IBS - what should I do?

[Cakemonger]

A recent increase in my antidepressant dose has resulted in me getting less sleep, which has resulted in my digestion going haywire. I really want to continue on the higher dose as it has helped and made me feel like I can get through the winter but I am getting to the end of my tether with the digestive issues.

I am basically living on rice, chicken, oats and bananas just so I can be well enough to work, although the lack of energy and low mood from not getting enough calories is also making it difficult to function. I've lost a bit of weight which is fine but don't want to lose any more.

I'm starting to wonder if my problem is just IBS. People with IBS seem to divide into IBS-D or IBS-C but I don't fit either of these - I occasionally have diarrhoea but otherwise it's more just having an unsettled gut and feeling ill and very fatigued. I mostly don't get really bloated either.

I wondered about gluten intolerance. If I cut out gluten and feel better, how will I know if it is a gluten intolerance or just an improvement in the IBS from eating easier-to-digest foods? I'm certain IBS is part of the mix as it worsens when I'm stressed or upset.

I've started a strong probiotic but haven't seen a difference yet. I have tried high fibre and prebiotic (warning - TMI coming up) foods but ended up with huge, painful to pass stools. Also, high fibre foods seem to be setting me off at the moment so I am avoiding them.

The thing that makes the biggest difference is exercise but I am often feeling too ill or fatigued to do it. Realistically with my depression I am not going to be jumping out of bed and going to the gym every day. I do what I can as I know exercise will help me sleep for longer, but I am never going to be perfect or able to do this every day.

I was tested for coeliac a few years back and all the other things you get tested for when you go to the dr with digestive problems - all came back negative.

Just wondered if anyone has any advice? Sorry this is an essay!

Ps I forgot to mention IBS is something I've had for about a decade now. it was just about under control until recently

Could you try some over the counter sleep meds if you think your ibs has been made worse by lack of sleep.
( and you’re probably correct) .
Are you taking buscopan? Or any other meds for your ibs?
Have you told your gp about this?
I have uc and have just been diagnosed with crohns also, so I really feel your frustration with trying to help yourself when nothing seems to work. Could you try a low residue diet for a few days/ a week see if that makes any difference. It’s not a long term fix and is very restrictive but it might rest your bowel while your body readjusts to your changed dose. Then maybe introduce new foods one at a time . 💐💐

Hi state, thank you so much for your reply. I was under the impression Buscopan was for cramps and I don't get those so no, I haven't tried it, maybe I should look into it. The doc gave me Mebeverine once but it did nothing for me for the same reason.

I just had to look up what a low residue diet is - yes, a low fibre diet would make a lot of sense at the moment, I will definitely look into that. I prefer the sound of it to the low FODMAP diet which I looked into but found quite complicated and overwhelming.

I'm not very knowledgeable about sleeping pills and what is available OTC. The dr gave me an antihistamine for emergencies but it's not for everyday use and it makes you very groggy the next day. Maybe I could try Piriton or something?

To be honest I haven't mentioned my IBS to the GP for a few years as I didn't know if there was much else they could do. I have become rather cynical and worn down by unhelpful GPs (sorry - I know there are good ones out there) over the years.

Thanks again for your suggestions

Have you done low FODMAP diet?
It sorted me out within a few days. It's not sustainable long term for me. Once my system was rested & working ok I reintroduced one food at a time to figure out my bad triggers.

Eating low FODMAP gave my system a much needed rest & a bit of a reset.

Kefir is also hugely beneficial to my gut & IBS.

As long as I don't eat too much trigger food I can mostly eat what I want now provided I regularly take kefir.

Have you considered a wheat intolerance?

www.verywellhealth.com/wheat-and-ibs-1944750

Hi Jackie, thanks for your reply. I tried to do the low fodmap diet and lasted a pathetic two days! I tend to make the mistake of going back onto normal foods as soon as I feel better because I find the restrictions so miserable. You're right though, I know it is something I should look into again.

I tried some sugar free Kefir yoghurt which I actually really liked and would have carried on eating but I got bad wind and worse IBS attacks. I know people say to push through until you get used to it but I got a bit scared of eating anything that made me worse. Maybe a homemade kefir drink would be more effective.

Maybe try a pharmacist, they are often more helpful than a gp. I think you can ask for a private chat at most of them as a lot have a private room . The pharmacist will also potentially be more knowledgable about how Different drugs react to one another . Ultimately though you might need to go back to the gp, your tests were clear a couple of years ago, but yanno, that was a couple of years ago! I really hope you are feeling better soon .

garden I do instinctively avoid bread and other wheat products when I'm not well. I didn't think of it as an intolerance as I could eat it with no problems until recently.

I used to be so sceptical of all these things, now as I get older I'm eating humble pie

state That's really interesting, I hadn't considered talking to a pharmacist. I will do that, and yes maybe drag myself back to the dr. I don't know why but I always feel like I'm complaining or like it's not important enough to go, especially at the moment. I guess because IBS is ultimately harmless and not serious like coeliac or crohn's, although it is obviously still debilitating.

Thank you all for your kind replies

Not all fibre is the same. There’s soluble and insoluble and they pretty much have the opposite effect!

Good point sweet, I tend to say fibre to refer to insoluble ie roughage and obviously fibrous things like brown carbs, jacket potato skins etc. Those tend to be the things that upset my gut.

It's all very frustrating as prior to this I had got into a really healthy diet of said brown carbs and veg. I'd even given up sugar. Back to the white carbs now.

I started off making my own kefir. It was great and really worked. Eventually I killed my kefir grains (after several years) but by then it was starting to pop up in supermarkets- now it is widely available.

Go for the unsweetened plain stuff.

I was so desperate I went hardcore low FODMAP for 6 weeks. It really did help.

I ate a lot of white rice with fish, and boiled potatoes with fish, pickles and red grapes. You're nearly there - you can have white rice and chicken, unripe bananas. I took took probiotic gut pills for the first 60 days.

I'm on Day 70-something and have been gradually reintroducing things. I'm having a horrendous day - I had some sourdough bread. So it's got to be gluten or yeast.

At least I can keep on with the kefir.

I did it hardcore for about 6 weeks too.

Found out some interesting things like supermarket bread is mostly intolerable, but sourdough bread from local bakery is fine.

Plums destroy me - my worst trigger. But apples are ok.

I have to be careful with lentils & chickpeas.

Low FODMAP diet.

Also worth researching SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) and IMO (Intestinal Methanogenic Overgrowth).