Diagnosing Gut Pain

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Gut pain is a common symptom of many gut ailments: Ruling out more serious conditions like appendicitis, ectopic pregnancy, diverticulitis, and colon cancer should be done first

Although I'm a nurse, the following information is presented as my experiences as a patient suffering from severe gut pain, and the frustration at how long it took to figure out what was causing my pain. I've read other sites whose owners took even longer than I did before figuring out what was causing their pain, so they certainly have my sympathy.

So anything found here is only offered to be helpful in finding out more about how gut pain might be diagnosed, and is not intended to be medical advice.

I worked at a hospital on unit that frequently had undiagnosed abdominal and gut pain, so am somewhat familiar with many of the tests that are usually ordered. But I didn't attend the patients when they had these tests -- I only learned about what happened during these tests when I became a patient myself.

A pain in the gut can be difficult to diagnose because symptoms are similar to many gut conditions. Some people might search the internet for their symptoms; it's easy to misdiagnose yourself because of gut conditions having similar symptoms.

Doctors will rule out the most serious first, based on your complaints, symptoms, and history. Once these have been ruled out, then a person can use the internet to search for their symptoms, and try elimination diets (ideally under the supervision of their doctor).

Disclaimer

This is not medical advice; it's my personal experience as a patient

What might be causing your gut pain 

Gut pain can be a symptom of so many things; this page has lots of sections:

Once you've visited the doctor and had a few things ruled out, use this area to skip directly to the area you want to learn about.

Medical Checkup 

Assessing a patient fully will help a doctor decide which tests are needed to obtain a diagnosis

If your gut pain is excruciating, then go to the emergency room -- that level of pain is not normal.

But if your pain's not severe, and it's happening during your doctor's business hours -- call the office and ask to speak to the nurse or PA, and tell the operator or receptionist why. Otherwise you'll be given the next available appointment, which could be a few days, or even the following week. There's a good chance they'll try to fit you in that day, but they could also recommend the ER. Wherever you end up, they'll have a lot of questions about your gut pain.

The nurse or CNA will take your vital signs; a fever will alert them to a possible infection. If you've taken aspirin, Tylenol, Motrin, or Aleve before your visit, please let them know at this time, because I've seen fevers missed because someone forgot to tell us they'd taken a fever-reducing medication before we took their vital signs.

They'll want your medical history such as surgeries, allergies, medications (prescription, over the counter, supplements), and other medical conditions. If you already have a list of those saved on your computer, print it out. Many nurses and doctors have used my history and complaint printouts -- a few put them directly into my chart, but a few still asked verbally. At least I had the information on me so I could fill out their forms easier -- important while pain is affecting memory.

Here's questions I'd ask you if you'd just been admitted as my patient on the floor:

    Detailed description of your gut pain:
  • How long has this pain lasted? Has it happened before? Do you think anything triggered it?

  • Describe your gut pain: sharp, stabbing, dull, throbbing, burning, cramping, bloated, tender, or whatever word/s you feel describe how your pain feels.

  • Have you had this type of gut pain before? If so, how often, and is there any pattern to it? If there is a pattern, how long does an attack usually last?

  • What relieves your gut pain? If it's happened before, does the pain usually go away on its own? Does having a bowel movement help decrease the pain? Did drugs -- prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal supplements -- help relieve the pain?

  • Did anything cause your gut pain? Were you involved in anything strenuous right before, or a few days prior to the pain? Do you think something you ate caused the pain? Is anyone else in your family, or that ate with you feeling sick or pain?

  • Are you nauseated? Have you thrown up?

  • Females: Have you had your ovaries or uterus removed? If not, when was your last menstrual period? Do you think you're pregnant right now. Is there any spotting or bleeding?

  • When was your last bowel movement? Is it liquid, hard, or unusually colored. Is there any mucous? Does it have any blood, does it look 'tarry', or look like coffee grounds (signs of intestinal bleeding)?

  • Have you, or anyone close to you, traveled out of the country recently?


If you already have your medical history saved on your computer, and you feel up to it, copy and paste the above into your document, with your answers in a different text (font or color).

The doctor will feel and press all around your abdomen, asking if it hurts wherever s/he's pressing. They know you're hurting, but they're trying to pinpoint where it hurts the most. Depending on where your pain is, your symptoms, and your surgical history, they'll press over where the appendix are, and the gall bladder area.

The doctor will probably listen to your intestines with their stethoscope to see if your bowel sounds are increased or decreased from normal bowel sounds. Decreased bowel sounds usually happen with constipation, while increased bowels sounds are usually present with diarrhea. Most doctors will listen to all four areas of the intestines to make sure there's at least a little activity, which is normal. Lack of bowel sounds in any area can be reason for concern.

Now that the doctor has assessed you, and heard your detailed symptoms and complaints, he or she will have a better idea of which tests to order to diagnose your problem, or at least rule out the more serious problems first.

Disclaimer

This is not medical advice; it's my personal experience as a patient

Comments about your medical assessments 

Did your doctors and nurses check for things not listed above?

