For all those of you with IBS how do you cope .................

[sugarpear]

without bread and chocolate!!!

I was diagnosed 3 weeks a go. I also have pcos so to lose weight i have to cut out carbs. I also have no gall bladder so im not meant to eat fried food or red meats.

I went shopping in the health food shop the other day and dh came how and asked if we was getting a rabbit!

but seriously im hungry

I sufferd for years and now take aloe vers gel every day (google forever living) it has worked wanders and I am now mostly symptom free after years of trying everything.

I have had IBS since the grand old age of 7 - I am now 27! I found that cutting things out completely really helps to clear out your system, but then you can reintroduce them. Eg. I gave up gluten for about a month a couple of years ago - was a nightmare but I found afterwards I reintroduced it in to my diet and as long as I don't go mad and eat loads, it doesn't cause any problems. Aloe vera is brilliant too.

You will find that there are certain things that affect you more than others - for example I can eat pizza, but only thin crust. Also, when and how much you eat can be more important than what you eat iyswim - I could eat a slice of chocolate cake instead of lunch, no problem. But if I ate it as well as lunch, in the middle of the afternoon when I don't normally eat anything - then I have problems! Regular mealtimes are v. important - that';s why shift workers tend to suffer more.

Anyhoo - I've dealt with it for 20 years and you do learn to get on with it. You'll be fine!

Funnily enough (or not if you see what I mean) I was diagnosed last night by my GP but I've no idea what sets mine off. I spoke to the GP for quite a while (in terms of the normal 2 minute consultation you get) and she couldn't work it out either. I only get mine when I'm at work and only from mid morning onwards. She's given me a prescription for Mebeverine Hydrochloride and some Macrogol Compound Oral Powder which I'll get later on today.

Do dairy products cause IBS can anyone tell me?

Hi10k i have the mebeverine too.

Fimbo dairy products are the worst for me. Can take me days to get over eating anything dairy so after this weekend when i couldnt resist some macaroni cheese, i have learned my lesson well!

Im still finding out what i can and cant get away with which unfortunately seems to be very little i can get away with.

Hi Sugarpear - do you find taking it helps?

I have cut out gluten completely for the last two months and it has changed my life. It is hard to deal with the carb cravings though. I find breakfast the hardest, as I only have fruit. Lunch I tend to have some protein (chicken, ham, hardboiled eggs, tuna, a chunk of cheese, or hummous) and a big pile of crudites and two sliced up apples. My mid-afternoon lifesaver is a small bag of Walkers crisps - nothing but potatoes, salt and veg oil and they are far lower in fat than you would think.
Dinner I tend to bulk out the veg and protein with rice or pulses.
It is dull. But my tummy doesn't hurt any more. The first four weeks are the worst, the carb cravings do start to subside after that, so stick it out.
My sweet treat is now dates, btw.

LGP, how did you find out that it was gluten that exacerbated your IBS?

I still can't be sure, 10k, but I cut out refined wheat first of all as that was clearly triggering a lot of my attacks (pasta and bread particularly). Then I tried spelt, which I still reacted to and rye which I thought would be fine, but wasn't.
My next step is to get some GF flour and see if I can cope with that. TBH the last two years I have felt so ill that I don't care how much I have to avoid as long as I can stay feeling as good as I do now. GP is not a lot of use though and I can't have the blood test unless I go back on gluten for six weeks which I can't face doing so I don't have an official diagnosis.

Forgot to say, I cut out dairy as well to start with, as I thought cheese might be a problem, but that was fine when I reintroduced it.

10 k to be honest it doesnt agree with me. so i dont take it anymore. I have just cut out everything i know i shouldnt eat. I dont eat bread,pasta,anything that has wheat in it, nothing with dairy products in.No potatoes,crisps etc

Also i have started my period today and i am finding it so hard without chocolate. On the plus side my house is sparkling where i am on a mad one trying to block out the cravings. Also dont know why but i am craving donor kebab meat in a seriously big way. And i dont normally like them!

I too have tried re intoducing things but my body is having none of it. I guess over time i will get used to it. And if im ever desperate enough to eat what i shouldnt i will have to endure 4 days of hell!

On the plus side im losing weight slowly and steadily which is very welcome.

Thinking xmas will be hard work though?