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Irritable Bowel, Take 1
On some occasions and generally very late at night I awake in a restless state and with a general sense of unease. While there is lower left abdominal pain, it is very low-sometimes seemingly as low as my anus. I have a vague urge to have a bowel movement and generally find myself on the commode soon after. While the urge is present, there is generally nothing, or very little, to expel. Soon after I become light headed and nauseated. I have never vomited as a result of this, although I can imagine that some who experience these symptoms might do so (I am grateful that I have not!). It is not uncommon that I find myself face down on the floor-so distressed that I feel like I might pass out. Soon after these symptoms abate somewhat, generally in a span of 2-5 minutes, I feel very dehydrated, finding myself calling out for a glass of ice water. These symptoms largely disappear within 10 minutes, but it is not uncommon that they reappear within 15 to 20 minutes and that 2-4 cycles occur over the span of 1 to 2 hours.
While a number of disorders can be related to symptoms such as these, I believe that, in my case, these instances of lower left abdominal pain are related to an irritable bowel brought on by too rich a diet and aggravated by stress. I do not know exactly what dietary items bring these symptoms on, but have generally found that such attacks occur after eating rich, heavy foods (like commercially produced donuts or pecan rolls). A balanced diet comprised of whole grains and home cooked meals seem to lessen such attacks. Increasing roughage seems to be a key aid in prevention here
