To ask for your cure for IBS cramps?

[WanderingNotLost]

Buscopan and paracetamol haven't touched it, have also tried peppermint tea and a hot water bottle. It hurts just standing up straight, the only position I'm vaguely comfy in is curled up in a ball with my bum sticking up in the air any suggestions?

erm. I was going to suggest being curled up with your bum in the air.

see you got there before me

I don't eat for 24 hours. Small sips of water but no food. It does seem to help.

Peppermint oil (tablet form) works well for me. Can't remember it's actual name but u get mine from asda. It really helps stop the cramping and the only side effect I've found is that it makes your poo smell like peppermint

Gluten free diet stopped mine. Also tomato skins - took a long time to work out they are the work of the devil. Short term - not eating and immodium.

I get horrendous cramps - you poor thing

My cures:

1. Get in a hot bath and expect to be there a looong time.
2. Drink hot water
3. Peppermint oil capsules (get a prescription)
4. Mebeverine hydrochloride on prescription from the dr. I sometimes take more than the recommended dose if it's bad.

The bath is so inportant that I refuse to live in a house without one. I take a book in. One time I read the whole of Atonement!

Oh, and I fast the day afterwards too.

I have ibs too, If i get cramps/flareup i stop eating for 24 hours. Drinking lots of water really helps.

Peppermint capsules and reduced carbs

I found cutting out onions and garlic helped a lot (as much as possible anyway!)...especially raw/undercooked ones. I'm also prescribed amitriptyline for my IBS and then top up with buscopan if it's particularly bad.

I thought it was just me that couldnt cope with tomato skins, they really are horrible!
I get IBS with my endometriosis, just avoiding food as much as I can sadly- no caffeine, dairy or gluten at times, plain food and veg.
Oh and no onions or garlic. windy-pops

This is so useful OP - sorry you're suffering, it's miserable. I'm writing the tips down because when ibs strikes I forget anything that might help and just groan and cry

Long term solution for me was going low carb. Short term - a shed load of loperamide.

Aloe Vera juice - not the sugary jelly type one that looks like bubble tea, the actual aloe vera juice. From the health food shop.
About 100mls a day. Taste isn't great but I found it helped reduce recurrence of symptoms and also was a good remedy when things flared up.

My symptoms eased by going wheat free. I'm not gluten free but still eat oats, barley etc. I still eat things like pringles/malteasers although I would suffer a bit if I ate a whole packet.

I've been wheat free for nearly 15 years now and it's far easier now as there is a free from range in most supermarkets.

It's a question of working out what upsets you most. It's not a quick process but will be worth it if excluding a certain food type eases your symptoms.

Think the peppermint capsules are called Colpermin. Don't know if there are any other brands as I found that they made my skin itch so haven't reseached th3m. I do drink small amounts of peppermint tea, especially in the summer when I can make it with fresh leaves.

Avoid bread full stop for several weeks. After that maybe bring in some good quality white bread (if you must eat bread) but dont ever ever ever eat brown or rye bread again. Get a friend to massage your tummy in a circular movement. Hot water bottle and stay close to the toilet. Buscopan normally sorts me out. Reduce stress if you can in your life. Its awful op when the cramps come. They come in waves! Xxxx

I would like others have said look at your diet and reduce it to basic food and then build it up again bringing in a new item a day. I did that to find my triggers. Evil evil brown or rye bread being mine. Maybe talk to the gp about this first xxx

You right about mint too.

Totally echo the Aloe Vera juice. My IBS has been so much better and I really have tried everything else over the years. Current combination of gluten free,low carb and Aloe Vera is working well.

Peppermint oil (tablet form) works well for me. Can't remember it's actual name but u get mine from asda. It really helps stop the cramping and the only side effect I've found is that it makes your poo smell like peppermint

Colpermin capsules, I absolutely swear by them. I had a horrible attack last night and couldn't move for the pain, they've got me to the level of being able to function.

I used to pretty much stop eating too. Maybe a bit of porridge with sugar to keep my energy up.

I went gluten free three years ago and rarely get problems now.

I find probiotic drinks/yoghurt or tablets help in addition to what's been said. Can have 3 a day.

The stress thing is a good point actually. The dr says mine is stress related. I might not notice that I'm stressed out but whenever I get cramps I always realize that I've either been doing too much or I'm out of my routine (I like routines!).

It won't help this time but try a low-FODMAP diet. Can be annoying to stick to but it really does work well if you follow it properly.

For now, try a warm bath and circular massage (quite firmly). Then a trip to the GP to get some stronger anti-spasmodics than buscopan for next time.

Tramadol works for me (I have endometriosis as well). It seems to relax the spasms and takes all the pain away. Never found antispasmodics helped.