Could This Be IBS or Something Else?
Greetings!
I’m a 27-year-old male, standing at 172 cm and of European descent, currently using Iqos. My medical troubles began roughly four months ago, around October 5, 2025.
Initially, I experienced intense back pain lasting for two days, which I recognized as kidney stone pain. To alleviate this discomfort, I took NSAIDs, predominantly Metamizole-Natrium. Afterward, I visited urgent care, where I was given Diclofenac and Monural, an antibiotic for urinary tract infections. I took one of each at night.
**A couple of days later, I started experiencing several troubling symptoms:**
- Frequent diarrhea (4-5 times a day, often watery)
- Significant gas and belching
- Persistent nausea that greeted me each morning, sometimes relieved by eating
- A general sense of malaise
- A loss of 5 kg (I dropped from 63 kg) because I lacked appetite, especially under stress.
These symptoms developed quickly and intensified through October, fluctuating over time. Blood tests showed no abnormalities, with normal CRP levels. Then in November, I underwent a colonoscopy and gastroscopy.
- I had three very small erosions, about 1-2 mm, in the terminal ileum, but no signs of inflammation. Histology revealed no pathological issues, all was well.
- There was one small erosion in the sigmoid colon, with minor inflammation around it. Histological findings indicated small infiltration in the lamina propria but no chronic signs, leading to a diagnosis suggesting a high likelihood of infection.
- The areas were healing, with fibrin present.
The rest of my colon appeared healthy. The doctor attributed the ulcers to NSAID-induced damage. I was later diagnosed with LA-A GERD.
Due to my anxiety about health, I spent the month consumed by fears of complications such as colon cancer, PC, or Crohn's disease. I finally found some relief and felt symptom-free for the subsequent two weeks.
However, in December the troubles resurfaced, though to a lesser degree, with occasional loose stools—2-3 times for a few days— and lingering gas. My anxiety about Crohn's returned, and I mistakenly took Algopyrin Complex, which triggered additional stress.
**In December, my primary worries included:**
- Loose stools resembling Bristol type 5-6, mainly occurring once each morning
- Excessive gas often felt trapped in my rectum
- My weight stabilized at 62 kg
**I underwent various tests:**
- Negative results for Giardia and E. coli
- Negative FIT tests
- Negative MRI (everything appeared normal)
- Negative MRE (all normal)
- Calprotectin level measured at 18.7
- I was found to have low levels of B9 and Vitamin D, with B12 at 320 and LDL at 5.9
**Moving into January:**
- I only had one bowel movement each morning, sometimes loose, but mostly firm in the past three weeks (Bristol 4), compared to my usual Bristol 2.
- After meals, I often felt gas building in my rectum, sometimes getting stuck before eventually releasing. This gas, thankfully, rarely had an odor.
- Mornings have been troublesome, as I needed to pass gas 2-4 times, and in bed at night, I felt bloated with gas movements.
**What I have observed:**
- No signs of blood in my stools
- No pain
- No nocturnal symptoms affecting my sleep
- No extraintestinal symptoms
- My weight has stabilized without additional loss after recovering some weight
Overall, I feel fine, yet the worry about my condition persists in my mind. Previously, I would have bowel movements twice weekly, with little to no gas. It baffles me that I often wake up feeling this uncomfortable.
My primary concern is whether I should be worried about Crohn's disease (which occupies my thoughts constantly) or if my symptoms might stem solely from anxiety.
Currently, I'm taking the following medications and supplements:
- Itopride (doctor suggested it for motility issues)
- L-Glutamine
- Curcumin
- A B-complex supplement
- Ashwagandha
- I briefly tried rifaximin for three days, but it did not yield significant changes.
- I had also experimented with antacids previously, though they proved ineffective.
Thank you for your assistance in advance!
IBSIndigestionConstipation