Irritable Bowel Syndrome or something else?

lmcclure4477

So I am approaching my 2 year anniversary from my surgery and a week ago I started getting what appears to be irritable bowel symptoms. I've had irritable bowel for years as it goes along with my fibromyalgia. It started after eating poorly on both Christmas and Christmas Eve. It first started as bad heartburn. Then it went into nausea, bad gas pain and loose stools. It has been a week now of stomach cramps, nausea, diahhrea. I also got my period on Friday which made things get worse after it was starting to get better. My question is how do you know if it is irritable bowel or something else? This has made my anxiety triple which doesn't help with irritable bowel. Just looking to see if anyone ever had a similar experience.

Redporchlady

lmcclure4477,  I had IBS years ago and it was associated with endometriosis.  I had a full hysterectomy and it went away completely.  However it has returned just recently since I started Taxol/Carbo.  I have done 4 treatments of  Taxol and 2 Carbo and have had two episodes.  I hope this is just temporary as I go thru this cycle of chemo.  I am going to ask my oncologist.  I am sure everyone is different but mine start out as a bowel movement that is somewhat loose, I start to have some abdominal pain, and then I am throwing up into the waste basket.  Once the movement is done, I am perfectly fine.  I know this won't help but do you get really heavy and hard periods? 

lmcclure4477

I do not get really heavy periods. I just always feel like crap when I get it. My ibs is more like stomach cramping, gas pains and either loose stools or diahhrea. Lots of gas too. I think what triggered it was the food and drinks I had over the holidays. My body is used to a certain diet and when I eat foods I am not used to I pay for it. It just seems to be taking a longer time to get over it. I also have fibromyalgia so this ibs flareup caused a flareup of pain in my ribcage. And since the anxiety won't go away I can't seem to get over this flare up

Redporchlady

Sorry you have to go thru it!  I understand the anxiety as I think we will always be looking over our shoulders once you have had to deal with breast cancer or any cancer.  It can't hurt to at least alert your Oncologist as you said because I know mine wants to know everything just so it is in their records and they do count on us to know our body and symptoms.  I talked to my oncology nurse today during treatment and she did tell me to report my IBS to my oncologist.  Good luck and maybe some other's will post.