doc in the house? can ibs make you gain weight?

Answer 1

Weight fluctuations can occur with IBS. However, if you have significant weight gain, you should see your doctor for further testing to rule out other medical issues: diabetes, depression, hypothyroidism, etc.

Please note, some medications given for IBS have the side effect of weight gain. You did not mention if you are on any medications or what they are if you are taking any. So, if you are on meds, please give your doctor's office a call to find out if the medication(s) you are taking have weight gain as a side effect.

Answer 2

They're starting to recommend that people with IBS, or IBS-like symptoms be tested for celiac disease, which is an intolerance to gluten (wheat, rye, barley and oats). A lot of people with celiac were misdiagnosed as having IBS for years. (18 years for me). It takes an average of 11 years for a person with celiac to be diagnosed.

Here's a webpage by the National Institutes of Health on celiac -
http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/

And another from the Mayo Clinic -

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319

If that starts sounding familiar here are a couple of message boards for people with celiac and other gluten intolerances.

http://www.glutenfreeforum.com
http://www.celiacforums.com

You can also be intolerant to other common foods and get IBS-type symptoms. Soy, corn, eggs, yeast, dairy, etc. can all cause major issues. You may want to think about keeping a food/symptoms journal and see if you can identify the culprit(s).

My IBS ended up being celiac, but there are other issues that can cause IBS-type symptoms.

I had gained weight as a side-effect of my gluten issues, although the classic picture of people with CD is that they lose weight. Once I went GF after figuring out the problem, I lost 35 pounds over the course of a year. No effort at all other than cutting out gluten. Which is easier than it sounds.

I hope you feel better soon.

Nancy