of movement because that is exactly what they are doing (think similar to a snake moving or eating). A kidney stone can show up on a normal xray...my urologist said so and even showed me with my own xrays of my kidneys complete with several stones of various sizes. They may not always, but they can. also, fluids fluids fluids. We can be dehydrated and not even know it. Our bodies will react to that. And a laxative with all that evacuating will dehydrate the heck out of you.

If you were already having intestinal probs the laxitive could have aggrivated them and made your symptoms come back full force. BUT of course I could be way off here. And since you will be seeing a specialist it will be interesting to hear what he/she says.

the symptoms that you describe are pretty typical of an ibs flare-up that is diarrhea predominant. the bad thing is that flares can be difficult to predict, because the triggers can vary so much. the website help for ibs is a good introduction to the condition & to ways to deal with it. donnatal is an antispasmodic prescription medicine that is used to control the cramping. i use it on an emergency basis. i have also found that peppermint helps to control the spasms & pain. some people can't tolerate peppermint, especially those folks with upper gi tract problems. you can buy peppermint enteric coated capsules that go directly into the intestines rather than being broken down in the stomach - i use these with great results. but peppermint tea & even mints like altoids can help.

i have also found that the quicker i can resolve a flare-up, the more quickly i am able to recover. eating small frequent meals help, as does temporarily laying off or eating less trigger type foods - fat/oil, insoluble fiber, red meat, dairy, caffeine, etc. in other words - go with bland till you calm down & reintroduce the other stuff slowly. leading off meals with soluble fiber foods helps as well. i also use a probiotic daily & i believe that helps as well. fiber supplements are often recommended, but i think people should always introduce those slowly & carefully & research the options - the wrong kind or getting too much will make the condition much worse.

good luck,
ellen

Hi Ellen,

Thanks for your suggestions, I will try and ask my doc about the donnatal, that would be a life saver when the cramping starts to happen. Also the peppermint is a great idea to explore.

I have noticed that eating smaller meals and staying away from heavy foods helps. Thanks so much for your advice, I'm sure the others will read this and agree.

Juliann

Hi Juliann,

Apologies for my late reply, but I bought a new computer and had to reinstall everything.

I could have written your post almost verbatim! The only thing you don't mention is how long after eating that this happens. For me, it can usually start in the morning before food, and build up to the pains that make me feel like giving birth, then expell what needs to come out, and gradually it subsides, all within a few hours, and leaves me feeling bad for the day. It can be loose or constipated motions, either way my body gets rid of it. Like you, this started in my 40's, but I have learnt to control a lot of triggers and am so scared of that pain that I am careful to always protect myself.

I went on an elimination diet and ate only bread, rice, oats, potato and pumpkin for two weeks. Boring as you can imagine, and then one by one I reintroduced foods, a wow, eggs are a trigger for me, but it can take up to two days to trigger. So please don't go on what you ate for that meal, it could be several meals before that one, and I had no idea of that myself until I did the research. It turns out I do have IBS but also have a few food intolerances as well that are not true allergies, but are triggers. Lactose is another, but a splash of milk [non fat] in my 3 coffee a day allowance is tolerated well. Tea I can drink all I like, and raspberry tea is lovely and gentle for keeping up fluids and is also good for our uterine health........tastes yummy too.

Peppermint is good too as someone mentioned, and I forget who at the moment as I type this, but the swallowed type did not agree with me But I can drink peppermint tea. In an attack I eat nada, and drink flat lemonade, lay down with a heating pad, and wait for it to "pass"........no pun intended.

You sound IBS to me! I am sorry you suffer the pain, it really can be awful.

Juliann, you might find a site helpforibs . com helpful. That is the only way I can get the URL on here, but type that into google and go to their home page and start reading from there. You will eventually find the secret to IBS 99% of the time is soluable fibre.

I hope some of that helps...

Hugs,
Viktoria

Hi Ellen,

Yes, you really know your IBS like I know mine. I am same as you. The sooner I settle the tummy, the better off I am, and the secret really is the soluable fibre. I am now a rice and potato freak! I'll eat my soluables, and then indulge [within reason]. It truly helps, even when dining out, to eat the soluable fibre just before leaving home. I take the probiotics, but had to work my way into them, but I take one every other day, and that helps. Funny, but coffee is not a trigger for me, although I limit it to 3 a day. But it seems you and I have worked out our tummies. Good for you! I hope you don't suffer too much, IBS is truly awful to have.

