Hello, I'm looking for answers please! Bit of a long story so please bare with me! I've had ibs for several years and it's been controlled with mebeverine most of the time although I do have the occasional flare up. However, the last 3 months it's been awful, I'm now in a complete state! I have no appetite, lost over a stone in weight and wake with stomach ache and diarrhoea all the time. My GP had put me on ranitidine as I was suffering acid reflux and I made a connection between these and the ibs symptoms so have slowly been reducing these so now only take half a day (can't go cold turkey on these or reflux comes back even worse!!!!). Reducing these seemed to really help my ibs symptoms; I was slowly regaining my appetite, not waking with diarrhoea. However, I then started seeing a nutritionist who has lots of experience with ibs and she put me on: digestive enzymes, cytAD, green magma & magnesium. I don't know if it's a coincidence but my symptoms seem to have returned with a vengeance. Has anybody else been on these supplements? What are your experiences? Also, I was talking to herbalist who said I should really try and come off the mebeverine as it puts part of your bowel in constant spasm so will affect your whole gut and this is what will be causing my acid reflux. Just to add to this mess, my GP wants to test me for coeliac disease so I'm 4 weeks in to reintroducing gluten into my diet and seem to be feeling worse each day. Could the gluten be causing these symptoms? I'm so confused and scared right now as feel so weak and unsure which way to turn. Can anybody help please?
Have supplements made symptoms worse? Is Mebev... - IBS Network
Have supplements made symptoms worse? Is Mebeverine ok? Is it the gluten?
Can anybody give me any advice re this please, I'm desperate x
Hi , so sorry and sympathise with you, I too have suffered for years and
I think its just one if those things that seems to get worse as time goes
by. I have tried everything and you seem to go along sometimes when
symptoms calm down and you tell yourself that you have cracked it,
unfortunately it tends to rear its ugly head and you feel back to square
one. Mebeverine seems to be the drug most GPs hand out, I take it but
whether it does any good or not I couldnt say, I think its important to
see a Gastroentrologist and get everything checked out thoroughly.
I too saw a nutritionist and whilst my condition didnt improve, it didnt
get any worse either. Ive trawled loads of sites looking for help and
feeling pretty horrible and feeling sorry for myself and crying bucketsful.
One of my problems was bloating in the evening in particular and I read
about someone using Apple Cider Vinegar, Now as improbable as it
sounds its made a huge difference to my life. I had no problems at all
for about 6 weeks which for me was a miracle, I always had to take
Immodium daily and believe me I never took one, bloating has gone
and no reoccurance. Yes I had a blip this last week but Im not too
despondent and Im back on track now. The product is Braggs Organic
Apple Cider Vinegar, I got it from Amazon, please look it up, it may just
help but if course you should still have any tests etc that are offered.
Thank you so much for getting back to me (I did reply yesterday but must have done something wrong coz it didn't register!). I'm sorry to hear you too have had awful times with your ibs. Do you suffer from acid reflux? I'm just worried that the vinegar would make this worse for me? Do you ever find your ibs is worse first thing? I'm terrible in am and it gradually improves as the day goes on?!
Hi,
Firstly, your doctor should have given you a test for both coeliac disease and crohns at the start of your symptoms and, if those results were clear, he/she should have then referred you to a gastroenterologist for further tests. An IBS diagnosis cannot be given until all other possible causes have been ruled out.
If your tests show that you have coeliac disease then, of course it'll be the gluten reintroduction that's causing your current symptoms. Gluten does not adversely affect non-coeliacs and if you can pin feeling worse down to the wheat, barley or rye that you're eating, it's most likely because they contain fructans (high FODMAP) and nothing to do with gluten which tends to get the blame for everything.
The herbalist who told you that mebeverine puts the gut into constant spasm should do his/her research properly, as it actually does the opposite and relaxes the muscles that spasm during cramps. It seems to be effective for some people but not for others.
I, too, used to have acid reflux and was given Omeprazole (similar to Ranitidine) which only served to increase diarrhoea and I soon stopped taking it. I think you're right and that the reflux is connected to your bowel problems - mine certainly was. I also tried digestive enzymes which only exacerbated all my symptoms although they do work for some people. I'm afraid I don't have any personal experience of the other supplements you mention.
So, first job is to get all the necessary medical tests done and I think you should go back to your GP and start pushing for these.
In the meantime, you could try a food elimination regime such as low-FODMAPs which works so well for many people on here.
Rosie
Hi Rosie, thanks so much for getting back to me. It's interesting to hear that your symptoms were worse when you took the digestive enzyme. I do wonder if the supplements affected me, that said I haven't taken them since Wednesday and still have symptoms.
Re the medication you were taking for acid reflux. How did you come off this?
