Ibs

Have you been tested for Celiac Disease or other food allergies or intolerances? Food intolerances often are misdiagnosed as IBS and other disorders for many years before people realize what the problem really is.

I was thought to have IBS for several years but it turn ut that my thyroid and glabladder were the cause. Evnthough I did have a true case of IBS, not just the blanket label many doctors give now days for bowel problems. It has been over a year 1/2 since I started thyroid treatment and I had my gallbladder out 7 months ago the normal IBS syptoms began to go away witin a few months of thyroid treatment and have almost completely vanished since having my gallbladder out. I am only 30. Also another thought is do you have sever pain with your IBS attacks, my doctor says inorder to be true IBS you usually have pain?

I also have IBS and have been on a medication called Bentyl since 1996. I don't take it all the time though. Stress is a major factor that makes mine act up. One food I almost always have to avoid is corn, in any shape or form, even popcorn. Another thing that kind of helps mine is that I'm on an anti-anxiety medicine which helps keep me calm. You might want to talk to your doctor about trying these meds especially if you have quite a bit of stress in your life.

I think IBS can be one of the most frustrating illnesses around. I too have suffered with it for sometime and have chronic constipation as well. we call it the constipated diahrea. both of my sisters have it too. we all have different triggers, stress, fear, different foods etc. One think that helps for me is a recommendation from a recent trip to Mayo Clinic. I take citrecell capsules twice a day. it is more gentle on the stomach than metamucil and it does not stop IBS but it does make it more manageable. hope that helps good luck

dear C. G.:
My daughter also suffers from this. IBs Sometimes constipated and sometimes diaherrea Currently she take flaxseed oil and y
oygurt. Just a spoon ful of the oil and 1/2 cup of yogurt. hugs C.

I was diagnosed at 18 years old. I go through times of my life where it doesn't bother me at all. I had a stomach bug in August and it started my symptoms all again. My doctor said that the good bacteria in your gut is missing and that is why you get sick. So you can eat the yogurt that has the good bacteria in it. I don't like it so I take a pill every day that has it. It is called align. Immodium works great for me when I need it.
Mine has changed more into anxiety induced as well. I can worry about getting sick and I get sick.
As for food, it really is different for all. I had to cut out all dairy and caffiene in the beginning and slowly introduce it again. I can only have 1 coke a week or I will get sick.
Good luck and I hope you find something that works for you.

I cured mine with stong digestive enzymes with every meal and using flora. I also still get a slight reaction from certain restaurant salad bars. I don't know if its the dressing or the chemicals. Its rare though.

You have to study fermenting foods (Donna Gates has a great website) and get to know all your different kids of intestinal flora. There are many many products out on the market now. Flora is fragile so eating Dannon yogurt is not going to do it for you. The intestinal lining gets damaged and you need to get it healed. Read about leaky gut syndrome when you get a chance. This is actually fairly easy to cure, you just have to do all the steps and remain consistent. Good luck.

Hi, C.. I have Chrone's Disease, a close relative to IBS and from my experience harder to digest foods like raw veggies, some fruits and nuts trigger episodes. Also eating those types of foods later in the day is much harder because I might be up all night in the bathroom. Since you have a 1 month old, I am assuming you are up already but for a much better reason. I don't know if this helps at all, but I hope so. If all else fails, you may just have to go back to your gastroenterologist for a colonostopy. Not a fun procedure, but could give you some answers. Good luck!

C., Try Activia yougurt. It has saved me. I wasn't "diagnosed" with IBS, because I didn't go to the doctor, but I'm positive that's what I have. I would have terrible symptoms. I was also afraid to go out and eat...I would have terrible stomach cramps, diarreah followed by periods of constipation. I think the key for me has been staying regular and eating Ativia has done it. I will have an episode every now and then, but it is NOTHING like it was. Try it for 2 weeks. I noticed a difference right away. If it doesn't help, at least you're getting calcium!
S.

A little about me: Part-time teaching mom of 2 beautiful girls, one 4 and one 22 months.

I was diagnosed with IBS several years ago -- I was going A LOT throughout the day and let's not talk about trying to travel. The doctor gave me some medicine, but I didn't take it long. I have noticed if I keep my stress under control, I can pretty much control my IBS. Lately I started weight watchers and I am eating much healthier-- lots of fruits and veggies and I seem to use the bathroom even less. Try to reduce stress, improve your eating habits and see if that helps.

C., I also have IBS and found that it did not "act up" during either of my 2 pregnancies. I have found that lettuce is a big trigger for my IBS. Also I have found that I need to always have lomotil and levbid (both scripts from my doctor) with me at all times in order to deal with the cramping and diarrhea. I hope this helps. AS

I was diagnosed with IBS in high school. I never found many specific foods I couldn't eat. Mainly it was chocolate & carbonated drinks! Plus I stopped chewing gum, drinking from straws, and anything that makes you swallow air. Stress has also always been a huge factor.

My doctor had me on Bentyl for a while to help control it (I always had problems with diarrhea), but early one morning while I was in college I went to the ER with severe constipation. My doctor decided that I was taking too much Bentyl & it had caused the constipation. So, then I took Librax.

Bentyl is a drug that relaxes the muscle in the wall of the gut. Librax is a combination of two drugs: one that relaxes the muscle in the wall of the guy, and one that is for anxiety and tension.

I guess I was on Librax for about 2 years, then I got pregnant. You can't take Librax during pregnancy, so I stopped taking it and hoped I would be ok!! I was fine during the whole pregnancy. I was even eating chocolate! Then after my daughter was born (2 yrs ago), I still continued to eat chocolate and now I will even have carbonated drinks sometimes. However, just in the past few weeks it seems my IBS symptoms are coming back. :(

IBS can be so different for different people that it is hard to offer advice. I hope you can find some solutions that work for you! I may be back taking Librax again!

My little sis has IBS and she eats those Dan Active yogurt things. She also became a vegetarian for a while and that seemed to help her. She was taking medecine for it, but it turned out to be the one that was found to cause bleeding ulcers. So she stopped that.

My DH has IBS, and for years he tried to manage it on his own. It was so frustrating - we could never go out for meals with friends because he always had to be on the pot within 30 minutes of eating, and would be stuck in there for a long time. This happened no matter what he ate. I finally convinced him to go to the doctor and get medication, and within days he was almost symptom-free. Spicy and acidic foods still cause problems, but he refuses to give them up.
So I think its definately worth your while to pay a visit to the doctor. If you are breastfeeding, make sure that they can give you something that will be safe. If you were just diagnosed a year ago, it may just be that you need to call the office and speak with the nurse - remind them you they diagnosed you with IBS and now that you've had the baby, you are ready to try meds. They might not need you to come in for a visit.

hELLO C.,

Please study about your condition here. This will prove very helpful in answering probably all of your questions; http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/irritable-bowel-syndrome...

However, I recommend a good physical and workup for a mom of two plus a great husband. It's worth it.

Good luck and wish you well ;-)