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IBS Ibs irritable bowel syndrome

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Deleted member 1860

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone else suffers from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)? I've had issues with abdominal cramping on and off over the years with symptoms varying from non-existent/mild all the way to doubled over in pain. My doctor suspects its IBS and has given me a prescription for Levsin/Hyoscyamine. It seems to work well.

I am having a flare in symptoms right now and I'm not sure why. I am not extremely stressed as with past flare ups. Well, my stress has increased, but not to the level of what spurred on past bouts of IBS. I suspect this time I'm sensitive to certain foods, whereas it wasn't this way in the past. I think the culprit is sugar and/or fat. It doesn't seem to be protein or other types of carbs, but I may be wrong. I'm going to restrict my foods for awhile so I can pinpoint the culprit.

If anyone also suffers from IBS, I'd love to hear how you deal with it (what kinds of meds you take, how you modify your diet, other ways you manage symptoms).

Thanks.
 
Hi

I suffer from IBS. Bentyl works great when my stomach is having spasms. I had been on an antidepressant but did not feel that was necessary even though my stress levels and mild depression could probably benefit from one. Imodium helps. Fats and diary mess me up terribly! I hope this helps.

C
 
Sorry to hear that it's flared up again. I have suffered with it on and off for a little while now. My doctor gave me Mebevrine(sp?) which seems to work fairly well.
 
Diagnosed wit IBS 25 yrs ago. Flare ups off and on. Bentyl helps spasms. Rich foods contribute I think, and dairy-particularly ice cream.

Honestly I kind of quit paying attention, as it seems that any food can aggravate or bring on an attack. Never really was able to pinpoint.
 
I'm so sorry you have this. I believe it begins in childhood if you are raised in a 'dysfunctional' family. Babies and children 'pick up' on the vibes of the household and it causes tummy aches even then.

I'm on Amitriptyline 10mg x2 at night. It's a mild anti-depressant, but also works on muscle cramping.

There are dietary things you can do too. I've been helped by a 'granola' mix. Cheerios, nuts (different kinds), and dried fruits. Everyone is different and has to find what works for them. I'm 'lucky' and don't have the diarrhea side, I have the constipation, which can be VERY painful if not treated regularly with Miralax. (It's expensive)

Good luck!
 
I am probably a life long sufferer of IBS but I have never been officially diagnosed with it. Let me explain:

I can remember my father telling me that I was a "belly-acher" from an early age. I don't remember having any more stomach aches than other kids but I can remember having sudden onset urgent bowel movements and since I was an active, far roaming kid it led to predictable results and predictable reactions from my dad. I eventually learned to prepare for lengthy trips away from facilities and survived my childhood.

Stress always caused me problems, but after a few bad accidents and some blunt traumas and emergency surgeries my gut is so full of scar tissue that I couldn't tell you when I was having one of my life-long stress related stomach problems and when I am having problems caused by one of my many surgical hernias or by a blockage from scar tissue. It is all just a messed up storm of continual gut problems now, IBS diagnosis wouldn't really mean anything now.

Bentyl gets me by. I was so bad for a long time that I have a medical leave in place for when my gut keeps me from working, but I use it less and less as I progress with EMDR and other stress relieving techniques. I was put on Klonopin to reduce anxiety and that worked for awhile but my energy was too low. Vicadin helped but was not a long term fix.

Ironically, my father comiserated with me that he also has a life long problem with urgent bowel movements. The bastard made me feel like a freek when I was just a kid with a genetic disposition to IBS. He is a part of my past now and that also helps.
 
One of the banes of my life, it started in childhood for me. I do not go anywhere, I do not step out of my house without my little pouch of meds that includes Buscopan (antispasmodic that is OTC in Europe, Thailand, etc.), peppermint oil capsules and immodium, on top of what I use for anxiety. I have to get the Buscopan from Europe as it isn't sold in the US and I'm not paying $200+ to visit a doctor to get a prescription for a basic $10 antispasmodic that is OTC in so many European and Asian countries (not sure about the other continents but might be OTC there too).

As a child the pain from the abdominal cramps could be quiet spectacular, I frequently could not speak because of the pain. Of course my parents did nothing to help me as they generated the terror that caused the pain in the first place. I had to plan my childhood around it basically and there were very long periods of time when I barely ate anything. As an adult I can just pop a cheap pill or two at the first sign of gastric issues and I feel fine.

I don't know why I developed it but I know that meal times were full of fear just like every other time. Not good for the digestion. I also don't get migraines or back pain so I guess this is the tradeoff? I read a book that said that there is some system in your body that is weaker than the others, if you have stress that system will be the first to suffer. For some it's the head or the back, and for me the gastrointestinal.
 
Gee, I am an over-reactor. Mostly I carry the stress in my neck, its all messed up structurally and I have a lot of pain in and surrounding it. My neck and shoulders are by far my worst physical condition. I use to have migraines and IBS. The headaches are infrequent these days, but IBS remains. Actually its a bit better. Use to never plan to eat in restaurant because I would regularly have to lay on belly after food until it resided. Could not eat before work or any other activity or outing, so I did things early in the day when possible so I could come home and eat. Maybe I just think its better since I now don't go anywhere-lol
 
I don't know if any one else has tried this but I can tell you what works for me- I eat many small meals throughout my day and try to avoid eating before work.

For a long time I would only eat a banana at lunch because I was dealing with an average of 1 day in horrible pain for every ten meals I ate. By using the extremely light meal approach but multiplying it by 7 or 8 meals a day my odds went to maybe one episode a week, with meds I can go a full month without a bad day sometimes.

If I am hosting a barbeque and can't resist a burger and some potato salad and watermelon and a few beverages I am playing the odds, if someone walks back to their car and finds a flat tire and needs help with the changeover I am going to lose the game if I get out a jack and help. I know where I will be the rest of the night if I do too much physical work after a full meal, so I eat light many times a day and avoid food if I know there is some physical activity coming.
 
I wish I could go a month with out issues for my IBS. A week would be great. Even two days would be good. I have issues most of the time. Its horrible with the tummy troubles that end up with me in the bathroom for over an hour at a time. I thought it was from my PTS but have just recently put two and two together. Its for sure IBS and it has been for 7 or 8 years. Loose stool so bad I have to wear protection 24/7. This is the worst part of all of this for me. I have felt trapped in my house only going out when it is totally essential. Im not sure if I am the only one with this much of an issue with this stuff. If I take any over the counter meds it just binds me up for like 3 days. Then I am fitting the opposite way. Its a nightmare. Along with the PTS. I can not even work due to this stuff.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 
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