Warning TMI! IBS or Gall Bladder???

Updated on June 21, 2012
S.K. asks from Castle Rock, CO
6 answers

Ok I usually dont like to talk about bowel movements or any of the gross stuff about myself ( I can discuss all day if it isnt me) So here I go. I have frequent BM's not all are bad experiences. I notice that if I eat certain foods like my beloved chipotle it leaves me going to the bathroom several times within a short timeframe. it is greasy and really foul smelling. I do not get stomach cramps or anything during this time I just have to go potty with not a lot of notice. I do have occasional right sided pain which i did go to the dr about and we did an ultrasound which didnt show anything but she said that if I wanted to do a hidascan to call her and she will get it set up but if its just ibs I dont want to spend money on something I dont need. Some days im perfectly fine. Some days im not. I did discuss my symptoms with the dr which is why she suggested the hidascan but reading online it also seems like it could be ibs.

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H.W.

answers from Portland on

ETA: if your doc says to get the scan, then do it! :)

First, Chipotle will do it to just about anyone. Did you watch the South Park episode? I wouldn't factor that particular food into your overall health.

I deal with IBS and what's really helped me (like, incredibly helped) is using the FOD-MAPS-friendly diet. Google it. Different foods (fruits, veggies and grains) have different kinds of fermenting sugars which can trigger an IBS attack. I've found that by modifying my diet and making some substitutions, things have been much better. Granted, it requires some creative thinking-- there are few recipes I can follow verbatim-- but my life is so much better.

If you continue to have problems, ask to be referred to a Gastroenterologist. My experience, however, was that they are good at giving you scans (colonoscopy-- which sucks big time) and medicine, but not good at offering dietary advice. At least mine wasn't. If it wasn't for a friend forwarding an NY Times article on FOD-MAPS, I'd likely be suffering still.

3 moms found this helpful
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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

Gall bladder....

The reason I say for sure is that IBS is low. Low enough to feel like menstrual cramps gone crazy. It is where the feces are moving through the "pipes" and causing immense cramps and pain as it goes. It can be with chronic constipation but I have the other. With chronic diarrhea. I know better than drinking anything before I eat a full meal or I can expect to sit in the bathroom for at least an hour.

When I had gallbladder issues it was around the area of my back strap of my bra and radiated around to the area under my arm. It was sporadic according to what I had or drank but the pain NEVER went below the belt. Or natural waist. It was all up high.

It felt like I had a gas bubble under my ribs and it was just slowly moving around causing pain.

I could not eat greasy foods or drink OJ. Once I got my gallbladder out I can eat anything and drink OJ every day. I do not burp up OJ for days after drinking it now. I can eat and drink all kinds of stuff and do not have to drink antacid or gas stuff anymore.

I had mine out on a Monday and was back at work on Wednesday.

1 mom found this helpful

I.W.

answers from Portland on

My daughter had similar issues. We did the hida scan & her gall bladder is only functioning at 18%. Surgery will be happening soon.
If you have insurance, do the scan.
Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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H.P.

answers from Houston on

I have GI issues, and it is very important that you have a doctor whom you trust to check everything and not overlook anything. So many GI issues are misdiagnosed, and because of the locations and access to everything else in the body, certain GI cancers are not noticed until it's too late. If you have any GI troubles at all, it is important to be proactive versus reactive.

I was (mis-)diagnosed with IBS and have since discovered a gluten sensitivity (mostly oats) and had my gallbladder removed.

1 mom found this helpful

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

You could try doing a food diary for awhile and see if you can discovery other triggers besides chipotle.
There are any number of things this could be.
Food allergies, colitis, diverticulitis, gall bladder, or IBS but it doesn't sound much like the last 2 as they can be pretty painful at times.
If you can find triggers, eliminate them and see if things improve.
Try doing more low fat if you think the grease is just running through you.

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M.S.

answers from Boise on

Your body could also be reacting to an allergy or your body can be reacting to a specific food, or a combination of 2 foods put together that doesn't sit well in your digestive system. What I would suggest is to do a digestive detox. Don't do a crazy one. There are simple ones out there that all you do is take 2 pills and eat a specific way for 2 weeks. This will clean out your colon and you will not have so much of an issue. I definitely at all costs, not take out your gall bladder.

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