Evening all. I haven't been diagnosed with ibs , however I have been having bowel problems since around February 2023. I have barretts oesophagus , diverticular and hemorrhoids. Also i take ppi's as i have too much acid .The diverticular was diagnosed after a scan i had as i had a fecal impaction and this diagnosis was back in around 2017-2018. In early 2023 I had a need to go and held off until I got home ( i know and I no longer do this) . The urge got stronger and stronger and I suddenly got cramps and had to literally just soil myself and things improved. I was ok for a couple of days and then install started getting an urgency out of nowhere and getting caught out , along with some bad cramping. I felt though that I had some sort of constipation and so I upped my fibre by quite a lot and the cramping disappeared and I stopped getting caught out , although I was having an urgency every morning with little warning and the feeling of incomplete movement. I also had strange almost chemical/acid smell from my bm as well as being darker and lots of small chipolata shapes as opposed to one or two cigar ones. Eventually I had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy and nothing was found , however the prep/ cleanse (plenvu) totally rid me of my symptoms. However after a while some came back .I very rarely get cramping , maybe four times in thirty months and diarrhoea maybe four times in that time . However my bowels still aren't quite right and although no pain i can't explain. Today is a prime example as they don't feel right and i have had four movements with little warning. Kind of lost and hoping someone might have an idea . It all started around February 23 , just a couple of months before my 53rd birthday , now 55 . Edit to add i was showing quite bad inflammation too and my left side would feel very big /full , but this also has subsided since the colonoscopy which was just over a year ago.

Edited November 20, 2025Nov 20 by Boboo1
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I am so sorry. I also have Barrets, Gerd and IBS-C. I have been struggling with constipation for almost a year. My doc wants me to start on Linzess.

On 12/30/2025 at 5:21 AM, Marcia Lynne said:

I am so sorry. I also have Barrets, Gerd and IBS-C. I have been struggling with constipation for almost a year. My doc wants me to start on Linzess.

Hi Marcia,

Are you hesitant to start on Linzess? What have you tried in the past?

Hi, I am so sorry you have been going through this discomfort for so long. Your story of sudden urges and the feeling of “incomplete emptying” sounds exhausting, especially when the tests are inconclusive.

The fact that the colonoscopy cleanse (Plenvu) temporarily relieved your symptoms is very interesting. This often indicates that the problem may be related to the balance of the microflora or a specific reaction of the intestines to certain types of food debris that are “washed out” during the preparation. Given your history of diverticulosis and taking PPIs (proton pump inhibitors), this “chemical” smell and change in stool shape may be related to changes in acidity that affect digestion throughout the length of the GI tract.

Since you are 55 and have had symptoms since 2023, despite a “clean” colonoscopy, I would strongly advise against dwelling on this. Sometimes standard tests are not enough to detect functional disorders or specific inflammatory processes.

I was once very helped by the professional approach at Manhattan Gastroenterology. They have cool specialists who look deeper than just the scan results and help to understand such “complicated” cases as yours. If possible, try to make an appointment for a consultation, maybe it’s worth checking for SIBO (bacterial overgrowth syndrome) or choosing a specific diet that will not provoke diverticula.

Hang in there, I hope you will soon find the cause and regain your normal well-being!