Ibs Nothing More Humiliating!!!

[2stepgal]

i am new here and want to tell my story briefly. i suffer with ibs so severe that i dont' make it to bathroom!!! while driving in car, while out in store, i explode all over myself and i mean literally explode!!! the smell is disgusting and my clothes have to go directly in garbage. then i clean up, shower, cry lots of times while scrubbing bathroom floor, etc.. i can't go on living like this. i have yet to meet one other person with ibs as severe as myself. as of today, i am giving up sugar, and trying to cut way down on carbs hoping that might solve my problem. i am on meds of course under dr 's care however sometimes they dont' work. doctors today do not discuss diet and i feel MAYBE if i can give up all the bad stuff it will help. of course that is so difficult but i have no choice in the matter. 2stepgal

[Joanne D]

Hello 2stepgal- I too have IBS maybe not as severe as you have. I keep imodium handy and try to avoid foods that cause gas. I hope that changing your diet will help.
Joanne

[Happy Canuk]

Give the Atkins Diet a chance - it worked for me. The IBS has almost disappeared. I find when I overdose on Sugar, caffeine, starch, then it reappears. Another thing you might want to do, is read about Candidas (yeast infection throughout the body). IBS can be greatly improved by killing off excess yeast in the system.

I wish you well. I know IBS is hard to live with, and I sure don't have a case like yours, but please don't give up looking for what will work. It may mean giving up some of your foods that you love, but it will be worth it in the end to live more normal. I also have arthritis and Fibromyalgia.

[QuilterInVA]

Ask your doctor for a referral to a nutritionist. With proper diet, you can control it much better. That and my meds have given me a new life.

[Bev]

what type of diet is best to follow if you have IBS. I have had it for many years but the last few days have been really bad. I have decided it is time to clean out my eatting.

[Joanne D]

I put IBS in on a search site..a lot of information will come up and suggestions about diet. I think that you will have to find out what triggers I BS in you. Myself ,I know fats ,fried foods, gas producing veggies, red sauces, hot spices, etc.
I will see my Dr. on tuesday and he should give me a final diagnosis on some test he did.
Hope you feel better it's my life. I too am trying to clean up my eating plans.
Joanne

[Mima]

Hi-I have IBS too. I take Metamucil every night but I'm apt to get constipated. You wish!!!Tomato sauce is a new one for me to avoid and also I wonder about milk products. Wishing you well-Mima

[Joanne D]

Mima- Here we are back to back... Metamusil kept me in the B/R a lot. One Dr. told me to avoid dairy products. That is not a problem so far although I think they may cause gas. I don't eat that much of them.
Everyone has their triggers. Fried is the worst for me..
Bye..Joanne

[Mima]

I saw an ad for a med that is for IBS with constipation-Zelnorm-no metamucil when you take it. ps-doc told me that these bowel problems go with fibro. Mima

[conway_1979]

I would contact a nutritionist very soon. This type of problem is what doctors like to thinkj of as a disease, but it can be cured by what you eat as well as medicine. I think you should be careful of cutting everything out, that is not natural at all. I always say that depriving yourself is never a good thing. I may make it worse. If you see a nutritionist, they can help you decide what you need to cut out. Certain things eaten in excess can cause a major IBS problem, but may not cause it eaten once and a while, and they might be an important part of your diet. Don't go cutting out things w/out proof they are okay to cut out. This Atkins thing is going to haunt people who are on it... mark my words. Just see a nutritionist. Good luck, keep your head up.

[colz85]

I also have IBS. I was on Lotronex when it first came out, and bawled like a baby when it was taken off the market. MY GI said he'd put me back on when/if my IBS got really bad again, but for right now, it's pretty manageable. (Lotronex is back on the market in a VERY restricted manner. If you're seeing a GI specialist, you might ask about it)

www.ibsgroup.org is a VERY helpful website.

Do you take calcium? Some people swear by it. I do think it's helped me quite a bit.

And thank GOD for imodium!

Hang in there....this is a PAIN in the neck disease to live with.

Colleen

[sunnyday0011]

ok, i hope this isn't a stupid question, but you are talking about ibs-d right? (diarrhea predominant) i do have this, although i luckily am able to make it to the bathroom. i do have a very severe case, although yours sounds even worse. i had actually never talked to anyone even as bad as me. anyways, assuming you have had all of the tests and everything, here are the things that help me, maybe they can help you? imodium advanced (chewable, works faster), push gatorade for dehydration, avoid these foods: corn, nuts, milk, fruits and veggies (when bad), sugarless gum and other things containing sorbitol (same idea as olestra), iceberg lettuce. here are GOOD foods: bread, RICE, soups, turkey, chicken, tuna. feel better, hope this helps!

