Is Anyone Else Concerned About All Ibs Publicity?

[mytummyhurts]

I've been hearing all these commercials for IBS lately and I'm really concerned that people who have celiac disease are going to think that they have IBS since the symptoms are similar. It doesn't help that many doctors don't seem to know the difference. And that drug companies are the ones who are pushing the IBS thing. They can't make any money off of celiac disease.

[jenvan]

Ab-

I hate to be a 'conspiracy-theorist', but there definitely has to be atleast somewhat of a correlation between publicity and the influence of big drug companies Guess this is just even more motivation for us to keep spreading the word. Wouldn't it be cool if someone funded a commercial for Celiac that could air on the radio?

[Guest nini]

those commercials irritate me more than anything. IBS is not a disease in and of itself, it is a SYNDROME... a compilation of symptoms that "they" don't know what causes it. I'm convinced in the majority of people with IBS, that they actually have Celiac. My mom was dx with IBS years ago. I was dx with IBS about 4 years ago (2 years prior to Celiac dx) and "they" tried to tell me that my daughter "just had IBS"... I'm so fed up with hearing about IBS as a condition exclusive to itself that I can't stand it. I'm on a mission to tell as many people as possible about Celiac!

[skbird]

I was diagnosed with IBS 12 years ago. Nevermind that none of the meds for it ever seemed to help. The ads for zelnorm and the pepto ad (with the five or six people doing the song and dance about all their symptoms) really irritate me.

Stephanie - who's mad at everything rignt now because she took glutenized Tums. Argh!!!

[Carriefaith]

And that drug companies are the ones who are pushing the IBS thing. They can't make any money off of celiac disease.

Yeah, it's all about money sometimes which is really sad.

Some people probably do have IBS, but I think it comes with food intolerances or it isn't IBS and IS a food intolerance to something like dairy, gluten, soy, corn... What's really sad is that I find that some doctors are very quick to give an IBS diagnosis before ruling anything else out. In my opnion, IBS should be the last option for diagnosis after every other disease and food intolerance is ruled out.

I have been diagnosed with IBS induced by having celiac disease. I really do think that I have IBS since my doctor has investigated my small and large intestine and only found celiac disease and nothing else. I mean it could be a food intolerance to something other than dairy or gluten, but I just don't feel like eliminating any more foods.

[ianm]

The lack of acceptance of Celiac by the medical community has to do with the fact that there is no drug for celiac. You go on a gluten free diet, become healthy and no longer need prescriptions. No profit in that at all.

[Guest nini]

Carrie, people really DO have IBS... but IMHO it is just a symptom of a larger problem. I have issue with Dr's that are quick to dx IBS and not even look for the underlying cause. "oh here, it's just IBS, here's a pill you can take for it"... 10 years down the road... more damage... not better... sent to GI specialist who dx's Celiac and "OH, so THAT'S what it was"

[Carriefaith]

but IMHO it is just a symptom of a larger problem.

Yeah I guess that is what I was trying to say. I'm not good at explaining myself somethimes. I have IBS which is really annoying but I agree with you that too many doctors are prescibing IBS meds when it is probably something else.

[mytummyhurts]

Wouldn't it be cool if someone funded a commercial for Celiac that could air on the radio?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Actually, I've heard one. Cool, huh?! I think it was put on by the GIG. It was before I was diagnosed and when I heard it, I thought that it sounded like what I had and I was going to ask my doctor about it if they didn't say anything. Luckily, my doctor said she was going to test for celiac so I didn't even have to say anything.

What is IBS exactly? Do they know what causes it? I thought it was just a general diagnosis when they didn't know what was wrong. Just the name sounds like that. Like "Oh, you have diarrhea because your bowels are irritated."

[Carriefaith]

What is IBS exactly? Do they know what causes it?

My doctor sort of explained to me that having celiac caused my IBS. He said that my intestines are all irritated now from having celiac, but the IBS didn't go away when I went gluten and dairy free. With the IBS I find that I have good days and bad days, it's sort of a hit and miss, so I never know when I'll start getting symptoms. I find it gets worse when I'm nervous, anxious, or stressed.

