ibs and pregnancy tales page nine
The pregnancy tale of...Sarah
My name is Sarah. I am 24 and 19 weeks pregnant. I am having a little boy. I would be enjoying my pregnancy except for the horrible IBS that has continued into the pregnancy. I started having problems when I was about 15 and they got worse and worse. I was terrified of having children and getting pregnant because the disease is debilitating. I could hardly take care of myself much less someone else.
I've had three laparoscopies for endometriosis and none have helped the pain. I obviously have two separate diseases despite what the docs thought. I got to the point where I could tolerate the attacks, but now that I am pregnant I am absolutely terrified it will have an effect on the baby or cause pre-term labor. So far the baby is fine and the docs claim the baby will not be affected by the horrible pain of IBS attacks.
But I had one nurse tell me that later in pregnancy the pain and stress could affect the baby and possibly cause me to have early contractions. Anyone else had this experience? Any advice? I had trouble getting pregnant and I fear to lose the baby or have something happen to him. Can IBS pain truly affect a pregnancy?
E-mail Sarah: shortytkd8618[at]yahoo.com
The pregnancy tale of...Eam
I have been diagnosed with IBS for the past 20 years, with diarrhea-type in the first 10 years and constipation in the second 10. I am 11 weeks pregnant and am happy to say that my IBS has actually improved a bit, I'm guessing due to the hormones. It's not totally gone, but it's actually more manageable than normal, and I'm not using any meds for it, just a large glass of water before bed and first thing in the AM. Also I did IVF for this pregnancy and my IBS was practically non-existent during that process. So...for some maybe the change in hormones helps.
The tale of...Anny
I've been suffering from IBS since I was 10 years old! Yes, this was when I got my first period. I am now 35 so this means that I've been in this situation for 25 painful years. My symptoms were worse during the first and second days of my period. Nobody seemed to believe me since I was so young, and when I became a teen things got worse, especially during school exams. So I spent my days with diarrhea and pain and of course loneliness because no-one understood what was happening to me, even my own mom.
After I started my college pharmacy study things begin to be a little clearer and I started to learn about diet and different drugs and what was going on in the first place. But to be honest all of that did not lessen or improve my pain. Any kind of stress, cold weather, fatty food or even homemade ice cream gave me cramping and diarrhea.
During my first pregnancy everything was fine until the seventh month. Things got so bad that I gave birth in my 36th week of pregnancy. The second pregnancy it started at the sixth month and it was so bad that I had to spend most of my work days in the bathroom leaving my boss so unhappy. I gave birth in my 36th week again due to continuous cramping and diarrhea.
Now I am nine weeks pregnant and I've started suffering from the cramping and diarrhea again. I am so depressed by the way my diarrhea caused me to be vitamin deficient especially with vitamin D. Reading people's stories makes me feel not alone, so thank you all for being here and for reading my story.
The pregnancy tale of...Emma
I live in Johannesburg, South Africa. I have been suffering from IBS for about a year. My husband and I were blessed to find out this week that I am six weeks pregnant after going back and forth to the doctor trying to get a diagnosis for my symptoms which felt like uterine spasms. After going to the gynae we discovered that the pregnancy was fine but the IBS has been severely aggravated by the pregnancy.
As much as this is a blessing it is horrifically painful. I have been having up to four spasm attacks a day along with vomiting. This is my first pregnancy and if I didn't know any better I would swear I was having contractions! Unfortunately I have been told I can only take Buscopan (an anti-spasmodic which can lead to constipation! Lovely!) and Panado. The other advice was just to grin and bear it! Prayers and thoughts go out to all the suffering ladies out there.
E-mail Emma: offroadchicken[at]live.com
The pregnancy tale of...Rachel
I'm 27 years old. I had colic as a child, and I jokingly say I still have it today. I worry my baby will have it. I was diagnosed with IBS while in college and I have seen the worst bouts of it come and go over the last seven or eight years, even culminating in my demanding a colonoscopy from my gastro/digestive specialist when he continued to tell me it was all mental. The colonoscopy was clear (but awful as I woke up in the middle of it, I'll never forget that), and so I've continued to go manage the IBS as best as possible.
