Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment

Question by : PLEASE answer, exspecially if you know anything about endometriosis. 13 SCARED!?
I think i may have endometriosis. Here is a symptom list of endometriosis. (i willl put yes next to it if i have it)

* ovarian cysts- Yes, many of them, i just had one pop at the emergancy room two days ago
* ectopic pregnancy-I haven’t been pregnant
* Pelvic Inflammatory Disease- No.
* irritable bowel syndrome- No, haven’t been tested for it though
* appendicitis Yes
* Pain before and during periods -Yes, really bad. My doctors put me on vicoden for it!
* Pain with intercourse -I haven’t had sex
* General, chronic pelvic pain throughout the month- Yes all the time, it hurts really bad too.
* Low back pain – Yes, allot.
* Heavy and/or irregular periods- Yes really bad. Very heavy, and going on all the time
* Painful bowel movements, especially during menstruation – Yes
* Painful urination during menstruation -Yeah it stings.
* Fatigue -Yes very. I get really tired and weak feeling
* Infertility- I don’t know, im not trying for a baby.
* Diarrhea or constipation -Yes both, i will have really bad diarrhea, and then random constipation
* Headaches- YES
* Low grade fevers-i always have a 99.6 temp.
* Depression -so/so but i think its because what i have been through
* Anxiety- so/so
* Susceptibility to infections, allergies -Yes I got a few bladder infections, and one kidney infection. And a staff infection
oh and it runs in my family, my mom has it
oh&& i got an ovarian cyst even before my period started like WTF?
and they have me on birth control for heavy periods.

Best answer:

Answer by Samantha
Endometriosis can’t kill you, so there’s no reason to be scared. Many women have it and live perfectly normal lives. Common treatments include use of birth control and laparoscopy to remove endometrosis lesions, though they can grow back.

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Question by : Anyone know anything about medical practice/research?
I am diagnosed with depression and having pills thrown at my by my doctor which in my opinion suck. He doesn’t seem to sympathetic he listens to me but honestly I don’t think he has a clue what the best way to help me is. I have seen five doctors in total and all of them seem to be the same. Part of my depression and anxeity dissorder is the inability to communicate effectivly. When they ask me “Why are you depressed” I honestly don’t know how to answer that question, and If I did know how to answer that question why would I need to travel three miles to sit in a waiting room for three and a half hours to see ask him for help because I could solve it myself?

This usually leads to the
“you are young you shouldn’t be depressed, old people get depressed not young people” Guilt trip they send me on. (That’s an actual quote) which is a load of crap because up to date statistics say otherwise.

So due to this I think GP’s being the jack of all trades masters of none that they are can’t keep up to date with the best ways of treating depression. Which is not good enough considering depression is one of the biggest health problems in the UK.

I asked my doctor to be referred to an expert which he took as an insult and outright refused. (possibly due to my poor communication skills) So now I’m up s**t creek without a paddle, But hey at least I can chew Prozac like tic tacs right?

Big pharma make a hell of a lot of cash from anti-depressants so they keep pushing the product on to doctors to prescribe so this kind of enhances GP’s frame of mind where they think they are delivering quality service to patients.

I have had counselling and it help me deal with some of the symptoms but not the cause. At least councillors realize they can’t help but can help you to help yourself but still they are limited and due to so many people needing their help you only get a set amount of timetable sessions.

I am fatigued everyday, I have a sort of ‘brain fog’ That stops me being able to concentrate unless I write sticky notes to remember my train of thought (I have used 8 so far writing this), Irritable bowel syndrome (I think?? never been diagnosed) poor skin, poor gums, my tongue is covered in white patches (geographic tongue?) and my nails have horizontal lines down them. Most are a sign of mal nutrition which has got me thinking maybe my fatigue and depression is linked to this? Its kind of obvious if you think about it that if you’re brain/body does not get the sustenance it needs it will perform poorly.

So my question is Can anyone point me in the right direction of any research that might help me with my theory? There must be someone else who has thought of this before me?

And also what are you’re opinions on GP’s / Big Pharma / Depression / anything else I have mentioned? Are tehre any sources where I can collect information about those too>?

Thanks in advance.
Before medication

a. fatigue, fidgeting, numbness in hands and feet (If by that you mean pins and needles come and go ) ,muscle tension, muscle aches, bouts of difficulty breathing (Now that I think about it, feels like I have a lot of mucous in my throat at the back but I have always had this) , difficulty concentrating, twitching, irritability, agitation, restlessness.

b. I don’t have stomach pain its more like a bloated discomfort and I can hear a lot of gas moving around/ and digestion problems, Constant tiredness and exhaustion, Anxiety, Mood swings, I’m pretty sure I don’t have obsessive compulsive disorder, anger outbursts out of frustration, Irritability, muscle aches, unrefreshing sleep.
I also have anxiety attacks/panic attacks. The first one was triggered by stress and all other symptoms seemed to get much much worse since then. I haven’t been the same person since that day. But the attacks are rarer since medication. (They take the ‘edge’ off)

A white coating on my tongue usually not painful but occasional certain patches can be a uncomfortable.

