AboutMiranda Expertise I can answer most questions pertaining to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis) as well as the medications, surgeries and tests associated with it. I am not a doctor so please don't ask questions that aren't related to this specific area or close to it because it is not my area of expertise.
Experience I have been diagnosed with Crohn's disease for over five years and have dealt with the disease since I was twelve years old. I have been through every medication, numerous exams as well as surgery. I have also worked at a camp for chronically ill children the past three summers and two of our sessions are Crohn's and Colitis so I am very familiar with both conditions.
Organizations Crohn's Colitis Foundation of America, IBD Campus Connection
Education/Credentials I will be finishing up my Bachelor of Arts in Health and Human Biology this spring and I am currently applying to nursing schools to become a nurse practitioner.
Expert: Miranda Date: 4/3/2008 Subject: IBS or something else?
Question I've had pain in my left side ranging from my pelvis up to my ribs for about a year. This is the 3rd or 4th period of pain I've had. Each one lasts for a few months and within each episode the pain is fairly constant but the intensity will change. I'm 23 and have had acid reflux since highschool. I also have periods of constipation, diarrhea that comes with intense cramping, and sometimes normal bowel movements. I have noticed no connection between what I eat or any other lifestyle factors.
So far I've had a complete blood workup, stool tests, and pelvic ultrasound which were all normal. Upon persisting for further testing my Dr ordered a sigmoidoscopy which was extremely painful and the Dr terminated the procedure before completing it but said everything looked normal. She did take multiple biopsies but it will be weeks before I get the results and she said if they're normal its IBS.
Everything that I've read about IBS says nothing about localized pain in the left side which is a symptom of diverticulitis. My gut (no pun intended) is telling me to be persistent but am I looking for something that isn't there?
Answer Well IBS can be a very inconsistent ailment somewhat like you have described with waves of diarriah, constipation and normal bowel movements. However if you are concerned that it may be something else you may want to go further up then a sigmoidoscopy, which only goes into the sigmoid colon, and is a really painful process since no meds are generally administered. IBS can cause stomach pain, and it can be cramping or on either side of your stomach like you described. Generally pain that is up near your ribs is associated with GERD or acid reflux, which may be consistent since you said you have that. If you are concerned that you may have diverticulitis I encourage you to talk to your doc about it because they know your history and can perform tests to rule anything out. Unfortunately IBS can be rather painful, annoying and inconvenient, and you may just be experiencing more symptoms then most.
If you continue to be in pain and have GI symptoms ask your doctor if you can see a gastroenterologist since they specialize in the gut region.
