Anyone else with IBS?

Tara1B

Thanks guys for responding! I try to keep track of what I'm eating that makes it better/worse but thus far I haven't noticed a pattern. I have the version of IBS where you don't go to the bathroom enough so on some level, I know my weight fluctuations are unavoidably part of that retention cycle. But I just never dip below a certain number, ever. I'm sorry to hear all of you are having similar struggles but it does make me feel a little less alone. It's so frustrating.
Maybe cutting bread/wheat is something I should consider. Those of you who have, have you gone totally gluten free or just cut out starchy carbs?

I also have the same problem, I've been suffering from IBS for 7 years. I'm only 5ft tall and sometimes my weight can fluctuate by 3-4lbs even though I've been eating healthy foods. I cut wheat and dairy out for 9 months (on the advice of a dietician) and it did make a massive difference with the bloating. I also lost half a stone fairly quickly. I now limit these foods in my diet but I still suffer.

JewelleryByMandy

Thanks guys for responding! I try to keep track of what I'm eating that makes it better/worse but thus far I haven't noticed a pattern. I have the version of IBS where you don't go to the bathroom enough so on some level, I know my weight fluctuations are unavoidably part of that retention cycle. But I just never dip below a certain number, ever. I'm sorry to hear all of you are having similar struggles but it does make me feel a little less alone. It's so frustrating.
Maybe cutting bread/wheat is something I should consider. Those of you who have, have you gone totally gluten free or just cut out starchy carbs?

Ive cut the wheat out of everything, i can actually have potatoes and rice tho, might be good to get a test done!

animatorswearbras

I have and the same version as you by the sounds of it (IBS -C) diagnosed 10 years ago but probably started in my mid teens but it's not really bothering me at the moment, I take colofac (anti spasmodic) and anti depressants (IBS can be depression/stress related) the exercising should help, plus you should try to take some time out to relax. My main trigger foods when I'm going through an IBS period are gassy bloating vegetables (ie cabbage, brocolli, onions) which is annoying because they're great for diets and diet coke,thai sticky rice, pizza and other things have also set me off in the past before too. Also all bran breakfast cereal I find is counterproductive for me and makes me feel worse as do probiotic drinks which is very strange so I wouldn't recommend them from my experience.

As for weight gain you should still be burning fat so when you go back to normal you should see a significant loss, but with your IBS most of that weight will be water weight in the gut and your extra exercising will mean you have water weight in your muscles helping them repair, your right that the gaining pounds of muscle thing straight away after exercising and that's why you're heavier is a myth it takes a long time to gain pounds of muscle especially if you're female, but people do gain pounds in water weight when they start exercising as part of the muscle healing process, this should also regulate when you get into a routine.

Just a disclaimer that this is just my uneducated opinion (especially regarding the weight retention this is just info I've gleaned from various fitness sites), the best thing would definatley be to speak to your doctor and see if you can be prescribed something and see if he could give you any dietary advice. But the gluton free thing doesn't sound like a bad idea, I've heard people find some relief going glutton free or cutting out other triggers.

Take care xxx

whitney_elyse

I've gone to several doctors and as of now, they seem to cast away the problems onto stress. Which, I agree could be part of it (how stressful is it to be told that all of your problems are due to stress--an ENDLESS cycle!) but I don't feel like I have any more stress in my life than a.) average people my age and b.) than I have in the past. But, I'm awaiting a GI specialist appointment in a few weeks that I hope will help me. As sad as it would be to cut out wheat and dairy from my diet, I'm willing to try anything. In the meantime, I'm going to an acupuncturist in the hopes that if stress is playing a part, that this will help in some way. I do think it's helped with the pain that comes along with my symptoms but hasn't helped with my actual bowel issues, if that makes sense?

animatorswearbras

I've gone to several doctors and as of now, they seem to cast away the problems onto stress. Which, I agree could be part of it (how stressful is it to be told that all of your problems are due to stress--an ENDLESS cycle!) but I don't feel like I have any more stress in my life than a.) average people my age and b.) than I have in the past

I do feel there's a strong relation between IBS and stress, however what are your doctors doing about it, is all very good being told it's stress but that doesn't help, I would ask to be prescribed an antispasmotic like colofac (mebeverine hydrochloride) for the pain. If they have confirmed an IBS diagnosis.

