IBS Suggestions?

waterjogger
waterjogger Posts: 114
in Health and Weight Loss
I have Irritable Bowel Syndrome and have had all of the lovely tests to check for serious problems-all negative. I have tried taking fiber supplements, probiotics, digestive enzymes...you name it I've tried it and there are still days that I don't dare leave the house. The dr who did my colonscopy told me nothing, just that all of the tests/biopies were normal. I love eating salads but I can't eat them very often or I have to live in the bathroom. Any fiber that is better than others or works better? I try to stay awake from things I have to drink becuase I really can't stomach them, so pill form is generally best for me unless it truly dissolves in just about anything. I've been trying Fiberchoice and it doesn't seem to be helping much,unless you think being a "gas bag" is a positive thing.:laugh:
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Replies

  • bjshooter
    bjshooter Posts: 1,174 Member
    Mint tea or mint tablets?
  • beckusjane
    beckusjane Posts: 112
    Have you ever tried "All-Bran bran buds"? I usually mix them with yogurt in the morning for breakfast. They work well for me!

    Good luck,
    Becca
  • TK421NotAtPost
    TK421NotAtPost Posts: 512 Member
    Have you tried reducing starchy carbs/sugar or gluten?
  • sarad777
    sarad777 Posts: 210 Member
    Keep a diary for a week or two. See what makes you sick and what doesn't. My husband had this problem and he only eats what doesn't make him sick. Makes it difficult when we travel for sure. Truth was that the only cure was eating only what didn't make him sick. Good luck!!! I have seen how awful this is and hope you get through it.
  • GaryNZ
    GaryNZ Posts: 4
    Hi,

    I find peppermint tea is also great help.

    Also check out www.helpforibs.com, this is Heather Van Vorous's web site and she also sells a book called "Eating for IBS" which is full of some great ideas.

    You will also find the Paleo lifestyle much for IBS, I certainly did.

    See ya...Gary
  • kappy_hollowell
    kappy_hollowell Posts: 399
    Try Heather's IBS online. She has a prebiotic fiber called Acacia fiber. You can mix it into your foods or drink whichever is easier for you. It seems to help.

    I have IBS too. It hasn't been flaring for a long time, but lately my tum has been in excrutiating pain.

    Also, I know on the IBS website I mentioned they say not to drink/eat dairy, but I found that eating Greek Yogurt once-twice/day is beneficial to regulate digestion. I still cannot DRINK milk or any other dairy products except Greek Yogurt.
  • sabulla
    sabulla Posts: 58
    O my! I love the All Bran Buds! Those are a great snack! I also will sometimes put some fresh blueberries in w/them!
  • mermx
    mermx Posts: 976
    I had ulcerative colitis many moons ago, which has been in remission since I conquered it. My advice is to try to eat gluten free as much as possible (if not all the time) I was told to eat more fibre at the time of diagnosis, but found that it made things worse. There are tablets you can buy from the chemist called `celevac` these are totally symptom free but act as a bulking agent. so are great to aid dieting, or to help with fibre issues, or even as a bulking agent if you are a bit on the loose side. You can probably find more information on google.
  • SeaChele77
    SeaChele77 Posts: 1,103 Member
    I have something that no doctor has truly figured out but has put in the category of SIBS (severe IBS). I have to eat 7 bite sized prunes every morning - if I dont, I can totally feel a dfference. I also keep pepermint on hand which sometimes helps with episodes. Peppermint sticks for tea, sugar free peppermint candy and peppermint pills.
    Try to avoid dairy. Well at least for me, I can also tell when I've had too much dairy as it will often trigger an episode. The less dairy in my diet the better my insides function.

    ETA: I was told at one point to go Wheat -Free; but that is almost impossible in my house. I have reduced my wheat intake, but I feel much better after getting rid of dairy vs wheat.

    Good luck
  • kappy_hollowell
    kappy_hollowell Posts: 399
    Have you ever tried "All-Bran bran buds"? I usually mix them with yogurt in the morning for breakfast. They work well for me!