I even went through some stages of nausea, shaking, diarrhea, and fear of vomiting (emetophobia) so severe that it put me in the emergency room twice where they told me there was nothing that could be done. This resulted in me being put on Bentyl and Zoloft at a time in my life when I was severely depressed and scared. I will say that the Zoloft truly did help me, by calming my slightly OCD tendencies, and helping me to not worry so much about my stomach, so I was able to live a little more normally.
With my IBS there are some things that trigger it, but other times it has no explanation and seems mainly stress-related - for instance I sing on a worship team at our church, and every Sunday morning that I have to be there at 7:30am I'm usually having severe cramping and end up running for the bathroom with painful bowel movements that can only be classified as loose, but not quite diarrhea!
I had one of my worst bouts of IBS when I believe I was actually in my first week of pregnancy, this last June - my husband and I conceived about a week before we left for a big vacation to Italy, and the flight to Italy required a layover that we almost missed. I was struggling intensely, with crazy and painful cramping all through my abdomen. The first flight was so short I was not allowed to get up and go to the bathroom, but I eventually had to demand it, and then the flight got delayed and we were late for our flight from Toronto to Rome.
Once we ran into the plane and found our seats I just cried and cried and gripped my stomach, ending up in the bathroom toilet at least 10 times on the flight, watching my lunch and everything I'd eaten that day come through my system. I couldn't even eat the in-flight meal, I was in so much intestinal, abdominal distress.
A few days later we found out we were pregnant, and we were overjoyed. In general I've had what some have called 'mild' first trimester symptoms because I haven't actually vomited, but I did suffer from debilitating nausea through weeks six to eight, and fatigue that has made me into a whiney monster who has no motivation to do anything and feels utterly like a failure.
But what does happen is that every morning my IBS hits me with a vengeance, and I wake up with abdominal cramping that can only be described as a dull aching and sometimes painful cramping, that first scares me, afraid for my tiny developing baby, afraid of miscarriage, only to discover that I need the toilet so badly I must run for it. It happens like clockwork almost every morning, and sometimes a few times a day. The pain and cramping is the scariest part - most people don't know what it is like to always have abdominal cramping, and now I'm starting to finally stop being so afraid when I feel the cramps.
It is also difficult as so many pregnancy books tell us that you must eat so many fruits and vegetables, it's so important for the baby etc, and I watch them go through my system, sometimes seemingly undigested. It's just bizarre. I have to be so careful, and sometimes do resort to more starchy, carb-full foods in order to alleviate some distress.
I'm 12 weeks now and I hope to have good news to report and update when we have the baby. I will keep track of my IBS symptoms and hope that they won't get any worse then they are, and I hope for some reprieve at some point! Thanks for listening.
The pregnancy tale of...Briana
I was diagnosed with IBS at 17 after suffering symptoms for a year after taking the skin-clearing-up medicine called Accutane. Little did I know the price I'd have to pay for beautiful skin. My first pregnancy at 21/22 was quite easy. I had virtually no morning sickness and very little issue with the IBS throughout.
I am now 25 and nearly 14 weeks pregnant with my second and have gone from uncomfortable to absolutely miserable for the past 10 weeks (the flare-up is what caused me to take the pregnancy test). Just in the past week or so I have determined this must be the dark side of IBS and pregnancy. It just didn't even occur to me after my first one went so smoothly. I lost 12 pounds in my first trimester. Only recently can I eat more than a couple of bites of something without running to the bathroom in pain.
Every morning I drink large amounts of water just to flush my system and have to deal with the pregnancy nausea from not eating till after noon because I know the consequences of my eating breakfast far outweigh the nausea. I only work two and a half days per week thankfully and have managed somehow to push through at work though I am miserable every day I am there. I find my symptoms are much better when I get a nice long solid night's sleep (like 10 hours). But with pregnancy it is near impossible what with the getting up to pee and the insomnia.
