IBS medication - a bit confused

lucygoesrawr
lucygoesrawr Posts: 184 Member
in Food and Nutrition
So, I had a blood test done for Celiac disease and was told I don't have it, so I probably have IBS and gluten containing foods trigger it. I'd been feeling quite awful (nauseous, extremely bloated and constipated) while increasing my gluten intake for the blood test and the doctor prescribed some medication (Colofac, I believe it's called). If I'm understanding this correctly, I should be able to eat whatever and not have IBS symptoms on this, right? If that's the case, it's not working.

I've only been having a bagel each day, as far as gluten goes. I'm considering cutting it all out but I wouldn't know if the tablets were working then.

I also don't understand whether these are meant to be a permanent medication or not, she didn't really say, just said to see how I got on with them.

Just wondering if anyone has any advice, as there are other IBS sufferers on here?

It's a little bit demotivating being bloated all the time, can't see my progress with the weight loss :(

Replies

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    I don't know that medicine. And I don't have celiac. Both my sisters have IBS, I wouldn't be surprised to find out I did. Here's what I do know for myself: cutting back on starchy carbs like breads makes it so much easier. So for me it's not gluten per se, but breads in general (GF breads do the same thing for me). A bagel is pretty dense, and would NOT be my first choice. No way. I can eat a piece of whole grain toast okay, but not daily. But yeah, if we have pizza night (whole wheat), I pay a bit for a couple of days.

    I could probably get tested, but at this point I'd rather deal with it with my diet, rather than meds. Everyone is different. Good luck finding what works for your lifestyle.
  • LeslieTSUK
    LeslieTSUK Posts: 215 Member
    lol
    nuuuuu
    all the meds do is help reduce the symptoms, still have to be careful what you eat.
    bread can be really bad, as can noodles and pasta, yet pita bread i have no problem with.

    Just trial and error as to what sets it off or not.

    Also ibs can mess with your digestion too, so something you eat today may not actually affect you till couple of days after.

    One of reasons I tend to have 1 big meal a day rather than split it up into smaller chunks, as it gives my digestion more time to empty tummy out till next day and going sleep, and make sure you take your med an hour before food.

    If your still getting symptoms after a month on the meds ask to have a camera test done, basically where they slide a tube down ya throat into ya tummy to see whats going on, not the nicest of things but it worth it to make sure it only ibs.

    Wish you all the best
  • KatDJZ
    KatDJZ Posts: 224 Member
    I had IBS like symptoms for years before really looking into it, but i eventually had a test done for food intolerances and found out that I was eating a ton of things that I reacted badly too. Avoiding those helped a lot, and when I couldn't resist, I at least knew an episode would follow shortly thereafter. I still had random bouts that seemed to come out of nowhere, but at least it was an improvement.

    Also, just recently, I decided to try probiotics because I figured they couldn't do any harm and if they helped me out, bonus! As it turns out, they've been a miracle cure for me! I know that's probably not the case for most people, but if you haven't tried them, it's worth a shot. I've only had a handful of episodes of my IBS or whatever flaring up, and I really don't watch what I eat in terms of intolerances at all anymore. It's so great!

    I know how much the struggle can suck. I hope you find something that works!
  • shaumom
    shaumom Posts: 1,003 Member
    edited October 2014
    Re: the celiac disease. Most doctors are not experts in the disease (including GI docs), so the following may be good to know.

    There is a 20% false negative rate for the tests for celiac disease. Because of this, most experts have you try a gluten free diet AFTER you get the tests back, EVEN IF the tests are negative, in case you happen to be one of the false negatives (My family is literally a family full of celiacs and gluten intolerants, so we've ended up with a lot of interesting tidbits about the disease over the years).

    The fact that you felt worse when you ate more gluten would make it even more likely for them to suggest going gluten free (to a celiac compliant level - you can find information on what that entails at places like the forums at celiac.com). Also, gluten intolerance is a completely different condition than celiac disease, so a reaction to gluten could suggest that, as well.

    Might be worth exploring, at the very least, if you are looking to change your diet anyway, yeah? :-)
  • lucygoesrawr
    lucygoesrawr Posts: 184 Member
    Thanks for all the advice. Seems I misunderstood, then. I have a bagel left, so I'll eat that then cut it out for a while. Starting to think these tablets are making things worse though. Feeling pretty ill, and I've not been to the bathroom in a few days. However, in the leaflet it states that you shouldn't stop taking them without a doctor's approval - that doesn't make sense, does it? You can get these in smaller packets over the counter...

    Shaumom
    Yeah, I'd read about the false negative rate, it's just the doctor seemed very confident I don't have it. From the NHS website it looked like it's usual to have another test to confirm, if they still suspect you have Celiac disease, so I assumed she had a good reason not to... I'd rather not avoid eating gluten for the rest of my life unless it's completely necessary (as with the bowel cancer risk with Celiac disease) - I enjoy too many things containing it, and it would make things difficult eating out and such... the uncertainty does worry me though. :/

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