Better without medication

[lucycornwall]

Hi everyone. I just wanted to share something about my experience with IBS since I made the decision to stop taking medication. I was taking up to 8 buscopan per day (all other meds useless) and still getting bad cramps and the likes. If I went long periods of time without eating due to the stress and worry of ibs, when I did eat I was getting bad cramps and urgent diarrhoea. So I decided that since I was getting pain anyway I may as well try going without buscopan and see what happened. Well, whilst I do still get pain from ibs, which isn't going to change, I don't get the urgency or cramps when I eat after long periods anymore. I can honestly say that I am much better without medication. I also tried taking immodium regularly as I was getting very anxious about a morning car journey, I then became constipated and ended up spending an hour in Asda loos in pain from that, so they are stored away for emergency situations only.

I just wanted to share this, as it's very easy to become reliant on tablets, as I did, but when I stopped and actually thought about it, they weren't helping at all, they actually made it worse. And I've saved at least £10 per month on prescription costs. I appreciate everyone's experience is different, but I would say my ibs is pretty bad and without doubt is better than when I was on the meds. Hope this helps someone.

[Scarlet38]

I only take my meds if I desperately need them, I usually take them for a wee while after a flare up and then after that i feel better without them. I only ever take Imodium for an emergency as it gives me awful stomach pains.

[matusadona]

I have adjusted my diet according to what food caused problems. It's taken four years, mostly of being "out of it " for three days, every time I made a misjudgment and often not being sure what my misjudgment was. I had no idea which part of my digestive tract was kicking off but slowly I have learnt about my innards and even more slowly tried small amounts of foods that had been problematic. I eliminated so much that I knew my diet was poor and thus my energy but by slow addition I have most things back - except sprouts et al. The only medication I take now is an antispasmodic, if I can feel my GI tract kicking off late at night and that happens infrequently.

[PatV]

Good for you. I think it's true for many meds of different types.

[Hidden]

If you find that you are allergic to lactose or dairy you will find that a lot of tablet medication contains lactose, even ibuprofen and lperamide (immodium) so yo could be making the symptoms worse