IBS challenges

Thanks, JK. Actually on my Low FODMAP Diet for IBS I have already eliminated lactose—along with gluten, fructose, etc. etc.

@jackiem95 I have never familiarized myself with the low FODMAP diet, but giving up gluten and fructose along with lactose must leave very little that you can eat. I hope that will not happen to me. I can’t imagine giving so much up and still having problems. Are there any theories at all about what could be causing your problem?
JK

In the ever changing world of IBS (which for me started with diarrhea, then shifted to alternating diarrhea/constipation and now to at least being mostly consistent and under control (for which I am thankful!), I now have really soft stools. It is a major mess to clean myself up and actually am never really clean back there. Plus the hemorrhoids have flared up. Doctor tells me to take Metamucil with my protein powder drink but that just gives me major gas problems. Has anyone else been able to firm up their BMs successfully?

Regarding fiber and Metamucil- I had started with that, had gas issues and GI told me to try Citrucel- different fiber- that doesn’t cause gas like Metamucil does. It has been fine.
Regarding lactose intolerance- I would use Lactaid milk, cottage cheese and ice cream but ignore the fact that I reacted to pizza and other foods and cakes with dairy. Recently I started carrying the lactose enzyme tablets - could eat dairy products without the gas bloat.

In the ever changing world of IBS (which for me started with diarrhea, then shifted to alternating diarrhea/constipation and now to at least being mostly consistent and under control (for which I am thankful!), I now have really soft stools. It is a major mess to clean myself up and actually am never really clean back there. Plus the hemorrhoids have flared up. Doctor tells me to take Metamucil with my protein powder drink but that just gives me major gas problems. Has anyone else been able to firm up their BMs successfully?

I'm 69 years old and have had IBS with panic attacks my whole adult life. It has stopped me from doing so many things. When I've had to go places; it would make me so anxious. I've been check by quite a few doctors over the years and none of the medicines or suggestions have been full proof.
Twelve years ago I divorced my husband of 35 years and have done very little dating because of the IBS with panic attacks. I've wasted my life because of this awful condition and have been a prisoner. Well...that's my story. Is there any words of advise out there for me? I don't have that many years left and I sure would like to get out there and live.

It would really be helpful for me to hear from others about what they're going through and how they cope with their IBS issues. I've never had this problem and could always pretty much eat what I wanted without any ill effect. Now if I accidentally eat even the smallest amount of gluten or anything with dairy I am sick for 2 to 5 days and I feel totally exhausted the entire time. First starts belching, then painful bloating and cramping and I become constipated. My upper abdomen hurts as if I had been hit with something hard, my gut feels raw inside and often unremitting nausea also sometimes happens. Once the bloating calms back down, out of the blue I experience urgent diarrhea that can come even if I eat even a few bites of "approved" food. (I've been on FODMAP since Feb). My appetite has gone away and I've lost 19 lbs since I started eliminating foods on the list. The diarrhea can last the entire day and by the time it stops my body is weak, i'm very tired and my abdomen feels tender for the next few days. I've become hesitant to eat, although I'm falling woefully short of calories nearly every single day. Food has lost it's appeal to me and feels more trouble than it's worth. My social life has been totally impacted by these problems and I pass up on fun activities that have been a part of my life forever. Going out to a restaurant is mostly a nightmare now. My GI dr prescribed Bentyl and Omeprozole, which didn't help much, and basically sent me on my way telling me that I need to work on reducing my stress levels. I have dealt with major depression and an anxiety disorder for going on 25 years, which is currently well managed with the exception of the anxiety that being this ill can trigger. I'm getting acupuncture twice a week and that does seem to help. The D.O. that is doing this for me also has me on a regime of Digestive Enzymes. He's also given me a recipe for a "gut healing smoothie" that contains several holistic ingredients, including probiotics with acidophilus/bifidus. I'm currently waiting for these things to come in the mail so I can't speak to its effectiveness yet. At this point I'm willing to try just about anything to get my life back. I feel that I am constantly complaining to my friends and family when they ask how things are going, The only thing that I can point to as what brought this all on, although my GI dr wouldn't agree, is that I had two colonoscopies within 6 months (March and August of last year) as a result of numerous polyps, one of which was difficult to fully remove in one session. None were cancerous but all were of the type that will eventually turn into cancer. Because of this she now wants to start doing colonoscopies every 3 years, which I totally dread just it case it triggers my IBS to become worse. If its not related to those procedures and their prep, can and did your IBS just come on suddenly with no warning and nothing particularly prompting it? Do you feel, or have you been told that this illness will be something that you have to live around forever? Have you ever heard of it going into remission and/or going away entirely? I've done a lot of reading on this subject but really need to hear from those of you who understand and can relate to what I am talking about. I feel alone in this and am afraid that this is my new normal. Thank you for reading this and for hopefully sharing a bit about your experience with IBS.

I second the idea of a low FODMAP diet. The two biggest FODMAPs are apples and garlic. You can still have garlic by making a garlic oil, something you can learn to do by looking online. This is a medical diet so you have to see a nutritionist twice, once to learn about how to research if you have it and then to meet with the nutritionist to talk about it. Your research is to systematically change your diet, one piece at a time, according to the schedule given to you by the nutritionist. I recently went on a camping trip and had a huge amount of garlic in the meal cooked by another person. Didn’t know it until I ran to the bathroom. I now have an appointment with a Gastroenterologist at Mayo. You may be okay with garlic, something else may be your problem. If you are interested in looking into this diet, get an appointment with a nutritionist and Do Not Change Your Diet until you see the nutritionist. I hope you find the thing that helps you. Sometimes it is several things that help you.

I'm 69 years old and have had IBS with panic attacks my whole adult life. It has stopped me from doing so many things. When I've had to go places; it would make me so anxious. I've been check by quite a few doctors over the years and none of the medicines or suggestions have been full proof.
Twelve years ago I divorced my husband of 35 years and have done very little dating because of the IBS with panic attacks. I've wasted my life because of this awful condition and have been a prisoner. Well...that's my story. Is there any words of advise out there for me? I don't have that many years left and I sure would like to get out there and live.

For me, gluten free is a part of the Low Fodmap diet--along with other "no eat" foods. I like carbs too but I have learned to work around the gluten restriction. Finding good bread (including things like hamburger buns and bagels) without the additives that are restricted on the Low Fodmap diet, is not easy but I have found some that I can eat. Not great, but better than nothing. There are also some sweets (like cookies) that are OK for me and are actually good. I do make my own sometimes (using modified regular recipes or low fodmap recipes) but my husband is diabetic so I end up eating most of them myself!