I'm new here and have a few questions. First off, I'm 22 y.o. female. I had a colonoscopy about 6 weeks ago and my doc says I have IBS constipation. My symptoms are: straining to have a BM, feeling "unfinished", stomach (intestinal) pain before, during and after BM, stools are hard and small, cramps, excessive flatulence, and bloating. Under my left ribcage I get this sharp pain that literally takes my breath away. It's also swollen. I've had this pain and since I was 15 and when I told a doc he felt around and just said I probably have IBS but did nothing more about it. It wasn't a big problem for me then so I just let it go. I always had a problem moving my bowels, but not with the pain and the cramping. I just remember there were days of constipation and then 3 days where I had what I described as a "virus". I never, ever had a problem eating any kinds of foods and I never had problems with flatulence.

I had my first daughter in 2006 and 5 weeks later I started getting IBS symptoms. The flatulence was there 24/7, the cramps, constipation. I've tried every over the counter med you can think of, and I've even drank prune juice but it didn't help me have a BM, just gave me severe cramps. It's like a stomach virus with the cramps and the pain but without actually having BM's. No matter what I eat I get gas. No matter what I drink I get gas.

The constipation I can probably deal with as I always have but the gas is unbearable as it's changed my entire life. I don't know what it feels like to be happy. Well, my gastro (after the colonoscopy) didn't exactly come out and say I have IBS, he just said I suffer from constipation and I mentioned IBS and he said "well it's a form of it"...he calls it "colonic inertia". I eat oatmeal every day to start my day off (for the fiber), I drink more water, I take miralax for the constipation and I have a BM every day, sometimes 2-3x a day. I've been on miralax almost 3 weeks now. I've been on librax for 5 days and it's supposed to help with the intestinal gas. It's too soon to tell I'm sure plus I have a cold and a stomach bug so it's really hard to say if it's working or not as I'm having pains and gas.

I was just wondering if anyone here takes librax and if it's effective for the gas? I'm really hoping this is going to work for me because I'm so tired of living like this. I have 2 children to care for and I'm neglecting my husband. I'm too young for all of these worries and problems. Every time I get upset my stomach acts up. I know it sounds like IBS but sometimes I wonder...maybe I just have symptoms of it because it's a GI problem, but if this all happened from the pregnancy with my first baby. I was very sick, hospitalized because of hypermesis. I think it really ruined my insides but I also believe it's temporary. Yes it's been 2 yrs and change but still...

What does everyone else think?

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for any responses!

Christine Michele

My symptoms are a lot like yours except that on my right side about where my gall bladder would be if I still had one, I get a place that gets so horribly sore and painful. Funny that it hurts worse after a bowel movement and after I eat. It actually feels as though I have a very raw spot there at times, other times I feel like something is pulling. The pain is terrible.

I am going to have another colonoscopy soon. My last one was fine 5 years ago.

The place on the right side has gotten much much worse now, I am terrified that they have let something go so long it won't be easily fixable if at all.

Yes, stress can bring on IBS and stress is a huge factor with me. I get extremely bad with it if I am overstressed. So working on keeping your stress low and under control is important.