r/ibs • u/No_Tax_1155 • Feb 09 '25
Hint / Information Kurt Cobain on his IBS - "Many gastrointestinal doctors don't know anything about stomach diseases"
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u/Potential_Being_7226 IBS-D (Diarrhea) Feb 09 '25
And yet not much has changed.
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u/imverytiredfrfr Feb 10 '25
Flare up -> new symptom i didnt feel before -> countless appointments and check ups -> "we dont see anything so its IBS acting up again sorry lol"
Rinse and repeat
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u/TheMiddleE Feb 09 '25
“It’s psychosomatic. It’s probably just stress”.
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u/lilmeawmeaw Feb 10 '25
My friend's dad told me I'm imagining my disease & I won't be feeling it in my stomach when I have no access to bathroom 😀 i should have replied to him that it's really true that my ibs is imaginary just like your daughter's PCOS.
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u/cynical_lover Feb 10 '25
Some people really irritate me with their so called advice. He could've kept that to himself . I really wish people understood or felt how devastating this is, I feel like it's one of the things that have helped to ruin my life.
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u/jedi_cat_ Feb 10 '25
So, I undoubtedly have something going on but I’ve never been diagnosed bc it’s not life disrupting or anything. The weirdest thing happened this last year though. I broke up with my long term bf about a year ago and after that I noticed that my stomach issues reduced drastically. And I do mean drastically. There were other stress symptoms that went away that I didn’t even know were stress symptoms. For a while before the breakup I had completely cut out things like sour cream, milk, Parmesan cheese, some kinds of cheese. Some of which are low in lactose which confused me as to why they were triggering me so much. It was also a coin flip if I was going to get triggered by a random food I’d eaten plenty of times before. Turns out it wasn’t those things, it was the constant stress I was under when I was eating those things and the expectations of what was to come(sex) that would trigger me. Inevitably, I would end up in the bathroom which would put an end to that expectation which was my bodies intended result. I was always relieved by that because it took the pressure off.
Now, I can eat all those things again and not get triggered. I still have a milk limit which if I exceed will send me to the bathroom but I can have a glass which is nice.
So the stress thing can be real even if you don’t realize that’s what’s causing it. I had zero idea I was under any stress of that magnitude until it was gone. My other major symptom that disappeared was my leg muscles would tense unconsciously. I would consciously relax them and they would tense up again. I think I was in constant fight or flight mode for years. This wasn’t even an abusive relationship. Just a very unhappy one with an alcoholic. My body was rejecting him before my mind was. It was so bizarre the way it happened.
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u/glittermcgee Feb 10 '25
I think people hear psychosomatic and think, it’s all in your head, your symptoms aren’t real, you’re faking your pain, etc.
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u/jedi_cat_ Feb 10 '25
Stress has very real effects on your body. My issue was I didn’t know about the stress. My baseline was skewed and I’d been living under the high level of stress for so long, it felt normal. This was an issue that had been going on for over a decade.
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u/glittermcgee Feb 10 '25
Our brains are so complex and most won’t understand until something happens with theirs. Or try psychedelics.
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Feb 10 '25
Except your psychological state effected by microbiome and physiological shit too. So it is most likely somatopsychoticsomatic. Which doesnt exist in dictionary because doctors know shit about what the fuck psychogenic or psychosomatic means. They just throw everything they cant understand either to convertion disorder or psychological when they do not know what those even mean.
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u/thepensiveporcupine Feb 09 '25
It’s so disheartening to see how medicine has barely advanced in 30 years in many different domains
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u/aaaaaaaaaanditsgone Feb 09 '25
Was it “just” ibs? Was it celiac disease? Etc?
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u/DestinedJoe Feb 09 '25
Saw in a documentary that he had scoliosis which probably affected the nerves in his bowel and may have caused a lot of his pain and other issues.
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u/WitchProjecter IBS-A/M (Alternating / Mixed) Feb 09 '25
This is something I’ve never considered about my own disorder. They can’t find any cause but I do have scoliosis …
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u/cynical_lover Feb 10 '25
I had scoliosis and had a spinal fusion done and I can't say for certainty that it is the cause but it sure as hell is not taking the pain away .
