I have been dealing with an excessively bad diarrhea phase of my IBS for the last week. I currently take Buscopan 10 mg for the spasms. I am very sensitive to all dairy products. I have had IBS for about two yrs. now and this episode is by far the worst I have ever experienced. I don't see my specialist again until February.
My question is, when should hospital treatment be sought? My problem has been going on since Christmas day and just seems to be getting worse. I have been rushing to the toilet between 4-12 times a day. I have taken Imodium to try to stop the diarrhea and it has not worked. I experience horrendous cramping pains before I go.
I am not sure whether or not this is something that I should seek hospital treatment for or to just keep dealing with it as I have been.
I just don't know what to do anymore. I am at my wit's end.
Penny, I am so sorry for your pain and frustration.. I understand... Are you having blood in your stool?? If so I would go to the hospital... You might want to call your doctor to see if he wants to see you. Are you drinking enough?? You don't want to get dehydrated.. I have had ibs for 10 years and also have pain cramping all the bad stuff. Some days are worse than others.. Hope you feel better. Ryleigh
Hi Penny, Welcome to the site :) I agree with ryleigh... if you have blood you will want to go to the hospital. If you get dehydrated, you need to go to the hospital. Have you called your doctor to see if there is anything else he can prescribe to you maybe for the D? The antispasmodics (like Buscopan) will help but some people need something on top of it to control the D. Maybe call his after hours number and see if he can call something in for you. He may also tell you if its bad enough to go to the hospital as well. Please keep posting and let us know your progress. Take Care
I'm sorry you're hurting! My formula for rehydration: Gatorade diluted by half with water. Either that or Pedialyte. No sugary drinks, no caffeine. Drink plenty of fluids. You should be going pee at least 3-4 times a day and it shouldn't be too dark. If you're not peeing, that means you're dehydrated. I have been able to manage episodes of 20-30 bouts of diarrhea per day without heading to the hospital simply by stuffing myself with fluids. You can also try upping your dosage of Imodium. Good luck, let us know how you're doing!
Thanks to everyone who has offered their suggestions. It is nice to see that I am not alone. Sometimes I feel that way.
I am drinking about 2 litres of water a day. However, I think I may need more. As of yet, there has been no blood in the stools I guess I am lucky for that.
Thanks again for the replies. I am glad I have found this site.
Do not hesitate to see a doctor even if there is no blood in your stool. Dehydration is very serious. I lost 30 lbs in one month due to IBS. This was back in 1982. I went D every 45 minutes for two days. Drank water and gator-aid after each D. I thought I was tough and figured I could get over D withought real medical help... 48 hours later I was in the hospital with an I-V feeding me fluids. The doctor was mad as hell at me for trying to take care of the problem myself. I was in the Navy at the time and the above incident was my first serious indication that I had IBS-D.