Hi Guys-
As a person who has suffered from IBS and is now almost 100% symptom free, I would like to tell you how I got better. The first thing I did was change my diet to Paleo, but that didn't solve everthing. I did start to feel better though. First of all, I stopped going to my GP for IBS and went to an Integrative Medicine Dr. (in Fort Wayne, IN) who also has a nutritionist. The GP only treated symptoms, not the unlying causes. Next, I kept a food diary and wrote down how I felt after every meal/snack for one month. I took the food diary with me to the nutritionist and she looked at what I was eating and also how it made me feel. Then, I was tested for food allergies and sensitivities. The nutritionist gave me specific lists of food I needed to avoid and foods that I needed to incorporate more. The next visits were with one week food diaries and my diet was further tweaked based on the results of testing and reaction to foods on my list. I have other reasons for some of my food eliminations, so I won't go on about exactly what I eat, because it will be different for everyone. Our bodies tell us what they don't like, we just need to listen!

I am now dairy free, sugar free, gluten free (Gluten affects Antibody associated with Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism), and yeast free with carbs in moderation. The biggest take away is that I no longer take medicine for IBS (Prilosec 20mg twice per day). I no longer get bloated, unless I eat things that I should not be eating. My stomach is healed now, so eating a little bit of the bad food has a less dramatic effect on my body. Lastly, I lost 15 lbs and have successfully kept it off and continue to lose at a very slow rate as time goes on.

I recommend that everyone seek out a good Integrative medicine doctor who treats patients with both prescription and holistic medicines, and one who tests beyond the normal laboratory tests. I take the probiotics that some have mentioned. These are also individual, you have to find the ones that work for you. If you can find the root cause of your discomfort, you will feel so much better!

Thanks for listening,
Lisa

Edit* I am also pain free, I no longer take arthritis medications, because all of the swelling was causing me joint pain as well!

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