How Many People Had Bowel Issues Before Pots?

[sue1234]

I started with bloating, IBS symptoms about 10 years ago. That was the only issues I went to the doctor for, except for regular checking of my thyroid. I still have my IBS symptoms, but POTS came on board 4 years ago. Before IBS, I was pretty well and healthy.

[shadesofgrey49]

I started with bloating, IBS symptoms about 10 years ago. That was the only issues I went to the doctor for, except for regular checking of my thyroid. I still have my IBS symptoms, but POTS came on board 4 years ago. Before IBS, I was pretty well and healthy.

! I've had GI symptoms all my life. Diagnosed with IBS five years ago. POTS became noticeable a year ago.

[prettyinpink]

I was diagnosed with Celiac about a year before. Does that count?

[Broken_Shell]

I had very severe colic for my first year of life, then no GI issues for a couple of decades. One of my first symptoms after developing dysautonomia was severe constipation. I stopped having spontaneous BMs for over a year and was large-volume enema dependent. Ironically, at the same time I developed rapid gastric emptying, and began to have symptoms of so-called "dumping syndrome". The tests show that my stomach empties twice as fast as a normal person. In the past year and a half I have entered a phase of GI hypermotility and too many BMs. I know my GI tract is all discoordinated, but it is due to the dysautonomia and not anything that I ever struggled with beforehand. I wonder if it relates to the origin of the dysautonomia... mine had an abrupt onset verses someone who has had symptoms their entire life.

~ Broken_Shell

[Janey]

I'd had very mild POTS and Ehlers Danlos my whole life (without knowing it, I was virtually asymptomatic apart from having exercise intolerance), then I got really severe bowel problems from a parasite I caught in India, which I knew couldn't be attributed to *just* IBS or *just* indigestion so I looked very long and hard for why they were occurring, along with other symptoms I had like racing heart, lightheadedness and low blood pressure.

It turns out, after I went to India and got the parasite infection, it set off very bad bowel symptoms, and eventually bad POTS (even though I had a tendency for dysautonomia my whole life so far, this was just the chance for it to appear.) Bowel problems and nausea are still my worst symptoms, far worse than my POTS which is easily controlled by salt, although the POTS fatigue is extremely debilitating too.

What's your story with bowel symptoms and what are your main bowel symptoms?

Janey

[jump]

I've had LOTS of GI problems, starting a few years before my POTS symptoms. At first I was diagnosed with IBS, but several years later they figured out I actually have celiac disease, not IBS.

But I'm not sure there's much of a connection, except that Celiac is an autoimmune disorder, and people with dysaut. seem more likely to have some kind of autoimmune problem than the regular population. When I wasn't properly diagnosed and was having diarrhea all the time, I think it made my POTS symptoms worse (because I was dehydrated). But other than that, I really see no connection in my own life.

What kind of connection are you thinking of with this?

[sue1234]

I'm not sure. I started with constipation, then turned to diarrhea. This kept me from leaving my house in the mornings, still does. And, of course, in between at the g.i. doctors, getting colonoscopies that require severe laxatives. I just wonder if over time we might have messed up something that balances our fluid. I don't know. Just thinking.

[iheartcats]

Come to think of it, I was diagnosed with IBS in my early to mid twenties. POTS didn't come on til a few years later. IBS improved, but still had a flare-up now and again. Nexium helped the IBS somehow. It improved and I was pretty decent minus allergy issues which affect a large part of the population. Then POTS came along. My digestion is OK now, it has it's days, but nothing awful.

I'd rather have IBS than POTS though.

[Maxine]

Just call me BLOAT-------------------that's my middle name. I have IBS-----I GUESSSSS. I think my bowel problems are secondary to the EDS, as I have 3/4 of large bowel covered in diverticuli, and one 5 cm diverticulum in small bowel. I get full very easily, and constantly struggle with slow bowel motility.

If they could take away the chronic consitpation I'd be a little less crabby on some days.

Maxine :0)

[janiedelite]

I started having severe reflux and indigestion in my teens with some exacerbations in my 20's. I had an upper GI barium swallow and they found my lower esophageal sphincter hardly closed at all, but they couldn't figure out why. Even then, the radiologist said it could be a neurological problem.

[Mrs. Burschman]

"Anxiety" was the first thing I noticed. Bowel issues, diagnosed as IBS, started in my preteen years. Added migraines at age 15. Then interstitial cystitis. Then polycystic ovarian syndrome. Then POTS. Last December, they decided I have ulcerative colitis, not IBS, because inflammation was present. I've never had bleeding (which I thought was the main symptom of UC, but whatever.)

[coloredblood]

Born with Gi illness that went away after a year. Had GI issues all my life.

~nancy

[poppetkazutaka]

I always had milk fat intolerance and IBS issues since I was little. It's sorta like lactose intolerance, only I can eat cheese and milk and ice cream that is fat free with no problem. Because its the fat that causes me to get the poopies, not the lactose. :3

[MelissaCrystal]

I was always constipated and had slow bowel when I was little and a teenager. Only went to the bathroom once or twice every two weeks. I thought it was normal for the longest time.

[juliegee]

Me too. I started with extremely painful (and difficult to control!) IBS-D, continued onto awful GERD, then gradually turned into IBS-C. Now, my bowels barely move without oodles of Miralax. YOu are most certainly not alone.

Julie

[poppetkazutaka]

Me too. I started with extremely painful (and difficult to control!) IBS-D, continued onto awful GERD, then gradually turned into IBS-C. Now, my bowels barely move without oodles of Miralax. YOu are most certainly not alone.

Julie

I was using Miralax when I had problems with constipation but then I found warm Burdock Root tea helped a lot better and didn't cause any gas or pain. In case anyone wanted to try something natural. :3

[gertie]

I can't remember a time I didn't have colon problems. I've always been constipated or having a painful bout of IBS.

[gertie]

I can't remember a time I didn't have colon problems. I've always been constipated or having a painful bout of IBS.

[tinkerbella]

I thought this is how Pots got it name, as we can never get off one. I bet we know where everyone is where ever we go or we panic just a little bit... LOL!!! ~BellaMia~