Dear sir do u think my symptoms can be due to chronic hepatitis .plz do reply.thank you

HI Sagar. It is more than 6 months since your last endoscopy and since your symptoms are persisting it may be worth investigating again. You should see a gastroenterologist if you have not done so already. However, the symptoms are not very serious – one or two episodes every few weeks is not debilitating. The more common bowel conditions like inflammatory bowel disease need to be excluded.

Hi. It is somewhat of a yes and no answer to your question. Previous thinking was that inflammation would immediately indicate a pathology and therefore IBS would not be considered as a diagnosis. As you obviously know, IBS is only diagnosed when the “typical” IBS symptoms are present and no pathology (like inflammation) in the bowels can be isolated. However, there is a current theory that microscopic inflammation does occur in IBS. Here’s a link to the article from a Canadian university (http://reference.medscape.com/medline/abstract/15862932). It is thought to be a type of post-infectious IBS. It may be worth discussing this with your gastroenterologist if you are still uncertain. Hopefully other inflammatory bowel conditions have been conclusively ruled out.

Hi Darlene. It would be advisable to have a colonoscopy to verify that there are no lesions or inflammation in the bowel. It is difficult to say whether it is IBS or IBD solely by these symptoms. Some people do have what’s known as a vasovagal reaction usually caused by the pain – this causes symptoms like sweating, rapid heart rate, palpitations and dizziness. Your doctor will be able to advise you further.