My Doctor says I have IBS- is it all in my head?!
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- IBS is a disorder of the brain gut connection. It's NOT all in your head, it's REAL, and we can treat it!
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Doc: "So this is real?"
Patient: "Real as you are sitting there!"
Doc: *continues talking unironically to himself*
@@Davis... now this is a character arc
If I were in that patient's position, I would feel even more relieved by the doc's shared confidence. Being gaslighted by the medically trained person you went to for a real problem is disheartening; what this doc did after validating the patient's concerns humanised the situation.
But he is sitting there, he's just sitting *there* too 😂
Soz but I think you meant Patient: “So this is real?” and switch out the next one with doc
@@total_blasphemy right you are 🤦♂️
Just hearing the words "This is real" can make all the difference in a person's whole life. One doc - one person - can change everything for the better. Thanks for keeping that in sight in the face of success, Doc Schmidt. 💜👍
It’s important to validate symptoms!
@@Doc_Schmidt what are your views on fibromailga another thing that other people are often told its in your head
@@charmainesmith5623 I'm not Doc Schmidt, but I am a doctor and I see Fibromyalgia patients in the ED fairly regularly, so hopefully I can help answer this.
Fibromyalgia is real. It is recognised by the World Health Organisation & there is a structured way to give a definitive diagnosis.
Just like IBS, patients experience *real* symptoms, even if testing largely struggles to find the cause, yet the conversation in the video is just as applicable (patients are often told it's "in their head" or their symptoms aren't validated by some medical professionals - & these patients also have no reason to make up their symptoms).
The medical profession is in the early stages of understanding Fibromyalgia, it's causes, and appropriate treatment pathways - so we don't have all the answers yet, but we are working on it. Some (particularly older, I find) doctors grumble about its validity, but they do so with no scientific basis. On the whole, they seem to not like it because it's relatively new and they don't understand it. If you have Fibro and a doctor who questions its validity, you might want to think about getting a new doctor...
Hope that helps 👍
@@georgina-a ty I have great Dr's. Yes older Dr's are no good when fibromailga comes in. I'm in England an have fount new qualified Dr's are much more understanding. Maybe because its taught in medical school.
Some people say it's brain related others say its body chemical related.
Iv had my DNA mapped nothing came up in it.
There's more samples of my body an scans an tests results ect to be able to clone me.
It will be 18 years with fibromailga. This year.
I know it's not doc schmits area but wondered if he had views.
Ty for posting a reply
I cried. "This is real" was all it took. It has changed my life, not that I wanted to be diagnosed with Narcolepsy, but knowing the cause of collapse and falling asleep for no reason made a huge difference. It took 12 years to figure it out through. GI saved my life once by listening to my symptoms. Had N/V, fevers, & lost 20 pounds in 3 months. Other providers in other offices kept giving me antibiotics and steroids. Finally had enough. Went to the ED and had c.diff, ulcerative colitis, and 3 cancerous polyps. 4 days inpatient, endoscopy / colonoscopy, IV antibiotics. Margins were clear after polyp removal. To be honest, I was nearly hysterical by the time I went to the hospital and if it weren't for GI that was doing a consult in the room beside me overhearing what I said and coming in... who knows what would have happened.
(I've been a provider for 22 years. Back then I think they may have thought med school made me a hypochondriac)
I really wish all patients with "invisible" diseases could get this type of validation!
Literally. Took me 10 years suffering and 7 years of going to doctors to be diagnosed with Endometriosis... Was misdiagnosed with ibs and fobbed of with anxiety many times
I am an invisible disease sufferer, and it’s amazing how doctors treat us. I’m pretty lucky now, my docs take good care of me, but it took 20 years.
currently having a doc more or less ignore my concerns bc it wasnt the first 2 guesses he had.
I’m gonna die first
@@gordshorde14 years of that for me with countless different doctors then I stopped having insurance
when your doctor says your tests are normal say "ok well I still have symptoms so what is the next step"
This. And if they point at psychosomatic nonsense, ask what would take them to stop saying that. I had a psych eval, proved I wasn't lying, and testing continued. I'm anxious enough and don't want to inconvenience a doctor unless I can't cope with what I'm going through. I am not interested in being a pest. But when I'm blacking out over and over, becoming dizzy and tired and slurring my words? It shouldn't be a "this is because you want attention."
I hate attention. Blah.
Then they tell me to lose weight.
@@DembaiVT A lot of doctors treat it as a get out of jail free card but psychosomatic illness is not about seeking attention - it tends to be a manifestation of extreme stress and while it doesn't involve detectable underlying physical causes, as Doc Schmidt pointed out the absence of a detectable physical causes doesn't make the symptoms any less real. Attention seeking is its own thing. The other thing a lot of people (including doctors) don't really appreciate is the intimate relations between mental and physical health - stress hormones from anxiety can and do cause physical problems, and mental health can impact on and worsen existing physical conditions too. This goes more for pain with the infamous "it's all in your head" but it applies to other aspects of health as well. Importantly while a lot of doctors are bad at recognising this, getting appropriate care for the psychiatric components of an illness does not invalidate physical illness or replace its treatment - they should be used in tandem, which includes appropriate and thorough investigation as well as both physical and mental healthcare (because of that intimate connection between body and mind mental health care can and does modify physical conditions, and is surprisingly good at managing chronic pain regardless of cause, including physical conditions).
@@DembaiVTExactly.