As for your level of stress a) your body has no idea what other peoples tolerance of stress is so you can't judge it by that, I get very stressed mines mostly related to my high pressure job, however I would consider myself a hell of alot luckier than most in that I am in work doing my hobby for a living, in love and most external things are going my way, but my body still feels stressed by the pressures of my own little world, and b) I've been more stressed in the past too and been without symtoms eg (when I was made redundant, and many other worse examples)

If gluton or dairy are known triggers then go for it, but I'd try one at a time for a week or so and see if there's improvement otherwise you might avoid both and only have an intolerance for one

Oh also try this masage with circular movements

"Self-massage of the colon has long been found helpful for constipation - in anyone, whether they have MS or not. To do this, massage along the length of the large intestine (colon) in the direction of 'flow' towards the rectum.

Begin at the lower right-hand side of your abdomen, just above the pelvis, then slowly move up towards the right-hand side of the rib cage, then across, just below the ribs, to the left side, and down the left side back towards the pelvis before finally moving across towards the middle."

BubblySharon

Kudos to you for posting... It's a "delicate" matter - particularly for me at the office when I have to "step out" so many times to the restroom.

I'm with you there! Unfortunately I don't always have access to a restroom when working. I'm a Home Health Aide and I don't feel comfortable using my clients' restrooms. Sometimes there not the cleanest, and sometimes they have illnesses/diseases that are quite contagious so using their restroom is not an option. I have to go to gas stations(yech!) or wait until I get home. So I end up missing work due to my IBS on occasion. I have found in the last 6 months since I have been using the new "holy crap" cereal line and "nutracleanse" it is adding a fair amount of fibre to my diet and seems to be helping. For me, my IBS fluctuates from C to D all the time. I have had it all my life but only diagnosed finally about 6 yrs ago. When it is in the C phase, I do notice I am more bloated and weigh a bit more. I have figured out a few triggers, but they are different for everyone.

BubblySharon

Oh also try this masage with circular movements

"Self-massage of the colon has long been found helpful for constipation - in anyone, whether they have MS or not. To do this, massage along the length of the large intestine (colon) in the direction of 'flow' towards the rectum.

Begin at the lower right-hand side of your abdomen, just above the pelvis, then slowly move up towards the right-hand side of the rib cage, then across, just below the ribs, to the left side, and down the left side back towards the pelvis before finally moving across towards the middle."

This is something I have been doing for years.. it does help. Started doing this when I was 12 yrs old and was constantly having problems going.

deb3129

I struggled with IBS since my teens. However, since I switched to a plant based diet in March, I am completely asymptomatic. I have no idea what change caused it to go away, because I overhauled my entire diet at once. I gave up all animal products, sodas, processed stuff, etc. So I cannot narrow down exactly what caused the difference, but I love the heck out of it!

svetadoll

This may sounds crazy..... but i've had major IBS symptoms for a bout 5 years... i even went to the extent of having tubes and video probed in areas no tube should go..... and nothing really came up. Went to naturalpaths, general GPs... no one really had a solution. I was even taking probiotics and it wouldn't help....
Then amongst this, my biggest problem was i developed a extremely bad neck/back from a number of minor accidents. Mainly not lifting at the knees and falling down some stairs...
SO, how are my back problems and IBS related?? WEEELLLL, i ended up going to a chiropractor after my neck just got toooo much to handle (mind you i had just spent 500+ on physical therapy to no avail)... he concentrates on aligning the spine... no wacky crazy scary cracking stuff that i've been lead to believe!! Its been three months... i started with 3 sessions a week and now down to 2... by next month it'll be once a week and so forth.... My neck is sooooo much better... so is my lower back....

