Fed up feeling like this.

[MJRD36]

Anyone who read my first post will remember I was diagnosed with IBS, constipation predominant. Was put on Mebeverine and made some conscious changes to my diet. Doctor recently put me on Fybrogel too and changed my anti-depressants to citalopram from sertraline. Things just aren't improving. The weird feeling in my gut has changed to a moderate stabbing pain. I have constant low grade tension headaches. My depression and anxiety has flared up again. I realise depression and anxiety can affect gut motility. The Fybrogel doesn't seem to be doing much. I've quit smoking, quit drinking, quit drugs, made changes to my diet, eating a lot less chocolate, more veg, even started watching the salt and fat content in products I buy, but nothing is improving! I'm seriously fed up feeling like this. If I am gonna have to go through the rest of my life like this, I dunno if I will be able to cope. Literally and figuratively sick to my stomach!

[Angie11]

Sorry to hear how awful you feel. Sometimes is takes months to feel any benefit from change of diet/life style.

I have battled with stomach and bowel issues for years. It's hard at times to stay positive taking 2 steps forward and one back repeatedly.

Wish I had the answer but I don't.

[Angie11 in reply to Angie11]

Fybrogel didnt work for me. I do eat lots of prunes daily , that should help. Plus they contain lots of other vitamins.

[val_s]

Ironically, it can be the very foods to shift constipation that aggravate IBS-C.

I've played around with the FODMAP diet, gradually finding what works for me and what doesn't.

I've had to eliminate wholegrain wheat products (branflakes, brown bread, etc), and brassicas (cabbage, kale, cauliflower, broccoli etc).

I also tend to avoid fruits with stones, and apples (apart from Golden Delicious for some reason) and pears, and go easy on beans and pulses.

But there's lots of other things I can eat, and I make the most of them to keep things moving - oats for example, and lots of other vegetables.

And drinking lots of water helps too.

[MJRD36 in reply to val_s]

Did you go back to white bread or cut out bread all together? I love wholemeal bread, it's supposed to be better for you than white! If you cut it out what is the alternative? I eat a sandwich for lunch most days, if I have to give that up I don't know what I could do for an alternative!

I eat cauliflower, broccoli and carrots with most meals, I thought they were fine. I thought they'd be good for upping my veg intake.

Seriously, I feel like I can't win. Hopefully the next stage in human evolution is no bowels lol will be too late for me but will hopefully save others this nightmare! :/

[val_s in reply to MJRD36]

White bread tends to be less of a problem, and I've been mostly fine with sourdough as well. I had some rye sourdough recently and that seemed OK. Oatcakes are good too.

There's lots of other healthy veggies including spinach, green beans, squash, carrot, celery, sweet potato... eating loads of these (and staying hydrated) helps keep things moving

I suspect everyone is slightly different in what triggers or aggravates IBS, but the FODMAP lists are a good place to start. (Google images for FODMAP for a quick selection of diet sheet images).

If you manage to quieten the symptoms, then you could start reintroducing foods to see what works for you and what doesn't.

[MJRD36 in reply to val_s]

Yea I've looked on the Fodmap thing and just been puzzled at what I could actually eat. I really just ought to knuckle down and try to figure it out myself, but between the gut problems and the depression it's tough getting my head straight. Can only concentrate on what makes me feel like shit apparently :/ lol

[Ibs17 in reply to MJRD36]

So sorry you are feeling so low, sadly there is no answers. It is very confusing as to what you can or can’t eat. I have tried the elimination diet and slowly added things to see what affects me. Hope you are feeling better soon.

[denvajade]

You could try two garlic tablets a day and a probiotic every day for at least two months.

[MJRD36]

mmm garlic! I'd live on the stuff if I could lol but it's supposed to aggravate things, along with onion I will try more oats thanks, I really don't drink enough water, but i'm gonna try homemade flavoured water though. Problem with fodmap is i'm poor lol it's quite expensive all this eating decently :/ I need to eat more fibre I think, but if I have to eliminate all that, where am I supposed to get it from? Trying Rye/Wholemeal bread at the moment, heard that was easier to digest, but maybe it's not for me, I dunno. I think my caffeine intake is probably doing me no favours, but boy needs his coffee and tea! lol Any particular pro-biotic you'd recommend? I was drinking Actimel, but tbh I didn't see any improvement even after a couple of months.