[Corrine]

Hi, I'm new at this chat thing so I hope I'm doing this right. I have friends who are Italian with "IBS". I've given them gobs of info but they are sticking with what the dr says. It's so frustrating.

[lushgreen]

Carriefaith,

I'm a little confused about celiac induced IBS - if you already have a diagnosis of celiac why would your GI symptoms not be attributed to it and rather to IBS when there is so much overlap of symptoms? Maybe there's something I'm just not understanding?

[mytummyhurts]

So is IBS kind of like a symptom of Celiac in your case, Carrie. For example, some people symptoms are fatigue, etc. But yours and others is diarrhea, nausea and fatigue. So you have IBS from celiac disease? I guess that would mean I do too, since those are some of my symptoms.

[Guest Viola]

I always thought that IBS was a symptom, not a syndrome. After all ... something has to cause the irratation of the bowel. Whether it be Celiac, stress (tying your stomach in knots) or any other digestive disease. That's why the commercials irritate me so much. They treat the "symptom" and not find the disease causing it.

[jenvan]

One of the main theories of IBS is that it is a functional disorder. There is an issue with the way your brain tells your intestines to contract, spasm, possibly having to do with seratonin in the brain.

Open Original Shared Link

It may exist, but I do believe that for many individuals, the diagnosis of IBS is a bit of a cop-out. (It was in my case) But I sure bought into it for while! I was told basically, that I had IBS and that the cause, at least in part was because I was high strung, had a lot of anxiety. Sometimes that is the case for individuals, but there probably is a lot less 'functional' and more 'actual' out there.

Open Original Shared Link This website gives the definition and the Rome II critieria for having IBS. I read a study yesterday here: Open Original Shared Link It states that in a sampled group of Celiacs, almost half met the IBS Rome II criteria. That is a problem!

I believe in cause and effect, and that if I am having symptoms of some sort, there has to be some kind of cause for them. Unfortunately, doctors and science have not be able to identity consistent specific causes for many illness (IBS, Fibro etc.). So, we get some of these hodge-podge type illnesses. And IBS seems to be a typical explanation for things like I experienced--why I can't tolerate corn, turkey and caffeine. They don't show up on an intolerance food test, and don't contain gluten. So, it must be IBS..

The mystery lives on....

[julie5914]

IBS is a syndrome, and they are trying to figure out what causes it. I have also heard that it is a spasm problem - that the connection between your brain and intestines gets messed up and your colon has spasms at the wrong times, moves things too quickly or too slowly through. However, because it is a syndrome, that means it is something they have seen in a lot of patients but have no real idea what it is. I personally feel like they should all be tested for celiac. I do not like that many doctors see IBS as a diagnosis of a disease with no cure. IBS means more needs to be done to figure out what it really is. It is like Gulf War Syndrome. Soldiers present the same symptoms, but the cause and cure are unknown to docs.

[Carriefaith]

So is IBS kind of like a symptom of Celiac in your case, Carrie. For example, some people symptoms are fatigue, etc. But yours and others is diarrhea, nausea and fatigue. So you have IBS from celiac disease? I guess that would mean I do too, since those are some of my symptoms.

I'm a little confused about celiac induced IBS - if you already have a diagnosis of celiac why would your GI symptoms not be attributed to it and rather to IBS when there is so much overlap of symptoms? Maybe there's something I'm just not understanding?

My doctor seems to think that I have IBS and celiac disease. My GI doctor tryed to explain it to me, and he said that having celiac disease irritated my intestines which caused IBS. I think the gluten caused so much damage in me that my intestines were having spasms way too often, which is IBS (an irritated bowel). I know that it is a symtom of celiac disease but it was still happening months after I started the diet so I guess my doctor thought I had IBS as well. It makes sence to me... I guess... and like the others are saying if it is a connection between the brain and the intestine maybe all that happened when I got celiac?

