Is there ANYTHING that works for IBS

[Nick137]

I have been suffering badly for over 7 months with my latest episode (mainly pain/discomfort, bloating, very occasional D and fatigue) and have tried every diet (FODMAP, gluten, lactose, meat free, veg/fruit free, fat free etc etc etc) and have tried every medication known to man and more, loads of different probiotics, SilicolGel alo Vera and dozens of other things. I am now getting totally fed up with it all. Does anyone else find it the same or am I the only one that NOTHING seems to help, I read a lot on here and other forums about people that say try this, try that, give this a go etc etc etc and believe me I have tried everything. Sorry for the rant and I am glad people can find things that help them with this totally horrible condition.

[Eternity78]

hi ! are you sure it is ibs ??or something else ?  have you done colonoscopy / blood / stool tests to rule out other digestive diseases that have exactly the same symptoms of ibs such as Crohn's / Ulcerative colitis  / diverticulitis / Celiac and gluten  sensitivity  /thyroid problems...etc  

treatment  to these diseases  is totally  different  than the conventional  treatments  that are usually  prescribed   for ibs, that is why it is important  to  undergo all the tests needed to  make  sure you don't  really  have these more serious  conditions  that should be treated differently ..Otherwise  it will just be a waste of time  and deterioration of health if we  assume our pain is just due to ibs .

I hope you  have been tested  properly  before being finally  diagnosed  with  ibs.

and don't  worry you are not alone , this horrible  illness  is driving  me crazy too..starving myself to the point of dehydration  and still suffering from chronic  diarrhea, pain , excessive gas and now joint and body pain due to malnutrition .

it seems  that  NOTHING can beat this (malfunction  of the gut ) and patience  plus  family  support  is the  only  thing  keeping me alive !!

Hold on there ...and wish you  the best .

[Hidden in reply to Eternity78]

I am right there with you with starving your self, I live on 4 crackers a day, two in morning and two in evening, and Colpamin, but it seems to work for me, oh and I drink lots of water, although some days water triggers it off, but it does help to hydrate you.

[Eternity78 in reply to Hidden]

@blue52  OMG ! I thought I was the only one starving myself to reduce the bathroom trips ..it is exhausting to have diarrhea and starve at the same time ..for me I live on 4 types  of food only ..I call them the (safe food ) as they don't  trigger pain or urgency shortly after eating them ..these are white plain rice , boiled plain potatoes, white bread  and in good days plain pasta ..that's  it . I insist on plain because adding any type of sauce or cheese or herbs to the food will trigger a bad attack exactly 20 minutes  after eating ..so I just stay in my safe zone .Unfortunately  I can't  drink water as it makes bloating and diarrhea worse !  I don't  know  how  much I can live that way but all the roads are closed ..don't  really  have a choice in my case .        I really feel sorry for you as you only eat crackers  !! is it because  of diarrhea ?? or pain ?? do you replace nutrients with  multivitamin pills ? 

[Hidden in reply to Eternity78]

I just gave up with food, me and food just don't mix, you are lucky to be able to eat  all that you do. I am lactose and sugar intolerant, so natural carbs in food, will trigger diarrhea. I take lots of vitamins and because I have done this for so long, I am use to it, so never really hungry. I do have fish on the crackers, like oily fishes, but never go near meat. I really miss my Jacket Potatoes, and my veg. I am hoping to go for a Colonoscopy tomorrow , if I can get past the laxatives, they usually make me very sick, but I have been given a different one this time, so will just have to see. I do find that Colpamin work for me, they don't seem to have any lasting  effects like some others. I hope yours gets a bit better, with your safe foods. Take care.xx

[Eternity78 in reply to Hidden]

@Hidden  I can feel your agony..my heart really  goes out to  you  ..especially  missing  the old days when we (used to eat mostly  anything  and life just goes on smoothly !! ) 

do you recommend a good brand for multivitamins??

I hope you can find some relief soon with a successful  colonoscopy  Best of luck 🌷

[Hidden in reply to Eternity78]

Sanatogen Multivitamin is a good one. I have just started my Jollop' 3 mouthfuls and my stomache is going mad growling. I have to do a litre tonight and another 6am . I don't know about it working in 2 hours more like 2 mins. lol thanks for the luck.x

[Eternity78 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks a lot  for the recommendation..I hope it is available  here where I live .and yeah this full time job gut emptying is just exhausting and frustrating but at least we can get a reasonable  explanation to our symptoms  out of it .

Again, Thank you and hold on there .. we are All in the same "boat " together .Take care 🌹

[Hidden]

I know the GP's don't really understand, but it would be a good idea, if you haven't already to have some test done. Somtimes it's not just IBS. Hope you get your answers you seek. Take care.

[Huston]

Absolutely agree with etenity78.It has taken me many years and myriads of tests  and  consultants to arrive at  a diagnosis of  diverticulitis  which has lead to IBSC  ...........or possibly  the other way round .And that is the closest I have got to a diagnosis that  seems to fit  more or less with my  ongoing and chronic condition ! how do I manage it ?  With close attention to everything I eat and every medication I put in my mouth . ,Fodmaps or not every food is suspect and may or may not be ok  on different occasions and combinations and quantities ,  and thus a very restricted  diet . Plus resort to  osmotic laxatives  when required which is far too  frequently . Plenty of theories out there but at the end of the day  when it comes to  what  the medical profession likes to  call The catch all condition  IBS we are all  individuals  and all seem to have a general condition with  unique particularities to our selves  that seems to baffle  all the efforts of medical science  .So individual self management seems the only option at present  .But  the very first step is to be as sure as  you  possibly can be that what you are  suffering from has been  identified as closely as  is presently possible . I wish you success with that but in my experience it is a long and winding road  which may or may not take you to  an understanding of your particular  individual  condition . However the support of  this forum will help you along  .good Luck ,!