As an IBS sufferer, I understand that people don't really take my condition seriously and that's because I won't die from it and society considers feces and defecation as funny. Although these are true, what people don't see is that a lot of end up living our lives around our stomachs.
It's not life-threatening but it's life-ruining.
Yes! It’s stops us from planning our lives
I've stopped leaving the house because public bathrooms are less accessible thanks to covid. It isn't fatal but sometimes the pain is so bad it feels like it will be. People don't understand
"It's not life-threatening, but is life-ruining". Thank you for typing that. I can think of several people who will appreciate the succinctness. That's often needed to help others understand.
Can relay 😔
Sadly there aren't enough doctors to fix life ruining problems. Only just barely enough to fix the life threatening stuff.
You can thank your politicians and medical leaders/admins
“Your diarrhea is in your head?!” I laughed.
Yeah i had to pause for a minute after that joke lmao 😂
I have genuinely had doctors say stuff like that to me in the past... it sounds so ridiculous when you say it out loud... kinda makes me wonder why I let it et to me at the time 😂
@@chandrasunny yep. Not IBS (though I do have bowel issues) and so many docs think my migraine "is all in your head". Like yeah, my stomach is in my head?
A few months ago I told a friend that I think I have IBS (they have IBS) and I said I never bothered to talk to a doctor about it because they can't do anything, and they pushed me to go to the doctor because "I take medication for it! There is treatment, it doesn't have to be this bad!"
Turns out I had a different diagnosis, treatable, but the lesson was don't dismiss yourself, talk to your doctor--and if you feel dismissed by the doctor find a new doctor!
Ok but HOW??? Because I’ve seen so many doctors and describe my symptoms and they say it’s because I’m stressed with school and work and to just eat more fiber and sleep. It’s been almost a year!!!! My belly looks pregnant while the rest of me is thin, I look weird and feel weird. I wake up okay, but my belly grows and hardens as the day goes, even if I don’t eat anything, it’s like my body fills up with AIR and it hurts to breath because my belly expands more and my stomach makes these very Loud liquid gurgling sounds. I constantly feel pressure in my rectum. I only 💩 once a day in the morning because I take stool softeners before bed, and it comes out, but then it stops, and it feels like it’s gets stuck and that there’s a wall blocking and the pressure builds up again.…. I feel heavy, uncomfortable, nauseous, I’ve tried enemas and had a doc stick a finger in me but they said there was no impaction lumps. I was truly scared that so much would come out of me on the hospital bed, but NOTHINGGG!!!!
So what did you actually say to your doctor to get them to actually diagnose and treat??
Thank you for this. My parents insisted my IBS was in my head and would deny me access to a toilet, then physically and emotionally abuse me when I would have accidents. 20 years later and I'm still working through the trauma.
Man you got handed some shit parents.
I'm so sorry you had to go through that. That's awful!
Ibs can be a traumatic physical respons, stress has a direct effect on your gut. For me constant domestic stress as a kid triggered my ibs, it was the only way my stress could relieve itself. In your case the abuse couldve been the trigger for your ibs, which is a very real and painful respons to a very real and painful situation. You can be mentally so strong, but your body cant ignore the things you're trying to suppress.
My personal treatment is holistic, like mindfullness, meditation and acceptance. It cant hold back every attack, but it can reduce symptoms. Also, peppermint tea might help a little.
Sorry you have to deal with this.
@@BlackBird447 thank you. I'm looking into different stuff like yoga, after having to move back into my childhood home with my abusive family I've developed fibromyalgia from the stress, and I've been sick from my IBS for weeks. I'm seeing a new therapist, I'm hoping she can help me figure out how to survive long enough to turn 30 at the end of the year. I'm going to see if she can help me learn how to meditate.
@@auntbee6993 look up a Buddhist temple near you. They will gladly teach you how to meditate. Changed my life as a teenager dealing with massive panic attacks
Thanks for saying this doc. I had over 16 years of being dismissed. Thanks for seeing us 🥰
Yep this happens a lot. I had been dismissed by my parents(doctors) and other doctors for a month about my gut pain. It was a damn parasite
Oh, Lord!
I'm so sorry!!! 💔
My dr told me I had IBS and to "learn to live with it". No tests run at all. Almost 10 years later, a walk in clinic dr ran a simple test. I had an intestinal parasite. $20 prescription to clear it up.
@@wolfiesara
Blood test?
@@marlenegold280 probably stool sample
@@WiggyWamWam
thx for responding 🙂
Really wish we had more doctors like you. The invalidation from my previous health care providers was so hard to handle. I felt crazy for so long until I finally met my current provider. Really grateful for your kindness and sympathy/empathy.
Genuinely just love this guy, I have learned so much while it’s still entertaining. On some Bill Nye BS, wish I had this in elementary.
I appreciate that!
You have IBS, I have NyeBS
@@TastyTeeth69 those symptoms are in your head because you’re so Nyelistic
Thank you! I was told for years it was all in my head and originally I got slapped with an IBS diagnosis and then received no treatment for it from my PCP. Years later it turned out I had gastroparesis but IBS is no less real and I’m glad you’re out here making sure people understand it is a valid and real disorder that deserves respect and treatment just like any other!
You have gastreopersis ? Sorry if u misspelled it. My father has that and is diabetic. I Would love to hear from u
@@michaelgarcia519
That happens when blood sugars are perpetually too high or Rollercoaster blood sugars.
