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IBS - mixed. Are there medications for this?
Digestive Health | Last Active: May 29 5:32am | Replies (29)Comment receiving replies
I have IBS-C and redundant colon and possible celiac. I have so many food restrictions I can’t gain weight now and my docs think it may be an eating disorder! But I would love to eat normally and I do enjoy eating although my diet is very bland and consists of “gentle G.I.” mashed foods. But if I try to expand my choices beyond a handful of “safe” foods, I inevitably get a flare, which involves severe cramping and diarrhea that comes in waves and lasts several hours. I’ve had this since late childhood, but for several decades it was ok and I ate a relatively normal diet. It recurred in my late fifties (I’m 68, almost 69 now), and has been so severe at times I am down to 93 pounds and using an app to try to regain weight. ( throughout my life I was always moderately overweight!) recent CT shows no issues- no diverticulitis (although I do have diverticulosis). Am having abdominal MRI with contrast this week, Have tried Nerva app for brain/gut reprogramming- it’s helpful for relaxation but doesn’t really work for severe flares and food intolerances. I also have weak pelvic floor and have tried some PT and even tens therapy which helped the overactive bladder but not IBS. Had gall bladder removed in 2019, which really helped for a few years to the point I thought it wasn’t IBS at all until the IBS came back with a vengeance a few years ago. I have occasional “phantom gallbladder” attacks now if I eat too much volume at one time or even a little fat. Upper back and chest pain that feels like a heart attack and lasts for hours. I even called 911 for the first time in my life because pain was so severe.
I’m starting to wonder if it all comes down to the redundant colon? Doctors and dietitian seem frustrated. I’m also at a loss what to do. Now that summer’s round the corner, and the smells of outdoor cooking fill the air I feel the loss of and longing for real food again. I don’t despise food it just triggers severe pain. Thanks for listening…
Replies to "@researchmaven I have IBS-C and redundant colon and possible celiac. I have so many food restrictions..."
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@dmcara
We have a lot in common. Before I started getting a handle on it, I had
lost weight too, maybe 20-25 pounds, into the below a good weight category.
If my similar gut issues can be used as a guide, there are two vectors that
trigger IBS, FOR ME:
*Vector 1 EMOTION* -- happy/sad emotion, or stress, or anxiety are
collectively an independent trigger
What I did: *a.* I took a low-dose Zoloft pill daily, cutting the 25 mg in
half. Zoloft due to my IBS-C (if there are side effects with Zoloft, it is
going to be loose stools. I felt better, but I also felt "blah" and stopped.*
b.* I cut off all contact with family and friends for a month, to "still
myself," as everything was making me anxious. *c. *I took a 7-week zoom
course with a gastro psychologist and at the end of the 7 weeks, I could
relax myself at will (this is a simplification; I have more details to my
success if you are interested).
If Nerva does this for you, even if you have to keep listening, keep doing
it. *d. *I care a whole lot less about issues and outcomes now, so I don't
get worked up.
*Vector 2 FOOD*-- food is an independent trigger. Almost everything
triggers my IBS-C. What I did:
FOOD: *a)* I started with the "green light only" Monash University FODMAP
app foods and through trial and error, I eliminated those that did not work
(I already knew I was grain intolerant and lactose intolerant). My staple
non-reactive, bland foodstuffs are plantain flour, lactose-free nonfat milk
and egg whites, and some powdered chia seeds, for a loose porridge that I
eat four times a day. I could list my other non-reactive foods if you need
them (the quantity of these "other" foods matter), as well as what I avoid
and eat little of. *b)* taking digestive enzymes with each meal (I could
tell you which if you like). *c)* never going hungry (its own trigger!),
*d)* traveling with two thermos of food, and a few nuts and seeds. No
restaurant foods and almost all drinks do not work for me.
ITS FORM, as solids, or even a mash, don't work well with my severely
redundant colon unless in a liquidy/loose form. The redundant colon is just
like a longer, curved water pipe, a mash or solids can get stuck.* e) *drinking
more plain water each day. *f)* adding "slip" before a meal (Slippery elm
bark powder, inner bark), *g) *taking magnesium citrate (some with meals,
more at night, *h*) adding Colace at night when I get off-track, *i*)
taking some Fermenting Fairy brand coconut milk kefir each morning (just
drops -- I am that sensitive).
*COMMENTS ON WHAT YOU SAID*
You have lost too much weight. I wonder if it is the emotional component or
the food component. Assuming you have addressed the emotional component,
you are eating something you shouldn't be eating or something non-reactive
but in too large a quantity.
It is not likely your GI MD has anything in his toolbox for you, mine
didn't. I can't believe s/he speculated on a food disorder. You could try
changing GI doctors. Some may do 2nd opinions on Zoom. I trust (to the
extent I can trust anything), the Castle and Connolly listing of MDs. I can
tell you why if you like. You have to do trial and error at home. You could
get a referral to an IBS-proficient dietician if you want such
guidance/partnership.
I also have a weak pelvic floor. Just IBS pooing all the time, even without
straining, exacerbated this problem for me ( I use a pessary now).
You sure don't have to be celiac to have a gluten issue. Gluten intolerance
is a big deal and both can cause many of the same problems. The latest info
says that gluten intolerance can bring on a host of health issues too. All
the MDs can do is test for celiac. MDs cannot test for gluten intolerance
(it is just a diagnosis of exclusion.) Google Cleveland Clinic and Gluten
Intolerance. I also have recent studies. Intolerance is not a small thing
in terms of potential problems.
I had colic as a newborn. Unlike you, after that phase I ate everything
until my 30s when I noticed rice plugged me up. Then in my late 40s, I
became lactose intolerant and my gut health started spiraling downward.
The best I can do today, is to address the dysbiosis that is causing food
type (and food amount) intolerances ON A DAILY BASIS. That means "taking
care of it" with every meal and drink. Doing all that I do gives me a
near-normal elimination experience. I still have a limited diet.
My gut has been getting worse over time. I am hopeful with my digestive
enzymes and probiotics, I can continue to have a more normal gut and
digestion/elimination process and arrest my gut's decline, so that it is
stable.
I do not think I can fix my gut permanently, as things stand now.
My biggest problem is constipation and IBS-C symptoms, which I have a
handle on now. I can live with my limited diet.