IBS - a big problem with a little name, and it is hideous.
I know, I had first hand experience of this horrendous condition for over 20 years and I'm far from being alone.
The current NHS statistics tell us that 1 in 5 people in the UK experience it at some point in their life with half that being diagnosed as "having IBS" That's six million people. Despite the prevalence, the current NHS offering of support is distinctly lacking.
People diagnosed with IBS have few options; there is some medication that can be offered but only if you have a specific form of IBS. FODMAP diets can be recommended, but again these only work for a few people and that's the sum total of the NHS offering. Distraught clients often tell me that their Doctor was rude or dismissive adding to their suffering.
From the GP's perspective, I see the frustration, they have waiting rooms full of people with IBS, they have little time and nothing to help, which must be soul destroying.
Having had the privilege of meeting with Senior Consultants about this condition I have learnt the following: IBS lives in the bowel, therefore it is a Gastrointestinal issue, however one of the underlying causes or contributing factors of IBS can be hormonal disturbances, meaning that it can be an Endocrinology issue, but Endocrinologists aren't working with the bowels therefore there is a huge void that isn't being filled by either department.
According to this article in the Daily Mail a new drug is being introduced to people who are "constipation dominant", sadly no new "miracle cure" is on the horizon for those who aren't. The drug, Currently called "Tegaserod" is expected to hit the market in October, it works by stimulating serotonin receptors in the bowel and whilst this sounds like exciting stuff my clinical and personal experience is that IBS is more complex than this.
Other than hormonal disturbances IBS has many other contributing factors such as Lifestyle choices, food intolerance, psychological factors and malfunctioning ICV to name a few. A pill isn't going to sort out that entire list. It might force the bowels to move but it isn't fixing the problem.
Some people's diet can also be a glaringly obvious issue, modern diets are low in the right type of fibre and good fats, processed food is high in sugar, salt and preservatives and that's before we even get started on the "wheat" issue.
And then there is the social aspect, as if griping pain, diarrheoa, constipation, cramping, bloating, nausea and emotional stress weren't enough it's harder to deal with because nobody likes to talk about it, therefore support can be minimal.
Even in IBS awareness month the media isn't awash with information, the problem is that this is a condition where you can have problems with your poo. This is not sexy to discuss, its not easy dinnertime conversation. So it's kept a bit secret and this can really add to what I like to call the " IBS spectrum of suffering"
It is hard to find celebrities speaking out however, Blue Peter presenter Zoe Salmon has bravely spoken about her condition but bearing in mind the statistic of 1 in 5 people being diagnosed, there must be a lot of people in prominent positions who aren't talking.
IBS needs to be discussed openly, honestly and with no holds barred.
It needs to be looked at in the wider context of what stressful lives and high sugar and processed diets are doing to the human body. It cant be looked at from the perspective of a "quick fix pill" but the reality is this is a "functional" disease that doesn't cause the body real harm therefore the NHS cannot and will not spend time, money and energy creating a real and lasting solution.
This is where Alternative Therapies can be really beneficial.
With Kinesiology we look at all of the factors mentioned before, from Food Sensitivity Testing to Ileo-Caecal Valve manipulation and a whole host of other tools and techniques to boot. As such we have huge success with IBS and other digestive issues.
Isn't it time therefore to stop the ridiculous "them or us" stand off between Alternative Therapies and the NHS and find ways to work together?
Six million people might just thank us for it.
Written by
balancedwellness
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I have had IBS for about 3 years now and have been down several Alternative routes to try and help my condition
It has cost me a lot of money along the way...the most expensive was Chinese Medicine in the form of Acupuncture and Cupping...I,m talking hundreds of pounds here and no improvement came along, but lots of promises that it would work!
Sadly this didn,t work for me....I have also tried Herbalism, Reflexology and several other therapies
I haven,t tried Kinesiology yet but I will look into it!