The biggest problem I am having managing my symptoms (because in regular non-pregnant life I manage them very well through diet - I have finally after nine years escaped the fear of spending more than a few hours away from a comfortable toilet) is that my trigger foods have grown to incorporate foods that normally don't bother me at all (ie: tomato products and seasonings). In fact the part of my diet that helps regulate me, I can't keep up anymore. For example, I drink a glass of red wine every night normally which helps tremendously but obviously I can't do that during pregnancy and also I typically eat homemade guacamole every night which also helps, but avocado bothers me. Sigh. I have a long six months ahead and I'm afraid.
E-mail Briana: briana[at]benchmark-ins.com
The pregnancy tale of...Louise
I am currently four/five weeks pregnant and have I suffered from IBS since I was 16 (I'm now 23). I have heard that IBS was supposed to get better during pregnancy, but I have found that my symptoms have got a little worse (but that may be down to me being unable to take loperamide). I have had just had a diarrhea and sickness bug but even before that I was making regular trips to the loo and have had quite a lot of wind both ends (sorry to be graphic). Fingers crossed it will get better.
E-mail Louise: princesslou1985[at]hotmail.co.uk
The pregnancy tale of...Nyssa
I am pregnant with my first child, and my symptoms of IBS have been nothing but worse. All the pregnancy books and websites you read say that pregnant women commonly get constipation. I wish. My bowels have been so upset by my pregnancy, it's not funny. Trying to have an ultrasound with a full bladder and an irritated bowel is a nightmare. The pain is amazing.
They tell you to watch for abdominal cramping in the first trimester, but it's so hard to tell the difference between normal cramping and IBS cramping. My doctor tells me that unfortunately this can be a common thing in IBS sufferers and can last quite a while after the pregnancy as well. And what makes it worse is that nothing I do relieves anything. It doesn't matter how my diet is (of course, certain things make it worse than others, but pretty much everything hurts!), how I exercise or anything.
E-mail Nyssa: nys2ca[at]yahoo.ca
The pregnancy tale of...Amanda
I have suffered with constipation since I was a little girl. When I got to about 19 or 20 it started to get really bad. I would be constipated for a month until I would finally take a laxative for it. I would go to the doctors and they all said the same thing, just eat more fiber and drink more water, and stop consuming so much dairy because I guess I am now lactose intolerant.
So I would do as they said, and I would take the two tablespoons of Metamucil every day, and it would work for about two weeks and then my stomach would start to get really bloated and cramped, and I'd be constipated again. It was even worse when I would go on trips.
So finally I went to this one doctor who said I had IBS. She gave me some pills to take for the cramping and gas, but nothing to help me stay regular. So this has been an ongoing problem since. I am 22 now, and I just recently found out I am pregnant. I am six weeks now. The good news, and where the story turns happy, is that since I have been pregnant I have had pretty regular bowel movements - as long as I get up at 6:00am every morning. If I wake up later on the weekends then it doesn't happen, but on Mondays, I'm good to go.
I still have pretty bad bloating and gas, at times I look like I'm four months along, and I still get those sharp pains in my rectum from the gas, but at least I am having my BMs.
E-mail Amanda: asmith[at]davisvision.com
The pregnancy tale of...Amber
I am six weeks pregnant. I have had IBS for seven years. The onset was five months after the birth of my son. I found that I could regulate it with eating certain foods. I eat a lot of chicken and pasta, and if I stray from these foods it gets worse.
Since I have been pregnant, even as early as implantation, it has been horrible. I am always bloated, with pains. I can't sleep at night because the pain is so severe. Some nights I wake up in the middle of the night and have to run to the bathroom. I have to sleep with a pillow on either side of me because when I roll over I have pain also. I have to grab myself in the painful area and squeeze.
Nothing seems to make it better. Some days I have severe diarrhea six or more times. I don't have to go to the bathroom and all of a sudden I have severe pains and have to run to the bathroom, it is horrible. Nothing I do seems to help. I already don't drink milk or eat yogurt, those kill me. They just get stuck in one spot.