Withdrawal from communicating with people due to the amount of energy it takes, it’s just too much effort and I have to be on my own for a bit after just to have energy to do anything else.

I take hours to fall asleep and if I get woken up I can’t get back to sleep. I have to switch off any lights such as alarm clocks tv standby button etc and wear earplugs because I seem to be extra sensitive to it. My mind also goes into overdrive so I just try to meditate and do breathing exercise.

What makes things worse is a family member likes to come in and wake me up every morning and doesn’t seem to understand that I may hav

Best answer:

Answer by Mary Kontrarry
Most health insurances do not require a referral for patients to see a mental health professional.

Find yourself a therapist. Licensed Clinical Social Workers are not allowed to prescribe medication.

Best of luck.

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Question by glassroseheart: How should I go about getting a diagnosis for my intermittent unexplained pain?
I have been having pain in random areas (usually upper arms and legs, usually near joints, neck and back, usually along my spine, various areas on my stomach and ribs, and scalp) for years, but the pain and frequency has recently increased. I get pain in a random place about four times a day, but it can happen more or less frequently depending on stress. There are no bruises or other visible signs of injury in the areas I have pain. I tend to ignore minor pain because of a prior health problem that caused pain in my chest (with a physical cause that could not be easily treated, that has since mostly disappeared), so the actual frequency of pain may be higher than I remember. When someone presses (not too hard, but not a light touch) on certain spots on my body, I have pretty intense pain on that point in my muscle. There are other spots that, when pressed, cause pain in other areas, usually along the same muscle or near the point that is pressed. I get muscle spasms in my back and neck pretty a few times a week. I have also had insomnia for as long as I can remember. Although I am tired almost all the time, I have a really hard time falling asleep. I have also been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, anxiety, and temperamental joint syndrome. I also have allergies, but I really doubt they’re related.

Because the pain has gotten worse over the past few weeks (probably due to stress), I am looking for a solution, or at least a diagnosis. As a result of the research I have done of my symptoms, I suspect that it is fibromyalgia, but I am open to other possibilities. I know that Rheumatologists usually diagnose and treat fibromyalgia and other similar illnesses, but I’m not sure if I should try to go to a specialist immediately or if I should go to my Internist first. What can I do to up my chances of being diagnosed quickly and correctly?
I eat healthy and have a balanced diet. I really like vegetables, especially those high in magnesium and calcium and I eat meat and fish (B12). I am outside without sunscreen for around 30 min per day without sunscreen (less in summer when sun is stronger). I really doubt I have a vitamin D, B12, Calcium, or Magnesium deficiency.

I’m more concerned with getting a diagnosis at the moment than treating blindly, so my main question is about how to get diagnosed. I also do not believe that alternative medicine can help in all cases. Neither can traditional medicine, but at least traditional medicine is scientifically proven more frequently. Treatment without diagnosis is unlikely to work.
The sleep problems can’t have been caused by muscle pain because I have had sleep problems for my whole life. The most prominent random pain I get is in my legs. My muscles are tense in my neck and back, but I can’t see why that would give me pain in my lower leg, which is the pain I’ve been dealing with today. No OTC pain medicine helps much with the pain (even in blocking it), but I remember having slightly less pain when I was on an SSRI for anxiety. I needed to stop taking 2 different ones due to side effects.
I forgot to mention that I also have restless leg syndrome. Also, the pain feels a little like restless leg syndrome at times (more constantly annoying than agonizing), but feels like stabbing, throbbing, or cramping pain at other times.
Douglas, I tried to do those stretches, but pressing in some of the areas you suggest causes the localized pain I mentioned in the original question.
I thought that my count of the number of times I felt random pain was low, so I started recording it. My count was very low. The number of times per day I feel pain is more like 50-100, but it often comes and goes in a few different areas or lasts only 30 seconds, so I’ve just been ignoring most instances of pain.

Best answer:

Answer by ƦєdAиgєℓ
Firstly check your vitamin D, calcium and vitamin B12 levels as a deficiency in all of these cause all your symptoms. Calcium deficiency – muscle cramps, prone to allergies, vitamin D deficiency – bone and joint pain (misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia) and fatigue, and vitamin B12 deficiency (stress eats away at B12 levels) – IBS, anxiety, migranes, insomina/fatigue, bone pain.

Calcium:
http://www.faqs.org/nutrition/Ca-De/Calcium.html

Vitamin D:
http://jeffreydach.com/2007/06/10/vitamin-d-deficiency–by-jeffrey-dach-md.aspx

Vitamin B12:
http://www.drdach.com/B12_Jeffrey_Dach_drdach.html

¾ of the world is vitamin D deficient…i would check it out just in case.