I was surprised when the herbalist said about the Mebeverine and questioned this but he was adamant what he was saying was right!
Have you tried the low fod map? Did it help?
Thank you for your time.
Yes, I did FODMAPs and it worked brilliantly for me. I got results from it after only a few days and just stopped the omeprazole at that point with no more probs from reflux.
You must get those tests done though...
Thank you. I will definitely get the tests done and look in to the fod map.
Me again! Was there a particular FODMAP plan you used?
Yes, the only FODMAP plan that's correct is from Monash Uni where the diet was developed, here's the link:
med.monash.edu.au/cecs/gast...
There's a brilliant app available on the site and loads of info. Best book I found was by Monash-trained dietitian, Patsy Catsos, 'IBS-Free At Last.
Rosie
Thank you Rosie I'll look at it now.
My GP has been good, he did me an urgent referral to see a gastroenterologist and I'm having an endoscopy on Wednesday. I'm very nervous and somewhat disappointed as I won't even have a consultation with the consultant before the procedure!!!!!
Great that you're getting a 'scope done, is that down or up?
Has anybody else used the supplements mentioned in my post?
hi
introducing a food back in to diet can sometimes trigger ibs takes awhile again for gut to get used to it. never heard mebeverine causing spasm-think thats a red herring.
im sorry you are suffering so bad.
iv stopped all wheat and cut dairy down a lot and best week in my last 2 years-no ibs for 6 days!
regards
gff
So glad to hear you're doing so well. I'll definitely look in to the fod map.
Hi, In answer to your question, no never suffered acid reflux, only very
very occasionally after having a 'what the hell' moment and eaten something very rich, like last weekend away with my daughters and
finished off my meal with melting chocolate pudding with ice cream.
How delicious, and how silly, had acid reflux and heartburn through the
night, you have to live dangerously occasionly. How would the vinegar
react to your reflux, well my husband started taking it at the same time
as me and he has a lot of heartburn and indigestion and some acid reflux.
He always has Rennies handy at night and says that it has improved and
doesnt take one as often as he used to. You could always Google the
question, I often do if Im unsure, The vinegar must be raw organic with
'The mother', Ive used Braggs so far but there is another brand Biona,
which is cheaper and of the same quality, Im going to look into it when
Im ready for some more. Please read up on it and see if you think it
may help. Keep me posted.
Shirley.
I'm sold! I'll look into the vinegar. Thank you for your time.
Hi. I have IBS symptoms and tried ranitidine for bad acid reflux....alas it gave me a really irritated bowel with diarrhoea. I have since been prescribed Omeprazole for the reflux and this almost eliminates it totally. One tablet didn't touch it so take two. I have also had a colonoscopy which revealed a hiatus hernia so I'm expecting to be on them for a while. However, they do not give me any side effects, thank goodness. I take Mebeverine when I get particularly crampy and spasmodic and don't appear to get side effects. I also went down the nutritionist route some time back. She prescribed almost the same supplements as you. After a day I developed serious diarrhoea so suspected the pills. I lost my faith in alternative treatment at that point as my symptoms became 'normal' again after stopping. I would recommend pushing for a colonoscopy. I had it from both ends on separate occasions and although not the most pleasant of experiences at least it diagnosed one problem and eliminated others. Good luck....it's all rubbish I know and I'm so envious of people who can 'anything' and not suffer any consequences.
i have ibs with d and iam on gluten free diet still have many stomach aches , sick in the am and evening with diaherria missed tons of work ... today is not a good day either,cramps all day and nauseas.
I'm so sorry to hear you're suffering and that cutting gluten out doesn't seemed to have helped you😔 As soon as I've had the coeliac test I'm going to try the low formap. Have you tried this?
yes I have , and I work with a nutristionist , somethings help but I still have major flare ups.
I don't know. I am 4 weeks into reintroducing gluten in my diet so I can be tested for coeliac disease x
No to all of the above!
I had to fill in lots of questionnaires and kinesiology testing was done but no scientific testing so to speak. I
I took the digestive enzyme and other supplements for 5 days, I also started to Introduce the foods she recommended (one of which was baked beans) but have stopped all now and there is definitely a slow improvement!
How did you know you were intolerant to a/c/v. Was it through symptoms or testing? When you say about an 80/20 diet what do you mean?
gluten sensitive and I have ibs so they say.
Oh my goodness it sounds like you've really been through it! I've got to have an endoscopy on Wednesday, I'm worried sick!
I'll see if there is anywhere near me that does the testing. Does kinesiology not work in the same way?
I'm gradually weaning myself off ranitidine and am down to half a ranitidine/day now for my acid reflux. I want to reduce it further but am worried about the histermine effects so a more alkaline diet would probably help with this more than the a/c/v?
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