Whats the difference between IBS & IC?

[MShutt]

Hello,

I'm just curious if anyone else suffers from Irritable bowel syndrome? Does it cause extreme pain like IC? Sometimes I don’t know if the pain I’m feeling is from IBS or an IC flare? Just looking to see if anyone who suffers from both can describe the differences. (I know, sorry this isn’t really a great topic to discuss!) Thanks for sharing!

~Michelle

[bubbe1]

IBS and IC

Hi,
I have both IBS and IC and have found that there is a lot of crossover pain between bowels and bladder.


I would say that the IBS pain, for me, tends to be higher up in my abdomen and more of a crampy or gassy kind of pain than the IC, and the IC pain is more of a burning and sort of a soreness. However, there are times when one thing is affecting the other-usually bowels irritating my bladder and then I can't tell which is what. That's when i get the heating pad and curl up on the couch!

Laurie

[MShutt]

Thanks for responding! My IC pain seems to be on my lower right side. I've been told just recently that bladder pain is in the middle of your lower abdomen. I guess its different for everyone but I just always wondered if my severe abdomen pain is IBS or IC.

[icchica]

Have Both IBS and IC as well

Hi, I too have IBS and IC as well. I have suffered with IBS since I was about 14yrs old and was diagnosed with IC about two years ago. For me the IBS causes lots of gas with lots of pain which can spread from my stomach area, pelvic area (due to IBS causing constipation in my case) and go as far as my back. While both cause sharp pain for me, IBS will typically start under my rib cage for and spread. I have found that with the gas if you can lay down or even go to your car if your at work or a discrete place and release it takes my pain away becuase what happens with me is lots of tiny little gas bubbles form together to make one big bubble and it gets stuck. Sometimes it is also hard for me to pass the gas at all almost as if it were to go right back up where it came from. If you are in the car try moving around in different sitting positions and this may help to move the gas but in a severe case the best is laying down and relaxing on yours side with your knees somewhat up towards your stomach. As for my IC it usually hurst more in the pelvic area and down through my vaginal area and back. I have found that eliminating stress in my life and gasy foods has defintily helped with the IBS but due to the recent struggle with my IC getting so bad my IBS is getting out of control again. Hope this helps.

[MShutt]

Thank you!! This does help a lot and I think the majority of my pain is coming from IC. And that's what I was looking to know, thanks again!

[icchica]

Glad I could help

Your welcome and glad I could help. I also have problems with constipation where when my bowls are moving I get sharp pains in my pelvic area until a maybe a minute after the movement passes. Not fun. My doctor prescribed Miralax for the constipation. Not sure if they have different doses but the one I am on is gentle enough that it took a couple of days to get in there but when it did it really helped me to have normal movements. It does not give me diarreah like some other meds I have tried. They say gentle but you find yourself sprinting to the bathroom like your in a marathon racing for a medal then have to go out and by oinment for the irritation. Gotta luv IBS and IC! We are troopers to deal with all that we have going on and try to live a normal life.

[jk76]

Hi icchica...I have both as well and the ic is really setting off my IBS in the worst way. Are you treating the ic with anything specific such that u find your IBS is not as active? Having suffered with IBS for a long time but new to ic...just wondering if anything you do for ic decreases the intensity of your IBS? Thanks!

[tigger_gal]

not knowing anything about IBS I would agree fully with Laurie. I am not sure if it is upper or lower intestines it attacks or both. Feel better my dear.

[MShutt]

Thank you! I was diagnosed with IBS back in 2004. That's what a ER doctor once told me when I was having such a bad flare that i went to the ER. They did a CAT scan and ruled out many other things. I do have a lot of bowel problems. Constipation, extremely painful gas pains, if not constipation then I'm going like three times a day. I guess I'm just wondering how right this doctor was back in 04. Since nobody ever mentioned IC to me until 2009 when I was actually diagnosed. Besides getting a CAT scan; is there anything else the docs do to diagnosed IBS. Did any of you need to have a colonoscopy done? I'm going for my first hydro/cysto in two days but my mind has just been racing with tons of questions! Thank you everyone for being so supportive and thoughtful! <3

[icchica]

Hi jacqueline76, currently for the IC i am on Elmiron 3x's/day and Atarax (antihistamine which is supposed to help with things that your bladder may be sensative to) 1x/day. I have just recently started taking the Atarax due to my bladder flaring up badly and have completely cut myself off from all the no no's on the IC diet guide. I know that for me Potassium is like poison to my bladder as I had a cysto done with Pottassium and reacted very badly to it but cant seem to figure out what the other item is that is making me have flare ups. I also take Percocet for pain becuase I have just recently started having severe pain in my lower back in the Sacrum area so tomorrow I go to a surgeon so that he can double check for tumors as I have a bulge in my sacrum bone on the right side. I am not sure if any of the meds I am on are affecting my IBS at this point becuase I also have acid reflux and was prescribed Zantac and Prilosec of which I have read some mixed feelings about those meds causing flare ups of people with IC. IBS can be tricky for me. It can be triggered by something I eat, meds, anxiety and stress. I have never taken medicine for the IBS becuase at one point I had a lot of stress in my life and by eliminating most of the stress it really helped me but recently my IBS has been flaring up and I don't know why. Before I was diagnosed with IBS they could not figure out what was wrong becuase you can't see IBS in most test. After numerous doctors I finally went to the last one and he diagnosed me with it within five mins. Luckly when i went to him I was having a bad flare up and my stomach had swollen so big from gas that it looked like I was about three months pregnant. In my opion (not being a proffesional) IC and IBS are very simalar as they both have different triggers for each individual. I try to be very intune with my body each day to see if there are any patterns that I can learn from. That alone for anyone can be stress in itself as I am sure you are aware. Hope I was a help and if you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask. Most test for IBS I think I have had from endoscopy (throat scope) to colonoscopy so I am here. Hope you feel better.

[cmclien]

Thank you! I was diagnosed with IBS back in 2004. That's what a ER doctor once told me when I was having such a bad flare that i went to the ER. They did a CAT scan and ruled out many other things. I do have a lot of bowel problems. Constipation, extremely painful gas pains, if not constipation then I'm going like three times a day. I guess I'm just wondering how right this doctor was back in 04. Since nobody ever mentioned IC to me until 2009 when I was actually diagnosed. Besides getting a CAT scan; is there anything else the docs do to diagnosed IBS. Did any of you need to have a colonoscopy done? I'm going for my first hydro/cysto in two days but my mind has just been racing with tons of questions! Thank you everyone for being so supportive and thoughtful! <3

Hi, I have IBS-C though if I'm super stressed and in my 20's I had alternating. Like you, terrible gas pains. They can be so bad! Really bad bloating if I eat anything wrong for me. No tests were done to me, my internist just told me I had it based on my symptoms and started me on prilosec about 20 years ago, it changed my life! I think the stomach acid made the IBS-D part much worse! I would have these attacks, I only have those maybe 1x/ year.

It is nothing like the IC for me. My IC personally feels totally in my bladder. If my IBS gets bad though, like constipation bad then my urethra will hurt I think from the pressure. If I'm having an IBS flare, my IC will get worse too with frequency. I think the IBS effects the IC but maybe not vice versa. These are just my experiences.

I manage the C part on a daily basis with lots of magnesium and if thats not enough then stool softeners, though not too often. Fiber supplements really bother my IBS. I find as long as I stay on top of it then it doesn't effect my IC much. Though like tonight, I had an upset stomach and could found it was hard to pee, just too much going on down there!

Lots of people with IC have IBS too. I think they're related and mine started about the same time in my life. Something to do with hypersensitivity, I fit right in there.