When I was on my period before and would wear a tampon I would get shooting pains and have to jump up like I was going to die. I would jump on the counter. My husband would make sure I was OK. But it was embarrassing. I get these pains once in a while during my pregnancy but I am definitely not wearing a tampon so I know they are IBS symptoms.
I have tried medications over the years and nothing seems to help. Now they think it may be my gallbladder. I do not have pain in my gallbladder, I know it is my intestines. I have had this for seven years, I know the pain. I wish the doctors would just listen.
I just wish I knew what to do to make it better. I will try anything. I tend to feel sick and have to go to the bathroom more in the evening. I go to bed very early because I just don't feel good and I am in pain. Normally I will wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom a couple times and then feel better until around 5pm. Throughout the day I am mostly OK and feel better.
E-mail Amber: amberl[at]mtaonline.net
The pregnancy tale of...Jenn
I'm now 27 and I have been suffering from diagnosed IBS for about 10 years. It has never been to a point where I felt like it was controlled, even though I've tried just about everything. My IBS definitely fluctuates between constipation and diarrhea.
Well, I got pregnant, and in the first few weeks of my pregnancy the IBS was absolutely terrible, and I suffered from some of the worst constipation that I've ever had. At around the 14th week things improved and amazingly, after that point I was almost entirely symptom-free for the duration of the pregnancy. I thought that the pre-natal vitamin that I was taking, which contained a stool softener, was the reason, that it was some kind of miracle drug.
As it turns out, I had my baby three weeks ago, and my IBS symptoms are back, pretty much exactly like they've always been. I'm still taking the pre-natal vitamin and obviously it wasn't the vitamin that had anything to do with it.
I had never done any research prior to my pregnancy on the relationship between pregnancy and IBS and for some reason I thought that I just wouldn't have IBS anymore, but that definitely doesn't seem to be the case.
E-mail Jenn: jgolech[at]gmail.com
The pregnancy tale of...Rebecca
I'm not even sure where to begin! Finding this site has been a lifesaver to me. I'm 28 and I have been suffering with IBS since I was about 10, but I was officially diagnosed when I was 18. My usual is constipation, however I do get diarrhea attacks as well.
I'm currently about five months pregnant. This is my fourth pregnancy, I have two children of my own and I was also a surrogate a couple of years ago. With my previous pregnancies my IBS actually improved, only to return a few months later. This one however has been awful. It has caused my constipation to be unbearable. I also have hyperemesis, which is basically a fancy way to say a pregnant woman who can't stop vomiting. If my first pregnancy had been like this, my son would most definitely be an only child!
I worry every day that I am going to pass this on to my children. My mom and my sister both suffer from IBS. It is nice to have their support, but they both live far away so we don't see much of each other. My current doctor is also great, but as of yet we still have not found a medication that works for me.
Another part of this that is so hard is that my husband is very unsupportive. He is one of those it's all in your head or watch what you eat type of people. It's like I have to hide it from him when I get an attack, or he makes me feel so much worse by making his comments about how 'sickly' I am and how I can't handle a little pain. I would just love for him to have one attack so he would know how hard it is to deal with on a daily basis!
We struggle financially, so it makes him even more upset when I have to miss work because of my stomach. If anyone has any suggestions on how to handle a cranky spouse who doesn't understand the illness, please let me know!
E-mail Rebecca: rrichardson1113[at]hotmail.com
The pregnancy tale of...Amy
When I got pregnant with my first child I got the first symptoms of my IBS at about six months along. I had this severe pain under my right rib. I actually thought it was my son's leg up underneath my rib because the pain never went away! No kidding. Nothing took it away. I had to stop working at my job because my job consisted of sitting down at a computer and sitting for a long period of time would make the pain even worse! Driving in a car for more then 30 minutes was terrible.
I talked to my doctor about it and he thought it was my gallbladder and told me to watch my diet and we would keep an eye on the issue. I gave birth to my son in April at 2:54pm, and I swear to you at 2:55pm the pain was gone. I could not believe it. I was so happy I was not in pain. I could sit up in an upright position and I was fine!
