[Mish]

Sorry about a bit of a grumpy post, but I have been told that I have irritable bowel syndrome, and that you can manage it but not cure it.<br><br>
I feel really upset about this because I feel like it interupts with my life and general health, and can get in the way of training (I run), and being told that you can only control it just makes me feel like it's never going to get better.<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/huh.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""><br><br>
It's very common apparently and I was wandering does anyone have any tips for people with ibs. I mostly have the diarrhea type (sorry for tmi)<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/toilet.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":flush:"><br><br>
Thanks<br><br>
x

 

[zoebird]

the way it is managed is largely through diet. You'll have to discover what works for you and what doesn't.<br><br><br><br>
It also has psychological/emotional connections (under stress--positive or negative--people with IBS are more likely to have episodes than when relaxed and happy). So, it helps to explore these aspects.<br><br><br><br>
Symptoms can be minimized to the point where you feel 'cured' and would only occassionally have an episode. the main thing is consistancy with the things above.

 

[peacecat]

sorry to hear that Mish. i agree with ZB that diet plays a really large role. It's important to pay close attention to what bothers your body. Keeping a detailed food/reaction diary for a few weeks may help you detect some patterns.<br><br><br><br>
my mother who is a nurse practitioner told me one time that i most likely have IBS. probably so. i also read and agree that it is somewhat of a "garbage can diagnosis". meaning that it is a name for a collection of symptoms. not that the suffering, incovenience, pain etc are not real. not at all. just that it has widely varied causes and factors...the best thing really is to figure out what works for you. good luck.

 

[Tesseract]

I have the diarrhea type, too, and yes, you CAN manage it. I'vehad it since childhood, and it used to be fairly bad, but it has become much less of a problem over the years. I found the for me, the single biggest triggering factor was stress. While diet is clearly important, you may also be able to make progress with techniques like mediation and yoga.

 

[zoebird]

what is interesting--and i'll try to find the study--is this claim that since babies have been systematicly on formula rather than BM, the increase in digestive disorders among women increased 80%. it is believed that the method of holding the baby while bottle vs breast feeding and the hormonal interaction between mother and girl children from BM and BF causes food and eating anxieties that lead to various digestive issues in adulthood.<br><br><br><br>
thus, these symptoms are psychosomatic, but potentially caused by how and what we were fed as infants.<br><br><br><br>
more study needed of course, but it was interesting.

 

[rabid_child]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>zoebird</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
what is interesting--and i'll try to find the study--is this claim that since babies have been systematicly on formula rather than BM, the increase in digestive disorders among women increased 80%. it is believed that the method of holding the baby while bottle vs breast feeding and the hormonal interaction between mother and girl children from BM and BF causes food and eating anxieties that lead to various digestive issues in adulthood.<br><br><br><br>
thus, these symptoms are psychosomatic, but potentially caused by how and what we were fed as infants.<br><br><br><br>
more study needed of course, but it was interesting.</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
I was BF for 2 1/2 yrs, never took a bottle of formula once.. and I have IBS.<br><br><br><br>
Identifying food triggers definitely helps. I know I can't have onions, or raw garlic, or a lot of cooked garlic, or anything fried, among other things, or I'll spend the next day in the bathroom. If I want any of those things, I just make sure I haven't got anything else to do the next day <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/grin.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="">. Other than watching what I eat, I haven't found anything else helpful in particular. Sometimes I just go through a week or so feeling ick then I'm fine again for a month.

 

[zoebird]

rc:<br><br><br><br>
yeah, i don't care if you were breast fed or not. exceptions abound and i stated that more study was needed. that wasn't the point.

 

[Iria]

I have IBS too. For me it's diarrhea and nausea/vomiting (rare symptom--my vomiting hasn't actually been diagnosed as IBS, but my brother's has, so I usually lump it in there. I've been tested, and there's nothing physically wrong). Stress is a big factor. I tend to almost go in remission during the summer when I don't have to worry about school.<br><br><br><br>
Food is important too. My mother and grandmother always get attacks after eating salads in restaurants. Some restaurants spray a chemical on their lettuce so it doesn't wilt, and they're very sensitive to it. Dairy is a big cause of my nausea, and corn (especially popcorn) can give me diarrhea <i>and</i> vomiting (never at exactly the same time, thank goodness).<br><br><br><br>
As the previous posters said, you need to keep close watch on your stress levels and your food. It might help to keep a food diary so you can see patterns. I know how you feel about not having a cure. When I woke up after my colonoscopy/endoscopy and heard that they didn't find anything, I cried. I wanted so badly for there to be something actually wrong so it could be fixed.

 

[emilybarrington]

<a href="http://www.helpforibs.com" target="_blank">www.helpforibs.com</a>

 

[Tesseract]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Iria</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
I know how you feel about not having a cure. When I woke up after my colonoscopy/endoscopy and heard that they didn't find anything, I cried. I wanted so badly for there to be something actually wrong so it could be fixed.</div>
</div>
<br>
Well, isn't that the trouble with IBS? There's nothing physically wrong in your gut, the problem is in your head (or your nervous system, to be more precise).

