How do you manage this intense upper gut pain/bloating from.....IBS??

Posted by shooei @shooei, Mar 2 1:03pm

I've had lower gut IBS-D most of my life, but the last 8 or so years, it has become most intense in my upper stomach, all the way up my esophagus! The more I move around, the more it hurts. I get bouts where it feels like a wrench is twisting my intestines from my throat all the way down through my upper stomach, pressure & pain in chest, stomach, & the regular lower gut pains. I've had every test (including a CAC score to make sure I don't have heart vessel issues), and they come back to telling me it is IBS flares. Also, sometimes I can go many weeks without these intense symptoms & feel almost normal.
Has anyone had similar symptoms, and can you help me manage this? It seems to come out of nowhere, and then it lasts for days, or weeks. My whole body feels attacked, I am weak & nauseous, have palpitations, (like vagus nerve involvement, which makes sense) and it is impossible to function normally.
I guess I want to know if anyone else has these symptoms and if it truly can be "just IBS", and your tricks for handling it!
Thank you!!

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SusanEllen66 Susan McMichael | @SusanEllen66 | Mar 2 11:23pm

@shooei I have IBS and fibromyalgia.
The IBS kicks up when I eat too many salads, and vegetables of any kind. So, I watch my diet.
If I start having the pain and obvious signs of an “attack” I take a multi symptom anti diarrhea medication. That usually makes me feel better.

Hope you feel better soon!

shooei | @shooei | Mar 3 8:32am

Thank you @SusanEllen66 for the tip. I have upped my anti diarrhea med but has not seemed to lessen my bout, unfortunately. Thanks got your well wishes 💕.

SusanEllen66 Susan McMichael | @SusanEllen66 | Mar 3 9:59pm

In reply to @shooei "Thank you @SusanEllen66 for the tip. I have upped my anti diarrhea med but has not..." + (show)

@shooei what about your diet?

What makes it worse?

shooei | @shooei | Mar 4 8:42am

I guess that's the tough part @SusanEllen66 , after years of a food diary we still can't figure that out, if there is a food/foods trigger. I have little to no gluten, dairy, sweets, no raw veggies, really my diet contains about 15 things! I have some unrelated complicating health issues, so I have to also be careful to lost any more weight.
Thank you for your thoughtful questions & care.

swilkins1974 | @swilkins1974 | Mar 5 9:47am

In reply to @shooei "I guess that's the tough part @SusanEllen66 , after years of a food diary we still..." + (show)

@shooei have you tried cutting out lactose. Worked for me

shooei | @shooei | Mar 5 11:53am

Thank you @swilkins1974 ! I am eating lactose free already, so that wasn't the answer for me. So glad you found that worked for you!

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