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IBS help

62 replies

Twinkletoes91 · 01/09/2012 15:56

Has anybody got any good tips or suggestions to help reduce signs of IBS? Feel like its interfering with my life and stopping me enjoying life :(

OP posts:
LavenderBriggs · 01/09/2012 18:34

Buscopan just makes me feel third and ill. Have you tried Mebeverine? It can take a couple of weeks to make a big difference, but once it kicks in there can be a huge difference.

Have you tried peppermint oil? I take one capsule with every meal and it calms things down a lot.

Also, it might be worth having a quick look at some guided meditation. I do one that's specifically for sorting out pain and health problems and it can help.

BIWI · 01/09/2012 18:37

Following a low carb diet means I very, very rarely suffer from IBS any more. I started low carbing to lose weight, but losing the IBS was an unexpected (but very welcome!) side effect.

Twinkletoes91 · 01/09/2012 18:39

No lavender haven't tried any but will definitely give anything a try. It really does put a dampener on the day. I have had to cancel so many plans this week as its been the worst it ever has :(

OP posts:
Twinkletoes91 · 01/09/2012 18:40

so what do you eat instead BIWI? I live off carbs every meal either has rice, pasta,'potatoes or bread in :/

OP posts:
LavenderBriggs · 01/09/2012 18:41

That's good news! It means that there's a lot more you can do to sort this out.

Have a google of Mebeverine and see how much it can help.

BIWI · 01/09/2012 18:55

Well I eat 'normally'! Just don't eat bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, sugar or fruit.

So breakfast is usually eggs of some kind - if I'm going to the gym I may have yoghurt (6.00 am is too early to start cooking!). Other meals tend to be meat/fish with salad/veg. Whatever I cook for the family I have too, just minus the carb element.

magnolia74 · 01/09/2012 19:00

Have you tried reflexology?
I am a reflexologist and it has worked well for my clients with ibs.

storminabuttercup · 01/09/2012 19:11

I second mebeverine. I also Take a small dose of citalopram (sp?) which I was reluctant to do at first but saw a huge difference

storminabuttercup · 03/09/2012 05:17

Good luck today twinkle Smile

Twinkletoes91 · 03/09/2012 07:29

Thank you storminabuttercup feel very nervous :(

OP posts:
LavenderBriggs · 03/09/2012 09:42

Hope today goes well Twinkle. IBS is something that can be managed - I'm living proof

Eve · 03/09/2012 09:45

Milk & diary really sets mine of as does too much high fibre foods.

Pasta etc not too bad but a good diet with lots of fruit has me in a lot of pain.

Sabriel · 03/09/2012 09:51

I've had IBS since I was in my teens. A couple of years ago it got worse and worse and I was going to the loo 10+ times a day. Went to the GP every month for 7 months. they put it down to stress because I'd relocated across the country, changed jobs, moved twice, was looking after a 2 yo etc etc. It was bowel cancer.

Now it's highly unlikely yours is, but any change in bowel habits that continues for a long period of time must be investigated. If what the GP gave you doesn't help, go back and see him again. And again, and again, if you need to. Oh and mine didn't show up in blood tests either - it took an actual xray of the bowel to spot it.

LavenderBriggs · 03/09/2012 10:52

Sabriel - yikes - how are you now? How different are the symptoms (if you don't mind me asking)?

The one thing that stops me panicking about IBS is that it couldn't be anything else as there would be other symptoms - unless I've been very wrong about that.

HerbWoman · 03/09/2012 11:25

Twinkletoes - have you been tested for coeliac? I was getting a lot of diarrhoea a couple of years ago and managed to sort it out with herbs and a good probiotic capsule, but when I mentioned it to the GP a few months later he wanted to test for coeliac anyway and the blood test came back positive. I was very surprised because the diarrhoea was worse with milk but improved with toast. I'm now completely gluten-free (mostly paleo) and everything is much better. If you haven't been tested it would be worth getting done. If you need to avoid gluten, rye bread would also need to be avoided.

Otherwise, camomile tea and the probiotics are what helped me ease the diarrhoea before I was diagnosed. At the time, stress had made it worse, hence the worsened symptoms.

Sabriel - how are you getting on now?

saturdaygirl · 03/09/2012 15:22

HI, sorry I do not want to alarm you but please do not be fobbed off with Busapan without having tests. I was told for 20 years I had IBS and last year had 4 emergency appointments within two weeks, I was told I had IBS triggered by stress and a prescription for Buscapan. In actual fact I had Crohns Disease, the symptons are very similar. I ended up quite ill but if diagnosed early enough there is treatment. Sorry really don't want to frighten anyone but would hate for anyone to have the same experience for the sake of a simple test.

I did find loperamide helped and still do.

cocolepew · 03/09/2012 15:38

Mt DH is being tested for bowel disease, he has almost constant diahorrea. I have ibs but I was constipated, I now know I had endometriosis which probably contributed to it.