[Baija]

Ok - I just wrote a huge reply and it was lost so I will do the coles notes:
-Best website I found for IBS is http://www.helpforibs.com/
- Rules of thumb that I have found helpful - stay away from trigger foods (grease, caffiene, fats, raw veggies and fruits on an empty stomach) - eat as much fibre as you can but start slowly
- I take prodium every night to add bulk and my dr put me on dicetel. I have also seen a dietition
-NEVER overeat. This will trigger spasms. Eat small meals throughout the day. It's slo not good to have an empty stomach for very long either.
Things seem to be getting better and for me it can be controlled by food (but I am still getting surprised every once in a while). I hope things have been better for you since your post.
Baija

[Joanne D]

Previcid is what has been helping me. I also have acid reflux, as well as a few other things. I have both loose and constipation. IBS is no fun. Diet plays a big part. I have cut carbs and some of the gassy foods. Some days I just stay close to home. Joanne

[Skinny4baby]

Hello 2stepgal...First of all..Have you ever been checked for Celiac's Disease?...If not..You may want your doctor to check you for this..it can be done with a simple blood test. Celiac's Disease is where you are allergic to glutton. And there are many many things that contain glutton. It causes severe bathroom problems just like you describe.

I too have diarrhea daily..always after my first meal..Where's the bathroom?..I have a first cousin who had the same situation as you as far as she just could not hold it!..And she was found to have Celiac's Disease.

I have been checked and have been told that I have a plain ol' case of the nervous stomach?..Yes I have been to TWO specialist and they both found nothing to cause this four year problem. The last specialist even ruled out IBS...mainly because I have absolutely no pain..just the urge to go...then I am fine?...I really thought that I had Celiac's Disease..but was negative. From what I have researched it is more comman that we know...there are people that just don't know about..they don't know to go and ask for the blood test?...It can lead to cancer if not treated. Their is a Celiac website if anyone wants to learn more.

The second thing I wanted to tell you is that last year I was on a very strict diet for eight months and after about the third month..my diarrhea almost completely went away?...So I have thought about this in detail..It has to have been one of two things that I did different..because after I went off this strict diet plan (crazy me) my diarrhea returned???...#1 I had a non-fat/low-fat yogurt everyday. (maybe the live yeast cultures helped??) #2..I ate more RAW vegetables. I had a RAW spinach salad everyday!..I think maybe the ENZYMES in the RAW vegetables played a role in helping make my digestive tract healthier?..you may want to research this..it may help you!...I am still trying to get myself motivated to get back on this plan. I felt sooo much better. Hope I helped you...Let us know..especially about the Celiac Disease part??:(

[KO]

Mind if I join in? My drs think I have IBS I waffle between diarhea and constipation and benefiber is my friend (metamucil and citrucel make me so sick i have nausea and heartburn) my triggers seem to be coffee and fat but if i have none of either i can't seem to go at all grrrr any who I'll be popping back in
Have a great day

[Joanne D]

Sad but true we have to learn to live with this dx. I have had the problem for many years. If I eat something to set it off ,I have only myself to blame. Going to the B/R more than 3 times a day is a bad day... Mucous,pain,constipatipn. diarrhea and even bleeding are systems to watch for. A good Dr. should have no problems with a diagnosis.Hope you find a way to deal with this....Joanne

[KO]

Thanks for the input Joanne!

[Wildfire]

Wow, I can't believe I haven't wandered over here before.

I've had IBS-D for 10 years now. If you haven't been to http://www.ibsgroup.org , I suggest you go...now. It's run by a very good friend of mine, and is a patient-information board rather than one run by a medical interest. The exchange of information on what people have tried, heard about, hated, etc., is incomparable to any other site out there. There are forums for general IBS, D, C, Anxiety, Women's Issues, Fibro, OTC and Supplements, etc., as well as drug information and book reviews....you just have to see it for yourself.

IBS is such an individual thing. What works for me might not work for you, and vice-versa. It's a diagnosis of exclusion, meaning there is nothing organically wrong, it just works strangely. The brain-gut connection has been studied quite a lot in recent years and finally research seems to be getting somewhere.

Many of you will disagree, but it is not a food-related illness. Of course foods like coffee, carbonated drinks, vegetables especially ones like broccoli and cabbage, and some kinds of fruit, fried foods, etc., are common triggers in most IBS'ers, but they also have unfavorable effects on those without IBS. If it were all about the kind of food we ate, why would something bother us one day and not the next? Every time you eat or drink something you activate the gut, and for us with IBS who have guts that don't work properly, that means IBS symptoms. When you start eliminating foods from your diet, before you know it all you're left with is chicken and steamed rice. It is still important to eat a balanced diet.