    Good luck,
    Becca

    Hi Becca,

    All Bran buds are very good and full of fiber, but for IBS patients, this kind of fiber is not so good for the digestion. It's VERY hard to digest (insoluble fiber). IBS patients need soluble fiber to ease any IBS flare ups. Usually that means oatmeal, barley, quinoa, rice, white bread, potatoes, bananas, etc. Just for future reference. :wink: :happy:
  • EmilyQC
    EmilyQC Posts: 69 Member
    I cut out dairy because on top of IBS i have a dairy sensitivity, and that seemed to help IBS too, also try eating a lot of raw fresh veggies, not lettuce first and work your way up. I never eat iceberg lettuce, its a terrible sight but romaine and spinach are fine now after building up a tolerance to it. ALso walking helps me, the more exercise I get the better my IBS is.
  • EmilyQC
    EmilyQC Posts: 69 Member
    I cut out dairy because on top of IBS i have a dairy sensitivity, and that seemed to help IBS too, also try eating a lot of raw fresh veggies, not lettuce first and work your way up. I never eat iceberg lettuce, its a terrible sight but romaine and spinach are fine now after building up a tolerance to it. ALso walking helps me, the more exercise I get the better my IBS is.
  • sabulla
    sabulla Posts: 58
    My doctor prescribed Bentyl for me. It works great. I'll take 1 before I eat items such as salads (especially @ a restaurant) or I'll even maybe take 2 sometimes before I eat if I know it's gonna be something greasy.
  • ilookthetype
    ilookthetype Posts: 3,021 Member
    Try going totally gluten free for a week or two, I know a lot of people who were diagnosed with IBS were acutally gluten intolerant!

    http://www.celiac.com/

    If you try it let me know how it goes, I'm GF so if you have questions feel free to ask!
  • SquishyVicki
    SquishyVicki Posts: 280 Member
    Sorry to lower the tone but which symptoms?? Too much coming out or not enough?? Sorry!!! I was at the too much end of the scale and for about a year couldn't be too far from the house in case there was an 'emergency'.

    I found though that my triggers were: lactose; apples; caffine; alcohol and wholegrains. Once I cut these out of my diet armed with my trust loperimide hydrochloride life got back to (almost) normal. I can also eat most of those foods now in moderation as my body just needed a break.... Also randomly taking up yoga really helped too as stress used to make it worse.

    My advice? Keep speaking with your doctor and keep a food diary along with an IBS diary (symptoms / emotions) to try and understand what your triggers are. It may be food or stress or....the list goes on!! Unfortunately from what I understand of the condition everyone is different so its about figuring out what works for you.

    Good luck xx
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
    Whatever I have, nothing helps. I've been suffering with chronic diarrhea since 1999 and it's been diagnosed as everything from IBS, to lymphocytic colitis to a spastic colon. Colonoscopies are normal. I've been tested for Celiac, too. I had it beat with a low dose of amitriptyline (an antidepressant that has been around for 40-50 years) until this past December when I had my gallbladder removed. Now absolutely nothing helps. I've tried high fiber, low fiber, low fat... doesn't matter. Even my old standby, Immodium, doesn't work anymore.

    I'm going to do some research on some of these and maybe something will help. Thanks!
  • skinnylizzard
    skinnylizzard Posts: 460 Member
    Have you ever tried "All-Bran bran buds"? I usually mix them with yogurt in the morning for breakfast. They work well for me!

    Good luck,
    Becca
    I have IBS and those are absolutely explosive for me!
  • VeganGal84
    VeganGal84 Posts: 938 Member
    Have you tried cutting back on animal products (meat, dairy, eggs)?

    I have IBS, and ever since I went vegan, my problems have pretty much disappeared. I think that my IBS attacks were triggered by meat and dairy. So maybe if you just eat a little less meat and dairy, your stomach problems would feel better. I don't know, it worked for me, though!

    Also, try to take a bath with Epsom Salt, it helps with bloat, if that's one of your IBS symptoms.
  • Kougra
    Kougra Posts: 358 Member
    Hi! I have Crohns Disease. Iceburg lettuce isn't good for those with gut issues. What it does it coats the intestines which makes them not work properly. Try to cut on the citric acids in a salad such as tomatoes and slowly work it back in. Another way to get some fiber without having to take those awful drinks, make a fresh fruit smoothies as well as veggie smoothies. With the smoothies, its easier on the tummy because it doesn't make the GI tract get overworked. As with Crohns, IBS deals with lots of inflammation, the easier it is to digest, it will help the GI Tract heal. As for the Doc who did you colonoscopy, he should have been a little more forthcoming with the info. Also, get a second opinion.
  • shagybear33
    shagybear33 Posts: 272
    I have IBS-C. I've tried absolutely everything and had every test done over the past two years. All tests negative and any change in diet didn't help.

    my doc JUST put me on Dicetel. It's specifically for IBS-C and IBS-D. I'm only on day two, but I can feel a bit of improvement already.

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