Could your IBS-D be Habba Syndrome?
I am Cured!! Lori's story:
habba syndrome
I am freaking out because for the first time in 35 years, I am functional. Really functional; not 'just for the moment' functional. No bathroom mapping needed. No worrying about every morsel I put in my mouth, or every drop I drink.I have been working to curb anxiety and have been trying all sorts of dietary modifications and IBS medicines for 34 years. I have been fighting and struggling with what I thought was IBS and panic syndrome since I was 15. I don't need to list all the doctors, tests and medications I have tried, because if you are at this site, you have been there, too. Now, at age 48, I finally have the correct diagnosis and it isn't IBS! It is a recently identified gallbladder problem called "Habba Syndrome". It mimics severe IBS- D. A person with Habba Syndrome will experience violent diarrhea immediately after, or even during meals, especially ones including fatty foods. Because of this urgency, patients usually look for a bathroom wherever they go, also known as "bathroom mapping". These symptoms are usually very distressing and may cause social embarrassment and interference with daily activities. Some patients are even homebound in fear of social embarrassment. Some lose weight because they are afraid to eat for fear of getting diarrhea.
http://habbasyndrome.com/_wsn/page2.html
Habba Syndrome is caused by a gallbladder that doesn't function right. Normally, the liver produces bile salts when you eat, which go into your intestinal tract to help digest fat, and the gallbladder helps to process this bile. With the syndrome, the gallbladder does not process the bile as well as it should, and the body tries to dilute the bile by dumping a bunch of water into the intestinal tract. The water is what causes the violent trots. People who have had their gallbladders removed also experience this problem, and doctors have been prescribing Questran (cholestyramine) for years to control the diarrhea. I was classic. I bathroom mapped, planned outings very, very carefully, took changes of clothes, had extreme anxiety when travelling, and felt that my quality of life and my dignity were suffering badly from my incontinence and my fear of attacks. If you read my Part 1 story, you can hear about all my sufferings and humiliations. I have enormous empathy for anyone else on the planet who suffers the anxiety of never knowing if you are in control or not. It is awful. I am also amazed by the courage sufferer's exhibit.
From my very first dose of cholestyramine (Questran in the U.S), I felt a new sensation after eating. I felt settled. I felt normal. I felt no need to do pre-emptive trips to the bathroom. I have been on the med for a month now, and have been so free! I have driven for 2 hours to pick my daughter up at the airport with NO pit-stops and little anxiety, watched movies from start to finish, taken a 4 day spring break car trip, eaten steak at a restaurant, shopped, walked after eating, soaked at a hot springs, and have begun taking off for the store on a moments notice. Life is changing.If you think you might have Habba Syndrome, check out Dr. Saad Habba's website, and talk to your doctor. Relief could be in the cards for you, too. God Bless you all!
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