IBS, anyone else got? how do u cope?

[Rik]

last october i started havig bad cramps in my stomach... after a month id had enough and thought its not some simple bug so.went to docs, after some bloods and suff he came up with irritable bowel syndrome, apparently its reeeaally common and loads of people have t and cope fine...

 

well i lost 18lb in 3 weeks and of course work was a nightmare if i could make it at all, ive read some suff on it now i was just wonderig if anyone else suffered at all and how you manage/cope with it? if found if im climbing and my stomach cramps i might as well give up and come down as its cripplingly painful and at times its all i can do to get down from the tree.. (not a good place to be at)

 

ive started to keep a food diary and eliminatig different food for a time to see if it makes a diff.. im also takong peppermint caps and buscopan (i was reccomended by docs)

 

any thougts hints or ideas be well appreciated as its really gettin mw down now and work is suffering as well as me which is not ideal in any way.....

 

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[Guss109]

I had it really bad for years and found coffee to set it of so cut down on that and had to remember and take my tablets before you eat. I've managed to stop taking the tablets now but still watch what I eat and if I've had a night on the sauce without eating I pay for it the next day so try to eat little but often. Best of luck mate and don't let it get you down keep positive and that will help you to

[Dan Earp]

Ive never taken tablets, but found being over stressed and the huge amount i was drinking didnt help it. I now hardly drink, cut down on the amount i smoke and always keeping myself active. My diet has always been good so that wasnt the problem, but maybe a time to check yours.

 

I get the occasional short term session but nothing like i used to get.

 

Hope you can identify whats causing yours to flare up bud

[agg221]

Bad luck, it is a right pain (literally and figuratively). You may well find it relates to certain foods, and they could be odd ones - like certain minor additions. For example, I'm triggered by coffee (easy to identify), cheese (fairly easy to identify) and garlic (very hard to identify as it's included in so many things) but I'm OK with garlic oil and it seems to be OK if very well cooked. I'm sure there are other things, I just haven't tied them down yet.

 

The best I've found is to be systematic about it, and try to remember what you ate so you can try to spot triggers. I've also found it helps to identify a set of foods which are definitely OK (in my case, ham sandwiches with white bread, and apples) and when it gets bad, revert to this for a couple of days while everything calms down again.

 

Stress can also be a trigger, which seems to work in conjunction with foods, so for example I can have several cups of tea when I'm not stressed, but know I need to cut down to only one cup if I am stressed.

 

I can also empathise with the fact that it can get you down - it's the unpredictability I find most challenging. When you're sitting around feeling ill, you can sort of tolerate it, but when you feel fine but have no idea if it will strike that day, so you don't dare do certain things in case it does, it gets particularly miserable. I am told that in most people it eventually settles down to become predictable, which should at least help in the long term.

 

There's a prescription medicine called Mebeverine which can also help if Buscopan doesn't cut it.

 

Alec

[scraggs]

I was diagnosed with IBS by a doctor many years ago, then after ending up weighing just under 8 stone I was lucky enough to meet my girlfriend who has a vast knowledge of food allergy and intollerence.

Long story short, after months of a very strict diet (living on rice cakes for the first few weeks) then slowly adding stuff back, we worked out I have a gluten and dairy intolerance.

I am now somewhat sceptical of doctors who spend very little time in thier training studying diet, and personally feel that some tend to use IBS as a blanket term for "we haven't really got a clue"

Probably something to do with the way food has been modified, but there are more and more people with gluten, oats and dairy allergies now days, and it might be something you want to look into.

I dread to think where I would be now had we not found out what it was, but now have very little trouble unless I accidently eat something with it in, which is very rare.

Edited February 3, 2013 by scraggs

[Rik]

this is all really good to hear guys many thanks for the responses! i was starting to wonder if i was ever actially gonna be able to do anything about it!

 

it looks though from.what youve all said that it is sortable and it dosnt have to run my life! im really interested in the diet comments, i think i have a fairly good diet.. does anyone know if intolerences can develop over time or are u born with them? as i dont think ive changed my diet to include anyhig i didnt used to eat so im guessig that they must be able to develop over time? ?

 

 

 

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[gensetsteve]

Made worse with stress. things that used to set me off fresh coffee, big roast dinners especially roast potatoes cooked in veg oil ( but ok if cooked in lard ) too much red meat. Not enough fibre in diet. Eat bran with fresh fruit for breakfast plenty of veg and fruit cut down on the stodge and beer.

[Rik]

and just to add, the buscopan dosnt indeed seem to be touching it at all

 

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[scraggs]

My intolerances started when I was in my late 20's but my youngest son was born with exactly the same intolerences.

[Rik]

hmmmm guess it can happen anytime then.. maaaan i hope its not the cider

 

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