Looking for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) friends!

I have severe Crohn's (IBD) and ibs

That's my official diagnosis when I failed the celiac test. Mine is controlled with diet and trying to keep low stress. Of course, anxiety and OCD doesn't help with that.

I had IBS since I was 18 years old feel free to add me

Hey I have the other kind of IBS but feel free to add me

I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis a few years ago. My doctor told me I would be on medications for the rest of my life. Instead, I slowly reintroduced foods in order to find what triggered my inflammation and then cut those things out. I have been in remission ever since I cut out artificial sweeteners. The only flare-ups I've had is when I've been accidentally "spiked" with them (like when ordering lemonade at a restaurant). This is not a cure-all for everyone, but try gradual changes in your diet and listen to your body.

Probiotics can definitely help. They helped me tip the balance of my microbiota after having been put on Flagyl. Just be prepared that they can cause "flushing" for a time, which felt to me like it was contributing to other symptoms. It is a fairly normal occurrence but is rather disconcerting if you don't know what to expect.

IBSer checking in!! I actually had a doctor tell me that it was ok to go two weeks without releasing my bowels. Ummm really?!?! Anyone recommend a good cleanse once every 3-4 months??

MissCatLady wrote: »

Hello

Would be great to connect with other people who have IBS for support & understanding.

Lots of love x

Yep, I've got IBS

I'll add something a friend told me- and it's really reduced my IBS.

Watch out for the ingredient 'carrageenan.' It's a vegan gelatin alternative made from seaweed , and it's wicked inflammatory. Every time I accidentally have some, I spend the next day doubled over in pain.

It's in LOTS of things, keep an eye out. Takes about 5-7 days to get out of the system, in my experience.

lunch meat, yogurts, cottage cheese, fake milks (almond, rice, soy), meal bars, supplement shakes- those are the worst offenders.

MissCatLady wrote: »

ChristinaOrr65 wrote: »

After 30 yrs of this diagnosis, I did an elimination diet and now I am much better after finding what I was eating that was causing the problem. For me it is wheat and sugars.

At this point I will only be able to eat lettuce, and I hate lettuce haha. Even fruit now I'm very sensitive to. Had 2 strawberries earlier and wasn't long before I had griping pain. Glad you found the problem

@MissCatLady it was about six months before the IBS went away totally after cutting out most all sugar sources and all grain sources. I have learned how to eat and enjoy eating without sugar and grains. @ChristinaOrr65 point about doing an elimination diet is good.

My 40 years of serious IBS was not the reason I left sugars and grains cold turkey but to see if eliminating sugars and all grains would manage my joint and muscle pain. It did in just 30 days but it was six months in before I realized after 40 years I could control when I went to the bathroom.

What works for one may not be the magic bullet for another. If you can learn your trigger foods then you can regain full control. I expect I had a leaking gut and they do no heal overnight.

I have suffered decades with IBS , I agree cutting out grains and sugar helps me too. I feel much better when I stick to whole foods. It is frustrating because so many things upset my system and sometimes What I can eat changes. All grains seem to upset me even oats, most pulses cause problems too. Oranges cause me trouble but lemons are fine. Nuts and seeds have phases of causing me issues but then not always and seem to be better if eat them ground to a powder rather than chewed up whole. Dairy does not agree with me. I want to convert to being vegan. Finding things to eat that keep my mind and body happy is a challenge but I am trying to invest the effort as sick of being bloated and in pain all the time. Thankfully most veg is fine for me apart from rocket leaves which cause instant stomach cramps. Lettuce made me ill for while but thankfully got over that and it no longer makes me ill, probably something that was sprayed on crops for a season or something like that.

I recently bought ideal shake makes my stomach hurt so bad so I guess I can't do that either.

jennifer12202010 wrote: »

I recently bought ideal shake makes my stomach hurt so bad so I guess I can't do that either.

Check the ingredients and monitor if other things give you similar symptoms. I've noticed that anything with too much stevia makes my stomach hurt, for instance. And LOTS of shake mixes use that or artificial sweeteners.

Ever heard of Leaky Gut Syndrome? Well it is commonly misdiagnosed as IBS or accompanied with & is actually treatable & makes symptoms way less severe. I know because I am living proof!! So let me share my journey with you.
I spent a lot of my childhood & early adulthood sick as a dog from IBS! I even ended up in the emergency room a few times & had to take a semester off of college because symptoms were so bad. I was poked & probed, colonoscopies & endoscopies, blood tests, stool samples even MRI's & Cat scans & guess what they found??? NOTHING! Not a damn thing! I was in perfect health which, of course, in western medicine, Drs declare welllll you must have IBS. So "here's an insanely large bill & a bunch of drugs to take to treat the SYMPTOMS. Best of luck kid." Needless to say I was livid and ready to take matters into my own hands.
I tossed the pharmaceuticals & began self medicating with marijuana. I no longer felt constant extreme nausea. Then I started going to yoga to help with stress & anxiety. There I learned about healthier living & alternative medicine. I booked an appointment with a naturopathic DR & this is where I learned about leaky gut. I had the money & the time & so I took a chance on fixing this "hypothetical condition"
A few weeks later & I am a completely different person! & have been ever since. I can eat cheese & ice cream again! Spicey green curry is my new favorite food. I have regular BM's everyday & I don't even smoke pot any more. The only time I feel my IBS is if stress anxiety gets super high, I still get a little queezy.
So go ahead & google it. Leaky Gut. You'll see a lot of sites wanting to discredit it. But I am telling you because I want you to have this option to take a chance on something that may alter the rest of your life. It worked for me and it could work for you too.