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.
