Among my many problems I also suffer from IBS. I have the med to control it once it starts jsut like every thing else but it is truely scary and embarressing when it strikes at work or someplace away from home. Since I don't know when it will hit there is nothing I can except run to the restroom and cry on the john until the pain lessens. I would like to totally stop the episodes, the only advice I find is to eat more fiber! Well, I'm sensitive to fiber as it is, I can't eat a whole lot. My doctor just shakes his head over me. I mean really, I am a cashier! I can't go running away to the restroom with a line of people waiting! I need to find a way to deal with this. Any hope for me? any suggestions?
I am not entirely sure if I have the same case as I am currently suffering from irritable bowel but my GP was unable to say if it once in a lifetime experience or it is going to develop to a syndrome.
In my experience I also have problem digesting food with fibre in large amounts but I found fibre supplements did help me a lot . I bought FibreSure (don't know any other brands I am afraid - my GP reccommended it) and it really lessened the pain and that spontaneous urge a lot. I am not sure if this helps. I assumed that when you talked of fibre you meant in food, not in general. Mine is tasteless and I take it once a day (I think you can take it up to 3 times a day and you don't need any prescriptions for it). Apart from that, I am on medication as well.
I also stopped eating oily food. I do use olive-oil in cooking but only a teaspoon and avoid deep-fried food (I used to have some fried wings every once and awhile) a lot since after I eat it I can't go for 2 days and then **** breaks loose if you know what I mean.
My doctor suggested charting what I ate to try and pinpoint the foods that cause the problem. I've determined that anything extra fatty (fried foods, too much cheese or cream in a dish) will often trigger it for me, so I stay away from those foods. I still have episodes from time to time, but they are so much less than intense than what they were I can usually handle it. Probiotics work really well for me, too (eat yogurt).
I have found that getting my diet under control is key. I dont like to take meds daily and it took me a few months to get it right. Like other mentioned figure out your trigger foods. For me any kind of fast food, fried food, eggs, cheese, and milk were the worst. Just try and note when you have an 'episode' and figure out what you ate. Try cutting that food out and see what happens
How are you getting your fiber? If it's from veggies, that may be a problem. I've never been able to eat veggies on an empty stomach, unless I can get to a bathroom fast. I eat a bread before I eat salads, lots of veggies, etc.
Eating 1/2 cup of fiber one cereal every morning did wonders for me. I never got diarrhea when I ate it. I used to have attacks 5-6 times a day. Sorry about the TMI, chickies!
I've found my IBS has been much less severe and frequent since I've been more conscious of my intake. I used to get really bad bouts of crampy pain every time I ate high fat foods like KFC or pizza in particular. Now that these aren't an option for me (by choice!) I'm not having the same issues.
I'm still cycling between "too fast" and "too slow", but the extremes aren't as far apart anymore. And the crampy pains have gone. At least I haven't had any for over 3 weeks now, where I used to get them a couple of times a week.
I am eating more yoghurt, but not consciously choosing the high probiotic kind. So I think it's more likely to be the lower fat intake and increased exercise.
I found that relaxation techniques really helped, in addition to watching what I eat. Also, I try to not eat stressed. One of the places I tend to "store my stress," so to speak, is in my stomach.
I had a bout of IBS that lasted a few years, then just went away. I'm a natural cures freak, so I took enteric coated peppermint capsules for the pain, and valerian herb to help relax me.
Never found anything food-related that helped or hurt.
I've talked with my doctor about this as well, he suggested a fiber supplement - FiberCon - 2 tablets once a day. I buy the generic after studying the label which is $3 - $4 cheaper. I take mine right around dinner time.
I also stay away from fried/greasy foods and I eat a Yoplait Light yogurt everyday. I have a hard time with the sour taste of yogurt so the probiotic yogurt isn't for me. I also do not drink much milk, but I LOVE cheese. I try to stay around 2oz a day or less.
These couple of changes have made a big difference for me and there is a noticible change when I forget my fiber.
I take fiber choice tablets and they really help. I have found that staying away from soft drinks really help me. I also have had alot less trouble since i have been watching what i eat. I have a medicine i can take when things start flaring up and i have found that if i take my med for a few days striaght and watch what i eat i can go weeks without any problems.It use to be a daily issue( many times a day).
Activia works for me and DH (who doesn't have IBS but has tummy problems and his doctor recommended yogurt daily). It's probably a lot less expensive than trying to find the "right" probiotic at the health food store (there is a myriad of choices there!).
Pix
I use to have the pains all the time and it was a joke that I knew every clean rest room in the state because I had to go alllllllll the time and only had a moments notice lol.
I have to watch my fiber intake or I really have problems. Just a bit to much fiber and I go from one extreme to the other.
I have found my ibs is so much better since I have 1. lost weight, 2 don't drink more than a can or two of pop a week, these days I generally don't drink any. 3. Eat the required amounts of the four basic food groups each day. 4. Pay more attention to my body and what I can eat and how often. 5. Keeping my fat intake below 35 grams a day. I love salads but I can only have them every couple of days. If I eat lettuce more than every couple of days my ibs is just terrible. I pretty much don't eat things or drink things with caffeine. Caffeine and carbonation really seem to set my ibs off. I really have to watch how much dairy I take in too.
I do understand what you mean about it effecting your life. There are so many things I can't do ( how on earth can you be a cashier, I have no idea when I am going to have to go lol ). Things are getting better. I don't have to take the meads as often as I did before I started to lose weight. I am sure there will come a time that the ibs doesn't control my life so much. My doctor took me off jury duty twice ( something that I think is very important for each and every person to do) because we just didn't think I could sit that long. What on earth was I going to do. Toss my hand in the air and scream OHHHH OHHHHHHH I have to gooooooooooooooo lol.
Last edited by Shy Moment; 08-05-2008 at 05:29 PM.
handling IBS
