When I was at University I started getting really bad stomach cramps and loose bowels. At the time the doctor told me I had a spastic colon! Not a very pleasant description - I think irritable bowel syndrome sounds much more acceptable! Anyway I struggled with it throughout university - sometimes it was bearable and at other times I dreaded going to lectures for fear of having to quickly escape or creating an offensive odour. I almost gave up at one point but my friends and family were really supportive and having a determined streak I battled on.
Over the years there have been times when I have forgotten about it and have been able to enjoy a "normal" life but then suddenly it comes back again. If you suffer with irritable bowel syndrome then you know what I mean it's usually during times of stress that it really plays up.
Well about 2 years ago it really got back and I started losing a lot of weight. I have always been of a slight build so when I'd lost nearly 1.5 stone I decided it was time to see the doctor and get properly diagnosed because maybe it was something more than irritable bowel syndrome. You should always check these things out.
This article goes through the process of getting properly diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome and what happened for me.
The doctor first of all took blood tests - testing for anaemia and liver function. They also do an antibody test for celiacs disease especially if your iron level comes back low.
I then had to wait for an ultra scan - you have to fast and then drink loads of water beforehand. It is a very straight forward procedure and didn't show up anything to be concerned about. However they did notice an area on the lower right hand side that was full of gas and would probably cause tenderness and discomfort. This is one of the places I do get pain so maybe that explained why!
I was then referred to a consultant. Apparently the antibody test for celiacs disease that doctors perform is not very accurate and so to be absolutely sure it is best to have a camera down to look at the intestinal lining and take a sample. You can be lightly sedated or have an anaesthetic throat spray for the endoscopy. I opted for the throat spray as the nurse reckoned it was less likely to make me gag!
The results came back negative so the next step was a colonoscopy. I wasn't bothered too much about having a colonoscopy - I was looking forward to seeing my insides on the screen! Unfortunately the bad part is having to totally empty the bowels using an extremely fierce laxative!
I had the procedure done under slight sedation and it was interesting to see the areas of inflammation. Also, what was strange was an area in the caecum (that's a large bit by the appendix just after the small intestine) that was full of bubbles and "stuff" which they needed to rinse out. For me it confirmed visually the area where I get pain - also when I prod it there I can feel gas. The ultra scan had also shown this up - an area on the lower right hand side of my abdomen. The inflammation was on the surface only and therefore nothing significant.
Two days later I had an appointment for a barium meal - which also required taking a laxative.........
The barium meal laxative was very gentle compared to the other one - fortunately! On arriving at the hospital I was given a white thick liquid to drink beforehand and after about 15 minutes they x-rayed my abdomen to see if any abnormalities could be seen. Depending on how quickly the barium meal has passed through the digestive system they often need to keep you there for a couple of hours! Well after 15 minutes they x-rayed me and my barium meal had already gone right through my digestive system! I wasn't surprised as everything goes through me quickly - that's part of my problem!!
Anyway there was nothing that showed up to indicate any significant problem. However, my intestines on the lower right hand side were bunched up and they couldn't separate them out (same place again!).
The next appointment with the consultant gave me my diagnosis - I had a highly sensitive, aggravated gut! In other words irritable bowel syndrome! So finally I knew for certain that my intestines were not happy and I'd seen physical evidence of it.
At this point I was referred to a dietitian and the consultant suggested I take up yoga to help me relax which in turn would help my intestines to relax.
So basically irritable bowel syndrome is diagnosed by eliminating all other possibles.