My GP was always looking for a drug to help me and I always refused them
My help has come for other sufferers and Web sites like this one
Mainly I control my IBS with careful diet (struggled to find food intolerances)
Looking at other fellow sufferers I am lucky that my IBS seems mild in comparison, but never the less when it does all kick off it is devastating!!
Dissolvable aspirin (yes I know..old fashioned but always taken with food or shortly after) hot water bottles and peeled Apples seem to help
My name is Laura and I myself suffered a severe case of IBS back in Sep 2007 all the way up until Dec 2012
I am not sure at this point whether or not you are individually dealing with ''the dreaded IBS'' or symptoms similar, and I am also not sure whether or not I am allowed to assist you in this way, but I would like to take this opportunity on giving you an insight into what changed my IBS life around, to appoint its only now when i read comments like yours that I remember how dreadful, humiliating and depressing it all was for me.
Thank god I found and use the Purest 100% Stabilized Aloe Vera Gel I could find! lol.
I researched. Where there is normal bowel function, the famous nutritionist, Jeffery Bland, has shown that Aloe Vera produces several effects when drunk on a daily basis:
* it speeds up the transit time of the gut contents
* As a result the stool becomes softer as it contains more water
* Protein absorption is increased
* Gut flora is regulated, especially where there is an overgrowth of the yeast Candida.
Perhaps it is one or all of these actions that bring about considerable improvement for the sufferers of this functional bowel problem. As we all know, it is accepted that there is a stress element to this condition!! However apart from Aloe Vera's known ability to regulate & smooth out the gut's peristaltic movements, thereby reducing the pain and regulating bowel habit, Dr Peter Atherton also believes it has a calming effect on the mood, through its ability to balance the immune system and provide a greater sense of well being. Professionally, Aloe Vera is Dr Atherton's first line treatment for IBS and can claim about an 80% response rate, including mine. Please do refer to the link below as reading further really did help
From long time IBS C sufferer (over 20 years ), typing this as I`m waiting for my sixth urgent visit of the morning while I have customers waiting on me turning up for work. I`ve a holiday booked in June, deciding this weekend whether I should cancel, although I really want to go I know I`ll have to cancel as my symptoms are at their all time worst, even though I`m taking Imodium, Cod/Phos, Buscopan, Lepicol and PPI Pantaprozole for bad acid reflux. Any thoughts or ideas would be appreciated.
My name is Laura and I myself suffered a severe case of IBS back in Sep 2007 all the way up until Dec 2012
I am not sure at this point whether or not you are individually dealing with ''the dreaded IBS'' or symptoms similar, and I am also not sure whether or not I am allowed to assist you in this way, but I would like to take this opportunity on giving you an insight into what changed my IBS life around, to appoint its only now when i read comments like yours that I remember how dreadful, humiliating and depressing it all was for me.
Thank god I found and use the Purest 100% Stabilized Aloe Vera Gel I could find! lol.
I researched.
Where there is normal bowel function, the famous nutritionist, Jeffery Bland, has shown that Aloe Vera produces several effects when drunk on a daily basis:
* it speeds up the transit time of the gut contents
* As a result the stool becomes softer as it contains more water
* Protein absorption is increased
* Gut flora is regulated, especially where there is an overgrowth of the yeast Candida.
Perhaps it is one or all of these actions that bring about considerable improvement for the sufferers of this functional bowel problem. As we all know, it is accepted that there is a stress element to this condition!! However apart from Aloe Vera's known ability to regulate & smooth out the gut's peristaltic movements, thereby reducing the pain and regulating bowel habit, Dr Peter Atherton also believes it has a calming effect on the mood, through its ability to balance the immune system and provide a greater sense of well being. Professionally, Aloe Vera is Dr Atherton's first line treatment for IBS and can claim about an 80% response rate, including mine.
Please do refer to the link below as reading further really did help me. foreverknowledge.info/
I do wonder if taking these combinations of drugs to help is a good thing
We are all IBS sufferers, but our ways in dealing with the condition are quite different....what works with one person is quite different from another
From my personal story with this, I threw away all the drugs e.g Buscopan, Colpermine, Immodium etc!