[Hidden]

I'm afraid that you need to be. More patient with what you try if you have got IBS.  When I went on Fodmaps, gluten free and dairy free it took at least 10 weeks to feel remotely better than I had been feeling.  I have now been on it for 4 years and am almost entirely free of pain and occasionally, about once every two months may have diarhoea for a day  treated with Imodium.  I stick to only low FODMAP foods and very occasionally do have a wheat item like spaghetti but only once then revert back to low FODMAP. 

In 7 months you have probably tried too many different things for too short a period of time fir them to have been able to work for you. I didn't find any medication which actually worked they just seemed to make things worse.

Good luck and after you have been properly diagnosed after all tests try to be a little more patient with your body

[denvajade]

Hi there you need to get tested for dysobiosis. It is fermenting in the gut turned to bacteria.

[Hidden]

Hi Nick137,

                     I can fully understand your frustration. I have suffered with IBS for over twenty years and like you have tried all the recommended treatments. The FODMAP diet helped a bit, possibly as it was quite a healthy diet and I managed to lose some weight. I am still sort of using it. It was not really a miraculous cure though. I have had several colonoscopies over the years as well as barium investigations, ultra sound and an MRI scan. I had a polyp removed early on so that was useful. I have had my Gall bladder removed as well. To give my GP's their due they have always listened to me and kept trying to help. This condition is very demoralising though and has disrupted my life considerably. I now try to manage the condition and learn to live with it as best I can. I do not now hold out much hope that I will find a cure. My latest round of investigations last year did produce one interesting factor though. I was informed that I had an unusually long Colon ( There is a joke there somewhere I think) and my GP wonders whether this might be a contributing factor as there is more possibility of bacterial activity and inflammation. There is not much I can do about this but it at least provides a possible explanation. I realise none of this will be of much comfort to you other than knowing that I understand and appreciate exactly what misery this condition can cause. You are not alone ! All the best.

                  

[Nick137]

Thank everyone for all your replies, seems I will just have to learn to live with it, although I have had this on & off for over 20 years it seems to be worse lately, don't know if getting older effects it or maybe being stressed & anxious makes it worse. Once again, thanks for your replies.

[sandybeach12066]

I feel your pain I am going through same thing, I have tried all kinds of meds, different diets, eliminating foods,  and I still have flare up and more bad days then good. my gastro dr is very slow to respond when I have an issues and basically I feel he dismisses my symptoms as if they are not real, iam going to try another gastro but I cannot get apt until july!!!!! hope you feel better nothing has worked for me.

[Hidden]

Sorry you are suffering.  I have 'put up' with it for 20 odd years and it does have bad spells - never really goes.  Once thing that has helped a little was I went to a nutritionist who gave me a personalised list of foods I could and couldn't eat and it was surprising some of the things that flared me up.  I always thought oats made me bad, but now on this diet, cutting out other things I am intolerant to, I can eat oats.  very odd.  I am not 100% cured but I now only have 2 out of 7 bad days as opposed to 7 out of 7!  I had tried fodmap but it made me worse.  I hope you get some relief.

[yogaman]

You are totally entitled to rant it is a terrible thing!

I have recently started with a medication called Amitriptilene which is generic for Elavil. It quiets the whole system down and is an antidepressant as well. Had to get right dose as you can fee like a zombie! I Suggest you speak with your gastro doc.

Good luck!

[Synbad]

I have had ibs for 6 years and like yourself have tried everything hoping that one of them will work, alas no luck yet. even though these products are expensive, I will keep trying as I don't want to live this way for ever, each time I try something new I feel this is it, but no again. I suggest keep trying, small portions at mealtimes helps. As soon as I find a cure it will be posted as I am sure all other sufferers will do, we must all help each other as we are the only ones who understand how it affects your life. Keep trying, Good Luck

[sweetsusie]

I had chronic diarrhea for years and finally found a doctor who prescribed me a drug called "Welchol." Stopped my problem immediately! It's very expensive, though, so he put me on another one called "Colestipol." Did the same thing! I feel free for the first time in YEARS! These drugs are used to lower cholesterol, but they are usually prescribed along with a statin, because they are NOT statins...they are bile acid sequestrants, hence the reduction or total stoppage of diarrhea. They are also used to treat Type II diabetes. I have neither of these and I'm doing fine. Ask your doctor and/or pharmacists about them..please! You will not be disappointed.

[vickilynne]

Hi Nick137, I was like you, nothing seemed to work!

It’s taken ages but I follow the dietary advice of Heather Von Vorous and it works for me. It’s taken several months but I’m getting to be more “normal” most of the time . Google her/website and look for her “cheat sheet.” She also produces her own tummy fibre which is soluble fibre that works well for both C and D. I don’t use it as I buy milled flaxseeds and milled chia seeds which I add to my morning porridge.

In short, I avoid dairy, alcohol, insoluble fibre and large/rich meals. Eat small amounts. Eat regularly.

I also take a daily multivitamin/multi mineral with inbuilt probiotics and added calcium for digestion, from Boots ( their own brand). It covers all bases nutritionally that I might be missing.

I also have to take ranitidine twice a day for gastritis and that has the added bonus of making firmer stools!! Well it’s goid for me anyway but if I miss the flaxseed/chia seed then I get constipated! The joys of IBS! It’s been a long hard journey and sometimes I just want to be normal like everyone else and eat something I know will probably upset me but as long as I know to expect consequences next day, it doesn’t hurt once in a while.

I also have paid much greater attention to my mental health. A gastroenterologist who is also a counsellor told me to stop fighting it and that really helped my mindset. Work with your body not against it.