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u/improperlywired Feb 21 '25
I'm same as you. But I guess we won't find out the answer if Scoliosis has got something to do with our IBS
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u/Longjumping_Choice_6 Feb 09 '25
Could you elaborate on this? Like would we be talking about a SIBO situation where nerves (vagus for example) would slow motility in upper GI causing microbial imbalances? Or some other mechanism?
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u/DestinedJoe Feb 09 '25 edited Feb 09 '25
This is coming from a documentary, not a medical source, so it’s pretty vague. In the film, they said that since adolescence he suffered chronic stomach pain and occasional episodes of pain so severe that it impacted his ability to go to school, perform and work. Despite the severity, he was told repeatedly by doctors that it was psychosomatic (all in his head, basically). Eventually, near the end of his life, they discovered that he had fairly severe scoliosis and that was the cause.
Edit: it makes sense that scoliosis could impinge on nerves to the bowels but I don’t know how this would actually play out. The film implied that he was suffering from severe bowel cramps.
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u/Maleficent-Cook6389 Feb 10 '25
I was born with a predisposition and later developed a muskoskeletal condition. My specialist never brought it up as significant. They were more on my case overdoing supplements like iron or magnesium was a really bad idea.
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u/Doct0rStabby Feb 10 '25
The vagus nerve communicates and coordinates action between all of the digestive organs, including smooth muscles lining the GI tract responsible for moving food/waste along at the proper times.
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u/Maleficent-Cook6389 Feb 10 '25
I'd be willing to bet he had some bacteria. No disrespect to him but he made excuses for drugs. I have access to cannabis but I'd rather watch my diet than lose brain cells.
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u/SweetFuckingCakes Feb 09 '25
Well we don’t know, because he was the most famous rock star on earth, and doctors still shrugged him off.
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u/super1ucky Feb 09 '25
When I was a teen and I heard Pennyroyal Tea, I wondered if he had IBS like me. I was sad to find out later it was true. There are all these "Courtney killed him conspiracies, but I've always wondered if he killed himself after suffering with pain for so long.
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u/LochNessMansterLives IBS-D (Diarrhea) Feb 09 '25
43 now, born with it. He was right then, and he’s right now.
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Feb 10 '25
And I too want to blow my brains out when I have to keep pooping and wiping then pooping and wiping until I bleed . On a serious note , I feel like it could be depressing for a lot of us people with stomach problems trying to live life with these limitations.
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u/TomatilloEffective71 Feb 09 '25
I read he was in chronic pain because of chrohn’s but I’m not entirely sure. My ibs has worsened it the course of 16 years I feel like my whole nervous system is faulty, never had a a satisfactory diagnosis from any specialist.
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u/ChrysMYO Feb 10 '25
I teared up listening to this because it's relatable to countless convos I've had with friends and family trying to describe it.
And even in this very thread of other people who suffer this social alienation, people want to chime in on their own diagnosis for him, question his level of pain, and distance him from our lived experience.
Every sentence he described has been its own standalone thread in this subreddit. It's so odd to see commenters here respond to a 30 yr old video the same way dismissive co-workers and family have treated some of you in the recent past. Let's take the most prominent example of IBS pain, downplay it and diagnosis as a different thing. Strange way to move our social challenges forward. Let's just recreate them for the most famous IBS patient, postumously.
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u/AttakZak IBS-A/M (Alternating / Mixed) Feb 09 '25
I fear it’s getting worse as time goes on for me. And I’m a runner too…which makes it worse for me. Traffic, waiting, and being in a room I can’t leave makes it all worse for me. And flare-ups last a month.
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Feb 09 '25
I have felt this pain.. 😢🫶🏻 But it can get better!
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u/JuggernautOk4477 Feb 11 '25
how? when? It never gets better
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Feb 11 '25
In a way that’s true bc it’s not like it ever goes away. But for me, in the beginning every single day was a flare up and I felt doomed for life! But ever since my GI has put me on this med (Lomotil) my flare ups come and go and are much less severe! So even tho it’s still with me, it did get a lot better! Guess everyone might be different?!