It is a sign of damage to nerves in the gut.
It can become so serious you cannot eat.
It can be reversed, but it will take a long time, for some up to 1-2 years.
It is worth it to try.
Excellent Resource:
“Diabetes Solution”
Book by Dr. Richard K. Bernstein, Diabetologist.
@@michaelgarcia519 I’m not diabetic. We don’t know why I have it but my theory is that I caught some sort of stomach bug that damaged the primary nerve and it just never healed up right. My mom had something similar symptom wise around the same time mine started so I suspect we both got the same illness. The difference being that hers only extended/was as bad as it was because of her gallbladder being gone since she recovered about two years later where I’ve had mine going for the last eight years.
I’m fortunate in that mine is fairly well controlled so my GP symptoms don’t hinder my normal day to day life as significantly as before I was treated. It might get worse as I get older or it might get better. We’ll just have to wait and see 🙂
Yeah me too I was told I have IBS with 0 tests run. So this kinda bothers me but it shouldn’t. No idea what’s wrong with me
Thank you for doing this! I have fibromyalgia and IBS-D, so it's great hearing a doctor saying these invisible illnesses are real and treatable.
Me too, hang in there!
Fibromyalgia and IBS-C here :)
I have fibro and IBS C and D. 😢.
How I felt when I finally got diagnosed with fibromyalgia. I felt validated for the first time ❤
Yes, 100% this. Me too.
Yup we all feel that. Problem is thatnot everyone else is willing to except it.
Thank you so much for validating me! This is so real. “Why would You make it up?”
This genuinely has me tearing up. So many times I've seen doctors and they just tell me I have anxiety or that I'm exaggerating. When I am able to get tests, if they don't show anything visibly wrong, there's rarely any follow up. Hearing that doctors care enough about their patients not just to rule out conditions, but also to follow up and come up with a treatment plan that can improve their lives is great to hear, we need more doctors like yoh
I wish all Doctors were this compassionate, humane, & HUMAN. ❤️
Headache with WNL diagnostics. Dynamite analogy Doc! I will use this with so many pts to describe symptoms without concrete oetiology. Thank you, and congrats on new job!
This is so important. When people around you, especially medical professionals, dismiss your symptoms, you learn to ignore them and not bring them up. That's how my mom almost died of a blood clot.
After watching my mother and grandmother be medically gaslighted for years while cancer took hold, this video means the world. It's important to really listen to people.
This reminds me of when I got my ibs diagnosis, I saw a nurse practitioner and she was so good, believed me when I told her my symptoms (my old doctor didn't) and did a great job explaining what was going on in my gut to cause it and we ended up finding a medication that works really well for me.
Please tell me how you help ur ibs cause I haven't had that luck :(
@@alisonlee4386 I take a medication called amitriptyline in a low dose (20mg) it helps settle the nerves in my intestines. It's not perfect so I supplement with an anti diarrheal when I need to and I've found taking gasx after a meal helps
@@mehirohouseki tysm!! I'll look into this :)
@@mehirohouseki
Amitriptyline is a
tricyclic antidepressant.
@@marlenegold280 yup! I take it at a much lower dose than you would if you were using it to treat depression and while I don't know the science behind it my doc basically said it helps calm the nerve endings in your digestive system.
Thank you for this! I recently got told I very likely have rumination syndrome, but it was so phrased like it was intentional and in my head, and I could just stop it without any advice or anything. I saw a new doctor and she was a lot more sympathetic and willing to help me understand and get treatment for it. I was literally about to cry walking into that appointment because I didn’t want to be told it was in my head again.
I'm so sorry you're dealing with rumination syndrome, it's uniquely awful and extremely stressful. I have gastroparesis with a side order of rumination syndrome and know how awful it is when a physician makes it out to be all in your head or about attention and not treating it as the legitimately life impacting syndrome it is. A tip from one patient to another, look into apagard premium toothpaste, the nanohydroxyapetite composition helps a lot with mitigating the stomach acid damage to tooth enamel.
@@IW3527 Thank you!❤️ I’ll look into that
THANK YOU! listen as someone who has fibromyalgia, the amount of times docs have told me it's "all in my head" is ridiculous. it's so hard to find validation for something that cant be proven with a blood test. so just, thank you
dude the amount of times i’ve cried after a doctor believed me!! it’s incredibly emotionally taxing being told that there’s nothing wrong and it’s all in your head. thanks for doing the work you do doc
I know exactly how frustrating being denied by a doctor is and I really want you to know you’re not alone in this. It is definitely severely emotionally taxing when they tell us that very, very real pain is just something we should just deal with, not their problem. It is so frustrating that I literally can’t talk about it without crying and I am *so* glad you found someone who believes you.
@@vivienc.9715 you have no idea how much i needed this! i’m sorry you’ve gone through that shit, but i’m glad at least there’s others who have experienced similar things to me. it makes me feel less alone! thank you :)
This entire video is just pitch perfect 😍😍 My heart sinks when I see patients who feel they've not been believed or their symptoms have been overlooked. Just because the tests are normal, DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT REAL! It doesn't mean the suffering is "just in their head"! I know first hand what that feels like. The sooner ALL doctors recognize and believe patient suffering despite normal tests, the better it will be for everyone.
You can also refer to a dietitian! With some patients we can help develop an individual eating plan to help manage symptoms along with the meds
THANK YOU! I was told at 13 yo i had IBS and needed to learn to relax, meditate, and try bio-feedback. That was in the 70s. Forebears I felt dismissed. Same answer for my daily headaches.
