Peppermint oil

[Flik22]

What's your views on Peppermint oil please, good for IBS D or makes it worse, I have been using an essential oil that is for internal use 🤷 Xx

[Foresttime]

I also have IBS D. I was prescribed Mintec (peppermint oil capsules) but they didn’t suit me at all, gave me even worse stomach ache. I take Mebeverine and Loperamide, Mebeverine helps a little but certainly doesn’t get rid of the pain, and the Loperamide is obviously for the D.

[Flik22 in reply to Foresttime]

Thank you, I'm wondering if the peppermint oil is acting as a laxative on me, suppose only one way to find out is to.stop using it! Honestly I thought it was good for gi issues! Xx. I also take loperamide, are you on it daily ? Xx

[Foresttime in reply to Flik22]

I don’t take loperamide daily, only take if I’m going out for a few hours in the day, I find that Mebeverine helps to control the D a little bit. I am also on a low fodmap vegetarian diet (mostly vegan) though I found it helped at the beginning of this bad flare up (which started end of September 19) it certainly hasn’t eliminated it, sadly. I find eating meals causes more pain and urgency.

[london81]

didn’t really help me much.

i found the following helped:

fodmap elimination diet

probio7 probiotics

digestive enzymes ( the full spectrum with beta nine hcl)

cutting out wheat, onion, spices etc. ( found my trigger foods through fodmap)

l glutamine

healing my underlying issues- i have autoimmune thyroid disease. i also tested and supplemented my vitamin D, b12, folate and ferritin which improved overall health and seemed to support my gut

meditation & yoga ( on you tube so i don’t have to go out to class!)

[Flik22 in reply to london81]

Thank you! I already take probio 7 but recently bought the digestive ones so wondering if that's not helped too? Difficult to know whether it's it's the peppermint or diet or probio or ! Eek. So hard, and it's still making me go to the loo a lot today , I wonder how anything is left in there! Xx

[Stuart24]

Peppermint oil makes you burp like crazy because it stimulates more acid production. It might be bactericidal but the burping and excess acidity is an unwelcome problem. Oregano oil capsules are much better as they don't have this effect but are bactericidal and anti-inflammatory.

[torcol]

I was informed by my doctor a year ago that peppermint makes stomach issues worse. I changed over to winter mint and spearmint and have substantially less intestinal issues. I’m talking about mints, candies etc... in any case cutting it out helped.

[asbayford]

Have you asked your gp to put you on the low fodmap diet? this is the last thing they prescribed me for my ibs d and it worked x think the success rate is 70%, pretty high!

[Maxsmudge]

I found taking peppermint capsules a huge benefit! Wasn't even going to try them as felt doctor was just fobbing me off as he had ran out of options with me but I am so glad I took them really see a difference in my IBS D unless I am totally stressed or nervous then nothing helps 😩 But for day to day and holidays along with loperamide big difference. Only down side is I get a weird cool sensation when I pee but can live with that! Definitely worth a try

[alby54]

I have had IBS D for many years, and find that peppermint oil capsules make things worse. Am now taking charcoal capsules after every meal and the discomfort has almost gone.

[one-n-den]

Don’t give up on peppermint oil just yet! I’d suggest the enteric coated versions, such as Colpermin. The coating is designed to get the capsule past the stomach (where I guess uncoated capsules can cause excess acid) and through to the area of the gut where pain and inflammation occur in IBS.

I found that Colpermin was better at relieving painful spasms than many of the ‘chemical’ products like Buscopan.

Give it a go - you can always drop it if it still isn’t effective,

Hope that helps.

[Lurganspur in reply to one-n-den]

Hi

I wAs just reading your post about peppermint oil a few months ago, I’ve only started them a couple of days for cramp like feeling of trapped wind but I’m also experiencing the ‘coldness’ after you wee sensation, is this a side effect ? & did they work for you in the end ? Don’t know if I should continue with them but I think I should give them longer than 2 days

[one-n-den in reply to Lurganspur]

I don’t think the ‘cold effect’ is anything more than the cooling sensation you have in your mouth after a Polo mint!🙂

I still use Colpermin if I get the cramping pain but that’s much rarer for me now.

What I’ve recently found very effective is to avoid eating between meals (4-5hours) and that has a dramatically good effect on bm’s!

All the best.

[Lurganspur in reply to one-n-den]

Thanks for the reply & yes that what I thought too 👍 so I’m going to give these a go for a while to see if they do the trick

Cheers

[EJ59]

I did try peppermint oil Colpermine for a few days as my medical practitioner suggested, I was having up to 6 bm per day on this, which was worse than before so I have gone back to my trusted immodium although only while I am away on holiday. I will go back to nothing on my return if I can, I have radically changed my diet in the past three months too, not fodmap as that really is too restrictive. I eat a lot of fish and chicken in small portions, gluten free everything where I can and I do cook from fresh,, well always have, I avoid all the usual triggers for IBS d and have finally realised that alcholol is a trigger, I can only drink cider again in small quantities, with all that in mind I am hoping that after just over a year with this ibs d I am getting it under control. So in essence pardon the pun, I do not think much of peppermint oil, however we are all so very different with this disease. Hope that helps.

[JMcNamara]

I agree with one-n-den, you need the capsules that are enteric coated. I take one two hours, or about that, before eating and one at bedtime. Doing better with the capsules. I get mine from Heather's Tummy Tamers: helpforibs.com.

I also use the prebiotic which is a soluble fiber, find that it is very helpful to me.

Regarding soluble fiber, try a little white rice or white bread before a meal, that should help.

Good luck.

[Suecoo66]

Make sure you use enteric coated, it helps but it's not a cure. I get the peppermin one in ebay from a pharmacist

[Viklou]

Peppermint is good for gas but in my opinion it can make the diarrhea worse