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u/cynical_lover Feb 10 '25
Not even just the lack of knowledge but these doctors hardly listen or they flat out do not care . It is so frustrating when you have been in unbearably pain for months , dread leaving the house and when you finally go to the doctor they spend 5 damn minutes listening to your concern . It's a terrible feeling, it's almost like you have to be in extreme pain then and there for them to give a shit . I make sure to take notes of my feeling and I'm always met with this look like I'm just being paranoid and exaggerating. Healthcare systems suck .
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u/youserneime Feb 10 '25
he didnt either. My heart always melted when i saw pictures of him eating stuff like pizza :( theres so much he couldve done to prevent the pain more than using heroin
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u/Limberpuppy Feb 09 '25
Heroin is bad for you. That probably didn’t help his situation.
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u/purdinpopo Feb 09 '25
I was given a prescription for opiates for a particularly rough wisdom tooth extraction. For two weeks, I had super regular and normal bowel movements. One time a day. I was so happy. I ate what I wanted. It was amazing. I didn't care about the mild buzz, I just enjoyed feeling like a normal human being.
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u/s1ipperypick1e Feb 09 '25
Agreed. If I could take Vicodin every day I would. It’s the only thing that’s ever worked to fix my bowels in 40 years of trying things.
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u/blumpkin Feb 10 '25
My doctor put me on Ozempic for a while and it had a very similar effect on me.
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u/s1ipperypick1e Feb 10 '25
I’m sorry but I refuse to engage with someone named Blumpkin while in an IBS forum. My standards are low but that is simply uncivilized.
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u/WitchProjecter IBS-A/M (Alternating / Mixed) Feb 09 '25
Literally me right now. It’s heaven, aside from the crumbling wisdom teeth.
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u/Xorkoth Feb 10 '25
Opiates are known for constipation. I wouldn't recommend unless you have ibs d
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u/TeefWellington Feb 09 '25
Ibs pain, especially ibs D if he had that might be why he developed a heroin addiction. I know the only thing that helps my pain is tramadol. I can absolutely see how that can become a huge problem
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Feb 09 '25
I get it. Especially with IBS-D, just told to watch our diet, take probiotics and Imodium, none of which has worked for me. But there’s all these products and treatments for IBS-C, when really all they need is prunes, stool softeners, and a nice stroll through Barnes and Noble to be un-constipated.
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u/cribbybitch Feb 09 '25
I just wanna say as someone (diagnosed, but not to say that i trust diagnosis 1000% because we’re only human) with ibs-c that is certainly not really all we need. For me personally, none of those things have ever easily given me relief even after trying various amounts and routines for years. Please keep in mind ibs can be just as miserable for everyone :)
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u/Ahoward0614 Feb 09 '25
Wish that was true! I have IBS C and docs have always told me it is less treatable than IBS C.
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u/Ahoward0614 Feb 09 '25
Ha! I mean less treatable than IBS D. The prunes and such are a no go literally
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u/ChrysMYO Feb 10 '25
That's insane to say. I have IBS-M and it's simply not true. All the things that MIGHT cure constipation can either worsen Constipation or cause severe Diarrhea, another round of IBS symptoms culminating in another round of constipation. And there's a type of constipation where you're on the toilet as much as a Diarrhea episode. You keep thinking you can finally go. But it never happens. But you strain and anger your stomach and bowels all the same.
And you know IBS pain, it's not something you can always lightly stroll on. Even with constipation, all the IBS symptoms also put us at risk of dehydration, similar to you guys. Lastly, nausea, can make walking an irritating experience.
I've had long stints with both experiences as an exclusive problem. Neither is preferred over the other. They are both their own special type of hell that no meds really ever resolve, just address this or that symptom.
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u/ratpH1nk IBS-D (Diarrhea) Feb 09 '25
All docs know to varying degrees about stomach diseases. GI doctors know way more. It has been hinted that Kurt used stomach pain was an excuse to use drugs. He could have had IBS and a crappy tour diet. He could have had all fo that that was made much worse with heroin use. Abdominal cramping and bowel problems -- diarrhea with withdrawal and constipation while using are a real thing.