Please do not ask for medical advice in this section; this is only for comments about people's experiences while being checked by doctors and nurses for the gut pain.

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Medical Tests 

What tests might be ordered, and why

Medical tests will help your doctor to diagnose, or rule out diseases or conditions. Lab tests usually include bloodwork, stool sample, and possibly urine tests to rule out bladder problems.

Barium EnemaComputerized tomography (CT scan) is used to find numerous problems in the pelvic region. Many CT scans use contrast -- if you're allergic to iodine or shellfish, they'll probably want to know about it. I've drank contrast twice, and had it through the IV once. Neither way was pleasant, but if given a choice, I'd choose IV, because I had to drink a LOT of contrast liquid, which tasted odd despite the flavoring. Also, the large amount of liquid was difficult to drink because it filled up my already bloated gut. I'd drink as much as I could tolerate, then relieve my bladder, which took away some of the pressure, which enabled me to tolerate more contrast fluid. But it was a slow process doing it that way.


Barium EnemaBarium enemas may be ordered once diverticulitis has been ruled out, to avoid the risk of barium leaking through the diverticuli pockets.

Barium enema prep involves various ways of emptying the bowels, such as laxatives or enemas; each doctor seems to have different preferences on cleaning out bowels.


MRI can find problems in the gut area also, but is fairly expensive, so other tests are usually ordered when they can find the same problems as MRI. It looks somewhat similar to the CT Scan machine, but the MRI tube is longer.

I was asked if I had Claustrophobia. I answered no, and proved it by falling asleep during my MRI.


Colonoscoy photoColonoscopy is used to find ulcers, polyps, tumors, and inflammation or bleeding of the intestinal lining. We're given conscious sedation -- which most report not remembering a thing from the colonoscopy -- then a tube is inserted into the rectum and pushed further into the colon to visualize the lining for problem areas. The tube has tools in it to cauterize any bleeding areas, and remove small tissue samples to test for cancer. Most people complain more about the prep than the actual procedure. There's many different kinds of preps used by different doctors, but they all do the same thing: make the intestinal lining as clean as possible.

Ultrasounds are helpful for finding problems with the female reproductive organs: ectopic pregnancy, ovarian cysts, tumors or masses, fibroids, and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). Some ultrasounds might be done with a vaginal probe along with the wand used on the skin of the lower abdominal area.

Tests to diagnose gut problems 

Why these tests? What are they? What will happen during them?

Why extreme bowel preps are so important before colonoscopy
Slightly graphic warning! (photos of the inside of non-diseased colons)

Scroll to the very bottom of the page to see the two photos. The top photo is from someone who did a good bowel prep -- their doctor was able to view all tissues for lesions.

The bottom photo did not do a good bowel prep -- there's many places I can't even see pink tissue at all. Do you think the doctor is going to be able to inspect all the colon lining for lesions?
Ovarian Cysts Diagnosis
Medical tests for diagnosing ovarian cyst -- anchored link on full ovarian cyst webpage, which also includes causes, symptoms, and treatment.
Computed Tomography (CT) Scan of the Body
CT Scans test for many parts of the body; A CT scan of the abdomen looks for "cysts, abscesses, infection, tumors, an aneurysm, enlarged lymph nodes, foreign objects, bleeding in the belly, diverticulitis, inflammatory bowel disease, and appendicitis." And a pelvic CT scan looks at women's "uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes", and men's "prostate gland and the seminal vesicles".

Disclaimer

This is not medical advice; it's my personal experience as a patient

Appendicitis 

Your appendix are in your lower right abdomen. Doctors don't know their purpose yet.

Appendix pain can happen where the appendix are, or can radiate to other parts of the abdomen.

Appendectomies (surgical removal of the appendix) can be a fairly easy as long as the appendix are removed (appendectomy) before the appendix burst.

Appendicitis links 

Appendicitis @ Your Total Health | iVillage.com
Explains where the appendics are; theorizes about their purpose; explains the signs, symptoms, and complications of appendicitis; other conditions with similar symptoms; medical tests to diagnose; and treatment.
Appendectomy information, including the traditional "open" incision and the more recent laproscopic surgery (scope)
"When the surgeon conducts a laproscopic appendectomy, four incisions, each about 1 in (2.5 cm) in length, are made. One incision is near the umbilicus, or navel, and one is between the umbilicus and the pubis. Two other incisions are smaller and are in the right side of the lower abdomen. The surgeon then passes a camera and special instruments through these incisions."

It seemed like my patients that had laproscopic appendectomies were able to walk a little easier a few hours post-op than the traditional incision patients. But laproscopic surgeries are usually associated with "gas pains", because the scope pumps in air so the doctor can move the scope more freely to see what's going on. The gas pains were usually described as "sharp", and went away quicker if a patient walked more.

When I worked at the hospital, traditional incisions were used if they suspected the appendix had already burst. I don't know if this is still true.