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Question by wolliom: Should I see a doctor about this?
I have recently gone to the doctor about a foot condition I believed to be a foot ulcer. I had this thing on my foot for about five months and would repeatedly look up horrible symptoms through the internet. What finally got me to the doctor was stomach, back and chest pains, thinking it was a part of of an infection from the foot condition. They said it was simple Plantars Warts. (I’ve never had them before, that’s why I worried.) Then about a week later I went to see what was causing my stomach pains; again I was looking up horrible diseases. (I think I may be a hypochondriac.) After blood and urine tests they diagnosed me with IBS or Irritable Bowel Syndrome caused by stress. They told me to eat more foods with fiber and try to stay calm. Well, at this point my worries had gone down a bit, though I still find myself worrying whether or not it could be misdiagnosed and be something more serious. To make matters worse, about a week ago I started having blurry vision and itchiness in my left eye. Again, I started looking up symptoms and diseases. I was relieved to have only blurry vision due to reading about left eye abnormalities due to irregular stool (IBS). One symptom I read was about halos around lights. It didn’t bother me until one morning while watching tv, I randomly thought about this symptom. I decided to look around the kitchen light to see halos, I saw none, but in my head I thought something was wrong. All of a sudden I could see rainbow halos appear after thinking about them.

Also, I’m a 16 year old male if that helps.

Should I see a doctor, or could this just be stress?

(Sorry about the long message, I’m too scared to talk to anyone around here for advice.)
They also said my urine was normal, though my urine is often orange and sometimes can be painful.

Best answer:

Answer by mom 2-2
Everyone worries about their health but you need to try and calm yourself. I would stop looking up medical problems and try to enjoy being a 16 year old young man, there will be plenty of things to worry about when you get older. Good luck and dont worry.

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Question by Grrr: Worried about the possibility of colon cancer?
Ok first let me tell you about the last week I’ve had. In the past week I’ve had problems with vomiting and diarrhea. I had problems with cramping and gas pains. I also had burps at times that smelled awful and tasted just as bad. I saw a doctor and was admitted to the hospital for severe dehydration. I was told I was suffering from gastroenteritis. I’ve started to feel better since then. Now I’m worried. What if they missed something serious like colon cancer. I’m hoping that someone that knows about cancer and stuff will read this and ease my worries. I’m listing the tests the hospital performed and also the symptoms I had and have now.

Symptoms before:
Watery diarrhea
Nausea and vomiting
Stomach Pains
Burps that smelled and tasted awful

Tests:
Blood Test – white blood cell count slightly elevated
Stool Sample – no parasites nor blood
Urine Sample – just showed I was dehydrated
Abdomen X-Rays – showed no blockages or abnormalities

I was given meds for nausea and the stomach pains which helped. They couldn’t give me anything for diarrhea because the medicine they wanted to give I was allergic to.

I continued to have diarrhea for a day or two after my release then my stools started to turn solid but when I did go they were short and thin. I had these short and thin stools for a couple of days and then the stools began to get normal looking about the size of the middle finger on an adult but loose not packed together.

Colon Cancer signs and symptoms:
Thin Stools – I had these for a few days only
Feeling like I have to go all the time – No only when I do have to go do I feel like I have to
Blood in stools – none that I can see with the naked eye
Cramping – not really cramping I am having a weird bloated feeling but only in one spot of my abdomen. I had my appendix removed a long time ago and right around the scar I’m getting a weird tightness feeling. I’m wondering if all the straining from the vomiting irritated the scar tissue there.
Feeling of being tired: No more than usual.

I am only 27 years old. Nobody in my family has ever had colon cancer. Stress has caused me to have digestive problems like Irritable Bowel Syndrome so my bowel movements have never been normal. I don’t smoke nor drink. The only symptoms I have now are the thin stools that happen here and there over the past few days and the weird tight feeling around my appendix scar. I have no constipation or anything else just those two symptoms. My stomach is soft when I press on it just a little tender all over from the swelling caused by the gastroenteritis. I no longer have nausea or diarrhea and have been able to tolerate most foods. I haven’t lost any weight aside from the few pounds from the week of vomiting and diarrhea and what I did lose I’m gaining back. I was in the hospital for about 12 hours. I asked the doctor point blank “so do I have anything majorly wrong with me” and he replied with “no just go home and get plenty of rest and drink plenty of fluids and you’ll be fine in a few days”. I shouldn’t worry right? I have no insurance so part of me wonders if they just wanted to get rid of me because I couldn’t pay. Could I have colon cancer or is my body just trying to get back to normal from the stress put on it from the gastroenteritis and if so how long should it take for like say the stools to return to normal and the tightness feeling to go away.

Best answer:

Answer by Marco’s girl
Dear Grrrr: You went to a hospital. You were treated by a qualified, licensed physician, who went to school for years to become a doctor, and I am sure he has a lot of experience. He ran a battery of tests on you, all of which were basically negative for any signs that could cause alarm or cause further testing. You asked the doctor a point blank question and he responded in a positive way that you were fine. You have a history of IBS. You were sick with flu like symptoms. You are only 27 years old. All this information tells me that you just need to follow the doctor’s orders by resting and drinking water and you will be just fine in a few days. Give your body a chance to recuperate and heal.

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