Irritable bowel syndrome - Have any of you suffered from this?

[MJN]

Are you taking any meds for it? What kind of diet do you eat?

[jonesloonybin]

I do. Right now I am taking Hyomax-SR .375mg 1 tablet twice daily before I eat.

 

For me I have been unable to drink anything carbonated. I can have a small (maybe 6 oz) of tea daily unless I am having a bad day and then No cacaffeine at all. No real chocolate either. No lettuce. What sits the easiest on my stomache is rice, bread, potatoes, etc. (I had been eating really healthy before this happened and had lost 10lbs. Now it is so hard to lose any weight because of the way I have to eat. My doctor did mention that it will come in waves. I will have some time where I cannot eat these things and then a time where it seems fine. But this "episode" has been going on since June. I also take prilosec twice a day.

[tinag]

I did. I went to a naturopath doc and he told me to take a good adcidophillus in large quantities for atleast a month and add fiber ( like Metamucil(sp?) and it worked great. You can also take digestive enzymes that help.

I was on nortriptyline or something like that at first to control the IBS.

[Laurie]

She has improved since she started taking Prevacid for excess stomach acid but she still needs to be very careful about what she eats. Trigger foods for her include anything with a lot of insoluble fiber, citrus/tomatoes/very acidic foods, and oils. And unlike insoluble fiber, soluble fiber from things like oatmeal can be very helpful. Peppermint is supposed to be very good for IBS unless you also have stomach acid/reflux problems like my dd.

 

The website http://www.helpforibs.com has a lot of great info. , and the woman who created it also has a book and cookbook on the subject. (She has IBS.)

 

Wanted to add, I keep Immodium on hand in case she needs it.

[Janet in Toronto]

... and add fiber ( like Metamucil(sp?)

 

Yep....my mom suffered from terrible IBS. Her doc recommended psyllium fibre to reduce her cholesterol and it did WONDERS for her IBS at the same time. The great thing is that it's now available in "cookies" (and i use that term loosely) and capsules, so you don't have to take it in drink form.

 

Best wishes.

[homeschoolin'mygirls]

Yep.

Probiotics (acidophyllis plus), digestive enzymes, Nexium, fiber. And exercise makes a difference for me too.

[jonesloonybin]

Thanks~

 

I was just diagnosed (well as much as they can) with this in June. I really am thankful for all the ideas...my doctors just gave me the Hyomax and said "call us if it gets worse". I have even had a trip to the ER. I was taking acidophyllis before this happened as well as a multi but when the IBS was really bad I stopped taking everything but my essential medication. I don't even take Advil anymore. I will look into the fiber and digestive enzymes. Do you recommend a certain brand?

 

Thanks again

[PollyOR]

First of all, my apologies! After watching my mom for years, I was in tears when I started having problems myself. It can rule your life. My Mom & Dad carry a portable potty chair with them at all times in their vehicle.

 

For me, it seems to be hormone related. It started when my 3rd child was 6 weeks old. I am more susceptible at certain times of the month.

 

I have trigger foods such as homemade chicken soup (the fat?) and cheese crackers. Sometimes I can eat them and sometimes they set me off. When I do eat these foods, it is in moderation and with a "wait and see" attitude. I definitely avoid them if we need to go somewhere soon.

 

Avoiding constipation is my best prevention. Drinking enough water and keeping myself daily (gotta eat my bowl of bran flakes every morning), has kept my bouts to just a handful a year.

 

Good luck with finding what works for you.

[Raini]

one quick note and I'm off to the pool.

 

I just wanted to note that some folks don't have enzymes to process Chia seeds. My dd was taking some omega 3 pills made from them and she had severe issues. It can be in vitamins listed by the scientific name, so it's easily missed.

 

We were baffled until she went camping for a week and didn't have any problems. We knew it'd had to be something at home and finally figured it out.

[MJN]

Thanks for responding ladies. I was able to find a naturopath this morning after I posted the question. She answered some of my questions by phone, told me what to take and hopefully it will work. I'll be taking a product from Nature's Sunshine for IBS, a digestive enzyme, and a probiotic. She said this happens to people after age 30 because we don't produce enough enzymes. She also said after I take this and things calm down, to drink a little Aloe Vera Juice each day. It has healing properties in it. She said then we can clean out the colon. A toxic colon leads to IBS, but you have to treat the inflammation from IBS first, then the colon. So, I've learned alot today. I'm SO looking forward to feeling better.

