SUFFERED FOR 3 YEAR

[hbshahid]

Hi all I've been suffering with IBS for the last three years. With regular flare ups; days in bed and just unable to function. However, recently I stumbled upon a product that has gradually helped me rebuild my life again. I have started drinking aloe vera gel and taking probiotic tablets. My stomach is much more under control ad do not have to worry what the day ahead will hold for me. This has truly changed my life; as a mother of four young children, the |BS was not only effecting me but the lives of my children as well. I'll be happy to answer any queries you may have. Feel free to email me on [e-mail]. I would urge everyone to try alternative treatment you may be amazed with the results!!!!

[Hidden]

Hi,

It's really great to hear some good news about effective treatments for IBS. If you could post on here which particular brands of aloe vera gel and probiotics you're taking, I'm sure many of us would be glad of the information. Also, is your IBS diarrhoea or constipation-related as this can make a big difference in terms of treatment?

Best wishes

Pagan

[686868 in reply to Hidden]

Hello paganmoon (again!)

I expect you will see my comment on the aloe vera and I was pleased to see your comment and look forward to viewing hbshahid's reply to you.

[Hidden in reply to 686868]

Hi,

Thought I'd try and get ahead with things and did a bit of web investigation into the best sort of aloe vera drink to buy and discovered that it should be cold-pressed (as opposed to heat-treated) and preferably organic. I managed to find a few products that met the criteria, but when I looked at the ingredients' lists, I discovered that many of them have unsuitable additives, e.g. sorbitol, apple juice etc. I eventually found the perfect juice at: australianaloessentials.co.uk only to be told that it was out-of-stock! So, I'll be glad to hear from Hbshahid, not only regarding which brand he/she uses, but especially which type of IBS it's working for. I'm a D-type and I'd hate to set that off again - plus waste even more money of course!

Pagan

[686868 in reply to Hidden]

I will be able to look at the label of the one my son-in-law takes when I see him tomorrow and will get back to you

[Hidden in reply to 686868]

Okay, thanks very much, that's really kind of you.

[686868 in reply to Hidden]

I can now tell you about my son-in-law's aloe vera juice. It's from pukkaherbs.com

organic Australian product 99.9% from the inner leaf. No potassium, sorbate, sodium benzoate or other synthetic preservatives.

Citric acid from tapioca 0.1%. Free from dairy, wheat, gluten, soya or sugar.

I recommend it purely on the basis I mentioned previously. This is the only brand he can tolerate and he has allergies to the severity that there are only a handful similar worldwide - well 2 handfuls!

Maybe this will be useful for you or others to try.

[Hidden in reply to 686868]

Thank you so much for that information. When I looked again at the previous one I mentioned (australianaloessentials), it's easy to spot why it's only half the price of the one your son-in-law takes - it's actually only half as well-produced a product! So now I'm about to give Pukka a go. Have you tried it yourself for IBS?

[686868 in reply to Hidden]

I haven't tried it but my son-in-law often says that I should. This is partly because many years ago when aloe vera wasn't generally known about, except for jelly fish stings, a friend said she wouldn't start her day without aloe vera juice (not the pukka brand) but when I tried it I had diarrhoea and in spite of her saying ' stick with it and you will improve I didn't.

Until yesterday I had a break of just over a week from my IBS symptoms which was great and when that happens I tell myself I am going to remain normal. Yesterday, however, I ate 2 dark chocs from a cheap brand someone gave us as a 'thank you' I should have read the label first as the soft centres must have contained something my body doesn't like and I ended up feeling really ill and had to retire to bed. Today I am trying to ignore what I am feeling and I have decided I really will order some juice to build me up.

Best of luck

[Hidden in reply to 686868]

Yes, when I really concentrate hard on getting the fodmaps right, I too have clear spells of up to a week. At this point, I decide I'm 'cured', deliberately start eating stuff I shouldn't and then have a week of real upset. Stupid or what?? Anyway, I ordered the Pukka aloe juice yesterday and it's being delivered express today. Think I'll start off with a low dose and gradually build it up as I don't want to jerk my system into action with too much of a jolt. Will post with progress, although, from what I've read, that could be a while as you have to give it about 6 weeks before you can say what the effects are.

Best wishes,

Pagan

[hbshahid in reply to Hidden]

hi I'm sorry for late response. but my laptop is playing up. I have both constipation and diarrhea depending on the day but mainly diarrhea. I use the foreverliving aloe range which I find is well sourced and stabilised. however I agree with the post about finding what is suited to your body. doses may need to be adjusted and with any treatment also allowing time is also important. if diet change works for you then all means go for it only you can decide what your body is capable of taking. you can inbox me privately for more details. as I'm having difficulty Wwith my laptop. all the very best of luck in finding what works for you. and gaining your life back. Mrs Halima shahid xxx

[Hidden in reply to hbshahid]

Many thanks for your reply and I certainly intend to look into this further. I've already checked-out the Forever Living product, but wouldn't be able to tolerate this as it contains both sorbitol and xanthan gum, neither of which suit me and are banned on the low-FODMAP diet which I follow with much success.

I hope you continue to do well.

