IBS, anyone else got? how do u cope?

[geoff]

As Andy says,this can be a very debilitating disease, I was diagnosed with uc 15 years ago, & was due to have surgery to remove a section of my bowel.

I struggled with the drugs provided & the side effects they gave.

For the last 7 or 8 years I have been drug free 99% of the time, (just once every couple of years I need a short dose of prednisolone).

I did not have surgery, I did concentrate on not letting stress get a hold of my life any further than the odd day to day stuff, this seems to have been a great help.

You need to find an experienced dietician, & work out what your triggers are,& what you can eat whilst suffering, this can be different for each individual.

Beer & dairy are normaly a no no.

Try to get some system of relaxation going,& use this to empower yourself against the disease, this might sound daft, but I did this, I got rightfully p*ssed off with the illness & fought it in my head, not the symptoms, but the concept of it.

Aloe vera products can be very useful in keeping you healthy, but check with your specialist in what form it can be taken.

I found that fruit such as peaches were good, low acid soft fruits, blended & with a bit of natural honey.

Avoid large meals, eat little & often, with plenty of fresh water after food.

 

If I can help I am more than happy to, & remember, a percentage of sufferers do manage to get on top of this illness by natural means, with the help of medication from time to time.

[nipski]

I was diagnosed last July and was in a flare from may until january. I lost 5 stones in 2-1/2 months and was hospitalised for three weeks, I narrowly avoided surgery. I have it in my colon my ilium (the bit that connects the small intestine and the large) and I had ulcerations on my nose and mouth. This nearly did me whilst in hospital and my gi can't believe how well I have responded to my treatment I have done the low res diet and am pretty much eating what I like now, with the exception of red meat, milk and some cheeses. I joined nacc for Crohn's and colitis which wa great but I see a naturopath who has helped immensely. My next step is to get off my meds as safely as poss and switch to cannabis as a maintenance med, believer I have had nothing to do for a year apart from research and drive my wife up the wall, but I starting to get side affects from the drugs and I would rather try the cannabis to see how it goes. Mmmmm I might have to be the worlds slowest whatever it is I'm gonna be when I get back to work!

[Andy Collins]

One thing to remember is no two patients are the same with IBDs. My UC came in with a vengeance, starting a week before I was rushed into hospital. No warning nothing, I literally plummeted off the face of the earth. In that week I reached the state where I was close to death, rushed in to hospital and on drips to stabilise me. I was losing blood at a colossal rate and my colon was extremely fragile.a fortnight later the only option left was life saving surgery. Ironically the life saving surgery nearly killed me , needing further life saving surgery and having to endure acute kidney failure. But now I'm active again, not pre-illness active, but good for someone in my state. Life does go on, it's not stopped me in my tracks, just slowed my pace of life a little.

Read up as much as you can, follow dietary advice carefully. Honey is good, I have it every day, very soothing.

Anyway, now off to work, got some big Limes needing some care and attention with a chainsaw

Edited May 30, 2013 by Andy Collins

[nipski]

Yes Geoff the head battle is the hardest one. I had six months in bed and the depression was horrendous, what was my doctors answer? Prozac ha another pill to pop on top of the 23 I was taking each day. I did not touch them and won the battle by forcing myself to re engage socially a tiny bit at a time over the course of three to four months. I can safely say I feel fantastic now, ( for the time being) as fit as a fiddle. I am going to attempt dragging myself up a lovely oak next week to see if I have got the strength back, at least it will be 11-1/2 st I'm hauling and not the 14 I was!

[nipski]

Andy what honey? I use Tasmanian only. It is the only place on the planet that has no varroa mite so Miticides are used on the hives I swear it is the best honey I have ever had. Buy it in sainsburys. How long have you had an iliostomy? Do you climb? These diseases are nasty and like you say come out of nowhere. I think my major trigger is stress. I have re evaluated my life and what I want from it, I really don't care for money, never have I am just grateful I survived hospital, like you it was a close call, the blood I lost was frightening.time with my wife and children are second to none so if any one wants logs on the weekend the can go to the garage! ;-)

[nipski]

Miticides are not used

[BabyBuzz]

I found cutting out the heavy alcohol made a huge difference, now I rarely drink at all at the weekends, anything over 2/3 pints and it starts kicking off again.

[Stephen Blair]

I had helcibacta for years and didn't know it, went to the doctors, a week of pills. Job done!!!

 

Stress plays a huge part in stomach stuff. The more you worry, the worse it gets!

 

Hypnotherapy is fantastic for helping you relax and destress.

 

Take a look at the stress thread, you will feel better once you know you are not alone.

[nipski]

Stress is no longer in my vocabulary if I am late I am late if something doesn't get done it waits, I have learned to let go of stuff now and share my problems. As for alcohol big no go.

[Rik]

Its been a long time since i looked at this thread, since then ive ben diagnosed infeed with UC. In a pretty bad flate up at the mo and its a pretty lonely, debilitiating and humiliating place to be..

 

Really nice to read that there are actually a lot of you out there with it and other things that manage to work still.. currently ive been off work for the last 6 weeks and looking at another 2 minimum im guessing.. which isnt helping to pay the bills much.....

 

Just wondering if any of you have had to rethink work at all? Ie, not climbing as much, doing other less pysical things part time maybe?

 

And also just quick, some of u mentioned relaxation and hypnotherapy even for stress busting.... ive never really been into things like that but do u thinknit works? Cos im completely open to anything that may help???