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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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!

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

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

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??