Ectopic Pregnancy 

Females of child-bearing age that develop severe pain

Ectopic pregnancy is when the fertilized egg implants anywhere other than the uterus. Most ectopic pregnancies occur in the fallopian tubes, but can also occur in other places as well. Kid's Health for Parents has an easy to understand explanation of ectopic pregnancy, including why doctors may seem to rush corrective surgery once ectopic pregnancy has been diagnosed: "As the fetus grows, it will eventually burst the organ that contains it. This can cause severe bleeding and endanger the mother's life."

Ectopic Pregnancy Links List 

Ectopic pregnancy - Medline Plus
Ectopic Pregnancy:
Illustrations
Alternative Names
Definition
Causes
Symptoms
Exams and Tests
Treatment
Outlook (Prognosis)
Possible Complications
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Prevention
References

Disclaimer

This is not medical advice; it's my personal experience as a patient

Cancer 

Cancer is not the death-sentence it used to be, especially if it's found early on. This is one of the main reason not to self-diagnose.

According to many GI doctors, colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers, as long as a colonoscopy is done before it spreads too far. Because of this, healthy people over the age of fifty are advised to get colonoscopies every five years. And of course they're usually done if a person complains of gut pain, once immediate life-threatening conditions are ruled out.

According to WebMD's Colorectal Cancer webpage:
    Colorectal cancer in its early stages usually doesn't cause any symptoms. Symptoms occur later, when the cancer may be more difficult to treat. The most common symptoms include:
  • Pain in the belly.
  • Blood in your stool or very dark stools.
  • A change in your bowel habits (such as more frequent stools or a feeling that your bowels are not emptying completely).
  • Fatigue.
  • In rare cases, unexplained weight loss.
Those symptoms should make anyone understand why it's so important not to self-diagnose gut pain, because the symptoms of serious conditions are so similar to conditions that aren't cancer, and can be managed in easier ways than cancer.

Cancer links 

Cancers in the gut region

Colon cancer at medicinenet.com
Covers the definition, causes, symptoms, tests, treatment, and prevention.
Exercise Lowers Risk of Colon Cancer - US News and World Report
People who get lots of exercise have a 30 percent to 40 percent lower risk of developing colon cancer...

Diverticulitis 

Areas of the intestines become weak, forming pouches that can become infected

A diverticulum is a pocket that bulges from the colon -- plural is diverticula. The condition of having diverticula is called diverticulosis.

A person with diverticulosis may have few, or no symptoms. If a diverticulum bursts open and becomes infected, then it's called diverticulitis.

Symptoms of diverticulitis:
  • abdominal cramping
  • constipation
  • diarrhea
I've had patients with diverticulitis on PCA pumps, as well as IV antibiotics, for a few days before they were released home on pain pills, and oral antibiotics. So I'd say it's a pretty painful condition until they get the infection under better control. But they're also being observed for complications during this crucial time.

Complications include bleeding, which could require a blood transfusion to replace the lost blood, and even shock if the bleeding is severe. The infection could spread into the abdominal cavity, called peritonitis, which can be life-threatening.

Some patients suffering from diverticulitis may require surgery. More information about this surgery can be found in the Diverticulitis links section below.

To prevent diverticular from worsening, doctors recomment avoiding seeds, nuts, and corn, and eating a high fiber diet.

Diverticulitis Movies 

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Diverticulitis Comments 

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Diverticulitis links 

Diverticulosis and Diverticulitis
Covers definition of diverticulitis, causes, symptoms, complications, how diverticulitis is diagnosed, treatment, foods to avoid and healthier food choices.
Diverticulitis (Diverticulosis) Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Information at MedicineNet.com
Definition and explanation of diverticulitis; symptoms; diagnosis; treatments, including surgery if needed, and how to prevent diverticula from becoming worse by avoiding some foods, and eating plenty of fiber.

Medical Author: Jay W. Marks, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Disclaimer

This is not medical advice; it's my personal experience as a patient

Crohn's Disease 

You'll need to learn about your condition to control it

Crohn's DiseaseCrohn's disease is believed to be an autoimmune disease which runs in families. Smoking increases the chances of developing this disease threefold.

The three most common sites of intestinal involvement in Crohn's disease are A) ileal, B) ileocolic and C) colonic.
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    Crohn's Disease symptoms:
  • abdominal pain
  • diarrhea
  • constipation
  • vomiting
  • weight loss or gain


    Crohn's Disease complications:
  • skin
  • rashes
  • arthritis
  • inflammation of the eye

Crohn's Disease Movies 

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Crohn's Disease Comments 

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Learn more about Crohn's Disease 

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Crohn's Disease links 

What is Crohn's disease?
Definition, causes and risk factors, symptoms, tests, treatment, complications, support groups, diagrams -- from MedHelp.org

Ulcerative Colitis 

Ulcerative Colitis causes intestinal linings to become inflamed and develops ulcers.

Q: What is the difference between ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease?