I would ask for a referal, DH has had a barium meal test and is waiting for the camera test.

SecretSparkle · 03/09/2012 15:53

Hey, another IBS sufferer reporting for duty!!

I was tested for all those diseases (Ceoliacs, thyroid etc etc) but just plain old IBS and now have a clear handle on my triggers!!

Firstly my biggest trigger... Stress!!! Seriously if I feel myself getting worked up I know within hours I'm going to be need to know where the nearest loo is!!

My other triggers are too much fruit (all that extra fibre playS havoc) and hormones!!

So I'd say try and work out your triggers but I'm assuming you haven't got time for that, so I second the suggest of peppermint tea, it'll take some getting used to but worth drinking a couple of cups a day. Also theres an over the counter peppermint based tablet that you can take but for the life of me I cant remember what.

I'd hedge my bets and say its stress related, and while not much help now I'm pretty sure your symptoms will ease off after your interview/wedding.

Good luck

Twinkletoes91 · 03/09/2012 16:42

Thanks everyone. Went to work and felt awful untill about 11am then managed to eat something. Think it helped take my mind off things. I have another GP appointment tomorrow as fed up of being fobbed off :(

OP posts:
Sabriel · 04/09/2012 16:40

LavenderBriggs, I had no other symptoms at all. Just having to go to the loo more and more often (and looser and looser)between June and January. No blood until after they'd started referral action, so a good 7 months later. Blood tests showed "no nasties". Didn't lose any weight and no pain until the January, which is when I was finally referred.

HerbWoman I'm ok now thanks. The hospital said I'll have regular checkups for 7 years Shock but so far so good.

rabbitonthemoon · 04/09/2012 20:45

Hi another ibs sufferer here. Man it can be a lonely and upsetting thing. I've had ibs on and off since I was 14 after salmonella. For most of my twenties it was dormant apart from the odd attack it in the last 2 years it has been shockingly awful - coinciding with when I started trying for a baby (still trying Sad). I get the runs often but the worst thing for me is the pain after I eat, awful bowel cramps. It has ruined a lot of things for me and almost left me at a point where I get anxious to even go out. But I have found some respite and I hope it lasts. The thing about ibs that is so annoying is that what helps for one person is awful for another. I have spent the past year hopefully avoiding gluten and eating a full on fertility diet, loads of veg etc. last month I bought a book, ibs your first year. It explained why I get cramps after meals and heavy meals (so going out for a three course dinner with wine inevitably has me on the loo for hours). Ther bowel contractions are either more rapid or sluggish than in a 'normal' bowel apparently and high calorie or big meals sets the bowel on its raoid motion. So, here are some things I've gleaned. They may or may not be helpful but they do seem to have helped me a lot.

I'm eating smaller meals with snacks in between. The book advises soluble fibre which was Shock to me as this is white bread/pasta/rice cakes/baked snack (eg pretzels) white rice over whole grain. Ive found this counter intuitive to lots of other advice but figured I had nothing to lose, I'm not coeliac (tested) and I feel loads better so sticking with it for now.

I have cut out egg yolks. They really trap me in the loo. Its taken me a long time to figure this out and apparently they are a very common trigger.

I'm experimenting with low fodmap foods (charts on google)

I'm drinking a lot of peppermint tea, throughout the day.

I'm trying to tackle my stress. I swear it is linked as I've been so anxious with failing to baby make and it can't be unconnected as I was fine before. Yoga is helping me with this.

When things are bad I take buscopan. I've tried all antispasmodics and to be honest I don't find any of them amazing. But cons says this is ok when ttc after much of his own investigations. Not ideal, but sometimes I just have to take this, and loperamide. I find the buscopan works best when I take the full dose over several days, it seems to build up. Hot wheat sacks also really help, as does co codamol or paracetamol. It's felt important to have strategies but some days it is just awful still, I feel for everyone here. I also get very very nauseous and don't want any food but next time this happens I'm going to eat some soluble fibre type snack as I think the not eating makes it worse.

Sorry this is so very long. I'd really like it if this thread kept going, a supportive place would be so helpful.

HerbWoman · 05/09/2012 16:24

Sabriel - that's good to hear.

vnmum · 05/09/2012 16:36

My DH has IBS but since we have gone low carb and grain free he hasn't had an episode unless he inadvertently eats some grain product which then sets him off.

BIWI · 05/09/2012 18:16

rabbit - have you tried taking a good probiotic? I was interested that you said your IBS was triggered by salmonella, and wonder if you need to try and increase the good bacteria in your gut. (I don't mean Yakult/Actimel, but the proper stuff that you get from a good healthfood shop, in the fridge)

rabbitonthemoon · 05/09/2012 18:53

Thanks biwi I do take a pricey one. The salmonella was 20 years ago but the consultant I saw said he often sees this happen after food poisoning, like it effects the bowel rhythm? He may have been wrong. My other hunch is that it's hormonal - does anyone else find that?

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