IBS what is this?

[Drake]

So I will cut a long story short as I have posted most of it previously. So I was informed I am going to be treated for post IBS after an FMT for cdiff. I have been bouncing back and forth between my GI doctor and my family practice doctor. I have no clue what IBS is. I know I've had left side pain sense my FMT. No clue at this time what it is. CT's and more testing has not been done yet. My GI doctor wanted to wait 2 weeks from an abdominal wall injection to see if it helps. Usually when I see him I focus on one thing that is bothering me the which is my left side, and then it feels like I'm going to the bathroom when I'm not... like a Charlie horse in a muscle just involving the butt. Then leaky issues. Trying not to be descriptive per the rules here. I will ask my family practice doctor things later just because I usually stick to one thing with my GI doctor. So when I asked my family practice doctor what IBS is I was informed that it's something diagnosed when you don't know what it is. Then I google it and ibs is tied to my emotions from what I read? That's even more confusing. Please help me understand if anyone has had IBS.

[Bobbie]

Welcome to the site. Please read the first forum which a contains "the rules" - evidently you already have.

See CDI - IBS and CDI - three day rule for an explanation,of IBS - irritable bowel syndrome.

Again, welcome. Keep us posted.

[Drake]

Thank you for directing me in the correct spot for reading.

[beth22]

IBS is what doctors tell you that you have when they can't find a reason for your symptoms. It doesn't mean that you don't have the symptoms, but they can't point to anything in particular. If you think that you have IBS, there is a blood test called IBSchek that can test for it. It is now believed that bacteria is at the bottom of IBS - an imbalance of your gut flora.

[georgina]

IBS flares are triggered by many things , not only emotions , food is mostly a trigger of BAD flare-up especially the FODMAP foods , it can also be triggered by meds , hormonal changes (female period) , some of us had IBS flares when we had the flu or a cold.But IBS can also be controlled trough diet , meds , avoiding stress, probiotics (if tolerated) etc.

[Musings]

The "Charlie Horse" and leaking issues sound like they may be related to Pelvic Floor Dsyfunction which is something I am waiting on diagnosis for after having c.diff. Might be worth bringing it up to your doctor to see if it may be contributing to your issues.

As far as IBS, it is a diagnosis of exclusion meaning that when another cause cannot be determined for your symptoms it is labeled IBS. As Georgina mentioned, IBS flares can be triggered for a variety reasons from stress to food so maybe try a food journal to see if you can isolate intolerances and avoid those for now.

[Lisa33]

I never had any gut issues prior to c-diff. But since having c-diff in Sept 2014, I experience bouts of IBS. They are few and far between now, but it was not easy in early recovery. As the others said, you are labeled with IBS when there is no other cause found after testing. I have had every test under the sun at this point, and all came back negative. However, I only had a colonoscopy/endoscopy done this past Feb, which was 2 1/2 yrs out from c-diff. I opted not to do them to soon after c-diff as to not mess with my gut flora. My GI also felt that they were not necessary as I wasn't experiencing blood and other non-invasive tests had all came back normal. I winded up doing the tests this year as I was really sick in Feb and tired of worrying about the constant bouts of "IBS". I had wanted actual confirmation that it wasn't anything else.

There are prescription meds for IBS. However, if you are like me and want to avoid any prescription meds, there is an OTC medical food called IBGard. My GI had recommended it. It's something that you may want to look into with your doctor. Some posters on here have taken it.

[NanciT]

All information given by everyone here is correct and considered IBS, most of us have this Post CDIFF. Not everyone gets abdominal pain with CDIFF but I did. It was also Left side pain. he one thing that helped me was Levsin, it works on spasms in the colon. I also was diagnosed with Pelvic Floor Dysfunction POST Cdiff.
I have not heard of injections for IBS? I did see someone mention them here on the site. Honestly, I would get a second opinion before taking that on.
For me, it has been a great deal of time to get rid of that pain. Food has a lot to do with it, I eat very small meals and when my pain gets worse, I go on a bland diet.
As Lisa mentioned, this is a diagnosis of exclusion once everything has been checked. I had CT's, lab, endoscopy and on and on. I was on Dificid for 3 months and it cause my gut issues and left me with both IBS and Pelvic Floor.

A second opinion is always a good idea. Not sure what the GI would be injecting? Did he mention this?

NanciT