A: In both conditions there is inflammation of the intestine. But ulcerative colitis affects just the colon, while Crohn's can affect any portion of the gastrointestinal tract. Also, ulcerative colitis affects the inner lining only, while Crohn's can affect the full thickness of the bowel wall. (ehealthMD)

Ulcerative Colitis Movies 

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Ulcerative Colitis Comments 

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Ulcerative Colitis Links 

Ulcerative Colitis @ Medicinenet.com
Ulcerative Colitis definition, causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatments.
Living With Ulcerative Colitis - ehealthMD.com
Living with a chronic disease has often been called the equivalent of having another full-time job. For some, it may be a constant struggle of management: managing medication, appointments with health-care providers, and one's own physical and mental energy.

Disclaimer

This is not medical advice; it's my personal experience as a patient

Other possible diagnoses for gut pain 

A few more to rule out...

This area is where I'll add other possible diseases and conditions that others have suggested, or as I find them:

Kidney stones (aka Renal calculi): Although most with kidney stones report flank pain (on the sides of our body, between ribs and hipbone), the stones can cause pain as the descend down through the ureters (tube connecting the kidneys to the bladder).

"If stones grow to sufficient size before passage-on the order of at least 2-3 millimeters-they can cause obstruction of the ureter. The resulting obstruction with dilation or stretching of the upper ureter and renal pelvis as well as spasm of muscle, trying to move the stone, can cause severe episodic pain, most commonly felt in the flank, lower abdomen and groin (a condition called renal colic). Renal colic can be associated with nausea and vomiting due to the embryological association of the kidneys with the intestinal tract. Hematuria (bloody urine) is commonly present due to damage to the lining of the urinary tract." Kidney Stone - Wikipedia

Food allergies can also cause gut pain; Food Allergy Testing lists the following as one of the symptoms of food allergies: "IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or frequent diarrhea".

Links for other possible diseases and conditions for gut pain 

Kidney stone - Wikipedia
Kidney stones, also called renal calculi, are solid concretions (crystal aggregations) of dissolved minerals in urine; calculi typically form inside the kidneys or bladder.

Elimination Diet 

Have the doctors ruled out most of the big stuff, but you're still having painful gut attacks?

Elimination diets will help to find what food/s you're not tolerating. I highly recommend consulting with your doctor prior to trying an elimination diet on your own for two reasons:
  1. If someone has a true food allergy (as opposed to a food intolerance, there's a chance of a stronger allergic reaction when reintroducing the allergic food during the challenge, which might require a doctor's involvement.
  2. If you stop eating gluten containing foods for a while, then when you have Celiac bloodwork drawn, you won't have as many gluten antigens, or any if you've been off gluten-foods for a while. This could cause your results to be a false-negative.
I've looked, and have not found an elimination diet that includes insoluble fiber as one of the excluded foods.

If I could do it over with the knowledge I have now, I would have done the elimination diet, then instead of challenging myself with just any bread, I would first challenge myself with white processed bread, or ordinary pasta -- which contains only soluble fibers. Because I'd been eating only whole wheat breads with lots of nuts and seed toppings, that's what I challenged myself with. When I had an attack afterwards, I thought it was due to gluten instead of the insoluble fibers.

Had I challenged myself with over-processed white bread first, I probably wouldn't have had an attack, since I tolerate it now (as long as I don't eat it every day).

But I can feel the gnawing in my gut less than an hour after eating foods high with insoluble fiber (peas, cruciferous vegetables). Looking back, that explains my terrible experiences with Shredded Wheat type cereals a year earlier, before my gut attacks become severe.

So, based on my experience, I propose adding an additional challenge to elimination diets when it comes time for the wheat challenge:
  1. Challenge with the finely ground white flour first, then wait a few days to see if you have an attack or reaction.
  2. Then try a whole wheat product to see if there's an attack or reaction.
  3. If there's a reaction only with whole wheat products, I believe going back on the safe foods diet for a few days after the attack has resolved would be a great idea, then trying another food high in insoluble fibers would be helpful to show an intolerance to insoluble fiber foods.
But even if you do find you're intolerant to insoluble fibers, I'd recommend continuing with the elimination diet to rule out the other major allergen triggers, as well as the IBS triggers as listed on HelpForIBS.com, so you won't mistakenly remove the wrong foods from your diet as I did for a few months.

As far as milk challenges, I'd like to find some elimination diet links for separating fermented dairy products before trying non-fermented dairy products to see if it's lactose or cow milk's protein -- casein -- that's triggering a reaction.

Everyone seems to advise people on an elimination diet to keep a food journal. This helps keep up with the time you've been on safe foods, as well as a place of reference from when you challenged yourself with possible trigger foods.

Also include in the food journal any kind of reaction after food challenges, whether they're gut reactions, or allergies or migraines.

Elimination Diet Links 

WHFoods: Allergy Avoidance Diet
Gives a pretty good description of which foods are allowed to most people, as well as the foods to avoid while on an elimination diet. Also has hints about how to plan meals when avoiding a particular food.
Food Symptom Diary for Tracking IBS, Heartburn, and Digestive Problems - WebMD.com
Easily and quickly track the triggers of IBS, heartburn, diarrhea, constipation, and other digestive distress with this food symptom diary.