[686868]

Hello Hbshahid

It is good to hear of your success. Interestingly my son-in-law takes aloe vera for his unusual allergies and it took years and huge expense before finding a doctor who was finally able to recommend a particular concoction of aloe vera to suti him. So I think it most important to point out to sufferers looking for a cure to be fully aware they may need to look for another sort/mix

[sickandsore]

Totally agree with the above post, ive tried several types of aloevera and none of them have made any difference in fact I felt worse!! BUT different strokes for different folks as they say

Im totally up for natural remedies I follow the low fodmap diet, take milled flaxseed and drink lots of water every day without fail, so far so good, the odd bad day, usually brought on by stress or virus..

like the original post i have young children and I totally agree when things are bad it affects everbody not just me.

[hbshahid in reply to sickandsore]

hi and thanks for your comments . completely agree that you the sufferers need to try a few alternatives to see what works for you. if the're was one potion for all - life would be too simple. please do your research and try something because living wiyj ibs is such a nightmare. all the best xxx

[Gardener]

Hi, I would love to take Aloe Vera gel for my constantly malfunctioning bowel and digestive system and have tried again recently, but am always defeated by the sodium benzoate they

add as a preservative. I believe it is known to be a stomach irritant and it sets off my, never far away, gastritis. If you google benzoate it sounds quite ominous as to it's safety. Why can't they find something more fitting for a healthy remedy for the gut I wonder. Also some makes add sorbitol, another big no-no for me, I blow up into a bigger balloon than normal with all the accompanying pain and discomfort!

If anyone knows of a make without these additives I would be very interested.

Ros

[Hidden in reply to Gardener]

Funny you should ask that question right at this moment as I've only just finished looking for a really good aloe vera gel and I think I've found one. Go to pukkaherbs.com where you'll find a product that answers all my criteria, i.e cold-pressed, organic and it's only content apart from aloe itself is 0.1% citric acid from tapioca. It specifically states that it does not contain sodium benzoate. At £20.99 a bottle it's pretty expensive, but has to be worth it to get the right thing I think.

[Gardener]

Thank you pagan moon for your research and telling me about pukkaherbs, it looks good I will certainly try it and the small size is not too expensive to try. Thanks again, hope it helps you too.

[johnguitarist]

aloe vera drink sounds like its worth a try, i tried most other things for my i.b.s which hasent worked including expensive manouka honey. ive had ibs since 2007 and its slowly getting worse, we had a day out at a seaside 3 weeks ago which ended in disaster, i got a major bought of diarroeah struggled to reach a beach toilet just in time, then halfway home needed to go again, pulled in at services to find a holiday inn refused to let me use there loo and burger king was just a take away and had no loos, by now i was almost in tears trying to hold it in, i found a garage got inside the loo had a notice on the door OUT OF ORDER i went in anyway it was just a broken door lock on the loo, no one see me go in or out but what an awkward predicament to be in.

[MarkBrennan]

I found this site looking for info on Pukka Aloe. As an IBS sufferer of 6 years, I have tried just about everything on the market (also prescription drugs such as citapopram, proton pump inhibitors etc.), including some expensive probiotics etc. My sister recommended Pukka Aloe as it has inproved (not cured) her IBS symptoms to the point where she can risk going shopping or to a school event for one of her boys. Her IBS is different to mine as she thinks hers was caused by nerve damage followed botched surgery after a difficult birth, whereas mine started after gastric flu. Very recently, her 10 year old son was diagnosed with GERD and prescribed proton pump inhibitors. She was horrified and asked the doctor if she could try him for a week on Aloe Vera. His GERD disappeared in a matter of days - he stopped crying about going to school on day 2. Anyway, every week or so my sister asked if I had ordered it yet. I said that Amazon were out of stock. She told me it was back in stock today. Before I ordered I checked the Pukka website and it has a list of UK shops that stock it. I found that a shop less than 5 minutes walk from my house stocks it (The Whitstable Nutrition Centre) I paid £29.99 for a 1L bottle (they also had 1/2L for £12.99) the owners have various qualifications. I asked why they stocked several brands, including Lily of The Desert, which was 1/2 the price. She said all the brands they sold were good, but Pukka is the best on the market but worth it. Worth mentioning that the recommended dose is 45ml - 90ml a day. At the 45ml dose, a 1L bottle lasts 3 weeks - which is the shelf life of a bottle kept in the fridge after opening. My sister rakes about 20ml a day but I decided to go for 45ml. Anyway, I only took my first dose before dinner tonight so nothing to report. I expected it to be bitter and unpleasant, but it was really OK - not a flavour I would choose to drink but not bad - it kind of tastes how a bunch of flowers smells when you cut the stalks if that makes sense

[MarkBrennan]

PS - I forgot to mention in my last post that after I bought the Aloe, I saw that Pukka also make a product that contains psyllium, linseed and Aloe - I will give that a try if I notice any improvement with the Aloe juice.

[MarkBrennan]

PPS - Sorry, I just noticed the typos in my first post, including the price - I actually paid £20.99 - still expensive, but if it helps, I am more than happy to pay £7 a week - my life has been ruined by IBS

[Lloyd1]

Hi all I am also an Aloe and Probioitc convert and I use Holland and Barrat aloe drink and their probiotic. Also foreverliving product, these can seem expensive but in the grand scheme of things, for quality of life, it's pretty cheap.

The one most helpful fix for me though, is exercise, my IBS is definitely stress related, even though I do not feel stressed, my worst day is Monday morning. However since doing exercise ,swimming, walking and a bit of gym work, everything is a lot better in my world.

I am going to reduce my aloe intake and do more excercise, if you think your IBS is stress related give it a go, and the best of it is it can be free