“I’m starving 24/7 no matter what I eat?”
I am a 21 year old female, 5”5, 110lbs, with IBS. I’ve had a chesty cold and a bad cough for a week, and I’m not feeling any better. My worst symptom is that for the past three nights I’ve woken up multiple times in the early hours with the worst hunger pangs in the center of my stomach, my stomach was literally pulsating and growling so loud. I have to eat a snack and it eventually goes away but if I don’t eat it is extremely painful. During the time I’ve been ill, there isn’t a moment I haven’t been in pain in my stomach. It just feels like I’m absolutely starving and haven’t eaten for days. I’ve eaten large meals but after I finished it feels like I haven’t even eaten at all. I’m hungry literally every second of the day and I don’t understand? I keep eating but I’m still starving. I also feel incredibly bloated, and my stomach looks like it’s 4 months pregnant. I have no food intolerances that I know of, been tested for coeliac but came back clear.
Female | 21 years old
Complaint duration: 7
Medications: None
Conditions: IBS
1 Answer
First thing to figure out is whether the pain you have is coming from the colon, small bowel or stomach. I cannot tell based on your description. Should get a full history and physical exam to help determine what the problem is. Bloating can be from obstruction, or more likely carbohydrate malabsorption. Try reducing carbohydrates in your diet.
