Can Anyone throw more light on Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

I agree with Shinelikevegas that you should first try to find trigger foods. Unfortunately, you may eat that food with no reaction on a good day but on a bad day, it may grumble everything up in there! This is the kind of IBS I have. I have been to doctors and have had tests and there is no physical reason for my issues except general ibs. I've lived with this for over 25 years and have had really good times and really bad times. Typical trigger foods for most ibs sufferers are fried foods, hi sodium foods and high milk content foods. Certain gas producing vegetables can be bad too. I personally can't do much fruit, although most veggies sit well. There is no perfect science for this illness. I agree you should see a doctor to rule out something serious. Your primary care provider should be a good place to start. Good luck!

First, I would get allergy tested to eliminate food allergies. They said I had Ibs for ten years before I finally get diagnosed with food allergies. Also, try one of the really good probiotics like align. I use the generic. Remember, too, that a lot of our healthy foods cause bloating. Align helped me a lot.

I have been dealing with IBS since I'm a child and I'm 38 now. I also have reflux, and have been on anti reflux meds for years. I had my gallbladder removed and I even had surgery to tighten my esophagus. That actually helped for a while and I was able to go off my meds but the procedure came undone after a year and I went right back on the meds. I have almost chronic constipation, bloating, gas, burning in my stomach. Those last few symptoms aren't all the time but I go through bouts of this, and I happen to be in one right now. I have seen countless drs and had all the scopes, food allergy tests, celiac test all which revealed nothing. I have finally decided once and for all to take charge of my health by dietary means. I went paleo over a month ago. I don't eat any grains, legumes, dairy(which I know causes me issues anyway), and sugar.My symptoms still prevail so I started digging more. I just learned of two things which could be causing my issues. One is fructose malabsorption - you might have heard of FODMAPS diet, that's what it's for. The other is SIBO , small intestine bacterial overgrowth. The diet for that is the GAPS(Gut and psychology syndrome) or SCD(simple carbohydrate diet). Unfortunately there doesn't seem to be a solid way to determine if you have one or both of these. They can actually go hand in hand. However, the diets do differ. I am currently in a conundrum trying to decide which foods to remove. I'm going to eliminate all starchy veggies and some of the more troublesome veggies like cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower. I am also on a quest to find a dietitian or nutritionist who specializes in digestive disorders. I think that's going to be the hard part. I am done with traditional medicine, they have nothing to offer me anymore.

I'm sorry that I didn't actually give advice but I wanted to share my journey. What the other posters said about trigger foods is spot on. Oh, and I will say that nuts are very hard on the digestive system. I need to stop eating them. Also, acidic foods like tomatoes; fruit; dairy; spicy food. Unfortunately it's all about trial and error. But if you haven't been to a gastroenterologist before, I suggest seeing one if only to get the allergy testing done.

I have it too. I can eat something as simple as an apple, and my stomach will blow up like a balloon. I also have all the other problems that come with it. I think there are so many pesticides and chemicals in our food, it's a miracle if a person DOESN"T have the condition!

Thank you for your response everybody!
I wanted to know about the symptoms as well.
What exactly are the symptoms/
Do the above symptoms of mine indicate IBS?

Plus I have been following a diet that has gluten, lentils, legumes and lot dairy right from my childhood.
Dont think I hv an allergy.
Thing is even a small munch of anything makes my stomach bloat!!!

it's difficult for anyone but a doctor to actually really even give you a hint if you actually have IBS. Some people get diarrhea, others extreme constipation. Some have instant reactions to foods while others take a little while after a meal. while bloating can be a sign, your doctor is really the only one to steer you in the correct direction. Also, our bodies develop food allergies over time, for instance I never knew i had allergies until i became and adult, and i was allergic to things i was eating everyday.

I suffered from chronic indigestion, loose stools and bloating for many years, i imagine it would have been called ibs had i gone to the doctor! They just gave me heartburn meds and left me to it though

Anyway about 2 weeks ago i cut all gluten from my diet, it was almost instant that the indigestion reduced.

From there i have realised that i have a bit of a dairy intolerance, i can handle it in small amounts but not large, i have cut it out all together.

I also learnt that if i eat too much garlic, it affects me lots, i will still continue to have very garlic-y things once every couple of weeks because i LOVE the taste, but i will have to have some indigestion remedies to hand to prevent me from being uncomfortable for a day afterwards!

I am hoping that as i lose weight, i will be able to handle garlic a bit more but i have no intention on starting dairy again and there is no chance i will start eating gluten again, it scares me how much it affected me and how hard the come-down was.

Never again x

IBS, what doctors say you have when they are left clueless.