I eventually concluded it was a dumping ground dx when a doctor wanted me to shut up and leave their office. The comments above felt like they were blaming me for my issue. "Shame the patient" deal; "you are causing your pain. If YOU relaxed, you wouldn't hurt. It's YOUR fault!
This is a REAL problem for many of us. We've been blamed and shamed for years! I refused to go to any doctor until I was 38 because of the shame game.
Turns out in my case, 95% of MY gut and migraine issues were food related. I eventually went through an elimination diet and learned what foods cause me problems. Milk fat, dairy, gluten, and corn are the worst offenders for my gut. When I ditched those foods, VIOLA, I haven't had severe gut pain in decades!
In wasn't all in mybhead after all.
I had one PA tell me, "there isn't any reason you can't eat any food you want. Food allergies aren't real." This was a GUT doctor. I wanted to throw a chair at her. I left her office sobbing and went straight to my PCP. I stand up for myself now.
Thank you for all you do!
I yelled this at a doctor one day and told them I was sick of this dx as the treatment in the 70s felt like
Such a great explanation for patients!! I always find it hard when I tell people I think they have IBS because there definitely is a stigma against it. A lot of times they might feel like their symptoms aren’t being taken seriously or that the doctor is just saying “it’s all in my head”, but there are so many people with IBS and it’s great you’re educating the public that it really is an established condition with many useful treatment options!
What many treatment options?
Thanks for spreading this message. As someone who suffers with an invisible illness, this touched me deeply
This is so important! Medical gaslighting happens way too much. So many young women are told it's "all in their head" when they have very real and significant health problems. I have Ehler's Danlos Syndrome which caused Craniocervical instability so my spine was literally subluxing all over the place causing all sorts of neurological symptoms and I was told for years it was "all in my head" I'm currently waiting for my second spinal surgery after one amazing doctor diagnosed my EDS. The worst case of this was an A&E doctor trying to brush off my difficulty breathing and extreme pain as anxiety after I had Neurosurgery... I had a CSF leak, my spinal fluid was literally leaking out the surgical site and they had the audacity to blame my symptoms on anxiety... Thank you for being one of the good doctors!
Thank you so much for posting this. A Dr who acknowledges IBS-D instead of just making people feel blown off. I cried tears of joy. Thank you, thank you, thank you
Me, but with IBS-C
“Why would you make it up?”
EXACTLY. Why, other than an immense amount of pain and pressure, would I unabashedly express how much I wish I could fart or poo or for someone to pop me like a balloon?! That’s not the attention anyone wants 😂😭
Might be methane SIBO
As someone suffering from Long Covid, this hits me hard. I wish doctors were more understanding
As someone with ME/CFS, I totally feel that. It's quite similar to long Covid, but I've had it for over 5 years. It took 3 years to get diagnosed.
I want to let you know one thing. If a doctor doesn't believe you, that's their problem. Yes, they're a medical expert, but only you can know what your body feels like. Keep being that squeaky wheel until you get an answer.
If you're up for a little practical advice, here's what helps me and my friend with long Covid:
1. If they refuse to help, look into, or respond to a symptom, ask them to put it in the appointment notes that they refused to treat the patient. Sometimes this will get them to try.
2. Find new doctors. If a doctor continually dismisses your symptoms or gives up on treating you and you are able to find a new doctor, try that. You deserve someone who will fight as hard as you do.
3. If anyone blames it on mental health ask them how to treat that. "Okay, so you're saying my current anxiety treatment isn't working. What change do you suggest?" Show them you know about mental health.
I hope you can find doctors, friends, and peers who understand what you're going through and will support you rather than tear you down.
@@cre-k8-ive Very good advice. I've been lucky enough to have found a GP over these last 9 years that fights for me, educates me, listens to me and considers information that I've looked up myself as I research to understand something I don't fully understand. I feel comfortable to say and discuss anything with her. More often than not she pro actively is in contact with specialists to see what other options she can consider on my behalf, but also did as I asked when I insisted she consult with the specialists to see if something I had read was possible, even though she was pretty sure in herself that it wasn't an option for me. I insisted she consult with the specialists prior to our next appt....she did as I asked and the thrombosis specialist confirmed my GP could go ahead with the hormone therapy I had read about.
We should never be fearful of asking questions, expecting clarification, and pushing for results. Our GPs should be working WITH us and FOR us. On so many levels they are one of our biggest advocate.
@@devinecatlady I'm so glad you found such a great advocate and partner! You described it perfectly. They should be fighting for us and alongside us.
@@cre-k8-ive There was another comment in here somewhere which I felt was a really important message to get through to our family and friends, but most importantly our doctor.
This person said "It may not be life threatening, but it is life RUINING".
I feel that's a crucial message our GPs need to comprehend.
@@devinecatlady That's so true. Your life can completely change and your old life can be over even if you don't have a life threatening condition. Also, some non life threatening conditions can still become dangerous. If my hypersomnia wasn't managed correctly, I could have died from falling asleep in the wrong place.
In my case, I wish people would understand how long time is. I've been sick for 6 years- about a quarter of my life. I've been disabled for my entire adult life. So any delays, any waiting, any losing out on experiences means more to me that it would to a 45 year old in the middle of their career.