Disclaimer

This is not medical advice; it's my personal experience as a patient

Celiac Disease 

Gluten Intolerance

Celiac Disease happens when people aren't able to tolerate gluten -- the protein in wheat that enables bread dough to be 'stretchy'; gluten is found in smaller quantities in rye and barley too. Celiac and Coeliac are the same thing, the latter is spelled the British way.

If someone with Celiac Disease eats anything with gluten in it, their immune systems react to the gluten in the intestinal lining, which damages the lining of the small intestine, specifically the villi -- think of villi as tiny fingers attached to the intestinal lining. The villi increase surface area of the intestinal lining so more nutrients can be absorbed. Therefore, when villi become damaged because of gluten-induced immune response, there's much less absorption of nutrients.

Celiac Disease symptoms can vary from person to person, while some people show no symptoms at all.
    Symptoms of celiac disease may include one or more of the following:
  • gas
  • recurring abdominal bloating and pain
  • chronic diarrhea
  • constipation
  • pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool
  • weight loss/weight gain
  • fatigue
  • unexplained anemia (a low count of red blood cells causing fatigue)
  • bone or joint pain
  • osteoporosis, osteopenia
  • behavioral changes
  • tingling numbness in the legs (from nerve damage)
  • muscle cramps
  • seizures
  • missed menstrual periods (often because of excessive weight loss)
  • infertility, recurrent miscarriage
  • delayed growth
  • failure to thrive in infants
  • pale sores inside the mouth, called aphthous ulcers
  • tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
  • itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis
  • Celiac Disease - National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse

Movies explaining Celiac and gluten 

A few are doctors, and a few are Celiac sufferers

Hearing about Celiac and gluten from both medical doctors as well as people that have Celiac provides a fuller understanding of all aspects of Celiac Disease.

If you just watch one, I recommend Dr Rodney Ford's movie, the first one. He explains Celiac so good, and is so funny too 8^)
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Celiac Movies Feedback 

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Did you learn something new about Celiac Disease from these movies? Do you have something to add that's not mentioned in the movies? Or maybe you'd like to add a link to a good Celiac movie not listed.

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  • Reply
    a_willow a_willow Aug 29, 2008 @ 3:12 pm
    If I ever have this kind of problems, this is the right place to look for informations! You have gathered so many useful informations about this topic that it should be read by everybody. Even if don't have these problems, I know a load of people that do.
  • Reply
    The_Party_Animal The_Party_Animal Aug 25, 2008 @ 4:08 pm
    WoW so much information my belly hurts now. This is great you have covered so much - great work - 5 belling aching stars coming your way
  • Reply
    Nimsy Nimsy Aug 25, 2008 @ 7:15 am
    Great lens, very informative and comprehensive..
    Sleep Tips
  • Reply
    pkmcr pkmcr Aug 25, 2008 @ 2:42 am
    This is an exceptional lens and deserves to be seen by many more people. Thank you for the enormous amount of time and effort you have clearly put into this.

    As someone who knows the challenge of living with a wheat and gluten allergy this is a lens I can highly recommend.

    Take care

    Paul
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Celiac links 

Gluten Intolerance

Celiac (Coeliac) Disease sufferers are unable to tolerate gluten, the protein that enables bread to be elastic so air pockets can form in the bread without breaking. Rye and barley also have smaller amounts of gluten.
Celiac Disease Diagnosis & Tests - WebMD.com
"Small intestinal biopsy is considered the most accurate test for celiac disease..."

But there's also blood tests to detect the presence of antibodies to gluten:

"Blood tests that are specific for celiac disease include endomysial antibodies, anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies, and anti-gliadin antibodies. In patients with celiac disease, anti-gliadin antibody is an antibody produced against gliadin in the diet and endomysial and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies are antibodies produced against the body's own tissues."
Dr. Scot Lewey's Ezine Articles
Dr. Scot Lewey is a digestive disease specialist doctor (board certified gastroenterologist). Celiac disease, food allergy and intolerance, Crohn's disease and colitis and IBS are his areas of expertise. Dr. Lewey is one of the few GI doctors who is personally gluten sensitive and dairy sensitive and he is married to someone who has Celiac disease. He and his family live gluten free in Colorado.
The Food Doc Journal
Dr. Scot Lewey (above) also has a blog. However, I wasn't able to get the linked feed to work in Google Reader. If you can't get his feed to work in your preferred reader, here's the direct blogspot feed to The Food Doc Journal that I confirmed it's working with Google Reader.

IBS 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritible Bowel Syndrome is usually diagnosed by ruling out the above conditions, and with an elimination diet to see if any IBS trigger foods cause an attack.

There's many foods that can trigger an IBS attack. I suffer terribly if I eat insoluble fibers on an empty stomach, or don't eat the proper ratio between insoluble and soluble fibers.