In May 2005 I got pregnant with my daughter. At about four months into the pregnancy the pain came back. This time I was working as a security trainer at a local retailer and I was driving an hour and a half to each of my stores. The car rides were hell! Everything was the same as before. I knew this time though it was not her foot stuck underneath my rib. She was only the size of a pickle. So I spoke to my doctor. I had a different doctor this time around but the same story. I even had an ultrasound taken of my gallbladder and nothing appeared unusual so I had to take the pain again.
In January I gave birth and once again right away the pain was gone. About a year and half later I was really sick one day and was taking a nap. When I woke up I was in the same pain was in when I was pregnant. I knew I was not pregnant and it scared me because before I only got the pain when I was pregnant.
I called my family doctor and he told me to call the ER because I may need to get my gallbladder removed. I went in to the ER that day and after x-rays, ultrasounds, and a lot of pressing on me, nothing could be found. They recommended I see a gastroenterologist. Once there I was diagnosed with IBS.
Now I have to take a laxative every day to every other day just to go to the bathroom. If I don't it will be five to seven days before I go and I will have an IBS attack. My husband and I would like to get pregnant for our third soon. I am scared to death the pain will start this time at two months along! I hope I can still drink my laxative tea when I am pregnant. That's my story. Not a happy ending but at least I now know what I have.
E-mail Amy: amytapia17[at]yahoo.com
The pregnancy tale of...Marie
I was diagnosed with IBS about eight years ago. I believe it was related to overwhelming job stress, and I began to have abdominal cramps every morning. I'd be constipated for weeks and I had to rely on laxatives just to flush my system. Usually I'd get bouts of IBS that seemed to be triggered by stress. I'd also get the occasional acid reflux.
My first pregnancy gave me the worst case of IBS I'd ever experienced. I had terrible cramping, constipation and bloating pretty much every day. I spent 30 to 45 minutes at least twice a day trying to eliminate. I'd strain and push and still not get full elimination.
I went to the ER in my seventh week, only to be told that my baby was fine and that these symptoms were 'normal' for pregnant women. My OBGYN recommended fiber, and I'd even been taking a pre-natal vitamin with a stool softener in it.
Well, in my eleventh week I had a miscarriage. Honestly, when I was having the miscarriage I couldn't tell if it was that or the pain of IBS. I just had terrible pains which I could not distinguish.
I'm now 12 weeks pregnant and still suffering from IBS symptoms. My constipation is not as bad this time, but I'm struggling with bloating, gas and cramping pretty much every day. The cramps sometimes feel like menstrual cramps. Sometimes I can hear my stomach gurgling as food is being moved in my intestines.
Eating is a challenge. I've tried eating to relieve pains, eating soup, avoiding dinner, and occasionally taking milk of magnesia or Mylanta. Most of my friends who've had babies never complained of such pains. I've been advised to 'enjoy' being pregnant, but with all the cramping and discomfort you can't enjoy it for fear that you're about to suffer another pregnancy lost.
What I've learned from this website is that I'm not alone. Honestly I feel like a freak because nobody seems to understand how much discomfort you suffer with. I just want a healthy baby and so I guess I'll have to suffer through IBS.
Thanks so much for sharing your stories. Thanks to you, I am armed with drugs to suggest to my doctor.
E-mail Marie: lrich32401[at]yahoo.com
The pregnancy tale of...Nikki
I've suffered from IBS-D from a very early age. I remember when I was five just sitting on the toilet, and I hardly went to school it got that bad. From the ages of 12 to 17 I was fine. What really happened for my IBS to come back was when I was 18, I was walking along this busy street with my ex-boyfriend, and I had a bit of wind. I had an accident, I was wearing a white skirt which made it worse. I spent the rest of the day at home on the loo shaking, crying and sweating.
So now I'm 23 and I'm nine weeks pregnant and I'm very bad. My IBS cleared up for a month a while back and I was hoping it was gone forever, little did I know. I have my own business, a hair salon, which I have to close down as I'm so scared that when I'm doing someone's hair I'll have an accident. It's bad.
I used to control it a little with Imodium but now I'm scared to take it as the doctor told me not to, as it may harm the baby. I'm constantly tired, sick, with stomach cramps and unable to sleep. I don't know what to do...it has got so bad in the past I've thought of suicide.