I kept a very strict food diary and I mean STRICT....with every single thing which passed my lips...even chewing gum and the odd mint sweet!!
I went back to simple foods and stayed away from processed foods(the exception was Birds Eye fish fingers!)
I stopped all Dairy, started eating small amounts of veg and fruit, plus lean meat and lots of fish
In my previous post I mentioned Aspirin which works for me, but in some people whoan are at risk of bleeding, this is not a good idea
I felt at the time of Immodium taking, that although it stopped the D, it made things worse the following day and seemed to irritate my already fragile digestion
I walk when I can , swim...but not madly,just gentle swims and walks...walking seems to help too
I hope some of this is helpful...I could be on here all day writing!
Which Kinesiology have you tried? I agree that there are some ineffective Kinesiologists and questionable styles of Kinesiology out there. We are Systematic Kinesiologists who specialise in correcting the ICV (ileo-cecal valve) and balancing the Endocrine system which is often involved in IBS.
I have suffered for years with IBS and it has progressively got worse but as I grew in knowledge I cut more and more food out of my diet as I started to recognise triggers. I often noticed my IBS started after an especially stressful period usually about week later to be precise! I often wondered if the rampant use of antibiotics by the medical profession to cure almost anything in the 60s and 70s played a part in my delicate stomach. Now I am gluten, dairy and wheat free and feeling for the first time in years better. I also take probiotics (gluten free of course!)
My name is Laura and I myself suffered a severe case of IBS back in Sep 2007 all the way up until Dec 2012 and I thank god I found and use the Purest 100% Stabilized Aloe Vera Gel I could find! lol.
I researched.
Where there is normal bowel function, the famous nutritionist, Jeffery Bland, has shown that Aloe Vera produces several effects when drunk on a daily basis:
* it speeds up the transit time of the gut contents
* As a result the stool becomes softer as it contains more water
* Protein absorption is increased
* Gut flora is regulated, especially where there is an overgrowth of the yeast Candida.
Perhaps it is one or all of these actions that bring about considerable improvement for the sufferers of this functional bowel problem. As we all know, it is accepted that there is a stress element to this condition!! However apart from Aloe Vera's known ability to regulate & smooth out the gut's peristaltic movements, thereby reducing the pain and regulating bowel habit, Dr Peter Atherton also believes it has a calming effect on the mood, through its ability to balance the immune system and provide a greater sense of well being. Professionally, Aloe Vera is Dr Atherton's first line treatment for IBS and can claim about an 80% response rate, including mine.
Please do refer to the link below as reading further really did help me. foreverknowledge.info/
Hi Laura are you an agent for Forever Living by any chance? I bought Forever Living aloe Vera and I was very ill with IBS for months until I took the decision to become wheat free and gluten free. That as well as gluten free probiotics. But IBS affects everyone differently so aloe Vera could work for some people but it didn't for me. Regards Diane
Thank you for responding to me. I have just had an admin complain at me as they believe I am on here trying to advertise! It's quite disheartening really because as you may know you can not buy the aloe Vera gel unless you have been given access by a distributor- I myself only joined a few months ago based on the frequency myself and my family needed the gel! Its quite strange being looked at in a sales angle because without someone recommending it to me I would be non of the wiser today and probably still in pain .
I am really sorry to hear that it didn't work for you though Diane- it sounds like you suffer from the allergic reaction type ibs - (that's wat I call it anyway) lol.
However I'm really happy to know that you found a way to make your symptoms better for you, that's what this is all about really, isnt it! As any case of ibs is really not something (especially when you have it) that can be taken lightly, it's horrible.
One thing that keeps me going is the thought that one day it will be soon over. As i think I have post infection IBS. Only had it for 2 months and it's okay, no constipation or diarrhea. Just pain.
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