How to calm down IBS stomach pain?

Frequent stomach aches for the past 4/5 Years? Help?

• I've been having a lot of trouble with my stomach for the past 4 to 5 years. It started when I was around 13 or 14 years old, But when I was a child I would get very small stomach aches from nervousness I believe in which it occured before I'd go to school. I could also eat anything without any pain afterwards. Up to age 12 or so I only had one Stomach ache. But yeah it started to worsen as I got around 13/14 which was around the time I started my period. That year was a bad one for me. The one day it started getting really bad I remember, was after I ate at Burger King with my parents... None of us felt good after eating it(All had stomach aches etc..). But mine never went away...(That makes me think I might have a bacterial infection, but I went to the ER in July 2008 for it but they said there wasn't any infection :/). Then a few weeks later I had a traumatic experience. While I was riding my horse, It totally freaked out and flipped over on top of me. I got crushed by her (She landed on top of me. Probably weighs about 800 lbs) and hurt my back very badly and broke my nose... I never went into the doctor for it. It hit me really hard (Like mentally) and I'm not sure if that could of triggered something? I ended up getting a really bad sinus infection after that from crying. I didn't go to the doctors for 5 days until the pain was unbearable, and they put me on antibiotics (and i wasn't sure if that could mess up my stomach taking away all the good bacteria in my intestines). So after that I started to take probiotics, but when I took them I didn't feel any better. Then about 5 months later after that I fell off my horse again and hurt my back really bad and broke my nose again (lol my luck). And after that I havent ridden since then. The thing is my stomach aches are random, Sometimes it hurts more than other times, The pain is different each time. So I can't explain it. It's usually in the lower abdominal area, but some its above my belly button. Sometimes I feel cramps with it which its unbearable. It gets so bad that I cry and I've been to the ER because of it. Sadly when I went to the ER they made me wait 4 hours before someone came in the room .. and they didnt help me at all. They did notice I had extremely low Hemoglobin? I read something about that on an IBS website. Sometimes I'll go over a period of time with no stomach aches or just a few mild ones really for a month or for a few weeks... but then I'll get weeks where it hurts a few times a day for 10 mins ~ 1 hour each and I'm in the bathroom for like 1 or more hours. I've been to 4 doctors (1 was a stomach doctor), and he proscribed me Hyoscyamine.. I never took it, Since I wasn't quite sure. It says on the bottle to help with stomach spasms. He also prescribed me to some anti depressents. Which I think depression could be aggrivating it more now days. Since My parents forced me to move to Missouri, and I've been very depressed about it.. I also notice It gets A LOT worse when I'm nervous/anxious/excited. I also know it gets worse when I'm on my period. I went to a ladies doctor and they checked everything down there and said I was in perfect condition! I also had an ultrasound .. I don't really know if I'm stressed either x.x If I was, it would be because of this problem. I've taken some tests, where they check for parasites, Blood Tests, & X-RAYS. I still know I could do a colonscopy, but I'm quite afraid. Everything they've checked for has come up negative. I don't think I've been tested for Celiac, Chrones or H. Pylori. But EVERYTIME I get a stomach ache, the only way I can relieve it is by having a bowel movement/or I always have to feel like I have to go if I get one. Sometimes I'm constipated which sucks because I feel like I have to pass or I won't feel better. Other times it is Diarrhea (haven't had that since march though ). There is no blood when I go, but I notice the consistancy/color is different everytime. I've been getting horrible stomach aches almost every time after I eat. I've lost a lot of weight due to being scared of eating now. I've grown to hate eating, and it's like a pain for me now. At age 13 I weighed about 117, and now I'm 17 (18 in 2 months) and I weigh 96. I know I'm probably not eating the best for whatever this condition is. I usually eat once and sometimes twice a day. I've been eating organic food and it hasn't really helped. I used to take a lot of like Pepto Bismol, and Tums (like 3 times a day). But I stopped about in April of this year, It did seem to help sometimes. I would also take it before I would go to the video game tournaments I'd attend. I would get stomach aches on the way there, but once I was there I'd be fine. IT SEEMS LIKE ITS BEEN WORSENING OVER TIME. It is running and ruining my life now, I was supposed to be at a Super Smash Bros. Brawl tournament in California this weekend, but feeling like this I knew I couldn't go. I'm so afraid to leave the house now days. I w

• Answer:

  What did you decide about IBS? It's can be totally debilitating, pain so bad you can only pray for relief. It is brought on by many types of foods: Fruits and vegetables, (I have to zap mine in the microwave for 15 seconds just to eat them raw), greasy foods, fatty foods, sugar, artificial sugar, caffeine, smoking, alcohol, and red meat to name a few. You should also look up Lactose Intolerance, just means your body has a hard time digesting dairy, I have both of these. When I was 12 I started having the same problems but it wasn't until I was 16 and after several doctors and multiple tests (a doctor even sent me to a chiropractor because he was convinced that my pain was in my back not my stomach) that I found out what these 'spasms' were. The best I can tell you is start a food journal and start eliminating certain types of food from your diet and see if you can find your triggers. In the mean time good luck and don't stop looking for your answers!