THANK YOU
Your head is a real place, and so is everything that happens in it. If you're suffering something is actually wrong. If a doctor tells you otherwise, make a formal complaint and then find a better doctor. And yes, this is especially true if you really are imagining your symptoms, in that case you have a real problem and you need real help real soon.
I wish I could find a GI that really cares like this (over-sharing and all lol)! I literally had surgery to get an ileostomy and they basically said "Welp, that's good enough. We still don't know _why_ a major organ in your body doesn't work, but here's a new butthole in your abdomen to help with the whole broken colon thing!"
It's good to see videos like this and know that there's a whole new generation of doctors starting up that seem to bring more empathy and understanding with patients (not saying all older doctors don't though of course, several of the best doctors I've had are older and very compassionate!)
Thank you doc! I cried. I was just diagnosed with IBS after years of doctors telling me there was nothing wrong with me.
I know I’m just a random person on UA-cam but you’re not alone. (I cried too)
That is something that is so true. I at one point felt like my pain could not be real and I was just being dramatic but then I thought about it and realized that my friend were telling me I look pale and there were other symptoms that could not be in my head.
Man, being told “this is real” is something that’s been changing my life recently. There’s something about finally being heard after years of being told I’m overexaggerating or faking it that just… it completely changes my viewpoint and calms me down.
I had bloating and pain in my stomach for a few months, it'd been almost debilitating. I couldn't really sleep because I was anxious and waking up to pain in my stomach was awful. I went to several doctors and since the tests showed no inflammation, they sent me home. It feels nice finally having a name for it, thank you ❤️
My worst "episodes" would wake me up in the middle of the night. You're the first person I've ever seen who said the same happened to them. After particularly bad "episodes" I would be anxious about going to bed. Being tired but also being afraid to lay down to go to sleep was as really sad point for me. 😔
Thank you for this, I've never had a doctor validate my IBS. They just told me nothing was wrong while my symptoms ruined my life. Still haven't found an effective treatment regimen but once I took my health seriously myself, things got a whole lot better.
I really get how life ruining this is and I’m so amazed at this comment section. I am so glad that people (including me) can feel seen and validated and know that they are not alone just by hearing other people’s stories. I hope you know this as well, that you aren’t alone in this battle. Whew sorry that got a little sappy… but I do mean it.
Thank you! I was almost sent to a pain rehab center (where they basically tell u to suck it up and deal w ur pain cuz its not that bad) when I was 12/13 because they thought I was making up the pain I was having because of my headaches-which I had to drop out of school for.
So I have chronic migraines and it’s not just pain. It also messes up your thinking, emotions, and vision and I get the pain all the way down my back. It got so bad I was sitting in a cancer facility taking an IV there.
So now I’m on 9 different medications for them and I’m still out for half the month, unable to function.
But hey, it’s just a little headache, right?
Again, thank you. Most people dont just bring crap up. And especially kids. Please take them seriously. I would be so much better off if 11 years ago any one of the doctors I’d seen from then to today had listened to me.
Yes!!!! All I got when I was younger was “oh you’re too young to have migraines. How silly of you. You’ll be fine. Here, have some Tylenol.” My mom tried all sorts of things, even chiropractors and acupuncture and all of that, but I’m glad to say that it is better now and I’m really sorry that you have had to go through that yourself. Mine wasn’t nearly as bad but I hope I can help you to feel like you are not alone in this.
@@vivienc.9715 thanks, hon. I do feel better but also worse bcuz it sucks when someone else is suffering too. I remember going down that rabbit hole as well….and finding out acupuncture was not covered by our insurance-after the procedure😅. Took a real hit there. I’m glad ur doing better and I hope u stay well! Keep on living that beautiful life :)
Thank you for this!
My mom is a doctor and spent my entire childhood (and still does) accusing me of being a hypochondriac. Nope, actually chronically ill. Autistic and won the lottery with all the comorbidities… yay
You explain it so well, I needed to hear that. The whole 'it's in your head'-thing can make you feel so unseen and unheard.
A lot of doctors tend to say it's all in your head.
In my experience, it tends to be older doctors. Younger doctors have a newer take on functional disorders and how to treat them.
Literally my experience. They jumped to brain tumor before they were like hm maybe we try putting ypu on fodmap. Years of chronic stomach pain, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, nausia, all nearly gone in the first couple of weeks
The fodmap diet is amazing! Ever since I did it A couple years ago, my worst bouts aren't even close to as painful as they used to be!
Thank you for saying this. When I was diagnosed as a child I always felt like doctors didn't care and it wasn't a real thing, even though it's crippling. I've only recently started looking into medical treatment again after years of just coping and avoiding lots of foods and situations.
I get that. It really rips you out of your life, and especially as a kid I might add.
Thank you for this video. I've been dealing with IBS for about a year and half and it's been absolutely terrible. It took a lot of tests and a change of doctors, but I've still had this lingering feeling of that it was my fault or something. Thank you for the validation and kindness.
I know that feeling so well. You have no idea how much I resonate with this comment… sorry that was kind of weird but it’s true. Every time I would have one of these phases or episodes or whatever I really felt like… what did I do to deserve this? I totally feel how awful this is and how it pulls you away from life. I’m sad to say that I’m still in a position where my doctor won’t really do anything or listen to me. I’m trying to change that but it’s really just not happening yet and I just wanted to know you aren’t alone and that you helped me to realize that, too.
This is very informative and I was laughing throughout! 10/10 content
That’s always my goal!