[judy05]

I've been hearing all these commercials for IBS lately and I'm really concerned that people who have celiac disease are going to think that they have IBS since the symptoms are similar. It doesn't help that many doctors don't seem to know the difference. And that drug companies are the ones who are pushing the IBS thing. They can't make any money off of celiac disease.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think anything that calls attention to the "gut" is a good thing. More people might

go to the doctor requesting this drug and might even get screened for Celiac, depending of course on the physician. I recently had an eye exam and found out the doctor had Celiac. He said he had been diagnosed as a resident at the Mayo Clinic. He also said there is quite an increase in people getting diagnosed. Many of his patients are Celiac. He was surprised, said he has really moved into a celiac area, thanks to a GI doc who has found over 200 cases in 2 years. We have a supermarket and pharmacy who handle gluten-free foods. The pharmacy will order anything for us. They recently found an egg-white-free mayonaise for me. Keep getting the word out!

[mytummyhurts]

I think anything that calls attention to the "gut" is a good thing. More people might

go to the doctor requesting this drug and might even get screened for Celiac, depending of course on the physician.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I hope so, but unfortunately many people on this board have not found their doctors to be quick to test for celiac disease, if they do at all. And drug companies give them perks to prescribe their drug (at least this is what I've heard).

[mushala72]

I've been hearing all these commercials for IBS lately and I'm really concerned that people who have celiac disease are going to think that they have IBS since the symptoms are similar. It doesn't help that many doctors don't seem to know the difference. And that drug companies are the ones who are pushing the IBS thing. They can't make any money off of celiac disease.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My mother was diagnosed incorrectly with IBS years ago but after her autopsy was done in 2000 the Drs on the case found that she had Celiacs disease. Many of the illnesses she suffered from all of her adult life could had been avoided if they had only diagnosed her correctly. Once I was diagnosed with the disease last year, the paralels I found through research between my mother's illness and the detrimental effects of Celiacs was astounding. Educating ourselves as well as our family and friends about this disease is incredible important. God forbid my daughter inherits this disease from me and there be no one or no valid information for her to make healthy life disicions in her future. Michelle

[Mosaics]

Yes! Those IBS commercials irritate me. And what really gets me are the acid reflux commericals. There must be a thousand medications for acid reflux. People need to look for the CAUSE of acid reflux instead of popping a pill to mask the symptoms. My cause (and my brother's cause) was celiac disease. When we went on a gluten-free diet, our acid reflux went away.

What's annoying is that TV has normalized acid reflux. I just want to yell, "Wake up people! Acid reflux is not normal! You can fix it for free!"

[Guest nini]

yeah, my acid reflux went away completely too. What really got to me was the pediatricians that were so eager to prescribe lots of drugs for my daughter when she was a newborn baby and dx with severe Gastro-Esophogeal Reflux Disorder or GERD...

[ianm]

If you are getting acid reflux it means you are eating CRAP! It is your guts way of telling you that you are eating garbage. I used to get acid reflux really bad but haven't had it in over a year. The doctors I went to were quick to sell me some pills but never onced suggested changing my diet.

[Guest nini]

If you are getting acid reflux it means you are eating CRAP! It is your guts way of telling you that you are eating garbage. I used to get acid reflux really bad but haven't had it in over a year. The doctors I went to were quick to sell me some pills but never onced suggested changing my diet.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

well yeah... I was eating "crap" but I thought I was eating healthy because I was following the guidelines set by my dr. It got worse when I followed a very specific diet that my Dr.s office gave me. The majority of what we as a society are conditioned to believe is healthy really isn't. I've become such an advocate for organic whole foods... Now that I see what a difference it has made in my health and my daughter's health. Oh and when she was dx with GERD as a baby, she was exclusively breastfed, so she must have been getting all the "crap" from my diet. Sad thing was, I had seen several nutritionists and was following Dr.s instructions on my diet.

[Jnkmnky]

It would be great if Celiac's could get a commercial on the airwaves asking people if they suffer from ....... *listing the symptoms of Ibs*..... and ask, "Have you been diagnosed with IBS? If you said said yes to any of these questions, you may have CELIAC DISEASE!" Celiac Disease is a self-managed, autoimmune disease that affects 1-133 American. See your doctor now if you have any of these symptoms, and find out if YOU have Celiac Disease."

Maybe someone could get financial backing organized from all the sponsers here at Celiac.com, as well as other gluten free food companies not advertising here, and create a simple commercial like that. That would certainly wake people up!