Eating for IBS:
175 Delicious, Nutritious, Low-Fat, Low-Residue Recipes to Stabilize the Touchiest Tummy



The First Year:
IBS
(Irritable Bowel Syndrome)--An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed

I found HelpForIBS.com's fiber page very helpful in teaching IBS sufferers how to always eat soluble fibers on an empty stomach, then IBS sufferers could eat insoluble fiber, but it's better to finely dice or puree the insoluble fiber food. The HelpForIBS.com fiber page gives a list of soluble fiber foods that IBS sufferers can eat.

HelpForIBS.com also has a IBS cheat sheet in PDF format that prints up very lovely; it's great to hang on the fridge, or give to family members doing the shopping. She's also written some books to help IBS sufferers learn to manage IBS, which are linked on both sides of this section.

IBS Movies 

Movies explaining what Irritable Bowel Syndrome is, and how to deal with it.

Natalie's first movie is great for people suffering from the diarrhea form of IBS, IBS-D. Since I have the constipation form of IBS, IBS-C, I was looking forward to hearing about fibers, but the end of that movie seems like it was cut short. I like how Natalie's second movie compares taking Beano for beans as being pretty much the same thing as taking digestive enzymes with meals.

It was just a bonus to find comedian Tim Phelan performing about IBS in the third movie 8^)

The fourth and fifth movies, Living with IBS 1 & 2, explain what it's like living with IBS, not so much about the symptoms, but more about how having IBS can affect our quality of life, and how we look at life, and even social fears. They really tugged on my emotions -- if you know someone that has IBS, and want an inside view of what may be going through their minds, these are the movies to watch.

I'm still looking for YouTube movies about soluble and insoluble fibers.
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IBS Movies Feedback 

Did you find these movies helpful?

Does something help your IBS that's not mentioned in the movies, please share so others might find relief. Do you know of other helpful YouTube movies -- that aren't advertisements for expensive enemas; if so, link them here:

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IBS Links 

Irritable Bowel Syndrome sites, blogs, and forums

Help for IBS
If you only look at one IBS site, HelpForIBS.com is the one I'd recommend!

HelpForIBS.com has helped me the most to figure out what's triggering my attacks (insoluble fibers). I'm not as bothered by many of the other triggers, although I'm still uncertain of wheat/gluten even though I only eat non-whole-wheat occasionally.

She taught me about insoluble vs soluble fibers, what foods have high amounts of both kinds of fibers, and how to eat both kinds of fibers without having an attack (HINT: never eat insoluble fibers on an empty stomach -- always eat an insoluble first).

There's plenty of information for the other triggers too.
IBS Help Now Blog
About: The purpose of this site is to help you determine if you have IBS and to live comfortably with IBS. Based on my personal experiences you may learn some things here that will help you
IBS Blog
About: Hi, my name is David and I've been suffering from IBS for over 10 years. The Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) Blog was put together as an outlet for me to provide my personal experiences as well as create a community for all IBS sufferers. Ideally every visitor can learn and share stories with other readers so they don't feel like they are alone.
IBS Space
IBS SPACE online social network and support community those suffering IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) those want more information.

(IBS 2.0 Social Network)

Books on Crohn's Disease and IBS 

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Disclaimer

This is not medical advice; it's my personal experience as a patient

Prebiotics, probiotics, and digestive enzymes 

Rebuilding normal flora (good bacteria) balance in our intestines

When we're young and healthy, we don't give much thought to what's going on during digestion. But aging and unhealthy diets can drastically change how we digest food, which can lead to problems.
    Digestion
  • Saliva produced by these glands contains an enzyme that begins to digest the starch from food into smaller molecules
  • The next set of digestive glands is in the stomach lining. They produce stomach acid and an enzyme that digests protein
  • After the stomach empties the food and juice mixture into the small intestine, the juices of two other digestive organs mix with the food. One of these organs, the pancreas, produces a juice that contains a wide array of enzymes to break down the carbohydrate, fat, and protein in food. Other enzymes that are active in the process come from glands in the wall of the intestine
  • The second organ, the liver, produces yet another digestive juice-bile. Bile is stored between meals in the gallbladder. At mealtime, it is squeezed out of the gallbladder, through the bile ducts, and into the intestine to mix with the fat in food. The bile acids dissolve fat into the watery contents of the intestine, much like detergents that dissolve grease from a frying pan. After fat is dissolved, it is digested by enzymes from the pancreas and the lining of the intestine
  • Source: Your Digestive System and How It Works - How is food digested? -Production of Digestive Juices - National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse


The Enzyme Factor

Dr. Hiromi Shinya, a gastroenterologist who invented the single-doctor colonoscopy (prior endoscopes required two doctors to manipulate the contols), that removed polyps via a snare "attached to the end of a colonoscope" (until this was invented, polyp and colon cancer removal was done through abdominal incisions) believes unhealthy diets affects our enzymes (Wikipedia).

