Ibs - Or Are Doctors Missing Other Problems?

[cmbajb]

i'm wondering if anyone else has a gut (haha) feeling that doctors often diagnose someone with IBS in order to take the easy way out. in other words, rather than really working with the patient to see what is really wrong (i.e. celiac, food allergies, etc.), they use IBS as a catchall diagnosis. i was diagnosed with IBS many many years ago, and now gluten-free and working on food allergy diagnoses, my IBS symptoms are gone.

[lizard00]

I definitely agree with you. I think that something has to initially cause the irritation, and like you said, most don't want to have to figure it out. Just throw pills at you and send you on your way. My GI told me that I probably messed up my intestines doing the Atkins diet and prescribed me a pill that eased cramping, but constipated you, and then prescribed me a laxative. Seems as though if I took one, I had to take the other. So, I took neither and continued with my gluten-free diet and the problem was solved. WOW! His reasoning was that I had a touch of IBS. Couldn't be Celiac... you have to have the genes for that.

BTW... I haven't had a genetic test.

[Nancym]

Yeah, I think you'll find most of us are skeptics of the IBS label. Dr. Lewey does a lot of work on IBS patients and finds they're usually reacting to foods. His web site is at Open Original Shared Link

[mushroom]

Yeah, I think you'll find most of us are skeptics of the IBS label. Dr. Lewey does a lot of work on IBS patients and finds they're usually reacting to foods. His web site is at Open Original Shared Link

Not only are most of us skeptics, most of us have worn the label at some point in our sagas. You will probably find that most of us have also been diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Check for me on both. I did initially believe in fibromyalgia at one point (not any more) but never IBS. It is a very lazy diagnosis. It's almost as bad as saying, "You have a rash." Duh!

[nutralady2001]

Absolutely!! A diagnosis of "IBS" kept me sick for 47 years (yes you read right) until last September when I had to have an endoscopy/colonoscopy after a bowel screening showed blood in both upper and lower GI tracts ........

In all those years I was NEVER offered any testing of any kind just told I had "IBS", problems from the age of 12, "eczema" at age 16 which I am sure was dermatitis herpetiformis now I know more and have seen photos of DH

I doubt a condition even exists actually it's the doctor's lazy way out

[Glutina]

Hi!

Yup---IBS was thrown my way on a few occasions, and those were the doctors who barely asked any questions (and I now know not the right ones) and gave me anti-spasmatic drugs. Oh gee, thanks. No looking into the causes, or th link between my rash flare-ups, horrrrible stomach/abdominal pains that would make me feel like I was dying, washroom episodes...you know how the story goes. Thank goodness I was finally referred to a GI specialist when I was in the ER in december. The specialist took the time to really look at my symptoms and told me about celiac disease and gluten/wheat issues. I have been gluten free ever since with a HUGE improvement in my symptoms and overall quality of life. I know that IBS does really exist for some people, but it should be the LAST diagnosis a doc makes, in my opinion. They need to really rule out other possible conditions first.

We can send people to the moon, but we can't properly diagnose people with gluten issues...yeesh!

Glutina