Hugs,
Viktoria

Hi MD,

Apologies for the late reply, but as I said to Juliann, I was installing things onto a new computer.

To me, you sound like "possible IBS", but the back part does not equate to IBS to me, but it may for others. IBS is 100% made worse by Peri/Meno!!!! I am not sure if the fish made you ill, but if you had not eaten properly for a few days before the fish meal, then ate a big meal, that could trigger IBS attack.

If you read my reply to Juliann, I think that would equally apply to you too, at least to see if you can add up symtoms as being IBS.

The Magnesium intake would trigger me to IBS 100%, and I am not a taker of the Magnesium in either form, and it pays to type into google Magnesium+Side+Effects, and research how much we truly do need Magnesium on top of a good diet, and how much we don't. There is too much of a good thing for some of us, and for others, it seems to help their bodies. For an IBS sufferer, magnesuim is not a great idea.

The site I told Juliann about is well worth any Peri woman reading, in my opinion, but for you MD, I would still get a check done by your Doc to make sure all is ok, even though my instinct says your tummy is sensitive, and has IBS symptoms, but I am no doc, and want the best for you.

Go read helpforibs . com and glean as much as you can from there, starting at their homepage. That site changed the way I eat, and I suffer less stomach problems since changing my way of eating.

Also, after a stomach virus, IBS sufferers tummies can be very sensitive, top that off with PeriMeno, and it is a time bomb unless you take care of yourself. Just try and eat bland for a week, I think that will help.

The only time I can relate to low low pressure pain in my tummy that is not with spasms of the colon is when I am ovulating. That sounds like ovulation to me, but I can only say "sounds" as feelings are hard to describe.

Whatever it is, I hope you feel better soon, hun......please let us know how you are going.

Hugs,
Viktoria

thanks, victoria. i'm glad that you posted the info for folks about the help for ibs website. for me, that was a tremendous resource for educating myself & learning to better manage the condition. like you, i usually don't have a problem with coffee & i'm usually able to eat pretty well & indulge within reason. i'm lucky it's managed & i'm glad that yours is as well. i wish that doctors helped their patients more with this, but thank goodness for the internet.

best,
ellen

Hi Viktoria,

Thanks so much for the reply and the web info, I will look into it and research. I don't think I have connected the dots yet as to WHAT triggers this spasm. On my last episode of IBS we were dining on Sushi, and my daughter was eating a salad with sesame dressing, everytime I eat anything with sesame oil I get sick, but stupidly I took a few bites of her salad. Within the HOUR, I was sick. It lasted about 2.5 hours of intense pain, like childbirth, nausea and finally it came out, it was awful.

I am also BAD with eggs. My husband is constantly boiling eggs, love's them. I eat just one hard boilded egg and it can start my troubles. But I can eat scrambled eggs with toast, no problems usually.

And like you stated, a small amount of non-fat milk is okay, but regular milk, makes me sick also. I have to avoid all those wonderful drinks at starbucks, no Latte for me!!!! I do drink coffee, but NEVER on an empty stomach.

I've also been doing a low carb type diet, but have incorperated rye toast with my meals just to have that fiber.

I never thought of the fact that it could be from what I have eaten the day before, thanks for that tip.

Does anyone have problems with salad??? Lettice is not always my friend either.

Again, thank you for sharing.

Juliann

Are you sure you don't have diverticulitis? It's the fact that you reacted to the sesame seed that makes me wonder that.

Miss Tibbs

Hi Miss Tibbs,

Would the sesame oil be the same thing as the seeds??? It did not have any seeds??? I don't think seeds bother me or popcorn, but it's the oil in the chinese foods, things with sesame oil in particular.

The only way to know for sure is to have the colon test, which I have not had yet. I'm sure next year, as I turn 50, the doctor will want to test it.

Thanks for replying.

Juliann

I have major problems eating lettuce - my IBS is predominantly w/diarrhea. Every time I try to eat a salad I pay for it big time! I am talking major bathroom time with extremely loose stools! I just hate it, because I do love salads!
Di

Hi Victoria, and everyone...........

yeah, i was thinking IBS too....now see, i've had things happen to my intestines before when i'd get nervous, or dreaded something i had to do.....then i'd get this awful "churning" down in the lower intestines, and you end up sitting on the toilet for about a half an hour, sweating, and pooping out everything you've ever eaten since you were born! IT'S ABSOLUTLEY AWFUL, bec. the HORRIBLE CHURNING feeling in the lower abdomen is awful, and comes in spasms! now, see, ive had that for YEARS, but USUALLY only when i was really upset or scared. Sometimes, i'd have it for no reason, but usually, due to some stressful or fearfull event.
so, has that ALWAYS been IBS and i jsut didn't know it?