Dr. Shinya's book about enzymes and digestion was a best-seller in his homeland, Japan, and the book was recently translated into English. A few of Dr. Shinya's beliefs may seem unorthodox to Americans:
  • Why drinking milk will cause osteoporosis
  • How your body will become oxidized if you eat oxidized foods
  • Why eating the meat of animals that have a higher body temperature than humans pollutes the blood
  • The inseparable relationship between the human body and the land
  • How love activates the immune system
  • Source: Publishers Weekly's review on Amazon


Solgar
Pancreatin Quadruple Strength, 100 tablets


Thorne Research
Dipan-9
(Pancreatin)
180

LEF has a very thorough article about digestive enzymes -- Promoting Optimal Nutrition with Digestive Enzymes -- that writes very good things about Pancreatin:

Pancreatin contains enzymes such as proteases to facilitate the break down of proteins into amino acids; amylase to cleave complex carbohydrate molecules into manageable sugars; and lipase to facilitate the break down of lipids (better known as fats) into useable components.

Digestive Enzyme Links 

Did you know that Beano is a digestive enzyme?

Beano is a digestive enzyme for Raffinose, found in beans and cruciferous vegetables. Lactase is taken for people with lactose-intolerance. There's other digestive enzymes for proteins and carbs in general for people that aren't completely digesting their foods.
Enzymes-Enzimes - Digestive Enzymes Deficiencies
Although this site sells their own digestive enzymes, they provide excellent digestive enzyme information. Make sure to check out their links section for an article on Digestive Enzymes, and a comparison of Digestive Enzymes. I'm considering trying their Digestive Enzymes once I run out of the ones I'm already taking (Rexall Gestazyme - Multi-Enzyme / Probiotic Formula).

"Proteolytic enzymes increase the immune system and it's white blood cell activity by up to 700% AND increase T cell (cancer fighting cells) production and activity by as much as 1300% within a very short period of time after ingestion.

"This is why Ultimate Enzymes digestive enzymes are the most important step you can take toward regaining your health, eliminating digestive disorders, enhancing your immune system. Studies indicate that decreased enzyme levels are found in a number of chronic ailments..."

Best Digestive Enzyme? 

You decide, by voting

We can't to afford different digestive enzymes to find out which ones work best.

Let's vote on the ones we've tried.

Vote down any that didn't work for you. Soon the better ones will rise to the top of the list.

I went through Amazon's Digestive Enzymes listings, and chose only the ones with descriptions (yes, there were actually some without descriptions!) Also, I only chose the Digestive Enzymes with more than one kind of enzyme.

I've enabled sharing so that related Lenses can use this list, because the more that vote, the better we'll be able to decide which product is best.

1

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Enzymedica - Digest, 180 capsules

Enzymedica - Digest, 180 capsules

AMYLASE THERA-BLEND, Protease, Lipase, Cellulase, more...1 point

2

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Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes, 100 vegetarian capsules

Enhanced Super Digestive Enzymes, 100 vegetarian capsules

primary digestive enzymes are proteases (to digest more...1 point

3

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The Ultimate Life - Ultimate Florazyme (The), 80 veggie caps

The Ultimate Life - Ultimate Florazyme (The), 80 veggie caps

FOS, PROTEASE, Amylase, Lipase, Cellulase, ALPHA-G more...0 points

4

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Active Digestive Enzymes - Candida Cleanse ~ ONE Bottle 90 Capsules per Bottle

Active Digestive Enzymes - Candida Cleanse ~ ONE Bottle 90 Capsules per Bottle

blends them with probiotics...also...with ThreeLac more...0 points

5

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Nature's Plus - Ultra-Zyme, 180 tablets

Nature's Plus - Ultra-Zyme, 180 tablets

Pancreatin, Amylase, Protease, Lipase, Glutamic Ac more...0 points

6

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Super Enzymes Caps by NOW Foods - Digestive Support (180 Capsules)

Super Enzymes Caps by NOW Foods - Digestive Support (180 Capsules)

Digestive Support: Enzymes - Super Super Enzyme fo more...0 points

7

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American Biologics - Ultra Infla-Zyme Forte, 180 tablets

American Biologics - Ultra Infla-Zyme Forte, 180 tablets

PANCREATIN, Bromelain, Papain, Trypsin, Chymotryps more...0 points

8

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RaNisa Naturals Serrapeptase, 90 Capsules

RaNisa Naturals Serrapeptase, 90 Capsules

possibly benefiting people with arthritis, osteoar more...0 points

9

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Theramedix DGX/Digestion Formula 120 Capsules

Theramedix DGX/Digestion Formula 120 Capsules

broad-spectrum digestive aid...formulated to assis more...0 points

10

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Source Naturals - Essential Enzymes, 500 mg, 120 capsules

Source Naturals - Essential Enzymes, 500 mg, 120 capsules

essential enzymes for breaking down protein, fats, more...0 points

11

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TwinLab - Super Enzyme Caps, 200 capsules

TwinLab - Super Enzyme Caps, 200 capsules

pancreatin, betaine hydrochloride, pepsin NF, brom more...0 points

12

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Vitamin Shoppe - Multi-Enzyme, 300 tablets