E-mail Nikki: tic_tic[at]hotmail.com
The pregnancy tale of...LeAnne
My problems with IBS first started about 10 years ago, at the age of 16. I was sitting in my biology class and I started getting horrible cramps, I broke out in a cold sweat and blacked out. It didn't take long to diagnose me, but I was in the hospital for about four days before we got it all figured out.
I stopped drinking soda, I increased fiber, I was already pretty active (a 1996 Olympic softball team hopeful). Nothing worked, it got worse, it felt like it 'exploded'. I would have what I started calling 'attacks' all the time, out of nowhere, at least three times a week. I quit softball. I quit Tae Kwon Do. I missed a lot of classes, my grades dropped. I was miserable.
I had a period of remission for some crazy reason for about four years, and that was nice, but I always worried it was just around the corner. I knew where the bathroom was everywhere I went, and I had tricks to hide the diarrhea when in the bathroom. I got married and when we started looking for a home I was insistent that we have two bathrooms.
On my first wedding anniversary the IBS came back, with a vengeance. My husband and I were eating at a fairly pricey restaurant. Everyone was dressed so nicely, it was candle-lit, it was a really nice place. Then I felt it. The cramping. I excused myself and went to the bathroom, where I had explosive diarrhea. After it was over I felt better, as I always did, just a little tired. I went back to the table and five minutes later it was back...back to the bathroom. This happened two more times, I couldn't eat and had to tell the waitress I was pregnant (when I really wasn't) when she showed concern.
Finally, when the cramping came back a fourth time. I told my husband to pay the bill and I would be in the car. I ran out to the car, in the middle of a Chicago winter and held my stomach. My husband was taking forever. Oh no! More cramping! I reached in the backseat of the car and grabbed the plastic shopping bag that held a new shirt I had bought. I threw the shirt out of the bag and, yes, I had an 'attack' right there in the car into a plastic bag.
Thinking of that kills me. The smell, the mess, and to make it worse by the time my husband made it to the car I was ready for another attack. I spent the whole night in the bathroom, it lasted seven hours! Imodium helped little. Finally, exhausted, I fell asleep on the toilet. How romantic.
I don't fly in planes, the time I had to I was granted a pre-boarding pass because of the IBS. I never went on a road trip with friends. I don't like going to carnivals, fests, concerts, anywhere where I'm forced to used an outhouse.
I'm divorced now, but engaged to a wonderful man. Now I'm 22 weeks pregnant and the IBS is worse than ever. Even though I have fear that I won't be able to tell when I'm in labor it's not my worst fear. I've actually spent a lot of time crying, afraid that I'm going to be in labor, in the hospital, with nurses and doctors and family all around me, with my legs in the air, and I'm going to have an attack, everywhere. Oh, God. I don't think I could deal with that. I hope I have to have a C-Section.
E-mail LeAnne: lnv0107[at]yahoo.com
The pregnancy tale of...Kate
I have suffered with IBS for over six years since I had a severe bacterial bug. Over the years I have tried exclusion diets etc to find out the 'trigger' but I have never been able to find it. I cope using Imodium and Colofac to help with spasms and the loose stools. It's just something I've learnt to live with.
We have recently found out that I am six weeks pregnant - amazing news. However, for the past two weeks I have had stomach cramps, extreme bloating and the runs at least three times a day, every day. This has led me to be constantly dehydrated. After finding out I was pregnant, this has continued and only seems to be getting worse.
I spoke with my doctor who has taken a sample for testing to ensure it's nothing sinister, and until then she asked me to starve myself for 24 hours to see if it help. I am back eating today, and 20 minutes after eating, I am back on the loo. The cramps are the worst as at this early stage I am always worrying that it's something wrong with the baby. The doctor said not to worry as long as there is no blood coming from anywhere - easy for her to say.