 

Blessings,

 

Molly

[jonesloonybin]

I find that with homeschool get togethers or anything that has food..I usually say no thanks because I am not wanting to have an episode but I had to mention it to a few close friends because people would keep offering me other things. I just never know what will set me off. So a few people (2) know because I did not want them to feel offended because I would not partake, everyone else must think I am on a diet or just snooty. lol. It is such an embarassing thing to talk about...Some days I feel like I am going to have to live off plain rice and water for the rest of my life.

 

I am going to give the info above a try. Thanks again.

[Laurie]

Thanks for responding ladies. I was able to find a naturopath this morning after I posted the question.

 

 

It sounds like this is something new going on with your body? Did a physician diagnose your IBS? (With my dd, the doctor told me they only call it IBS after they have ruled out everything else...celiac, etc.)

 

I would strongly encourage you to see a physician about your symptoms and let him/her rule out any other possibilities. I'm not trying to scare you, but things like ovarian cancer can also cause similar symptoms. (It's easy enough to get a blood test or ultrasound to rule something like this out.)

[Once]

Just thought I'd add my experiences. I have found a regular dose of ground flax seed is *very* helpful. It is good for you too for a number of other reasons. I have to avoid corn products or I have serious trouble. Interesting since I ate alot of corn chips as a child. I tried the Aloe Vera drink. It was helpful and I would reccommend it.

 

Mine flares up when I am in a classroom setting. I always sit at the back and look like I have ADD. It is very embarrassing. I wonder why I have so many gaps in my education. :confused:

 

I'm just glad I do not follow after some of my family who have colon cancer and long term colitis. Mine is fairly controlled and remains undiagnosis due to the ease of management.

 

All the best in your journey. I hope you find something that works for you.

[tinag]

Thanks for responding ladies. I was able to find a naturopath this morning after I posted the question. She answered some of my questions by phone, told me what to take and hopefully it will work. I'll be taking a product from Nature's Sunshine for IBS, a digestive enzyme, and a probiotic. She said this happens to people after age 30 because we don't produce enough enzymes. She also said after I take this and things calm down, to drink a little Aloe Vera Juice each day. It has healing properties in it. She said then we can clean out the colon. A toxic colon leads to IBS, but you have to treat the inflammation from IBS first, then the colon. So, I've learned alot today. I'm SO looking forward to feeling better.

 

Blessings,

 

Molly

 

Molly, I hope things get better for you! Aloe Vera juice works great for my kids. They sometimes have heartburn and this soothes is right down.

[MJN]

that if these tests came back negative, that it *could be* IBS. I'll request the other tests that have been mentioned though.

 

Thanks,

 

Molly

[MJN]

anything with Tylenol in it. It REALLY bothers me, very painful. Is there anything else OTC? What about prescription?

 

Thanks!

[sweetbaby]

Yes. Acidophyllis helps but mine is aggravated by fatty foods and stress so I try to avoid those things as much as possible. :glare:

[Tracy in Ky]

I've had this since I was about 18. I'm 40 now. I've had seasons where it was so painful and crippling that I didn't even like to leave home. I have had the most relief from enteric coated peppermint oil. I've had tests, surgery, meds, etc. Peppermint oil helped more than anything.

[MJN]

they didn't find any cancer. I am going to go to the ob/gyn in Sept. to make sure they don't see anything.

[Tracy in Ky]

they didn't find any cancer. I am going to go to the ob/gyn in Sept. to make sure they don't see anything.

 

That is wonderful news. Thank you for sharing. I hope you feel better soon.

[Rosie_0801]

My mother's IBS has been helped in the past by chiropractics (if you're squashing the nerves to the bowel, it won't work properly) also by eating yogurt and taking Mintec tablets. She finds spicy foods set her off, so obviously doesn't eat much of those! My sister suffered from what was diagnosed as IBS, but not having much faith in that, she kept searching. Turns out she has fructose malabsorbtion issues, and was told that a large percentage of IBS is undiagnosed fructose malabsorbtion. She said it can be tested by a simple breath test at the doctors surgery. So, it might well be worth testing that out.

:)

Rosie