Vitamin Shoppe - Multi-Enzyme, 300 tablets

Pancreatin, Betaine Hcl, Amylase, Protease, Pepsin more...0 points

13

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Omegazyme Ultra 180 caps, Garden of Life

Omegazyme Ultra 180 caps, Garden of Life

21 different digestive enzymes specifically select more...0 points

14

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Vote Down
Solaray - Super Digestaway, 180 capsules

Solaray - Super Digestaway, 180 capsules

Pancreatin 4x, Ox Bile Extract Papain (from Papaya more...0 points

Best Digestive Enzymes Comments 

Why you voted the way you did

Please share why you voted a digestive enzyme product up or down, so we can all learn from your experience.

submit
  • Reply
    intheflow intheflow Aug 6, 2009 @ 10:13 pm
    The best therapeutic enzyme I have ever taken is vitalzym. My skin has changed since I've been taking them. Moles and warts seem to peel off now. Pretty cool. You can get it at:
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More Digestive Enzyme Books 

Want to research Digestive Enzymes more before deciding?

With our SAD diet, and age, many of us are not digesting properly.

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Vote for your favorite probiotic 

or vote down one that you didn't like

I started by putting the top five probiotics from Amazon for you to vote up or down. If your favorite isn't listed, I've allowed adding to the list.

There's a comments section below if you'd care to explain the reason for your vote.

1

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Enzymatic Therapy Acidophilus Pearls (90 Pearls)

Enzymatic Therapy Acidophilus Pearls (90 Pearls)

The only supplement with viable numbers of probiot more...0 points

2

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Threelac Probiotic Dietary Supplement, Natural Lemon Flavor, .053-Ounce Packets (Pack of 60)

Threelac Probiotic Dietary Supplement, Natural Lemon Flavor, .053-Ounce Packets (Pack of 60)

If you are a sufferer of candida or a yeast disord more...0 points

3

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Sustenex with Ganeden-BC30, Probiotic, 30 Capsules

Sustenex with Ganeden-BC30, Probiotic, 30 Capsules

contains Ganeden-BC30 a resilient powerful probiot more...0 points

4

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Accuflora-Controlled Probiotic Acidophilus Delivery, 240 Caplets

Accuflora-Controlled Probiotic Acidophilus Delivery, 240 Caplets

Rich meals, dairy products, preservatives, stress, more...0 points

5

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Healthy Trinity (Dairy-free) by Natren - 60 Capsules Probiotics

Healthy Trinity (Dairy-free) by Natren - 60 Capsules Probiotics

Natren's Healthy Trinity capsules take probiotics more...0 points

Comments on Probiotics 

Why did you vote the way you did

submit
  • Reply
    David David Mar 30, 2009 @ 3:22 pm
    Thank you for a comprehensive resource on these complex disorders. I very much like you've included so much detail on probiotics. It's critical to restore normal microflora to the GI tract. An excellent resource for in-depth background on gluten intolerance is Restorative Remedies - http://www.restorativeremedies.com
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Did it take a long time gut condition to be diagnosed? 

Did it seem that once the major and life-threatening conditions were ruled out, they lost interest?

Tell the rest of us about how long it took for your diagnosis. Interesting, or frustrating stories would be great too -- hopefully it will help others not feel so alone during their suffering.

If you have a Lens, website, or blog about your gut pain, feel free to link it. I'll delete it if it's not related to gut conditions.

submit
  • Reply
    mulberry mulberry Sep 2, 2008 @ 9:23 am
    I don't have any of the symptoms described; but I must say this is a fabulous and very helpful lens. I can see that it could be very beneficial for a lot of people!
  • Reply
    The_Homeopath The_Homeopath Aug 26, 2008 @ 9:01 pm
    One possibility to these types of pains is Kidney Stones as well. I went through a myriad of tests before I was finally diagnosed. One attack was so painful that I got in the car (with my 3-year-old) and drove myself to the ER. Because the stone was still in the ureter, they were able to see it on the CT scan. Previously, the pain was gone by the time I was evaluated so it was missed. The pain wasn't how I would have imagined a kidney stone to be like. It felt like a sharp, stabbing cramp at my right colic flexure. I'm so glad to finally know what it is now.
  • Reply
    sbucciarel sbucciarel Aug 25, 2008 @ 2:58 pm
    Great lense. The Firestorm Forum is great for promoting your lenses and blogs. There's a very active Squidoo community there. firestormforum.com Hope you check it out. I also have a lense about it at http://www.squidoo.com/firestorm
Show All

How long did it take? 

How much time did it take to get your gut condition diagnosed?

Starting from your very first visit to any doctor about your present gut condition, how much time did it take before you knew what your diagnosis is?

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Disclaimer

This is not medical advice; it's my personal experience as a patient

by Shreela

I'm a nurse that recently suffered from severe gut pain. I went to my GP, the ER, and specialists for months before figuring out what was causing my p... (more)

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