I wish I had doctors like this, I'm afab and last time I went in for year and a half long vomiting, fluctuating appetite, and feeling tired and sick the doctor said it was most likely anxiety related, and then they didn't even attempt to address that either:/ Same thing happened when I literally fainted, both the male doctors said I got "overwhelmed" even when me and my mom both said there wasn't anything going on that would prompt that😐
When I had surgery to remove 3 ovarian cysts, my doctor found stage 4 endometriosis. When she came to my room after, she said “your pain is real.” That meant so much to me
Seeing this, from a real doctor, even just as a comedy sketch, gave me so much encouragement.
-someone with a genetic disease and multiple chronic conditions
Excellent vid Doc…. Could feel kindness in your explanation. I’m glad you GI docs exist. Much love.
this kind of brought me to tears, it‘s nice to hear this. thanks!
I wish more doctors were like this
This is what chronic pain and fatigue patients need. Thank you for this
I’m gonna cry, I wish my doctor took me seriously, I gotta change doctors
My doctor told me my chest and arm pain was just be being pregnant, went to get a second opinion and turns out i was having a full blown heart attack for 3 days.
YES!! A doc that gets it!! I've had a recurring UTI for the past few years, and i have been examined by Urologist and Gyneocologist to see if there is something wrong. Both concluded that its all in my head since they cant see anything wrong. But like.. i'm still in pain, lab test shows that there is an infection, but after been prescribed meds to rid the infection, i still get UTI !! 😓
😭 this was so sweet. It's so nice to be acknowledged, I'm also recently accepting I've had IBS for years but never had a doctor take it seriously.
Me neither, and I want you to know that there are more, because I felt so alone for such a long time because my doctor just kept dismissing it and… yeah, I feel you
I finally found a fysiotherapist that took me this seriously. Its amazing how much progress I've made in 3 sessions that consisted of mostly talking l.
I had never even seen the word fysiotherapist before
@@jessicaroseelizabethp.7911 I think that's because I spelled it wrong. Physiotherapist. (I combined the Dutch and English word by accident)
honestly one of my favourite videos of yours. thanks doc!
The first time I had a doctor actually listen to me, acknowledge what I was saying and make a plan to treat my symptoms, I burst into tears. I'd been sick for 6 or 7 years by that point.
Same. 7 years of my doctor telling me it was just lactose intolerance. I unfortunately haven’t gotten someone to help with this, but from this video I know that there actually is treatment. I honestly had no idea and I just thought it was me. I’m sooo glad to see that you have found someone who will actually see and believe you and I just want to say how seen *you* are in your story as well.
This is an infinitely more helpful explanation than my doctor going: "You're just stressed" or "you just have anxiety". Thank you for understanding how to talk to human beings.
Thank you. Mine causes my abdomen to swell to way more than the average amount of bloating. I often have to explain to people that my spirit animal is a puffer fish: if you stress me out I go poof.😂
i've got IBS-D. and i know this discussion all too well :(
Same :(
First doctor I saw about my joints didn’t take me seriously. I’d be in so much pain after a shift at work. Knees, elbows, ankles, but especially my knees. I shouldn’t crack and pop as much as I do. My current doctor, she’s amazing. She took it seriously and now it’s just a matter of working with my schedule to get lab work done to rule out serious issues like diabetes. I recently also had a zoom visit with her about gut issues too. Which can also affect joints. It’s refreshing to hopefully soon be able to manage the pain. We’ve also been talking about me wanting to get my tubes tied. She takes it seriously even though I’m 33 and doesn’t give me the “you may change your mind” crap I’ve gotten for the last decade.
It’s nice to be validated! Thank you!
Thank you so much for this post! I suffer from IBS and I know it can be really frustrating for some of us when people don't get it.
OMG this. 🙌🙌🙌
Thank you Doc.
Even my last GI Dr. blew off my IBS (didn't have the IBS-D differentiation back then) as nothing AND that I had stomach ulcers. I was 26. I was passing blood for days after the last upper and lower scope and his nurse blew off my Mom for calling for me because I was in so much pain. I haven't been back to anyone until scheduling with a younger PA for this month. Older Drs have made the mistake of basically telling us we're overly dramatic women for years, then act like we're to blame when it turns out we have cancer that THEY should have caught years before. But no, we "just had anxiety" and "just needed therapy to better deal with stress." Sure. That's a great way of taking zero accountability for a generation of doctors failing women. 🤨
Thank you thank you thank you. As a woman with endometriosis, fibromyalgia and IBS, I always feel like my doctors are saying “oh nothing is wrong, you’re crazy” and I DO have anxiety so it’s easy to believe. But the sometimes debilitating pain is REAL. It’s a totally frustrating cycle.
Thank you for being a good doctor! ♡
As someone with psychological problems suddenly everything was from that for doctors... Now I fight for my health every time
Are there neurological treatments or does that fall under the pain management of the syndrome such as gabapentin?
I've literally never been this early dkskssksk
Thanks for putting this out. A few years ago I had terrible terrible stomach aches and headaches. Everyone told me it was in my head and did nothing to help the symptoms. A few years later, my new primary doctor finally listened to me and worked with me to track my symptoms. With a strict diet and meds, I no longer have stomach or much head pain.
It’s very nice to be heard!
As an ibs sufferer this almost made me cry. I was told I had ibs, given a sample of probiotics and told to change my diet. No help, no direction, no follow up,no nothing. Just dismissed.