Sooo true! My son has been diagnosed with IBS after years of stomach pain, gas, and chronic diarreha. We took him for every test under the sun, and when nothing showed up as abnormal...it MUST be IBS! I'm still not convinced, but this is the diagnosis we have to go with for now. Meanwhile, my son had to drop out of university because he couldn't sit through classes.

Since you have chronic constipation, I seriously doubt that you have IBS, which tends to be more of a diarreha thing. (I have always had chrionic on-and-off constipation and was diagnosed with HIrschsprung's Disease back when I was a kid)

First things first: get checked for food sensitivities and allergies. Always keep a journal of your food and which things tend to bother you most.

Then you should see a specialist who can test you for other things such as Crohn's, diverticulitis, etc. and pinpoint whether the pain is coming from your stomach or intestines (cat scan, upper and lower GI, endoscope, etc.).

Meantime, try probiotics such as Align. So far, it has been the ONLY product to give my son any relief.

I've been dealing with IBS for only a couple of months now, and my weight is never the same. A few months ago when it started, I just woke up 10lbs heavier, all from bloating. It has been such a struggle. My doctor has told me to try to eliminate food and find my triggers, which i'm seeing a lot of people saying above. I have found it impossible to find my triggers. I have eliminated every type of food and all I'm getting in return is the number going up and down on the scale. It's very hard to maintain a weight when you're dealing with IBS, but what I've found is that exercising helps a lot. It helps me digest and get everything moving, hopefully it does the same for you.

Unfortunately, your diet is going to have to suffer. High fat foods aren't good for people with IBS. Also, eating smaller amounts is key. I usually eat a small breakfast,and have a snack a few hours later. I have a slightly larger lunch because filling up earlier in the day is better than filling up at night. Basically switching my lunch and dinner has been a huge help. Also, anything that I snack on is fruits, vegetables, or nuts. This is what works for me.

It's important to remember that everyone is different when it comes to IBS. You just have to find what works for you.

Also, intolerance to certain foods such as lactose or gluten can change at any point in your life. I've been lactose intolerant off and on throughout my whole life. Allergies sometimes sneak up on you due to stress or weight change. Try eliminating dairy first, it's really not that hard. There are plenty of lactose free milk, yogurts, and cheese. I hope you find what works for you!

These replies have been great to read as I suffer very badly from this. I take Dicyclomine for it, but doesn't seem to help much. The gastro dr who has done my scopes has said that I would need to eat baby food to make everything work right. After two stomach surgeries where they take the intestines completely out of the body and put them back in, nothing will ever work right again. Might just have to resort to his baby food idea. Just take a couple of jars with me when we go out to eat :laugh:

I have it and it is awful. I have given up carbonated drinks because it hurts me so much and I used to live on diet soda. Sometimes I have so much trapped gas and indigestion that I get chest pains and bloating near my lower chest/upper stomach area and it makes me have a panic attack because it feels like my heart is having problems. My recommendations:

-take gas-x. It's expensive, 11 dollars a bottle for the strongest stuff (phazyme) but holy crap it works. I wouldn't be able to live without this stuff. the bottle says to take 2 a day, but my dr said that it's okay to take more if you need to, and usually I take 4 - 6 a day

-try bean-o & lactaid pills. it may work for you! I unfortunately found they did not for me

-learn your trigger foods. I love love love ice cream but it does not love me. neither does cheese. greek yogurt is sometimes okay. wheat gives me a lot of gas. so do vegetables. AND FRUIT. oh man, fruit is the worst for ibs.

-avoid splenda. aspartame & stevia are better for gastro issues

-try the FODMAP diet. (it's not a weight loss diet, but you can customize it that way). it was too strict for me to stick to but it did help quite a bit.

Do some research on Habba Syndrome.
http://www.rightdiagnosis.com/h/habba_syndrome/intro.htm

For ten years I experienced all of the IBS symptoms along with chronic diarrhea regardless of diet. I have been scoped, scanned, poked, and prodded and doctor after doctor said that IBS would be a fact of life for me. My life was centered on the availability of a bathroom and as a firefighter this was extremely difficult. I have been on scene at a house fire and had to ask the neighbors for their bathroom, the house was still on fire!

Two years ago one of our police officers overheard my angst and suggested that I look into Habba Syndrome. I did and at first I thought the guy sounded like a quack. I printed out everything I could find and took to my Doctor. We discussed the possible treatment, side effects, and my Doctor prescribed Cholestyramine. It is a cholesterol medication that is used off label to treat these symptoms.

It has changed my life!

No gas, bloating, cramps, or diarrhea in two years. It is not a cure for everyone but well worth discussing with your doctor.