IBS How can i help him with ibs?

[Springer80]

Diet is a symptom not a root cause. Id go about your business being and providing healthy pit stops but I wouldnt bother bringing it up or protresting.

Id sympathise with his situation, see if he can relax enough to enable getting in touch with the root of this. If he starts to relax he may find it creates a window in which to change direction.

In the meantime I would do a lovingly covert job of feeding him iron, magnesium, zinc, vit c and d and calcium based food. Get a book on stress related diet and read it in the loo.

 

[Springer80]

Nearly forgot! Hot water bottle and belly rubs for external relief, pickled or crystalised ginger or ginger ale for digestion.

 

[Lucycat]

But if he would have a half teaspoon baking soda with water 2 or 3 times a day, it would undermine the inflammation considerably.

My understanding is that IBS usually refers to Irritible Bowel Syndrome, which is not about inflammation. I suspect you are thinking of Inflammatory Bowel Disease which is something quite different.

 

[Springer80]

Last one and this is a wee bit sneaky, so you'd have to make sure you dont get caught! What about substituting the coffee and tea in your home for decaff? You cant taste the difference and if you put it in the regular jars....

You could mix it half half for a bit, to ramp it down slower.

You would have to dispose of the evidence thoroughly and keep quiet well into his recovery.

My mischief is done... ;)
Good luck x

 

[ghotiff]

Does he have PTSD and IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)? If he does, then they are likely linked and stress/anxiety etc is more likely the driving force (as compared to diet).

I applaud you trying to help, but there is only so much you can do yourself, so please treat yourself kindly.

What symptoms are you trying to eliminate (or help with). Number of attacks, severity of attacks, duration of attacks, specific symptoms during attacks. From my experience, each symptom has a different required approach, so it might be best to approach one at a time. Also, with some positive results, he might be more attuned to take his diet seriously (which clearly you are keen on as part of the solution).

 

[I'll make tea]

@Springer80: sounds like a great idea. *snicker*

@ghotiff: He often feels like he is going to have diarrhea, rushes to the toilet... but actually has constipation. After he has just been to the toilet he often says "Oh, sorry, I think I need to go again", he says he never feels really empty.
He also told me having bowel movement can be quite painful for him. He only told me a few times, but I think it is often the case, because he curses at the toilet (and he is a person who never curses) and typically he is not one to complain. If he complains it must be pretty bad.

I feel sorry for him because he spends a lot of time at the toilet. At his work there is no time for that - it's the first thing he does when he comes home.

I think his diet (too much caffeine, too much chocolate, to much sugar) is partly to blame for that.

 

[franciemarnie]

@Lucycat - My research has shown that there is possibly a relationship between IBS and inflammation, but as in practically all physical ailments there are contradictory studies.

Her husband's diet of junk food, caffeine, etc. is highly acidic. Baking soda and water alkalizes the system and reduces inflammation that irritates the gut. It has significantly helped my brother who has IBS.

 

[StarChild]

needs the energy drink because he is tired. He has trouble sleeping.

Of course has he trouble with sleeping... One shouldn't consume energy drinks after 4 O'clock in the afternoon. Because they're (the caffeine in it) still working, and lead to disturbed sleep.

It's well known, that to consume lots of sugar (in food, or in soft drinks and refined fruit juices) leads to addiction. For sugar has quite a big effect on the brains' reward centre. Also important to know, about the hidden sugar in lots of products. For example 100gr of ketchup contain 22 gram of sugar, That's 9 sugar cubes!

I'll put you some links about hidden sugar in this post. But before you read them, I'd like to assure you, that I absolutely don't presume, that you're cooking unhealthy food. The links I found contain lots of information, you maybe want to share with your hubby?
http://theconversation.com/the-amount-of-hidden-sugar-in-your-diet-might-shock-you-21867
http://www.nextavenue.org/article/2012-08/6-hidden-sugar-mines-your-diet
Link Removed

In the following link, please scroll down to: Sugar content in common foods and drinks
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262978.php

Maybe one of the most important things is, that healthy eating implies to cook only meals made with fresh ingredients like vegetables, fresh meat, fresh fruit. No convenience food or frozen ready-to-go-food like pizza, gravies, and all the crap (sorry, just my opinion ;)) one can buy that's already prepared to just put in the microwave or in the oven. Because all of this "ready food" contains tons of sugar, fat, gluten, unhealthy oils and so on.

I bought myself an electric juice squeezer and find it wonderful! For one can create very tasty veggie and fruit drinks. (I love the veggie drinks the most!)

And of course, there exists food that is very helpful (and very yummy!), for it, among other things, also slows down digestion. Maybe you want to read this article too:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-5488/7-Health-Benefits-of-Lentils.html
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/12-health-benefits-of-millet.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/275137-oat-flakes-nutrition/

(By the way: Flakes of oat and millet, can be used for much more things than just as breakfast flakes...)

I hope, my post was a bit helpful to you. Good luck!:tup:

 

[scout86]

@Springer80 , I'd just like to say that if someone I was in a relationship with pulled a stunt like that it would probably end the relationship. Not just because I happen to think caffeine is one of the major food groups but because I see no need to be involved with a person that I can't trust to be open, honest, and direct with me and to treat me like an adult. The idea is, maybe, amusing, but it's a REALLY bad idea, IMO.

 

[I'll make tea]

@SweetLullaby: Thanks a lot. I know about hidden sugar. We grow much of our own food (mostly because we want to safe money)... but my husband always manages to find energy drinks, sugary pops and cafeeinated chocolate which is his biggest vice.

I absolutely hate the caffeinated stuff and would hope he would stop.

I understand that that would make his sleep quality a lot better... I talked with him about it till I was blue in the face. He does stop for a while but then starts again and claims he needs them to be able to work.

I am very sad about that because he has a hard time sleeping.

 

[ghotiff]

It sounds like he is not yet open to a diet change, so I'm thinking to search for other options.

Thinking out loud here....

If he feels sick (diarrhoea), but then when in the bathroom discovers that he is not sick...then he is miss-reading his body cues. This miss-read, may be causing fear (of being sick) and then frustration (maybe he hopes that if he is sick once, then it will stop). If fear or loss of body control is linked to his PTSD issues, then this is a vicious circle.

My first thought would be take the pressure off somehow and try to learn how to correctly read his body signals. If he has PTSD and related 'body memories' then this could be fuelling the miss-read. If he can (when at home in a safe place) try to relax and wait out the sick feeling (maybe wearing easy wash pyjamas) then he could learn to untangle the incorrect link between the sick feeling and the need to go to the toilet.

I'm not sure how you could do any of the above as an observer....but its all I have at the moment.

 

[The Albatross]

I use extra fiber and also probiotic gastro intestinal enzyme replacement. I drink plenty of water and avoid caffeinated and sugary drinks. I have allergic IBS and this manages my symptoms enough for me to absorb nutrients in my food and prevents anemia or malnutrition. I am allergic to a lot of things... but manage. I do though think that diet is a necessary component to IBS management.