My vertebre around the shoulder blades were out too.... and this is the area were the nerves to the stomach/intestines are... i swear to you.... i have no IBS problems as long as my back is aligned in this area..... if i have a bad stomach day, i immediately know i have to be aligned in that part of my back!!!

And if you knew how bad it was for me before.... i'd be in the bathroom BEFORE i had finished my meal.... honestly. I was a mess.

So try a chiropractor.... one that uses those adjusting tables and doesn't do any weird twisting cracking nonsense.

sarahkayhoffman

If you have food intolerance or allergy and do not know it, you could likely be hanging on to a lot of weight. Sometimes, for instance people with undiagnosed Celiac, have trouble gaining weight. It all depends on what the culprit is. I just wrote: Getting Glutenized & Dr. Oz’s Food Sensitivity Scale. You can see more symptoms: http://bit.ly/agugggoz

flatbellybella

the only time I think I have iBS is when I'm doing a night shift lol

walkwithme1

I've had this problem for a couple of years. Have had two ER visits, ultrasounds, colonoscopy the works. My GI doc diagnose me, istructions were, citrucel or equivalent daily (I don't do this) I was put on amitriptyline, 25mg very low dose, yes it is an anti depressant and no I'm not depressed, it's drastically helped my symptoms but caused weight gain so I only take 2-3 x week. I also take Levsin .125mg (dissolves under tongue) I use this when I have pain up to 4 times a day.

As for triggers: to much fiber thus the no citrucel and popcorn and raw edamame.
I hope you can get this figured out. I can definitely sympathize and a lot of people just don't understand how painful and uncomfortable it can be as well as frustrating. I gained back 15 of what I lost because of medical reasons. Hang in there and don't give up. Add me if I can help any of y'all. (I used to work for my GI doc)

rmkramer003

Hi all. I've been doing the MFP thing for about 2 years now. I've always been able to lose weight when I make the appropriate efforts (diet/exercise), though I haven't always been on the right track. Over the past year, I've been having what my doctor thinks are IBS symptoms. Since then, I haven't been able to lose any weight. Over the past two months especially, I've been making a really concerted effort. I work out 5 days/week with spin classes and body pump and my calories range from 1350-1500. I actually am gaining more weight than losing. I know the whole "muscle weighs more than fat" rule and I do think I've gained some muscle via body pump. However, I can tell via my clothes (and the scale!) that I haven't lost any fat. I truly feel that my stomach issues play a huge part in this but I'm not sure what else I can do. Does anyone in a similar boat have suggestions as to what they've done in the past to help?

I haven't read through this yet, but is it possible you aren't eating enough? Some people here say they plateaued, then started losing again when they upped their calories. Especially since you are working out so much. I hit a plateau myself eating at 1300 calories, and started losing weight again when I upped it to 1700 calories. I'm not losing a pound a week, but I am losing.

Firefox7275

Research suggests a combination of supplementing DHA/ EPA (long chain omega-3s/ fish body oils) and freeze dried probiotic capsules (the bacteria that naturally populate the gut) can improve symptoms in many people and I have had some good results with a few clients. I thought I had developed a wheat intolerance a few years ago, pain after eating and my stomach would swell up so badly I would look six plus pregnant and others would notice. Not IBS in my case, was massively improved in a week with the aforementioned supplements.

Matt_Wild

I suffer regularly with IBS symptoms. What is your current diet? I keep it really plain and 90% of the time have no problems.

AnahitaCanDoIt

I also suffer from IBS and am finding it difficult to lose any of my stomach, I always look about six months pregnant! I have anti-spasmodic meds from gp to deal with spasms in the gut but I always have that swollen belly going on
Good luck with your weight loss!