I've done the hypno program for IBS, and although it didn't help my IBS symptoms, it did greatly improve the related anxiety and fear of going out because and IBS attack could be waiting to strike. And it was thoroughly enjoyable.

Bleeding is not a normal symptom of IBS. Any bleeding should be reported ASAP to your doctor. Most likely if you have been diagnosed with IBS (especially with IBS-C), it may be from a hemmie, and that would typically be a bright red. Darker red means it's come from higher up. Get it checked regardless.

If you are going to try fibre therapy, start SLOWLY. Start with a fraction of the recommended dose on the package, and build up gradually over a few weeks. Anyone taking fibre needs to drink the recommended 6-8 glasses of water per day. With fibre, if it's going to work for you, you should know in a few weeks. It can sucessfully work for both IBS-D and IBS-C.

Try the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) diet if you're in a bad flare up. I find peppermint tea to be very soothing. Peppermint is a smooth muscle relaxant, and can help with the cramps and pain.

Antidepressants can actually help people with IBS. They are not taken for their antidepressant qualities, but for the side effects that many of them produce. If you are IBS-D, an A/D with a constipating side effect may help, and vice-versa. They are taken at a much lower dose than would be given for someone with depression.

The most important thing for me in dealing with my IBS was accepting it. It isn't going to be cured. There will be bad spells and good spells, and you just have to go with it and know that tomorrow might be better.

2stepgal, I hope you've visited the ibsgroup.org, because there are people like you out there. IBS can be a very isolating thing, but the community at that website can be a lifeline for some.

[antidieter]

I used to get diarrhea real bad with headaches. I don't have Ibs or celiac disease or whatever.

when I was getting sinus infections alot, i was taking antibiotics alot. for over two years on and off.

this caused a build up of candida systemic. it spread throughout my stomach and intestines. so they gave me nystatin. well that didn't help much as teh yeast built up a tolerance to it real fast.

so I decided to do it my way after reasearching other ways and trying them and it not doing it for me.

I decided to eat tons and tons of yogurt, and tons and tons of raw garlic. it took almost two years of this before I some relief from the symptoms. and I still have problems with it if I eat too much sugar over several days and little vegies or fibre foods.

it took another 2 years of eating garlic, watching that I don't eat alot of sugar with fat and protein, almost like an insulin resistance diet, almost. before the flares up haven't happened anymore even if I do eat sugar, tho latly I have lost alot of interest in sugar.

It is quite possible your body is reacting to some substance, maybe your food is not digesting completely (enzymes please?) and the bacteria feed on the undigested portions causing gas, bacteria overload and an immune response to the particles of food that are fermenting in the stomach.

systemic toxic overload could be the culprit. you know allergy overload. my doctor told me that sometimes you have allergies but they are subtle until there is an overload then they all come out at once. thus the straw that broke the camels back thing.

the immune system's job is not only to protect you from infections they also have to detoxify substances and rid the body of metals and poisons that we get from the food air and water.

this in itself can cause theis allegy overload and subsequent symptoms.

I know that garlic raw and onions and green leafy vegies are very good body detoxifiers, ther are herbs that do that but be very careful talk to your doctor first some herbs can cause problems with other medications.

what makes green leafy vegies so good? chlorophyll is a strong cleanser, the sulfer in garlic and onions are great for teh immune systme and killing pathogens.

berries raw are very good for the immune systme. as for the glutton thing, it couldn't hurt to try a glutton free diet and see if the explosions cease or not.

I hope some of this helps.

[soiley]

2step - I am in the same boat you are. I am afraid to leave the house for fear of accidents. And when I do, I usually wear two diapers (depends whatever you call them), because of soak thru. You are right, it is humiliating and degrading to be stuck with this. I have had every GI test known to man done on me, and everyone says "it's normal". At least they don't tell you it's all in your head anymore. I find stress and certain foods do aggravate it sometimes. But, I am a person who if I go one day without diarrhea on what I eat, will eat the same thing every day. And after 1 or 2 days it will start again. My doc has me on Clindex and Lomotil, which does allow me to get out of the house occasionally. But usually I don't eat for the whole day before I know I have go to somewhere. You'd think this would cause weight loss, wouldn't you? But it doesn't. I am also diabetic on insulin. I know if I eat too much fat, I'm going to have probs, or overeat any at all. Good luck with your quest. I do know how you feel.

[Skinny4baby]

Dear Soiley..Have you been checked for Celiac's Disease?