Ibs

[outlier]

This might sound stupid but what is Irritable Bowl Syndrome (IBS)? How is it treated?
I remember learning about it in a Nero-psychology class but don't remember much.
I have ridiculous Gastritis issues and was wondering if maybe that was just IBS and I could stop all these silly test. I announce all the time that my stomach is just annoyed at food. Maybe it's really "irritable".
I have named my self the Queen of Inflammation and my Crohn's diagnoses is not in question, The question is what else (or is anything else) is wrong with my stomach.
Your incite would be helpful.

 

[TMos]

From what I can tell it's a communication issue between the brain and the gut. The food goes through too fast or something. I doubt they even know what it is and it's probably something completely different than what everybody suspects.

I'd bring up your stomache issues with your GI.

 

[Rebecca85]

I think it is the wave of contractions that moves through the bowel and pushes the contents along, the muscles don't coordinate the wave properly so food might get stuck and cause pain, or things move too fast and cause diarrhea.

 

[outlier]

oh that what i sort of thought, but was hoping it was something else. Thank you

 

[StarGirrrrl]

Current thinking is that you can actually have IBS and IBD at the same time. I personally don't give that much credit but it's something to think about certainly.

 

[deedee]

IBS is a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning if there's the slightest suspicion that it might be something else, those tests need to be run. If everything's normal, you may end up with an IBS diagnosis. The current diagnostic criteria (called the Rome III criteria) are:

C1. Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Diagnostic criterion*
Recurrent abdominal pain or discomfort** at least 3 days/month in the last
3 months associated with two or more of the following:
1. Improvement with defecation
2. Onset associated with a change in frequency of stool
3. Onset associated with a change in form (appearance) of stool
* Criterion fulfilled for the last 3 months with symptom onset
at least 3 months prior to diagnosis


HTH!

ETA: Basically, they don't really know what it is or what causes it. It's a hot field of research right now though, so hopefully that will change soon!

 

[outlier]

I guess i should have added, through out all this stomach issues I've had uncannly normal bm.

 

[Mary]

Ok I have Crohn's on the right side of my colon but all the grumbling comes from the left. My Dr thinks I have both. IBS on the left and Crohn's on the right.