This is the same with me. I finally got diagnosed with IBS after literally 7 years of being told it was just lactose intolerance by my doctor. Did they treat it? Nope. Did they even tell me what it is? Nope. Just left me to wallow in my more frequent and worsening pain. And you know what? They still haven’t treated it. I’m really starting to feel kind of hopeless. This video really gave me the validation I didn’t know I needed and it almost made me cry too. I don’t know… I guess I’m just hoping that you know that you really aren’t alone in this.
Thank you! This is so amazingly comforting to see someone talk about.
I’m 18 I feel sick every day I have physically visible symptoms but all my tests come back clear, so I’ve been bouncing from doctor to doctor constantly with no results or help. Thank you Doc Schmidt for taking this seriously and explaining it in such a nice way!
I really, really feel you on this one. Maybe even more than all the other stories and comments here. I just feel so trapped with this and couldn’t help thinking “what did I do to deserve this?” when I had these episodes with my IBS. I was ignored by my doctor for 7 years, feeling worse and worse and having multiple episodes a day. I know firsthand how this affects life, and how easy it is for doctors to just look at this little sheet of paper and say “Nope! Looks fine to me!” Well this pain seriously isn’t. Until this video I seriously didn’t know anyone else had this really and I just wanted to tell you how much you are seen and how much I also have experienced. Also at a pretty close age to yours (I mean… it *is* the internet so I don’t think I should really share my actual age… but it is pretty close) that just makes me resonate even more with your story. My mom has gone to a lot of places other than doctors like acupuncture (you know, nothing crazy) but I just really feel trapped. This, of course, piles onto everything else that is going on at this point in my life makes it SO hard and… well… what I’m just trying to say is I really want you to know that you are not alone and… yeah this comment section of this super short and amazing video kind of led to all this being brought up so… I’m very sorry for making this so long, I just got caught on a rant there for a second.
I have IBS-D. Searched for relief for years. Finally saw a gastro and actually have medication that has changed my life! Still have occasional issues and there are things I can’t eat but I’m so glad to have found a doctor that could treat me and believed me. Thank you for posting this!!
I'm literally having an IBS flair and watching shorts as I run back and forth to the bathroom. Doc, I love the hell out of you. A lot of my issues don't show on tests and I struggle with even believing I'm valid. I have a RSI that didn't show up with MRIs, X-rays, and nerve tests. I spent a year of my life trying to be taken seriously for it. I wish more doctors were like you
Whaaaaat. Thank you doc schmidt. I am a teen and went to a doctor for this exact problem actually, and she said it was just my period. And that it influences my gut all year around as well that it's just the stress from school and that I should do more sport and calm down. Thank you, for taking patients seriously.
Same situation. My doctor said it was just lactose intolerance. I have terrible pain episodes twice a day and what does she tell me? Just don’t eat cheese and you’ll be fine.
Thank you for having this outlook, doc. I was eventually diagnosed with a severe motility disorder (that has resulted in a few blockages) at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, which presents like IBS-C, along with a “grossly tortuous” colon. But when my issues first began, one of the first doctors I saw palpated my stomach and proceeded, based off that alone, to tell my mom “her guarding is way too dramatic, it can’t hurt that much, she’s definitely seeking attention.” My mother cried in front of him because we so desperately needed, and thought we’d be receiving, help. It is devastating when doctors respond that way, and had my parents been the type to believe him, I wouldn’t be here right now. Thank you for listening to your patients 💛
A someone who has spent all of their adult life with chronic illnesses where doctors don't know what's happening, this is all I ever want to hear.
"This is real" means everything. Thank you so much.
30 years ago I was sent to a shrink, shrink said find another Dr.
8 doctors later and tons of money down the drain... finally I got diagnosed with diverticulitis.
Took me going a strange route, of signing up for a clinical trial, where all kinds of expensive tests are done free to me, but hey thinking outside the box got me to my answer and a treatment plan.
I love this. IBS runs in my family and all the tests say there is nothing wrong with my guts so I got an IBS diagnosis but it was made to seem like it was just "don't know what's wrong with ya. That'll be $75". I had to ask for something to help treat my symptoms, which I have learned is labeled as IBS-D. I'm doing decently well, but still have days where it can be pretty bad. Recently had an accident in a Walmart where I didn't make it to the restroom in time, which is humiliating. This is something I've dealt with all my life and I can still have such accidents. So frustrating to hear people try to give their advice when they have no idea what is going on. But this short is great, it feels great to hear a Doctor say that IBS is real and treatable and something to work on and then have that doctor actually want you to keep working on it with them.
I've been dismissed by doctors a lot with all sorts of symptoms. World needs more doctors like this one!
As someone with IBS I encourage anyone with symptoms to persist in getting the medical care you need! With meds, diet changes, and enzyme pills, my symptoms have greatly improved and I can eat almost anything I want - it is worth it, keep trying and don't let anyone deny your experience or deny you care.
You're clearly a good doctor and I wish there were more of you.
You are one of the good ones doc
I love hearing doctors talk like this. I've had so many dismiss me because my tests come back normal or so ambiguous they can't figure out the problem. I've been told either my symptoms are anxiety or that I'm simply too young to have my symptoms, or that it's not possible to have all of my symptoms at once. All of those statements have eventually been refuted by further testing and doctors who actually care about my health, but the trauma of being disbelieved runs deep. If you listen to your patients like this, you're a real hero.
