Bad ibs bout had enough

[1234ds2014]

I'm 17 and have suffered for as long as I can remember and have constantly been on and off medication lactulose when I was very little and from then on mebeverine, peppermint tabs, buscopan, fybogel. For about a year I was fine but it has flared up to a new level to the point where I'm having to miss days at my new job to save the discomfort. However the worst bout has come today as I was on Imodium every 3 days to try and control ibs-D however it gave me terrible pain in my upper abdomen just between my ribs which could last for days and days until I then had a bout of diorrhea which I would then stop with Imodium again. But today is day 4 without Imodium in my system and it started with terrible wind on Wednesday and then a unbearable cramp on Thursday to constant toilet trips of loose stools/watery diorrhea. I know this is cleaning my system but it's just getting me so down and depressed any suggestions or anything at all would mean a lot

[Lisahelen]

When i got like this my gp recommended that i have just a liquid diet for a few days, ie soups and drinks just to see if it settled down.

The first lot of meds you listed seem mainly to combat constipation not the runs. So could you be overdoing the meds.

[1234ds2014 in reply to Lisahelen]

I think that is the problem over doing the meds although I did go cold turkey on them on holiday (bad idea) and had terrible stomach upset so I think there's a lot of anxiety with letting go of my comfort blankets like Imodium and mebeverine ext however I will try a liquid diet as that seems a good detox method. Thank you for the advice

[Hidden]

Agree with Lisahelen that the meds you mention do seem to be a bit of a mix and it may be a good idea to stop them for a while.

Have you tried any food elimination process to try to nail down causes of your symptoms?

I would suggest you take a look at the low FODMAP diet on the Monash Uni website (it was developed here) where there is a lot of info and also an excellent app available. This is not a fad regime and has been adopted by NHS dietitians.

It works for a great many people on here and will allow you to identify your food triggers. Until you've managed to have a good read about it, I suggest you eliminate the most regular culprits from your diet and see if you get any improvement, those are: wheat , barley, rye, lactose, the onion family, cauliflower and stone fruit.

Rosie

[1234ds2014 in reply to Hidden]

I've been to my gp to have blood tests to eliminate coeliac diseases and other serious underlying illnesses but nothing was found. she then suggested this FODMAP diet which I am in the process of only in the last few weeks as I used to work in retail with terrible lunch /dinner facilities so I was unable to fully commit to them I suppose I've just got to persurvere with it and see what works best for me I will also check out that website thank you so much for your detailed reply

[Hidden in reply to 1234ds2014]

In order to make FODMAPs work properly you really do have to commit to it fully and miss out all the food groups it encompasses for at least 3 - 4 weeks. If you get an improvement you know that your trigger foods are in one or more of those groups. You then start to reintroduce a group at a time and see what happens. It's a pretty long and tough regime for a while, but so worth it.

Because the diet was developed by Monash (and is still ongoing), it's a much more rigorous, controlled and, therefore, better version than the NHS's. Most other info about it out there on the web is incorrect and often misleading.

Best book I found on it is by Patsy Catsos (who is Monash-trained) called IBS-Free At Last.

[JoyGreennhalgh in reply to Hidden]

Also try The Complete Low FODMAP diet by Sue Shepherd. She is an originator of the diet, has done much scientific research.

Worked for me, but yes, you do have to make a total commitment, especially at the beginning. But its worth it if it works for you......... it works for the majority of people.

Joy

[JoyGreennhalgh]

What do you eat and drink?

Joy

[1234ds2014 in reply to JoyGreennhalgh]

I just drink water and very occasional sips of fruit juice

[1234ds2014]

I generally stay away from processed and high wheat foods for breakfast I will eat rice crispies with normal green top milk then for a snack a go ahead bar then for lunch homemade small bread roll with cheese or a salad usually with tuna as I love it, then for dinner my mom is very up on healthy eating a fresh food so I will always have fresh meat and vegetables, I have cut out fruit as it definitely had an effect also as well as this I drink ginger teas and mint teas today I have souly been on mebeverine as medication whereas I mix between buscopan, mebeverine, Imodium and peppermint tabs

[JoyGreennhalgh in reply to 1234ds2014]

Try switching to Lactose free milk and cheese for a while : both widely available in larger supermarkets and is very nice.

Rice crispies are highly processed and are not nutritious, they wont help you !!!!!!!!!!!!

Nor will the go ahead bar, which is also highly processed !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Try gluten free bread for a while, just so you avoid the FODMAPS in wheat (rather than the gluten )That will make lunch easy. If you have a bread maker, its easy to make gluten free. You can buy gluten free bread mixes.

Experiment with just having low FODMAP veg for a few weeks : there is plenty to choose from. I am sure your Mom will help out. The Complete Low FODMAP diet by Sue Shepherd has a list of low FODMAP veg.

You may be OK with a very little fruit if it is low FODMAP.

A lot of red meat can cause problems for some people with IBS, some people find chicken and fish easier. If eggs agree with you, they are good too.

I agree with all the advice Rosie has sent you

Joy

[Hidden]

Have you tried eliminating food groups from your diet to see if you are intolerant of anything,like dairy, wheat and brassicas. You should try one group at a time for about 2/3 weeks and keep a food and bowel motion diary to see what difference there may be

A lot of people use the FODMAP diet