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Suggest Treatment For Diarrhea And Vomiting When Diagnosed With IBS
Posted on
Wed, 3 Aug 2016
Wed, 3 Aug 2016
Answered on
Tue, 30 Aug 2016
Last reviewed on
Question : I have been diagnosed with IBS by a wonderful gastroenterologist, however he is over 2 1/2 hours away from here, and I have other health issues which make it impossible to drive myself to see him. I can only visit him when my husband is off work and can drive me there. My bouts with IBS seem to be, becoming more severe with each attack. I don't just gat diarrhea, I have diarrhea and vomiting simultaneously, usually for at least 2 days at a time. During these episodes I have to wear depends, as I can't even make it to the bathroom before i lose control of my bowels, and I vomit to the point of having to drink tons of water and Ensure just so I have something other than stomach acid to throw up. Of all the other people I've spoken to who have IBS, no one seems to have this same wonderful vomiting feature as a part of their condition. Is what I have actually IBS?
Brief Answer:
possibly a different diagnosis
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
IBS is a tricky diagnosis to make because there is no exact test for it. The diagnosis is made by ruling out all other causes. The severity of your diarrhea and the vomiting make me concerned that something else is going on. Here are the tests that I think you need to have done before settling on a dignosis of IBS:
Upper endoscopy
Colonoscopy
test for celiac disease
test for Helicobacter pylori
Ultrasound of Gallbladder
CT of abdomen
If you have had all of these done and they are negative then you are probably looking at a variant of IBS or some food intolerance.If you are concerned about a food intolerance you can see an allergist or do some sort of elimination diet where you get rid of certain foods, or limit the foods you eat for a certain amount of time to see if it helps. Common intolerances are lactose and gluten but some people have bad reactions to other foods like chicken or corn.
I hope you get an answer soon.
Let me know if you have further questions.
Dr. Robinson
possibly a different diagnosis
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question.
IBS is a tricky diagnosis to make because there is no exact test for it. The diagnosis is made by ruling out all other causes. The severity of your diarrhea and the vomiting make me concerned that something else is going on. Here are the tests that I think you need to have done before settling on a dignosis of IBS:
Upper endoscopy
Colonoscopy
test for celiac disease
test for Helicobacter pylori
Ultrasound of Gallbladder
CT of abdomen
If you have had all of these done and they are negative then you are probably looking at a variant of IBS or some food intolerance.If you are concerned about a food intolerance you can see an allergist or do some sort of elimination diet where you get rid of certain foods, or limit the foods you eat for a certain amount of time to see if it helps. Common intolerances are lactose and gluten but some people have bad reactions to other foods like chicken or corn.
I hope you get an answer soon.
Let me know if you have further questions.
Dr. Robinson
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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