This is how I feel with my Fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. I wish I could find a Dr to understand like this
I have IBS. The doctor that diagnosed me also had IBS. I ended up in his office after being in so much pain for 4 days I could barely move (and the pain only subsided because I was taking meds)
I've struggled with stomach pain my whole childhood, whenever I got upset, scared, or stressed. Or ate too much 🤷🏻♀️
It was a relief to finally have a diagnosis
Doc, THANK YOU FOR VALIDATION
Kristina here, obviously I have IBS, I’m allergic to NSAIDS, have migraines severely of almost every kind (including abdominal migraines!!), motion sick all the time (I know, neuro is in charge of that), a slew of psychiatric disorders (almost all of them except depersonalization, borderline personality disorder and multiple personality disorder), I’ve been in SVT before and I have pretty high blood pressure when in pain aaand I thought I’d come out with my disorders and diseases first because they might be of particular interest to you. You being a GI specialist for one but me and my teaching everyone about the brain-gut connection. And my vomiting my whole life due to a combination of pain/motion sickness and constipation as well as bouts of severe diarrhea. Found out so much over these past years of visiting the ER and going to specialists. Found out that Zofran causes me a rebound migraine inducing even more nausea so watch out for your migraine patients pretty please. Also, suppositories of either Compazine or Phenergan are amazing for migraine patients. Reglan causes me to have jerking motions plus it doesn’t stop the nausea..I respond quite well to ativan too but best to promethazine tablets and suppositories. BUT (haha because you’re a “butt” dr) I have completely conquered my nausea and vomiting with the aid and addition of Haloperidol!! It changed my life Dr. Schmidt!! Not only useful for my schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and anxiety but verr helpful for my constant sickness I used to endure. Also, I was slowly being poisoned to near death with dun, dun, dun..Toradol. Seriously, once my GI specialist banned me from having Toradol as well as all other NSAIDS, I have almost stopped visiting the ER. Seriously, I was a frequent ER flyer at many emergency rooms across the conejo valley and now since stopping the Toradol, I’ve gone from twice a week ER visits to only about 6 times during the entire past year. Imagine me waiting for you to come see me in a doctors office, I bet you’d be glad I had all of this information written down or that you’d had read my whole essay. Seriously though, if you come across a patient with similarities to me and my case, just don’t give them zofran. Oh, I might have a very mild case of gastroparesis but I have to have the emptying scan. Oh, and bile reflux but that decreased after the lap-choly. But whenever I do upchuck (I just had to try that one for the sake of comedy)it’s got plenty of bile and it’s typically 12 hours after eating. If you ever need to make someone vomit ASAP you should try Ergotamine. Also something I’m allergic to but it was almost as soon as it was pushed through my IV that I started tossing my cookies. I was SO sick to my stomach and immediately I’m even more pain than the pre existing level 7/8 migraine. I had never been at a 10 before!! I thought my head would explode because of the vasoconstriction and the doctor was so surprised by my reaction to the ergotamine that he yelled over everyone in the room, “Kristina, I am so sorry we’re going to give you a milligram of Dilaudid right away”. Could you imagine?!! Yeah, vasodilation and anything that causes it, is my best friend during a migraine episode. THC, caffeine, opioid pain medicine..even the iodine contrast they use in CT makes my migraine better!! In the end Doc, it’s a crapshoot. 😂😂😂 I’m so incredibly sorry but it was my almost last chance to make you laugh. Namaste my favorite UA-cam doctor. Keep making bellies happy, I know you’ll keep making us laugh considerably and may all of your cases not be as complicated as mine is. And yes, it’s like seeing you out in public and asking you about a rash on my leg. Except not because I have some very relevant GI issues and I have one more thing for you to mention in any of your future videos. Well, two but that’s not the point. It’s true that the serotonin in our brain is made by the gut..about 90% of it, right? And one last thing I found crazy interesting is that eating potatoes can produce serotonin..but by/via/per the production of the serotonin IN THE GUT SO GO AND EAT ALL POTATOES OF ALL KINDS AND BE HAPPY AS CAN BIOLOGICALLY BE VIA THIS AMAZING SYSTEM THANK YOU CLEVELAND LOL😅
This is so cool I love that this content and message is getting into mainstream media. Fibromyalgia and IBS is one of the most frustrating things ever and it’s really nice that doctors are reassuring people how real it is
This is so validating. Three years ago I had a horrible GI infection that landed me in the hospital twice. The doctors tested me for every possible infection but came up with nothing. I developed IBS as a result of that unknown infection and my docs all seemed very unconcerned with not knowing what caused it which really alarmed me. It made me feel like I was overreacting. Your video helped bridged a gap. Thank you!
So glad you called this out! I have been diagnosed with Crohns disease since 2016 and it gets to be draining to explain because I "look fine"....grateful to have amazing drs who take care of me at the Vanderbilt IBD clinic, but still so worth it to mention this! Just because you cant SEE something or it doesn't show up on regular tests doesn't mean its not real! 👏👏👏
I love this!!!! All GI doctors need to watch this little clip and take this approach with their patients.
We need more doctors like this please!!!!! 🥺🥺🥺😭😭😭🥺
The tone of his voice and how fast he talks makes it sounds like the ads on tv for new medicines
Please do more videos like this where you educate on actual medical issues so people who are feeling stuck might be able to understand and get help with it! 💚
This made me want to cry and smile at the same time! I wish i had this support, and im happy that a doc. Made this short😢😊