help me please have IBS and struggling to lose weight

Crohn's and colitis are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and are very serious and potentially fatal. IBS is inconvenient but it is by no means in the same league as IBD in terms of seriousness as - thankfully - IBS does not cause damage, just symptoms.

Try taking Betaine HCL. A homeopathic nutritionist suggested it to me a few years back. (I have IBS-C also) I have an awful time digesting meat, especially red meat. I was so frustrated at being fit and tiny but looking like I was preggers because of my constipation bloat.

Betaine HCL is the acid in your stomach that breaks food down, many of us do not have enough of it and that is why we get constipated. I get mine at a all natural grocery store but GNC carries it as well, all though the dosage of HCL is lower than what you can find at a health food store. I get the 500 mg and take one in the middle of a big meal, or if I am having red meat, I take one before and one in the middle.

You can google low HCL and see what you think.

Good luck!

I had a very similar problem. Has your GP tested you for Celiac disease? I was diagnosed as IBS for YEARS and felt awful. It wasn't until I started getting super sick due to anemia and electrolyte imbalances that they figured out it was Celiac disease. I have been gluten free for one year now and can not believe how good I feel. Don't let your GP tell you constipation and being overweight aren't symptoms of Celiac disease. They are not the NORM but there is a significant subgroup of people that present with chronic severe constipation and obesity.

Good luck, however do NOT go gluten free without being tested first please. If it is Celiac you need to know because it is very different than eating gluten free due to IBS or intolerance, and if you are tested AFTER being without gluten you could possibly get a false negative.

I have ibs. Last year I was on major levels of drugs for acid reflex and chronic stomach/gut cramps and bloating
For me cutting out white dyed flour and any chemicals or forced rising agents/processed food has really helped
However I did get clogged up when I first started my diet (I've lost 2st 8oz since jan)
What I found really helped was -
Liquorice tea
Plenty of water and then more
Increasing healthy fat in diet
Cutting out white carbs and reducing Red meat to occasional treats - plus low levels of white meat (fish/seafood seems to keep my body the happiest)
Low carb diet (I still eats oats every day for breakfast but the rest of my carbs come from fresh fruit and veg or beans etc)
Using reflexology pressure points on the hand (I swear this really does work)
Exersise
Adrenaline (I have a horse and Competiton nerves help!)
It took my body about 4.5 months to get used to the new diet so that I was regular
I hope you find a solution as I can totally empathise how horrid it is

Thank you everyone

I have had Celiac tests done = clear, negative

thyroid tests done = closer to high levels

cross panel bloods tested = all fine

so it seems I will have to work it out with my diet, looks like it will be trial and effort but will be so worth it when I work it out

I do find I am sluggish feeling and tired if I eat too much meat, so am cutting back the meat, I also find white bread, past and rice are ok but if I eat brown bread, rice and pasta I bloat up about 7 inches on average within half an hour of eating.

I do hope one day we find a way of dealing with these symptoms and make everyone's life easier and bloat/pain free

There is, it is called HCL and enzymes that you get a GNC. I have the same issue, the dr even put me on Zelnorm, that crap killed people. It took a homeopath to tell me how to cure me, naturally. I was in pain 10 freaking years before finding this out. I was PISSED!

Hi dear-sorry for your frustrations. I too have IBS and its a pain in the but-I know. 100% Whole grain bread, lean meats and fish works wonder and staying away from acidic foods (Ketchup, vinegar etc...) helps as well because it doesnt irritate the mucosal linings of our already sensitive gastrointestinal system. The extra fibre and gallons of water I drink allows food to pass freely (and painlessly) through my system and I have no troubles in the bathroom department. Hope this helps!-Good luck girl, you will get through it

I suffer with IBS too, and find one week i can go every day as normal and then the next week lucky if i can go once a week, I have tried dried prunes and apricots , and they have made me go occasionally , the first time i had them i had a lot and they made me go two hours after eating them, also Peppermint tea is good for helping to support your digestive system and help go too, plenty of water or all the fibre will bung you up, I know how difficult it is suffering with IBS, try not to stress about your weight as this could be not helping either

I no longer eat any junk food, I eat plenty of veg and a smaller amount of fruit as the recommendations are 2 of your 5 a day to be fruit the rest veg, it has been a long standing problem 16+ years, on paper everything is correct and I should be losing weight, the tape measure has shown reductions, the bodyfat readings have shown reductions, the scale shows nothing, if I do lose weight within a couple of days it shows it as back, so it seems I am losing and gaining the same 10lbs.

I don't even want junk food now, the smell and taste makes me feel sick, GP has said its one of those things and looks like this is how I will be, no point in fighting it, just continue to eat healthy and exercise.

its just soul destroying to know I am eating healthy and exercising but that this IBS is the problem, GP thinks it will stop after menopause as my periods are a trigger for IBS, stress causes my periods to go out of wack and scale not showing all the work is stressing me. I am in a very vicious circle

so you ARE losing weight, it's just not showing up on the scale. you say that your body is getting smaller (tape measure) and your bodyfat is decreasing. Please stop stressing about the scale - hide it for a few weeks. as long as you are getting smaller, you are doing something right. continue measuring and take pictures of yourself in a gym outfit every few weeks so you can see the difference.

IBS is miserable and I can sympathize though mine is the opposite. My son had horrible issues pooping until we cut out dairy. That's made life so much easier- he goes completely on his own! He can't drink milk at all or it stops him right back up. Yogurt is ok as a little cheese though I can always tell when he's had too much. My triggers are sugar, dairy and stress, especially stress (holidays can be rough).

I have suffered from IBS for 20 years now. I do not have constipation. I have diarrhea, unfortunately. Actually, I'd have to say it's mixed. But I definitely have a pattern. I won't go for a few days, then I will bloat, get hot, cramp and go to the bathroom three times. Each time it's softer and softer until a blow out. (sorry, all conversations turn to poop eventually! LOL) I also have a rectal fissure (chronic) that I am trying to avoid having surgery for. So, I take a stool softener. The bad thing about the softener is one of the ingredients is sorbitol. IBS suffers should avoid sorbitol at all costs. I found out recently that my favorite Special K cereal bars contain sorbitol. It's a natural laxative found in a lot of fruits but it is also in gum and added to foods for flavor. There are others within the same family and I believe they are called "xylotols". Could be wrong, but google it. Red meat is a trigger for me. Small amounts I do okay with. A steak, not so much. And I love steak. Dairy is a trigger and I love ice cream. Sometimes I suffer and eat it anyway. One thing that is been a life saver for me -probiotics. My symptoms have markedly improved since beginning them. I use Colon Health, but you could anything that works for you. I don't like yogurt, so I use a pill form.

For years, I was on an anti-depressant for IBS. There were times I needed it and I am glad it helped in more ways than one. Now, I no longer need meds and I am working with my diet to help with IBS. I wish I had tried this years ago. I'm only 45 and it started when I was in college in my 20s.

In addition, I am a very picky eater. I like fruits, some veggies, chicken, pork, ham, turkey, beef (in very limited amounts if any at all). I love pasta and have had to try and switch to whole wheat for better nutrition. And, I started using this app for a healthier lifestyle and it's working.