The thought probably occurs - briefly, fleetingly - to most people: "Someday, I'll probably be probably diagnosed with some disease."
The thought certainly occurred to me from time to time. I had no idea what the diagnosis would be - but I figured I'd at least know what the disease was. But I didn't.
I'm in my mid-50s, and I have IBS - Irritable Bowel Syndrome.
It's not life-threatening; in fact, it isn't even really considered a "disease" at all. Some people might even think it's more funny than serious.
If you have IBS, you probably know exactly what I'm about to say: IBS may not be considered serious by most people - but it can be hell to live with.
Until you learn how to live with it.
I have. And I hope the entries on this blog will help others to live with IBS as well.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Is it really IBS? Some tips...
I had IBS...I just never knew it.
I've had severe stomach pain, cramps, constipation and diarrhea constantly throughout my life. I just never had a name to attach to it until recently.
It's understandable that I never associated my stomach pain with IBS, since it's very often considered a "women's disease." In fact, while 75% of IBS cases are diagnosed among women - it could very well be that just as many men have IBS - they just aren't diagnosed properly.
Looking back, though, it now seems pretty clear to me that IBS has been an issue for me all along.
- In my teens, I suffered terrible stomach pain and cramping, and was actually hospitalized for four days for tests; they ended up diagnosing "growing pains."
- In my early 30s, I had mysterious stomach pain and cramping that pretty much stopped me from eating; tests showed nothing - three months and 30 pounds later, I just felt better.
- And over the last ten years, I was diagnosed as having various forms of colitis, before finally being correctly told that I had IBS.
So, can my experience help anyone else? I hope so. I had barely even heard of IBS - and I never really knew what it was.
How can you tell if your stomach pain and cramping is really IBS? Of course, you should see a doctor to be sure. But here's a quick guide.
- If you have stomach pain and cramping for at least three months out of the year (not necessarily three continuous months, just a total of 90 days), suspect IBS.
- If your pain and cramping temporarily feels better after a bowel movement, suspect IBS.
- If your pain is often worse after eating a large meal, suspect IBS.
- If your bowel movements often change in frequency or consistency, suspect IBS.
- If you pain gets worse when you're under stress, suspect IBS.
Unfortunately, there are no specific tests for IBS. Doctors conduct lab tests and an interview - and if the tests don't show anything else and the symptoms fit, they'll then confirm a diagnosis of IBS.
There's also no "magic pill" that fixes or cures IBS. Diet and lifestyle changes are usually the most effective approaches for someone who finds, like I did, that their stomach pains really do have a name.
I've had severe stomach pain, cramps, constipation and diarrhea constantly throughout my life. I just never had a name to attach to it until recently.
It's understandable that I never associated my stomach pain with IBS, since it's very often considered a "women's disease." In fact, while 75% of IBS cases are diagnosed among women - it could very well be that just as many men have IBS - they just aren't diagnosed properly.
Looking back, though, it now seems pretty clear to me that IBS has been an issue for me all along.
- In my teens, I suffered terrible stomach pain and cramping, and was actually hospitalized for four days for tests; they ended up diagnosing "growing pains."
- In my early 30s, I had mysterious stomach pain and cramping that pretty much stopped me from eating; tests showed nothing - three months and 30 pounds later, I just felt better.
- And over the last ten years, I was diagnosed as having various forms of colitis, before finally being correctly told that I had IBS.
So, can my experience help anyone else? I hope so. I had barely even heard of IBS - and I never really knew what it was.
How can you tell if your stomach pain and cramping is really IBS? Of course, you should see a doctor to be sure. But here's a quick guide.
- If you have stomach pain and cramping for at least three months out of the year (not necessarily three continuous months, just a total of 90 days), suspect IBS.
- If your pain and cramping temporarily feels better after a bowel movement, suspect IBS.
- If your pain is often worse after eating a large meal, suspect IBS.
- If your bowel movements often change in frequency or consistency, suspect IBS.
- If you pain gets worse when you're under stress, suspect IBS.
Unfortunately, there are no specific tests for IBS. Doctors conduct lab tests and an interview - and if the tests don't show anything else and the symptoms fit, they'll then confirm a diagnosis of IBS.
There's also no "magic pill" that fixes or cures IBS. Diet and lifestyle changes are usually the most effective approaches for someone who finds, like I did, that their stomach pains really do have a name.
Some IBS resources I found very helpful
There is help out there.
Like most people, I've scoured the net for all the IBS help and information sites I could find. Some were extremely helpful - others just told me things I already knew (or had guessed) - and even some of the "official" sites ended up contradicting each other.
One thing that I didn't do - for a while, anyway - was buy any of those "Solve your problem NOW!" guides you see advertised here and there.
But as I was stumbling around trying to get good IBS info, I stopped and realized.....
"If it was 20 years ago and there WAS no internet - I'd go to the bookstore, and buy a few books on IBS."
But it's 2010, and like most people, I don't really run to the bookstore anymore.
So I gave in and bought a few of the online resource manuals.
Guess what? They really helped. A LOT.
Being able to digest the information (no pun intended), and go back to it over and over again, let me figure things out and get my IBS under control for good :)
Whether anyone else wants to go that route - is up to them.
But of all the manuals I bought, these are the ones that really helped the most.
Goodbye, IBS - A full guidebook with step-by-step chapters on everything from symptom relief to long-term lifestyle changes.
IBS Eliminated - An all-natural approach to determining your IBS triggers and eliminating them completely.
IBS Relief Secrets - Some nice ways to get rid of the pain, quickly.
End Digestive Pain Forever - About all types of stomach pain and not just IBS, but some good tips in here anyway.
I hope some other people find them helpful.
Like most people, I've scoured the net for all the IBS help and information sites I could find. Some were extremely helpful - others just told me things I already knew (or had guessed) - and even some of the "official" sites ended up contradicting each other.
One thing that I didn't do - for a while, anyway - was buy any of those "Solve your problem NOW!" guides you see advertised here and there.
But as I was stumbling around trying to get good IBS info, I stopped and realized.....
"If it was 20 years ago and there WAS no internet - I'd go to the bookstore, and buy a few books on IBS."
But it's 2010, and like most people, I don't really run to the bookstore anymore.
So I gave in and bought a few of the online resource manuals.
Guess what? They really helped. A LOT.
Being able to digest the information (no pun intended), and go back to it over and over again, let me figure things out and get my IBS under control for good :)
Whether anyone else wants to go that route - is up to them.
But of all the manuals I bought, these are the ones that really helped the most.
Goodbye, IBS - A full guidebook with step-by-step chapters on everything from symptom relief to long-term lifestyle changes.
IBS Eliminated - An all-natural approach to determining your IBS triggers and eliminating them completely.
IBS Relief Secrets - Some nice ways to get rid of the pain, quickly.
End Digestive Pain Forever - About all types of stomach pain and not just IBS, but some good tips in here anyway.
I hope some other people find them helpful.
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