 

[eggplant]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Tesseract</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Well, isn't that the trouble with IBS? There's nothing physically wrong in your gut, the problem is in your head (or your nervous system, to be more precise).</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
Well, the jury's out on that I think...<br><br><br><br>
Anyway, I've managed my IBS pretty well. The best thing I ever did was to keep an eating/symptom diary for 2 weeks. I kept a little notebook with me at all times for two weeks and wrote down everything I ate. Every hour or two I would pay attention to how I felt and wrote down the type of pain and where it was. I also recorded each bowel movement and what it was like (fun!). It was a hassle to do for two weeks, but once it was over I really got a good picture of what foods to avoid. For instance, I used to eat a lot of apples, but I noticed in my records that I had an intense pain about an hour after eating an apple. Because the pain wasn't immediate, I never connected it to apples before.<br><br><br><br>
So overall, I realized a few things about myself: I should avoid eating a lot of foods with insoluble fiber, or should combine insoluble fiber with foods high in soluble fiber. I should cook most of my veggies. I shouldn't eat high fat foods. I should only eat small meals. I shouldn't let myself go hungry for long. But you'd have to do it yourself to find out what works for you.<br><br><br><br>
Other things that help are exercising regularly, relaxing (yoga and meditation are good), and drinking a lot of water.<br><br><br><br>
All of this stuff is second nature to me now, so although you may feel like finding out what works for you is a pain now, getting to know your innards better will pay off in the long run.<br><br><br><br>
Good luck!

 

[Mish]

Thanks for all your help. I think this might be a good thread to keep going for anyone with ibs concerns, or maybe a sticky one on this forum...?<br><br>
I was cheered up hugely by the fact that all of you seem to be managing the problem naturally and not resorted to drugs or anything which was my concern.<br><br>
I have already stopped eating dairy, coffee, chocolate and diet coke (<img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/shocked.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=""> )<br><br>
Thanks again <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/rockon.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":rockon:">

 

[4EverGrounded]

Certain medications will also trigger IBS. Just today, I was reading about how the acne drug Accutane "has been associated with inflammatory bowel disease (including regional ileitis) in patients without a prior history of intestinal disorders." That quote comes straight from the Accutane site.<br><br><br><br>
If you're on any medications, it's certainly worth checking out. <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="/images/smilies/yes.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title=":yes:">

 

[sunshinegal]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>emilybarrington</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br><a href="http://www.helpforibs.com" target="_blank">www.helpforibs.com</a></div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
this site rocks! It has saved me from my IBS pain and suffering. Also, minimize stress! My IBS is terrible when I am stressed. I have learned that when I am stressed, I have to deep breath or I will have cramps and pain all day. Also peppermint tea calms the digestive track and this has saved me so many days when my stomach acts up. High fat foods hurt my stomach so I try to avoid them and dairy is evil for my stomach. Read that site, she also has a book that I bought that teaches you how to manage it day by day.<br><br><br><br>
it isn't fun, but it has helped me to eat better, it has helped me to take care of myself better and you can manage it!

 

[Mish]

I went on the help for ibs website and it is fantastic, definately agree with sunshinegal! Thanks Emily!

 

[Tesseract]

Did I miss something? I looked at the website, and it looked like a typical snake oil scheme to me.

 

[Mish]

Snake oil scheme? whasat?

 

[Tesseract]

<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil</a>

 

[sunshinegal]

<div class="quote-container"><span>Quote:</span>
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by <strong>Mish</strong> <a href="/forum/post/0"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style=""></a><br><br>
Snake oil scheme? whasat?</div>
</div>
<br><br><br>
Personally I found her information and the entire site to be helpful. You do not have to buy anything from her but I did. I bought the peppermint caps and some of the fiber from her and love both of them. They have helped me personally a ton. I also drink peppermint tea (a sugestion on her site) and that has saved both me and my boyfriend. My boyfriend has been having stomach issues lately (not IBS) and he is hooked on the peppermint tea now (I just buy this from the health food store) because he is amazed at how much better his stomach feels. Peppermit relaxes the gastro system so on bad days, this saved me. the fennel tea she suggests is nasty, but saved me when peppermint couldn't. I don't think that site is snake oil at all and will recommend her site to anyone with IBS. Her book is wonderful at controlling and managing IBS when you are first diagnosed and feel out of control.<br><br><br><br>
There is alot of bad info out there, but if you are new to IBS and need help, this site is very helpful.

 

[Mish]

I agree with Sunshinegal. Perhaps Tesseract has had previous experiences with snake oil schemes, but they are only suggesting the remedies, not telling you that they are the only thing you can do. Most of the advice is on dietary strategies, which, judging by alot of peoples responses, are very helpful.