Your experiences with IBS

Posted by harmonyln @harmonyln, Apr 10, 2019

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.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.

@moo1

Juanita, it is definitely on Amazon under Kijimea IBS. Also, can be ordered directly from the manufacturer on e-bay, but very
high shipping charges if purchased that way. Made in Germany and Italy! Went through a Clinical Trial and did well with those
IBS sufferers who were part of the medical trial! See recent article in current “The Lancet“medical journal! Also see Kijimea
website, in German and English! Moo1

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Hey @moo1 , thanks for the information. Will look up the site again since I've checked in Amazon.in which is local in India. Did not find it there. However, since I'm on probiotics from last five years guess a change would not matter. will surely check again.

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@amandaa

@junita, while we greatly appreciate the suggestion from @moo1, it is best to speak with your GI physician before starting anything new with current medicine, even if it is over the counter.

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@amandaburnett, thanks for your suggestion. Surely will check with the doc. before I go ahead.

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@amandaa

@junita, while we greatly appreciate the suggestion from @moo1, it is best to speak with your GI physician before starting anything new with current medicine, even if it is over the counter.

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Amanda, I wholehearted agree. Check “all treatments” with your GI specialist, but mention the current article in “The Lancet” a
respected Medical Journal, authored by Dr. Peter Layer, Gastroenterologist. My response to Juanita and others is that the
product is still on the Amazon website when she stated it wasn’t there!
Always check with your Doctor before taking any med,
OTC, Herbal, or alternative!
Moo1

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@junita

Congratulations dear @cindychesler ... Glad to know you've overcome the tough period. Let me see when I'll get the comfort of leading a normal lifestyle. By the way, I've visited end no. of dieticians however no diet plan could actually help me out. However, now I'm trying to follow the FODMAP diet plan. let's see what happens. Thanks..

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The key to the whole thing is the MRT testing for food sensitivities. Good luck on your journey. 😀

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@junita

Hi Teresa,

Thanks for getting in touch. My symptoms currently plaguing me are diarrhoea, stomach cramps and flatulence not to omit weight gain. Here, in India,doctors only suggest you a food list . They do not share any eating plan as such.

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Hello @junita, As you are not familiar with the low fodmap eating plan for treating IBS, I wanted to share this website with you. The foods listed as "Low Fodmap" are the ones that are the best for IBS symptoms. The other, listed as High Fodmap, should be avoided for at least a month. You can then begin to add in some of the High Fodmap foods to see which ones are a trigger for your IBS symptoms. This eating plan is recommended by GI doctors here in the U.S. and it can be quite helpful.
https://www.benefiber.com/fiber-in-your-life/fiber-and-wellness/beginners-guide-to-low-fodmap-diet/?

If you do try it, I would like to hear how you are doing.

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@hopeful33250

Hello @junita, As you are not familiar with the low fodmap eating plan for treating IBS, I wanted to share this website with you. The foods listed as "Low Fodmap" are the ones that are the best for IBS symptoms. The other, listed as High Fodmap, should be avoided for at least a month. You can then begin to add in some of the High Fodmap foods to see which ones are a trigger for your IBS symptoms. This eating plan is recommended by GI doctors here in the U.S. and it can be quite helpful.
https://www.benefiber.com/fiber-in-your-life/fiber-and-wellness/beginners-guide-to-low-fodmap-diet/?

If you do try it, I would like to hear how you are doing.

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Hi@hopeful33250, thanks for sharing the link. have checked it out. The list is very similar to the ones that are prescribed by the docs here in India. However I wan't aware that it is a part of a diet plan for IBS. Thanks again for sharing.Will surely let you know as I progress.

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I have IBS and ulcerative colitis for the rest of my life. I'm on a low residue diet which includes very little fiber so I'm always constipated. I have an excellent GI Doc. Could you get another opinion from another Gastroentologist? Two Colonoscopies in 6 months is crazy. Hope nothing else is wrong. I do have days when my stomach aches are so bad I can barely function. I am in remission though with infusions. Hope you get the right help. Maria.

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