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Hi I'm new and wondering if anyone has symptoms like I do

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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cuttabug
New Member
Joined : Jul 2006
Posts : 4
Posted 7/13/2006 4:18 PM (GMT -8)
Hi, I'm a recently diagnosed patient of IBS.  I have had several health problems throughout the course of my life, but none such as this.  I was reading symptoms of others, which I have, but I have others too.  I have episodes of diarrhea and constipation and its last for a while, and comes back every few months.  I changed my diet, and even with that, I still get painful episodes right after  I eat!  Im a CSR at  a call center, this has been very hard for me to handle at work!  I get sharp pains in my rectum from time to time, and even had diarrhea with bad nerve pain in my legs at the same time ! Its disabling.  I'm just wondering, I had so called "stomach flus" pretty much every winter when I was young, and the very last one I had was a month before my 18th birthday 4 years ago.  It was so bad I was bed ridden for a whole week!  You know what was wierd?  A month later, which was January, right after my 18th birthday I had a small stroke!  I'm finally going to see a GI doc next month, but I'm scared...could it have progressed so bad where this can be a big problem?  Can someone give me some advice?  Tell me you have these problems too..... eyes
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Keriamon
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2005
Posts : 2976
Posted 7/14/2006 6:30 AM (GMT -8)
Your symptoms are consistent with IBS (even the rectum pain), but your stroke may have something to do with it since, as I'm sure you know, they lead to muscle weakness. Your intestines are moved by muslces, so there may be a connection there.

When you go to the G.I., make sure he orders stool samples from you and has them checked for parasites and bad bacteria (like c. difficile). That may be the cause of your odd reoccuring stomach flus. Also, even if your stomach flus have been caused by some virus that you are highly susceptible to, they can wipe out the good bacteria in your guts and leave you unable to properly digest your food and have good gut function. You can explore taking probiotics (like Digestive Advantage or Culturelle) to see if they help your guts any. You have to take them for a while before you can see a difference. If you're not any improved in a month, then bacteria, or the lack thereof, is probably not your problem. They don't hurt anything, so you can take them right now, in advance of your dr's appointment to hopefully get some relief while you wait.
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cuttabug
New Member
Joined : Jul 2006
Posts : 4
Posted 7/18/2006 1:14 PM (GMT -8)
I just went to the doc yesterday and she took stool samples to test for bacteria and things of that sort.  She is doing some tests for me before I go to the GI doc.  I haven't been at work since thursday, and i'm suppossed to go back tomorrow.  I go some meds to help me control it, so I hope it works.  Its kind of embarrassing to work at a call center and always having to get off the phone to use the bathroom.
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Keriamon
Veteran Member
Joined : Jun 2005
Posts : 2976
Posted 7/18/2006 1:57 PM (GMT -8)
I totally understand; I relieve the receptionist when she takes her lunch or is on vacation and I hate being tied to the phone while I'm having a bad day (luckily those aren't too many anymore). My finance is a tech for a large computer company and I have thought in the past that I could never work there because what do you do when you are on an hour and a half long call installing someone's operating system and you're having diarrhea? He's been having some issues of his own lately, but luckily he's doing web part orders now so he can get up and go as often as he needs to without putting anyone on hold. But of course you are probably like him and have quotas to meet in terms of calls taken, and that can be hard to do when you're in the bathroom so much. And big companies like their quota numbers better than they like their employees, I think. If your doctor does end up diagnosing you with IBS, you may want to get her to write a brief note (addressed to your HR manager) saying that you have a bowel disorder that is pretty untreatable and that you may have to be excused from work to go to the bathroom frequently. And then give this letter to your HR manager (keep a copy for you) to at least put on record in your file that you have an ongoing medical condition and that can explain why you don't meet your quotas all of the time or why you call in sick as much as you do, etc.

Some people have been fired or pressured to quit their jobs because of their condition. It's best to be prepared in case that happens by establishing to your HR that you have a medical condition. That way they can't claim later that they didn't know you were sick and that they thought you were just a slacker. And of course if you don't tell people bluntly that you are sick, then how are they to know that you are not taking calls or missing work because you're sick? But, by being able to prove that you notified your HR director of your condition, you may be entitled to protection under FMLA--which means they can't fire you for taking time off for a medical problem. Also, establishing in advance a medical problem may allow you to get unemployment benefits, whereas they are not obligated to give you any if they say they fired you for underperforming (you can then prove that you underperformed because of your illness). And lastly you have proof that you can't hold down a job due to your condition, which may allow you to get disability. There are a few people on here who have IBS so bad they are on disability. But all of that hinges on you establishing and documenting your illness in advance. So you're just going to have to face telling some people that you have something wrong with your bowels and sometimes it sends you to the bathroom frequently. I think you'll be surprised at the number of people around you who can sympathize. In my office of 20 or so people, there's me with no gall bladder, another lady with no gall bladder, one with IBS and one with a stomach ulcer and bowel problems as well. So I can always find sympathy.
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cuttabug
New Member
Joined : Jul 2006
Posts : 4
Posted 7/18/2006 5:53 PM (GMT -8)
Thanks for the info, I'm going to do some research on that when I get to work.  I wasn't sure if I was going to tell them or not, cause I feel somewhat embarrassed about it.  But it would be good for me to do so, just to protect myself.  I was wondering what they would say to me when I get back tomorrow.  I have missed alot of days this month because of this, I hope they don't let me go.  My pcp has already diagnosed me with having IBS.  I feel like its more than that because I did a ultrasound last week, and they said my intestines were inflammed.  I'm going to get that documentation tomorrow before I go in.  I have to see my neurologist tomorrow morning before I go in, so I will do that.  Hopefully my doctor has something good to tell me about my migraines. 
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