Peppermint oil and IBS....anyone tried this?

[whispywhisp]

My eldest daughter, who is almost 10yrs old, was diagnosed with IBS just over a year ago.

She has to take colofac 3 times a day which helps enormously. However it doesn't get rid of the pain permanently but it certainly helps. She also has a fairly strict diet and eats sensibly and drinks lots of water.

We had a consultant appt earlier this week who has now referred her for a scan and she's had another new lot of blood tests done - coeliac, renal, antibodies in the gut etc and we hope to get the results soon.

Whilst at the appt he did mention peppermint oil which evidentally calms the muscles down around the gut and stops them going into a spasm.

I've read up about this oil, which you can get in tablet form, and it mentions that it is used mainly by IBS sufferers.

Has anyone ever tried it and did you find it help? I need to speak to our GP but wonder if you can take this instead of colofac or would she still need to take her meds?

TIA.

my gp recommend peppermint oil and i think he gave me something on prescription i only used to get IBS at times of stress. if not then a lot of mints actually contain it, i used to munch the oxfam fair trade peppermints as these were basically peppermint oil and sugar.

I haven't used this on a child but myself and DP use it ourselves and it helps us, we just put it in a cup of warm water and drink it when it's still quite warm. You don't need many drops at all.

Hopefully someone will come along in a bit who has used it on a child though.

If you get the distilled mint in a bottle (from an Arabic or Iranian shop) that's the best - it's really pure and you dilute it in (warm or cold) water. Really good for stomach problems. I think the make is '1&1' ('yek va yek')

Cor..thanks for all your replies!

Y'know I've never suggested to her she sucks mints and I should do shouldn't I? I don't think she'd drink a drink with the peppermint oil in it but I don't know whether it'd be safe to give her the tablets as well as the Colofac - I don't want to overdo it for her! Colofac does help and the GP has put this on repeat prescription for her. I asked the consultant at the appt this week how long did he think she'd be on these tablets for - she's been on them for a year now - and he said probably for the rest of her life.

stardazzle - did you find it helped you?

oh forgot to say yes! it was great, and my housemate was given it too and she found ti helped to, we had a GP who preferred to try 'natural' remedies before prescribing drugs.

Even tictacs have peppermint oil in them, we use them for dd2 as she gets travel sick. I'd try her with some mints first, traditional style ones have the highest oil content, the ones which look like they've been pressed from powder e.g. extra strong mints.

Fantastic - thanks for that stardazzle. I will get her some extra strong mints when I'm next out and about.

I'm glad I started this thread - thanks for all your help everyone. Much appreciated.

I don't really suffer nowadays so had to think back but I remember using some peppermint oil capsules from the health food shop which were quite good. It was a strange sensation though as you don't notice anything until the capsule dissolves and then your stomach goes all cold!
Other good ways of dealing with spasms I've found are hot baths/hot water bottles, also the breathing exercises you use in labour are brilliant. I didn't find this out until after I'd had dd but it really made a difference to me and I wish I'd known when I was younger.
I have no idea about your dd's medication as I was only ever offered Fybogel which was horrid and did nothing for me.

Hiya Pixel and thanks.

She's been doing breathing techniques and they do work...very similar to labour pain ones like you said!

I've been giving her extra strong mints - she finds these really good. She sucks one as soon as she gets a bit of jip and it goes straight away. Her worst time of day is bed-time - I think she gets worried which doesn't help but she now goes to bed, reads for a bit and whilst reading she sucks a mint. She then goes to sleep quite happy.

I can't remember who suggested mints but those that contain peppermint oil definitely help.

Peppermint tea works for me - I make it with 2 teabags and not a lot of water, so it's quite strong. Also Thornton's Mint Crumbles - YUM!

whispy - glad to hear that the mints are helping.

Thanks stardazzle...yes, definitely helping. She's much more herself these days - lively, giggly and like a child of her age should be - not someone who is permanently worried about belly ache and not wanting to eat very much!

thats great to hear, i found crunching mints worked, just had to remember to do extra tooth cleaning!!!

Fortunately she's old enough to know not to crunch/swallow whole! I'd love to get her off the tablets she's on...and if she's to live the rest of her life sucking mints that'd be much easier. Just trying to get her blood test results from the Hospital atm. Fingers crossed they will all come back ok. She had four tests done and I hope there's nothing to worry about. Her scan has come thru for the 12 Jan - a ultrasound of her tummy and renal area. Then back to the consultant in March. Hey ho.