I feel better after reading some of your stories as it would appear that pregnancy does affect IBS, and it certainly feels like it has done for me. I am going back to work tomorrow - does anyone have any suggestions on what I can eat in an office environment, anything that might reduce the amount of time I spend in the loo? Does anyone know if this will last for the full nine months? Thank you all for writing your stories, nobody likes to talk about this stuff, but hearing other stories really helps.
E-mail Kate: katemurphy78[at]hotmail.com
The tale of...Ronit
I'm 25 and I have been suffering from IBS ever since I can remember. When I was nine, I had my first stool of blood and everyone thought I got my period. I didn't even know what a period was and needless to say was very embarrassed. I was put on a fiber diet (this was before there were tablets) and had to drink very gross powders every morning throughout my childhood until I just couldn't take it anymore and stopped. I was always sensitive to dairy products and suspected they triggered my IBS attacks. I began taking Lactaid when it was introduced. I still suffered from attacks.
When I was in 10th grade, I had had enough. I demanded my mother take me to the doctor repeatedly until he would figure out what was wrong with me. Every night I was in the bathroom for hours and the pain was unbearable from the spasms. After conducting several tests, he diagnosed me. The diagnosis was one of the best things that ever happened to me, as this resulted in the doctor prescribing Bentyl (Dicyclomine), my lifesaver. After that, every time an attack would begin I would take a pill and it would be much easier to survive.
When I finished school, my attacks virtually disappeared. From suffering daily, I was now having an attack maybe twice a year (and it was usually due to something I ate). Then I got married and am currently pregnant. I began my second trimester today. I have been suffering from severe constipation almost the whole time. At about the time I began the third month, I had a terrible IBS attack. I automatically went to turn to my medication when I realized I had to think twice.
I am not currently living in the US anymore and I called my local doctor to see if I can take the Bentyl. They said they don't know what it is (and had hardly heard of IBS!) and would get back to me. Meanwhile, I thought I was going to die. I don't remember the last time I felt a fully-fledged attack, since I've been on medication for so long and rarely have attacks anymore.
Meanwhile, I called my doctor in the US who said NO WAY about taking the medication. Shortly afterwards, the doctor here called and said I could take it 'no problem'. Obviously, I am relying on my doctor in the US who actually KNOWS. This was one of my hardest experiences. The only plus was the diarrhea in a way because I hadn't had a bowel movement for a while beforehand.
This past Friday morning, starting at about 4am, I had my worst attack yet. The spasms woke me up and the diarrhea was painful as well. It lasted until about 11am. My husband was away that night and I went through it alone. I hate to say this, but there were moments that even though I'm happy in life, I just wanted to die. The pain was unbearable and there was nothing to do. When it finally ended, I had a little jello...and threw it up not long afterwards.
I don't know why being pregnant has started my attacks again randomly. I have cramping almost every night, but I read it's because of the baby's growth. I thought maybe the intestines are being moved around, and then beginning to spasm. My 'morning sickness' is bad enough and I already naturally avoid eating because of the pain food caused me my whole life. Now with food aversions...I basically starve and whatever I do manage to eat is thrown up usually. My doctors aren't concerned and say the baby is fine, although I worry for him/her.
I am going to the US this week and plan to see an OB/GYN to discuss what can be done for my IBS attacks during pregnancy. I didn't think about IBS before I got pregnant. I had no idea it would or could worsen if pregnant. (I still would have gotten pregnant, but I would have liked to be better prepared.) I am shocked by how little information is online about pregnancy and IBS and how little information is known about this in general. I write this story in the hope to promote more research in this department and to comfort fellow sufferers, especially pregnant sufferers. Good luck.
E-mail Ronit: rmfried[at]netvision.net.il
The pregnancy tale of...Claire
I was looking for advice about IBS and pregnancy as I am currently pregnant, approximately two weeks I think. I normally suffer quite badly with the constipation variety of IBS and have been known to go a week without emptying my bowels. Actually I'm not sure I ever have emptied them completely. Anyway, now I am pregnant, rather than having the reported constipation that women without IBS get, I am now experiencing diarrhea most days. I did not go yesterday but today have been numerous times in the diarrhea form.