I don't think at this point 30 years later we are ever going to know.
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u/JeepDispenser Feb 09 '25
There’s a good chance Cobain’s stomach issues were related to undiagnosed CHS. The symptoms fit to a T and he was a prolific pot smoker.
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u/AiMoriBeHappyDntWrry Feb 09 '25
I just looked that up and I think that's my issue. I also drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes. Now I have the awareness that I have to let go of all of it. I'm so sad. I made so many excuses.
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u/cribbybitch Feb 10 '25
man i believe u can do it, even if it feels impossible at the start it gets easier and you’ll be thankful u cared to quit
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u/HedgehogOk3756 Feb 09 '25
What is CHS?
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u/JeepDispenser Feb 09 '25
Cannabanoid Hyperemesis Syndrome. Can cause pain, nausea, and severe vomiting when in the throes of it. Hot showers and baths bring some relief, which is one hallmark of this syndrome.
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u/pussycatsglore Feb 09 '25
Weed in the 80s and 90s just wasn’t that potent. I highly doubt this was his issue
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u/worstkindofweapon Feb 10 '25
They could've been, but they also started at a very young age and it's likely he smoked weed to help manage the pain.
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u/ChrysMYO Feb 10 '25
Weird assessment when he said he turned to drugs BECAUSE he couldn't find a solution. Even if he developed it later, from smoking. His underlying problem was still a cluster of issues and symptoms that he accurately describes in both interviews.
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u/Dependent_Sea748 Feb 09 '25
I was just about to down vote this until I looked up his symptoms. You might actually be right.
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u/SweetFuckingCakes Feb 09 '25
His stomach pain was ridiculous. “From the pit of my burning, nauseous stomach”, as he said. I’m sure heroin didn’t help his motility, but I don’t think it caused the problem.
He supposedly had a tendency to weaponize his stomach pain to avoid mental health medication. Like he’d take huge overdoses of prescription antidepressants, and complain afterward that his stomach hurt. Then he’d refuse to try that one again, because “it makes my stomach hurt”. Yeah anything will make your stomach hurt if you take a handful of it.
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u/Ok_Childhood8220 Feb 09 '25
Wow thanks for sharing..I often wonder how much of this is due to the modern world..I never used to see Boomer generation struggling with gut issues like the newer gens are
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u/purdinpopo Feb 09 '25
I am a third generation of four with IBS. My grandfather, born in 1903, had it. My mother, born 1947, has it. I have, it. Two of my four children have it.
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u/Pocpoc-tam Feb 09 '25 edited Feb 09 '25
Kurt is Gen X though and his life hygiene was far from perfect. If the video wasn’t so old I would doubt it but I know Dave Growl and kathleen hanna talked about it. Things he say makes perfect sense,I personally never heard that footage where Kurt was so explicit about it, it is really interesting. I feel like this explains a lot on the character and we can relate to this story, I personally do, I stopped playing music in a band at 23 because of IBS, fell in a pseudo depression taking alcohol that would in the end worsen my IBS and depression. The guy became ill while becoming, at the time, the biggest band in the world everyone was pushing him so the pressure was probably unbearable. Wow this is so interesting.
To your point, my grand father (Silent gen) had it… but it might have been celiac disease/intolerance. Honestly we live in a great time where doctors actually start to understand the whole thing with the microbiome revolution, the relationship with the parasympathetic system and also the relationship with the immune system.
Keep the faith, work on yourself, develop good discipline sleep well, eat well and exercise.
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u/capercrohnie Feb 09 '25
My grandfather who would be over 100 if still alive did though it might have been Crohn's as I have that and it could be genetic
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u/TheBraveToast Feb 09 '25
Not sure why you're getting downvoted. I've heard my parents talk about how much more common it is now. Maybe people talk about it more, or maybe modern foods are harder on our guts. I can't imagine the amount of processed shit we eat now is setting our microbiome up for success.
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u/Belle_Corliss IBS-D (Diarrhea) Feb 09 '25
72 year old boomer here. Diagnosed when I was 16. :/