JEEEEEZE what's going ON in there?? Anyone up for a bowel/ibs/ibd/wtf thread

[MrsBrady]

Fed up? Stuck in? Off work? Can't eat? Can't play? Can't or don't want to burden your nearest and dearest? Fancy a bit of a vent?

I'm currently on day infinity of partial house arrest

dx with microscopic colitis this time last year- all good

now having a total bastard of a flare that's been going since January and shows no sign of fucking off

I. AM. SO. BORED. OF. THIS

last week I had to take a poo sample to the gps. Again. The receptionist showed me the elaborate way you're supposed to arrange the bag and label, but I said 'ooh don't worry shsowing me love, that's the last one of these you'll be getting from me'

and less than a fucking week later, there I was again this morning, with me warm bottle clutched in my fist. And I STILL didn't know how to fold the label

I'm worried it might be uc instead. The symptoms seem to tally.

I really really don't want uc. I really really really don't want Crohns can't spell it

anyway. Enough about me. How about YOU

Hi all,
You can buy a radar key from Amazon. I got mine from a shop selling disability aids. I try not to use it if other toilets are available, but it gives me confidence just to have it in my bag when going out.

You can get a radar from the Crohns and colitis website. Ive got one and a toilet urgency card (basically i need to shit nowww let me use your toilet you git)

I've been suffering for some time now. I thought I had identified wheat as the problem. Stopped wheat completely and had continuing symptoms.

Cramps, agony sometimes, fluctuating bowel movements, low energy, depression. Generally feeling like rubbish.

Had range of tests all negative.

Heard about low FODMAP diet On NHS website and immediately went on it (approved by doctor). I had to stop eating most foods I eat as all high FODMAP foods. But it's not been too hard at all really.

It's resulted in a massive improvement. Most symptoms disappeared in 3 days. Plus I've lost a few kilos. and inches off belly.

It's been about 2 weeks now and I feel so much better it really is a wonderful relief.

Idea is you eat low FODMAP foods only for 8 weeks and then introduce one group at a time to identify what you can and can't tolerate before symptoms reappear.

It seemed quite daunting at first giving up wheat, all gluten grains, milk, lentils, beans, yoghurt, onions, garlic, my fav apples, asparagus, stone fruits etc. But now I'm in the swing of it it's fine.

And as it's actually working I'm totally committed to it.

I was diagnosed with IBS a few years back, had tests, colonoscopy etc, all clear, and doctors basically said 'you're on your own now'. I read up about diet etc, and found that a few simple changes have helped enormously. For anyone in the same situation I would strongly recommend looking at your diet (there are loads of websites/books etc re this). My changes turned out to be quite simple and work well for me - I stopped drinking coffee first thing, have tea instead (but no prob having coffee later), stopped having normal milk in breakfast cereal (changed to soya/almond milk), but again no prob having it later, use normal milk in drinks etc. Seems that coffee and milk on an empty stomach were a big no-no for me. Lastly I now take ground flax seed on morning cereal, and also pysillium husks most days, just a spoonful in a glass of water mid-afternoon. This regulates the bowel whether you have constipation or the opposite! Obviously everyone is different, but it may be worth making some simple changes and keeping a food diary etc.

I've never stuck to a weight loss "diet" as well as I'm sticking to this low-FODMAP diet. I've become quite the obsessive label reader.

It's ironic that my diet is overall not as "healthy" as before. Lots more unknown ingredients in these gluten free crumpets I'm treating myself to for breakfast tomorrow morning. I've decided not to buy too many "replacement" type foods as I tend to eat a rather unprocessed diet - of course if I'm doing this for life then that might change.

No more apples for breakfast every day. Lentils have been replaced with meat. I must make more of an effort to eat more brown rice and kale. I've eaten out twice and both time has steak and chips - not much else was doable.

parma pysillium husks are on the banned list for me for now, but I hope they can come back in as I miss my Life Changing Loaf of Bread very much - eating this daily used to be the thing that sorted me out bowel wise. www.mynewroots.org/site/2013/02/the-life-changing-loaf-of-bread/

HisNameWasPrinceAndHeWasFunky - have read about the FODMAP diet, but haven't tried as I'm fine at present (fingers crossed this will last), but thanks for the link, might give that recipe a try!

It's a delicious way to consume your flaxseed does for the day.

doSe

I've got the opposite problem- I'm constantly constipated. If I do poo it's always small hard lumps, even if I've been drinking lots and go every day. I also get awful stomach cramps and terrible gas. :(

I assume I have IBS- occasionally get mucus when I wipe and sometimes, when I've been naughty and eaten too much of my main trigger, dairy, horrific cramping and diarrhea.

(damn, had to post this under my usual name, it wouldn't let me name change. Oh well.)

commiserations Soggy

You light find the Life Changing Bread I linked to up thread helps. If I ever got stuck it got me going very well.

Sorry simmi. I missed this. I had bloating. Gas. Abdominal cramps. sometimes diarrhoea but not always.

Heartburn. Constipation.
Going no to low sugar helps. Fresh green veg. My body seems to prefer a soup to a salad. Gluten and dairy free really help.

Taking probiotics seems to keep things moving. You can buy kefir from the kefirgraincompany. I make kombucha. That's probiotic rich too. I wasn't feeling right after it. I dowsed it and it wasn't for me. Fermented veg , peppers especially very nice and you get different strains of probiotics.

