Natural remdideds for IBS

[MissSKOctober]

Hi everyone

I am 21 years old who suffers from IBS and Anxiety. At the moment my antidepressants have been increased.

My question for today is:

What natural remedies could I use to treat my IBS

[Erubin]

Take yoga meditation classes

[Kariss]

Hi MissSKOctober,

I don't think there is any one remedy for IBS, it all seems to be trial and error as to what suits you. IBS is exacerbated by stress and anxiety so try to be as calm and relaxed as your lifestyle will allow you to be. Treat yourself to moments when you can do things you enjoy and which don't cause you stress whenever you can, like listening to music, reading, colouring books, meditation etc...whatever you enjoy best.

As for foods...keep a diary of what you eat and note reactions, then try cutting out foods that may have caused an upset. Reintroduce at a later date to see if you were correct. Drink lots of water or non caffeinated fluid during the day to keep hydrated and help flush your system. Try peppermint oil, ginger, turmeric or aloe vera - all are good for upset stomachs, cramps and colicky intestines, but you will have to see what suits you. You can take them as teas or in supplement form or add them to meals . Go easy on spicy foods...chilli, curries etc or ready meals which may be full of preservatives, MSG or additives as these can irritate the gut and bowel. If you suffer from constipation or diarrhoea, some things will help one and some the other so do some looking up to find what foods are best suited to help. Some people like to add acidophilus or probiotics to their diet to aid gut flora and these can be found in some yoghurts or drinks, so read labels when shopping. It may help. Also try and find time for some gentle exercise - (even walking is good) to help keep things moving - it definitely helps.

When your IBS is bad, warm baths, a hot water bottle or wheat bag on your tummy and gently massaging it can help. If you need to take a painkiller stick to paracetamol based ones as ibuprophen can be irritant to the stomach.

Everybody seems to have different tolerances with IBS and I think that's possibly why it's so hard to treat. Good luck, I hope you find some of this useful and get some relief.

[MissSKOctober]

thank you for replying, its much appreciated. I like using adult colouring books to cope with my anxiety I have use them for a few years now. I am also being retested for celiac as foods such as bread cereal and other wheat products trigger my irritable bowel Syndrome 😊

[Kariss in reply to MissSKOctober]

Just a tip - before you go for the celiac test make sure you have been eating plenty of gluten rich foods beforehand as if you have been fasting from them the test may turn out negative. This is what happened to my nephew and he went on to cut out all the wheat based and gluten foods anyway and was like a new person without it - it completely turned his life round.

Best of luck, K

[patientj in reply to MissSKOctober]

It is not uncommon for people who suffer from IBS to find that wheat products make their symptoms worse. A main reason for this is not the gluten they contain (although that is an issue for some people) but substances called fructans. These are carbohydrates that our bodies can't digest but bacteria can, which gives rise to the problems. Fructans are one of a number of compounds collectively referred to as FODMAPs, and a low FODMAP diet (best attempted with the help of a dietician) can sometimes produce very successful results for IBS patients. It involves eliminating a number of foods that contain these FODMAPs and then, after 6-8 weeks, reintroducing different foods to identify the FODMAPs you are sensitive to.

However, anxiety is also a big trigger for IBS, and in cases can be the root cause as well. Some people find that mindfulness can help with reducing anxiety. While I found that mindfulness helped me discover when I was feeling anxious, I have made far better progress (and my IBS has improved significantly, through the use of CBT, and seeing a therapist to talk through issues and identify problems. Have you considered any of these options?

[Hidden]

Have you tried your own intolerance tests to see if there is something specific in your diet causing the symptoms ?

If not you could try leaving one food group at a time out of your diet like dairy for at least 2/3 weeks keeping a food and symptom diary to see what changes there might be

Have you got a RADAR key that will open any disabled toilet in the UK (Goodle that) and you can get an 'I can't wait' card from the IBS Society which hopefully will give you more confidence and less anxiety

Also have you tried the FODMAP diet - it seems to help a lot of people

[Cat33]

Do you massage your tummy? At yoga our teacher taught us to start under the right ribs go along the top of the tummy down the left side down round and back up the right side It's lovely and soothing especially if you use some lavender oils

There are some good IBS/Relaxation/Hypnosis videos on YouTube Michal Sealey and Thomas Hall are brilliant

I find Magnesium very good for anxiety

The DARE response book by Barry McDonagh is excellent for anxiety help

Peppermint tea

Turmeric tablets

A nice cosy hot water bottle I always find comforting

Yoga or Tai Chi are lovely and relaxing I've been to both and I've found most people go because they have health problems like anxiety and IBS

Tensing and releasing always works for me

Take care xx

[MissSKOctober in reply to Cat33]

Thank you for your support, it is much appreciated. I am finding it difficult to stop comfort eating especially at night I think this could be triggering my irritable bowel syndrome . I also went to see the doctor they decided to changed my birth control pill and increase my antidepressants, but the doctor as not gave me no support towards losing weight.