Pain !! :(

[Heather1988]

Hi everyone , I am 28 years old and have had IBS for around 8 years now. Its got gradually worse and I feel as if all I do is take pills. Im in severe pain a lot of the time and never out the toilet. Its so embarrassing as you will all know this. I have cut out a lot of my diet , starting regular exercising along with taking my meds fruequently and daily. But at the moment nothing is shifting this and its getting me down !! Thought I would join this sight to see how other people cope and speak with people like myself.

[ivesy]

Hey heather. Just wondered if you have had any tests such as colonoscopy/endoscopy? Mine seems linked to stress and anxiety.

[Heather1988 in reply to ivesy]

Yeah Ive had them . And tbh all they have said is that its very severe and IBS is a large umberella with various effects as we know. Which isn't any help especially with a flare up. Although I do know when I get stressed I flare up really badly. What other medication are you on xx?

[patientj]

I can sympathise. In my thirties and had IBS for about 10 years. Like yours, it has gradually got worse although I have seen improvements in the last year. Do you remember much about when your IBS started? What was going on in your life at the time?

I have found my IBS is linked to anxiety and depression. Whether a stomach bug around the same time is a contributing factor is a possibility but I'm not too sure. For me, since leaving university I lost a lot of the structure in my life and regular company outside of 'work' so I feel out of control a lot of the time. Also, for various reasons, I am not very close to my family so I have no one to turn to when I need help. Addressing the lack of happiness and the related anxiety has started to show improvements. I've also been on a modified low FODMAP diet which has helped, too - although other, simper dietary changes can help, too.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I and others will try to answer. Welcome to the site!

[Heather1988 in reply to patientj]

Thank you !! It started when I was around 12 so not sure what would have started it. Although I notice when im stressed it starts up but this time it has lasted 10 days so far and its horrendous. I cut out spicy food etc and also cut out caffeine drinks. Im mainly on water or diluted sugar free drinks. Its a nightmare sometimes , ive started taking mebeverine and another 5 medications so am hoping this helps.

Even although you don't have family don't feel alone when this forum is only a click away xx

[patientj in reply to Heather1988]

Wouldn't it be great if we knew what caused it in the first place? Maybe in your case there was a change in circumstance? Perhaps moving schools even?

Like you, I find that cutting down on sugar seems to have a positive effect, especially when my symptoms flare up. However, do these sugar-free drinks also contain artificial sweeteners? Some of these (I'm thinking along the lines of chemicals ending -ol) could actually make things worse.

What other foods have you tried cutting out?

[Heather1988 in reply to patientj]

I've cut out a lot ! And also introduced new fruits and veg . I wish there was a magic wand to wave and get rid of it xxx

[patientj in reply to Heather1988]

The more I read of this thread, the more I wonder if you should go and see a dietician. There are several dietary interventions you could try and it doesn't look like there's a single obvious trigger. As I said above, I'm on the low FODMAP diet, where you eliminate a range of foods from your diet that your body can't digest and then slowly reintroduce them to see which ones trigger your symptoms. These include a range of different fruit and vegetables including onion, apple, peaches, garlic, beans - and things like wheat-based foods (pastas, bread etc.). Other people find that the lactose in dairy products can be a problem.

[Heather1988 in reply to patientj]

Oh really ? I absolute love garlic as well and have it on a regular basis so that might be a shout. I may ask my doctor to refer me to a dietician as i think the doctors really cant be bothered sometimes which isnt the best ! Thanks so muich xx

[patientj in reply to Heather1988]

I was surprised how much of an effect it had on people. One colleague's wife can't even touch it without coming down with awful wind and the runs. A little garlic can have a big effect so if you do cut it out, cut it out completely for a bit and watch out for garlic and garlic powder hidden in other foods like Doritos and pepperami. If you find you miss the taste, you can use garlic-infused olive oil, as the substance that usually causes the problems don't dissolve in oil.

[Hidden in reply to Heather1988]

Hi Heather, it started very young with you and of course at that age very difficult to know why. I've had it now for around 20 years and mine started when I just licked the lid of a yogurt, thought it wasn't quite right so ate a further teaspoon of it and realised it was off. I didn't think any more of it and was then poorly for 2 weeks but couldn't put my find on what was the matter - I had no sickness or diarrhea but felt poorly i.e I felt sick and lethargic. After taking a test and taking it to the doctors then diagnosed Salmonella.

I use sweetners and I have read on many websites/magazines etc that they are very bad for IBS as well are onions and sometimes people can't eat broccoli (I can only eat small amounts) and cauliflower - they are part of the brassica family of vegetables. I am slowly changing my drinking habits i.e. I am giving up mocha (I love those drinks) because of the sugar and caffeine and am slowly giving up sugar free squash because of the added sweetners. I have got Stevia in my cupboard which they say is a natural sweetner.

When I return from my holiday I am going to go on an exclusion diet as I know that that helped one person on here and she no longer has IBS but what works for one doesn't always work for another - if that were the case then we'd have a cure - now that would be magic!

Anyway, I really hope you work out what is making yours worse but I think it does have a lot to do with stress and diet.

Best of luck

x

[Heather1988 in reply to Hidden]

Oh , didn't know about the onions and broccoli that's very helpful. I'll try cutting them out as well . It's hard tho .. One thing works for one person but not another !! Have been really careful with what I'm eating this past week so fingers crossed it keeps at bay xxx

[Hidden in reply to Heather1988]

Problem is there are so many healthy foods that are no good for IBS - it's the pits! Hope you do well on the no grains though as per Betty's suggestion below.

xx

[BettyA]

HI Heather, I am wondering if you would be willing to give up ...ALL....grains for at least one month. I know this is not fun nor easy, but with me it came down to being miserable with ibs (it was at its worst) or bucking up and just eating meat, veggies, and fruit. Maybe even dark chocolate or the ice cream that has NO wheat in it... I can honestly say that within about a week (the cleansing part was NOT fun) I simply had more bouts of diarrhea. Gluten free did me no good. Now, when I go through a bad spell I simply revert to NO GRAINS...this means not one bite...and they sneak wheat, etc into SO many foods)...and then it will clear up again. I cheat now and then and then I Pay the Piper .... but if you feel gutsy enough to try to NO GRAINS whatsoever...it might do the trick for you. Good luck, Heather.

[Heather1988 in reply to BettyA]

Yes I definetly would try that , if it means no pain every month then it will be very much worth it !! Thanks for the advice xxx