This sounds like me. I've cut out all gluten/grains/wheat, potatoes, rice, pasta dairy and am basically eating paleo more or less... it has improved and doing 5/6 days of training but the scale is refusing to budge. Yes, the centimetres have gone down, but not in my stomach. It's like someone is in there puffing out my stomach and I want to evict them!

kim_nawrocki

I have also been diagnosed to IBS! After 4 years of suffering with bloating, constipation/diarrhea, distention, gas, etc. - you name it, I've experienced it... I decided to seek out the advice of my PCP who without testing, told me to eliminate gluten from my diet. I tried the gluten free diet for 1 month and every symptom came back full force. Then, 2 years later, when I just couldn't take the cramping and all other symptoms that go along with it, I scheduled myself to see a GI specialist. Diagnosis: IBS and lactose intolerance... oh yeah, and too much stress. I have been prescribed an anti-spasmodic and anti-depressant and still have symptoms. I did notice a little bit of a difference with drinking fiber supplements (3 times daily) but other than that, no such luck to eliminate the discomfort on a whole. If anything, my weight fluctuates throughout the week, but I continuously have dropped pounds, not from pure diet or exercise, just because I can't eat large meals or very frequent meals either. I know that this doesn't seem too healthy, but I too am looking for some advice on how to manage this constant issue we all are seemingly suffering with.

Akimajuktuq

Thanks guys for responding! I try to keep track of what I'm eating that makes it better/worse but thus far I haven't noticed a pattern. I have the version of IBS where you don't go to the bathroom enough so on some level, I know my weight fluctuations are unavoidably part of that retention cycle. But I just never dip below a certain number, ever. I'm sorry to hear all of you are having similar struggles but it does make me feel a little less alone. It's so frustrating.
Maybe cutting bread/wheat is something I should consider. Those of you who have, have you gone totally gluten free or just cut out starchy carbs?

I also have the same problem, I've been suffering from IBS for 7 years. I'm only 5ft tall and sometimes my weight can fluctuate by 3-4lbs even though I've been eating healthy foods. I cut wheat and dairy out for 9 months (on the advice of a dietician) and it did make a massive difference with the bloating. I also lost half a stone fairly quickly. I now limit these foods in my diet but I still suffer.

"Limit" but not eliminate? That could be why you are still suffering. For me, I'm finding my incredible health improvements well worth the "restrictions". Living now seems so much better than sickening and dying prematurely. But that's just me.

greenmeena

I FIXED MY IBS!!! You can too!

I too have suffered for a long time with IBS. I was checked out for gluten allergy etc, and was just told it was stress, and to take Metamucil. WELL!! That stuff made me bloat worse and I was incredibly painful.

Like a lot of folks have said, I kicked grains and was immediately better. Not pain free, however; I went Paleo for two years but still had some troubles.

Then I was turned on to eating naturally probiotic foods by a friend. I had an especially horrific bout of pain that she was witness to, and she told me she'd used probiotic foods to help her condition- and now she can eat things that were normally out of the question with no trouble.

You see, commercial probiotics are not the same as foods with naturally occurring probiotic cultures! They're so much more alive and better for your belly. I can fully 100% attest to that.

I always hated sauerkraut, but decided to give it a go- I got this amazing garlic kraut which I LOVE. I began to eat probiotic foods two to three times per day. I eat kraut, fermented carrots with ginger, kefir and yogurt, and home made pickles. All of this I make myself at home.
Check out these books:
Sandor Katz "Wild Fermentation"
Sally Fallon "Nourishing Traditions"

These books, along with kicking grains, have saved my life. I no longer bloat, no longer have belly pain, I am regular and healed. wheeeee!!!

(I even cheat every now and then and have toast, twice a year, and don't suffer nearly as long).

greenmeena

By the way- if you have a gluten intolerance- it is not dose dependent, meaning, even the smallest amount can be an irritant. If you decide to go gluten free for 30 days as a test, something I think is well worth it, you want to be aware of where wheat or gluten hides; soy sauce, for example, and even oats have gluten. Just sayin'.