now, 6 days after the lax. night...well, i still have a sort of icy stomach, that's the only way to explain it....and i have a very bad time drinking water, bec. it now begins to almost ache in my stomach, and then as it passes down through the intestines it just doesn't feel to nice! i dont' have that prob. with coke! or tea! i've only had milk on cereal since then, and it seems to start up that awful horrible feeling again in my stomach and intestines....yet, i do'nt know if it's the cereal, milk, or the fact that it's the first thing i'm putting in my stomach in the morning, see? yeah, i seem to have this worse when i wake up!!!!! This DOES give me a spasming feeling, like mini convulsions, in my left abdomen,.....it 's weird, i can feel it, it makes me feel like coughing, or sort of like i need to bear down...it's weird. WHAT THE HECK IS THAT? is that the spasming you were referring to? i can't tell if that's perhaps some abdominal muscles just by themselves doing that, or my intestines......i will say though, if i take a xanax, it stops! kind of interesting, huh?

HEY TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK???? HUGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That last statement is one to be remembered! I will NOT take that stuff either and I, too suffer from IBS (and have since I was 19), as does nearly everyone in my family. You described the pain of it very well. It was helped when my gallbladder was removed (also many years ago), but prior to that I spent time in the emergency room and this was in my youth primarily, long before fluctuating hormones were ready to score.

The large colon is on the left side of the abdomen and the pain frequently begins where the bellybutton is located just off the side of it. Eventually it works all the way down to the groin like stabbing pain or a hot poker. There is great pressure and distention is evident. Leaning into the pain does seem to help which appears to further corroborate that the colon is the affected area.

The pain often alternates from constant to convulsive waves and is usually mixed with nausea, cold sweats, fainting or feeling that you're going to faint. Constipation is mixed with diarrhea.

I've found that diet certainly exacerbates a predisposition. Too much grease, dairy, and too much roughage/fiber (unless you've gradually introduced this through diet over a period of time), or other food triggers.

I have found, by accident really, that Propel with calcium fitness water makes a HUGE difference in controlling this. My husband suggested this for me when I needed more calcium but couldn't swallow the huge horse tablets. My older sister and niece also began drinking this for calcium when I mentioned it in casual passing. The second week I had noted that I was no in pain and was having normal bowel movements--I mentioned this again during idle chatter with my sister. She too noted that her IBS seemed to be lost somewhere and that's when SHE realized that the only thing we all had in common was Propel.

Sure enough, if we drink it daily (2-3 bottles) and IBS is extremely dimished. But when we withdraw it, the heavy symptoms begin to return after a few days. I don't know how it works, and I don't care. I only care that it does. My husband now buys it by the case for me. I think I have enough empty bottles to make some very large, fun sculptures. Actually, I've used a good many in lawn sculptures (they get cut and painted though).

Stay away from soda and caffine (limit one to two mugs a day).

DO NOT take heavy laxatives. You might use apple juice or apple cider to help with constipation, or even Phillips' Milk of Magnesia which is mild enough for a child.

I take Calcium as well to control my IBS-D symptoms. I take a pill with my main meal. I need the calcium anyway - just a bonus that it helps with the IBS-D. I used to belong to a group online for IBS and it was explained on the website how the calcium works. I don't remember - something with absorbsion??

Sorry. My meno brain read "seed" instead of "oil."

Miss Tibbs

OH THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! oh, now i feel better! ok, PROPEL it is! i will try it! and calcium? wow..who would have "thunk"?..lol...hey, if it'll stop this ache on my left side, and that sort of spasm feeling in there..i'll do it!
yeah, what's up with that spasm kind of thing in there, almost like mini culvusions of "force"...do you guys get that with IBS?
when i take a xanax,,,,,THAT STOPS! so, what does that show?

xanax helps me with the side spasm too. But its driving me insane. The crazy thing is that some days i have it and some days i dont. Whats that all about?

xanax helps me with the side spasm too. But its driving me insane. The crazy thing is that some days i have it and some days i dont. Whats that all about?

I had developed IBS and had tried a diet eliminating fat from my diet, espeically anything fried and dairy, the less the fat content the better... and I could not beleive what a difference it made. I recmment anyone with IBS to try to eliminate fat and hard to digest foods from their diet try it even for a week. Cook all your veggies too... just for now...