Am worse on stomach pain

Hi John. I just registered because I saw another publication of yours and wanted to ask you a question.

I am currently struggling with very bad IBS pain, and considering a nerve block. However, pain management doctors don't agree on what to do, as it's usually done on normosensitive patients with anatomical issues (tumours, inflammation...) not on hypersensitive patients with IBS. Did you ever get the celiac plexus block?

Btw, usually antidepressants that inhibit noradrenaline reuptake (amitriptyline, duloxetine) are what works best for pain...unfortunately for me, I am hypersensitive to them.

Good morning

I got a referral from my GI & saw a Radiologist at ST Louis U. They met as a group after my visit and said with IBS I was not a candidate.

I have tried atleast 6 Rx and all have horrible side effects. Had to get off of all.

Trying meditation, therapy, non spicy food ( met with Two different Registered dieticians low fod map did not do anything) , heating pad, increasing water and excersise, and now started on magnesium glycinate and castor oil nightly.
Think really is all related to anxiety.

All labs, all tests, stool test, scans come out negative.

Keep trying don’t give up! Take good care of you.

Hyoscamine works wonders for my friend just not for me.

The fact that tests don't show anything doesn't mean it's anxiety, in IBS the alterations are microscopic, and dorsal horn neurons (the ones that channel peripheral pain sensations to the brain) are hypersensitive and firing way more than they should, but there's no test for that in clinical settings, just research ones. And there's not many treatments aside from noradrenaline enhancing drugs.

Too bad that they ruled out the block. I do know of an IBS patient that had the nerve block done but it didn't work for her. I will probably try anyway because my case is dire (8-9 pain, bedridden and disabled for years now) and I can do it privately. Nothing else helps and I've been eating chicken and rice for 7 years...

There's another thing that can be used which is the PENFS device IIRC. Lin Chang was in charge of a clinical trial but I'm not sure if it's already ended or not, it's an auricular stim device that brought relief to teenagers with functional abdominal pain, not sure how good it will be in IBS as the pain is different.

For anxiety-triggered IBS, try the virtual GI Psychology practice in Burke, VA. They just do telehealth sessions.

I tried them on the advice of my GI doctor as I had a huge anxiety trigger for my IBS (in addition to a huge trigger from foods).

Wherever you go, you want Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focused on the gut. Hypnosis CBT worked for me. It was so easy. A seven-week course. There are many studies that show it works, too.

Thank you very much! Glad it helped!!

Yes, and sometimes it is just the food. Low FODMAP food was often a trigger, perhaps due to my complication of having a significantly redundant colon, but perhaps not. My food staples are zero FODMAP, and I eat just a few things, that through trial and error, work for me (maybe 15, but all healthy). I hope you find your solution soon. Sometimes it really is just the food you eat.