I am 24 years old. Will be 25 in January. I have been suffering with this since I was about 18 although my mum says I suffered with diarrhea a lot when I was a young child (although I cannot remember anything from those years!). I have however found this year that Actimel drinks make me regular every day so that may be something to pass on to sufferers similar to me. If you want me to tell you how this pregnancy goes with IBS let me know.
E-mail Claire: claireinnes1982[at]hotmail.com
The pregnancy tale of...Ginger
I have had IBS since I was 18, after I took the morning-after pill to avoid a pregnancy. So I have a hint that IBS may be hormone-related, at least for me. After my first child was born when I was 26 my IBS-D totally kicked it up. I lost 100 pounds in less than a year and all my doctor could say was for me to buy 'skinny' clothes...so I got a new doctor!
Currently I am 27 weeks pregnant with my second child and my IBS has been a friend and a foe. For the first trimester it bunged me up so much I could enjoy all the foods I crave but NEVER tolerate. I loved it...bring on the lactose...add the high fat and a burger and I was in heaven! Then my second trimester hit and the diarrhea came back something fierce and I landed in the ER with premature labour at 24 weeks.
The good news is that nothing is wrong and baby is doing great. Bad news was that the OB on duty informed me that IBS tends to get worse in the second and third trimester. Well at least I know the deal now...I find that understanding something takes a great deal of fear out of it.
My personal silver bullet (or as close as it gets): I went to see a medically-based naturopathic doctor...God bless him! He put me on a whack of supplements, including a pre-natal vitamin, fish oils, calcium/magnesium, a digestive enzyme and a huge dose of probiotics. I usually don't tolerate anything at all...as it goes in...so it comes out. I'm sure some of you get my drift! It has changed my life IBS-wise...now I'm not delusional or anything because if I indulge in all the holiday sweets, soy, or dairy I still suffer, though not as badly.
I am now 27 weeks pregnant and the supplements have allowed me to regain some trust in my bowels. I have only had one attack (today) since I visited the ER for pre-term labour and it's my own fault for not watching what I'm eating...I'm currently not to be left unsupervised around chocolate! The supplementation has also given me peace of mind that my little baby is getting great nutrition even though his Mama can't eat a hugely varied diet.
So to all of you who suffer...I just have one piece of advice. Be proactive and search, ask questions, harass, surf the net (for reliable sources) until you find something that will either help you physically (like my supplements) or support you mentally, which is equally important. Doing these two things is what allows me to live my life to the fullest considering of course my IBS and fibromyalgia. Good luck and remember- we're a club with a large membership - there is always someone out there who can help you on your journey.
E-mail Ginger: ghartman[at]shaw.ca
The pregnancy tale of...Andrea
I have a one year-old and throughout my pregnancy with him I ended up in the hospital with severe stomach pains, so bad I once passed out. I was always sent home with unexplained pain. I have had IBS for years and it never occurred to me that this was probably my problem. I believe now that that was the source of my pain, but it was worse when pregnant.
I am now eight weeks pregnant and starting to have bad episodes once again. I wanted to let other pregnant women with IBS be aware that this happened to me. They gave me pain medication injections at the hospital that made the episodes go away totally, but they made me go through a complete pregnancy physical along with an ultrasound as a precaution. Good luck to you and hope this can be helpful information to you.
E-mail Andrea: pider9[at]yahoo.com
The pregnancy tale of...Allison
I have recently discovered that I am pregnant and approaching the six weeks mark. I have been suffering from IBS for over a year now and had finally managed to keep it under control, by a change in diet, less carbs and more exercise. Losing weight also meant that I was less prone to bloating.
Since the news of the bub however I have been less strict with my carb intake, as I wish to give him/her all the right nutrients. My bloating and pain had been horrible. I have put it down to high sugar fruits (watermelon/rockmelon) and over eating on the carbs front. Now I have had to make the decision to maintain my pre-pregnancy diet (way of life - not weight loss) to ensure an enjoyable pregnancy and not a regretful one. I'd love to hear from any other sufferers with similar symptoms.
E-mail Allison: allison_aaron[at]bigpond.com