[Hidden]

My heart goes out to you and it seems that whatever we do and eat conspires against us. I have now found out that I cannot eat broccoli etc i.e. brassicas (same as Val whom has commented), sweetcorn, raw carrots and raw onions have a terrible effect on me - I am in agony if I eat them. A low fibre diet helps a lot but I do not like low fibre so I am trying other ways and am about to give up dairy as that certainly seems a trigger. I love oats so eat those quite a lot, I actually prefer porridge to most cereals so that's a good one as you cut down on sugar at the same time as of course a lot of cereals have lots of added sugar!!

I, like you, love coffee and am sure that this is another thing I'm going to have to cut down on. There is a light at the end of the tunnel as I have read so much lately and have a few things to try, in particular the dairy free. I am also Constipation dominant.

You would also find the blogs from Alison SICK OF IBS blogs really helpful and uplifting.

Alison from SICK OF IBS <alison=[e-mail]>

Best of luck and do not give up!!

[Jane2510 in reply to Hidden]

Hi I drink decaf because I was told caffeine can cause loose stools so it's maybe not your coffee intake if your constipated

[Hidden in reply to Jane2510]

Thank you Jane, not really sure what it is but it's only been the past 2 to 3 weeks where it has been like this. It may be because I was very stressed and am better than I was. As they say, when stressed sometimes you are fine but as soon as things get better you start to get the symptoms and feel worse.

[MJRD36 in reply to Hidden]

I just don't know what alternatives are open to me. I'm a pretty fussy eater at the best of times. No idea how to cook on the FODMAP diet on a budget.

[MJRD36]

Low fibre? I was told upping my fibre intake was the way to go! It's a nightmare this. Having to give up things you used to enjoy. I guess I really gotta start watching what I eat rather than eating the same then bitching when it comes back to haunt me :/ lol I've been kinda in denial, not believing I have IBS...my imaginary medical degree totally trumps a doctors real one apparently! lol I have other health anxieties too, but maybe it all flows from this, i'm not sure. I'm kinda brain muddled at the best of times, so it's hard for me to get into keeping track of things, but I guess i'm really gonna have to start trying harder. Can't go on like this, that's for sure.

[Hidden in reply to MJRD36]

I have read on numerous occasions on the internet that soluable fibre is much better than insoluable fibre i.e. soluable fibre is the peel removed from fruit, tinned fruit, tinned vegetables. I followed a low fibre diet for 2 days before my Colonoscopy last year and never felt better but I do not like some of the food i.e. I cannot stand packaged white bread. It's just trial and error but I will be following a dairy free diet - my mind is made up on that as I have read on here that so many people feel so much better without dairy in their diet.

I hope you find what works for you but in the meantime we must keep sharing our tips and ideas as this forum has helped me a lot.

[Stjurate]

I am sorry to hear that you are not feeling well.

It's hard when it seems like nothing is working. I suffer a lot from anxiety and tension headache. Its horrible.

If you have the chance try cbt therapy, oestiopath and deep muscle massages. Its helps to relax, which will in return your stomach will thank you. It helped me.

Also exercising helps gut digestion work, or just walks in the park.

I know it's hard sometimes and it feel like you want to give up, I know I have been there many times, but please dont give up!

What I also did is food diary, wrote everything I ate and how it affected me and just avoided that entirely. I have also said Fodmap diet and it helped me to release those horrible feeling and stabbing pain in my stomach, bloating and nausea.

What also helped me is to drink a lot of water. And fresh ginger, which is natural anti-inflammatory for your digestive.

I also read this book called 'healthy gut' it's amazing and its speak a lot about how to keep you gut healthy.

I hope that any of this will help you.

And just know that you are not alone in this.

I find that talking to someone about how you feel really helps. Just to let of the steam a bit.

[VictoriaWebster]

Don't give up MJRD36 I'm just getting over a really bad bout flare up ... omg it's terrible the pain is unbearable I could scream I'm rolling on my bed NOTHING helps my doctor sending me for scans but I've had them.. same old same old... you think it'll never end but hold on my friend 💪fight it..we've got this 🙌