Hello to all. I am new to the forum. I was diagnosed with IBS right out of high school (nearly 30 years ago) and again probably 15 years or so ago. However, I have had constant tummy troubles for the past 6 months or so and I'm beginning to feel like I will never feel "normal" again. I haven't been officially treated for IBS in years. The last "diagnosis" just gave me a list of foods to avoid and told me to take Metamucil every day. Well, as I'm sure you all can imagine, I really "stuck" with that! *sigh*
Anyway, I also have Type 2 Diabetes and so finding the right foods to eat is already a major issue for me. Generally, I start having my diarrhea late in the day .... after my biggest meal. I have tried to eat smaller meals throughout the day and not let my tummy get too empty but I still get the diarrhea in the evening. It's nearly impossible to go out to eat with family unless I plan to come home immediately afterwards. As you know, that's not always what everyone else would like to do so I feel like a burden to them. I never seem to know whether I should eat or not eat. Sometimes my stomach gnaws so much that I'm not sure if I am hungry or sick so I get scared to eat. :( The only time in my entire life that I have felt like I had normal GI habits was after I came out of the hospital for depression and was on Xanax regularly! I would eat dinner and have a mild feeling of pressure that turned out to be a NORMAL BM! Imagine that??? Then I felt better and went on with my life! I have practically begged my doctor for Xanax for my IBS and she will not budge. She will give me maybe 10 pills at a time and I save them for when I have panic attacks ... which I also suffer from! *sigh*
Ok .... so I have an appt. with another GI doctor on Tuesday and I am not wanting to have to have a colonoscopy! I am hoping and praying that he will instead take my previous dx of IBS and just give me some real medicine that I can take every day. Oh, I forgot to mentio that my primary doc did put me on Levsin but it hasn't helped well enough. I did get my diabetes doc to give me some Lomotil (which usually helps) but again only 10 days worth. What good is that? It is to be taken "as needed" ... hello? IBS sufferers need it daily!!! So ... I wait until I have diarrhea then I take one and wait for it to "help"? I'm sure you all know what a great "help" THAT is! We need something to PREVENT the suffering! So... this is my question ... what meds have any of you been prescribed that actually are used to prevent diarrhea and make your life more livable again!
THANK YOU for any help!