I take and make my own herbal tinctures and teas. A good herbal tea I make has 20 different herbs in it. When I could no longer buy it from tiger stores I made my own. It's called ginger tea. It has herbs in to stimulate gall bladder and liver, li price is very good for the digestion. Nettle and dandelion is are good cleansers.

I pulled some dandelions from the garden last night and made a tea and added some peppermint that's supposed to be a good calmer for the intestines.

Something you might like to look at is nutri ultraclear sustain. It's not allergenic. It's a powder packed full of goodness and is great for healing leaky gut.

That should read liquorice is good for digestion.
Ultra clear sustain is about £40 for a huge tub. It can replace a meal.
It's very, very good.
Gluten can inflame a leaky gut.

Hope ths helps you all. It's took me too many years to get back to somewhere near normal. If I do have something with gluten in, say a sausage, I can tolerate it providing I don't overdose on it.

Thanks Dowser, I never had any bowel problems at all until the birth of my second child nine months ago. It's been suggested that it could have been the post birth antibiotics, but my lifetime antibiotics use has been very low. Stress has also been suggested as I also moved country 12 weeks after the birth but nothing seems to add up really as I wasn't that stressed. I haven't had a symptom free day for nearly 7 months. It's like my bowels have just forgotten how to behave! Have tried gluten free, low fod map, dairy free but have failed to find a trigger or a pattern. I've tried acupuncture, drugs, supplements but nothing seems to really work. The amitriptyline has helped a bit I think but I still have symptoms every day. It's so frustrating 😥

This is what I take

www.yournutritionshop.com/products/783-nutri-metagenics-ultraclear-sustain/

As you can see its jam packed with goodness. I couldn't get to see my doctor for five weeks when I was really ill. ( this is a private doctor btw) and a friend recommended this. So I took about five tubs. Relly did me good.
Doc also had me cut out chicken, wheat , dairy , tomatoes and oranges.

That was 18 years ago, when a sip of water was like taking battery acid down my poor inflamed system.

The doc also believes in this product. She said you look good. What have you been doing. I said eating five tubs of ultraclear...no wonder she said!

can I join in , my Dh is on his second course of steroids in the last 3 months for ulcerative colitis, they are not making much difference, but messing with his mind !He is eating everything in sight, has been cutting out dairy, but not making any difference.
Think he is frightened it is Crohons (forgive spellings) typical Man, wont talk about it, he is 61and this has really aged him.....and me :)

Dairy on it's own wont help. It's got to be everything. Wheat is not it was 30 years ago. I'm the same age as your husband. In that time it's been messed around eith. Crops are no longer four feet high and once a year like they used to be. They are half that size and twice a year. Our bodies have not adapted to digest them properly so it causes us problems.

He needs to give up wheat products as well.

hi Caught has your dp had a colonoscopy?

the hospital should be able to tell if it's uc or Crohn's I think- I don't know that much about them but I think they're in different areas. Mostly

which steroids has he got? I think they try lots of different stuff till they hit on the combo that works

as for giving up wheat- I haven't eaten wheat for 5 years and my guts still look like the battle of Waterloo

I had a colonoscopy. It was as clear as day but I still have problems .

afaik they can spot the IBDs- ulcerative colitis, microscopic colitis, Crohn's- with a colonoscopy (coeliac disease is dx with an endoscopy)- but they can't 'see' IBS- so you could be in a terrible way with it but your screening would be clear

Yes my screenings were clear but I'm still suffering. I have given up wheat but still have a small amount of dairy (generally goats not cows and only cheese and yoghurt not milk). How long do you have to give something up for to see the benefits? What do people eat when low carbing? I've been told no raw veg as it will inflame the gut further.

They told me I had ibs from age 16 and pancreatitis. After buggering the hospital and gp for 2 years and a few hospital admissions they took it all back and sais there was nothing wrong no ibs or pancreatitis and they couldn't find a reason for the pain and toilet issues. Even though I had ultra sounds and mrcp scans that showed swollen pancreas and bowel. They love to fob you off if there isn't a clear cut reason. I suggest forever livings aleo vera juice, it helped me alot even cleared my stomach ulcer after months of failed medication given by doctors

Please can people stop saying that are frightened its Crohn's or would not want Crohn's. Its incredibly insensitive!

Sorry you feel that way Fanjo. The fact is really there are people who have "just" IBS who suffer immensely but are frustrated at being continually fobbed off. At the same time there are people with crohns or UC who are able to manage their symptoms very well with drugs so I wouldn't say that having an IBD is necessarily worse if you see what I mean. Sometimes people just assume it would be worse. I'm in the no diagnosis, must be IBS and constantly fobbed off camp - it's not much fun

Hello- I've been suffering from IBS for about the last 28 years. Had all the tests, all negative. It was sparked by a bad, bad bug I caught on holiday. Had tests for parasites etc, too, but nothing really showed up.

So, I'll tell you what has helped me over the years, and I hope it might help you. Obviously if you are waiting on colonoscopys, consultants appointments etc, then your problems may be different.

Ok, so kefir helps hugely, also lacto free milk, or goats milk. Steer clear of gluten. I ususally have corn or rice cakes. Gluten free stuff is so calorific that I try and avoid. Don't OD on salad stuff. Be gentle on your digestion!
Lastly, check out the FODMAP diet. I did it, and didn't get much benefit, but am a member of a FB group that shows what a difference it's making to people's lives. I know onions are a complete no-no for some.