IBS hell

[Kdw1]

I have ibs it's really starting to interfere with my life, between bloating, wind and constipation.

[Maureen1958]

Hi, welcome to the club that nobody wants to belong to! How long have you had IBS?

[Kdw1 in reply to Maureen1958]

About a year now, i never really took it seriously before but since last week the constipation and pain has been awful and I've no bladder control either so cant be to far from a toilet it's really frustrating.

[Maureen1958 in reply to Kdw1]

Has something happened that has upset you or worrying you that could have made it worse?

[Kdw1 in reply to Maureen1958]

No nothing different I just found myself relying on laxatives abit more but they're not really helping now, I've been drinking more water and eating loads of food with fibre but no luck.

[Maureen1958 in reply to Kdw1]

Oh I see, I tend to be more the other way but have tried lots of things along my journey. One thing stands out to me, although I still haven't tried it myself is turmeric. I bought some but was a bit concerned about taking it. Like I said I tend to be more the other way. So I got my husband to try it. He has a cast iron stomach. He tried it for a couple of days but it made him go to the loo more which he couldn't be doing with. So it might be helpful for you. The one I have (it's still sitting on my kitchen counter) is by the Autoimmune Institute it's Advanced Turmeric. But I am sure, by tomorrow, more people will have seen your post and come back to you with probably better suggestions.

[Kdw1 in reply to Maureen1958]

Thank you I will definitely try that x

[alicemarsh]

Hi

Have you tried flax seeds a lot of people swear by them for constipation.

Also Yakult helped me one a day - really helps it’s a probiotic. It has good gut bacteria in it. You may need two a day if it’s bad but try one a day first.

Others are available of course.

Al

[xjrs]

Have you been getting any help with your IBS? Here is some information about IBS that I have shared with others in this group in case any of these tips are of interest to you:

IBS can be due to a number or combination of factors - these can be stress (including stress from early life experiences) which impacts the communication between the brain and the digestive system. There are lots of free webinars online at the moment regarding mindfulness meditation which might help. Plus you can ask to be referred for CBT or something similar to reduce anxiety - I would have thought online appointments are available. Exercise can play a major role in IBS in terms of reducing stress, helping your gut microbiome and regulating bowel movements.

There is also not absorbing certain types of carbohydrates called FODMAPs very well, the residue ending up in the colon and bacteria feeding off them causing symptoms. Ordinarily feeding gut bacteria is a really good thing - when you feed good gut bacteria these produce by-products that have great health effects in the gut and throughout the body. However, in some people with IBS bad bugs might have the upper hand over good - these bad bugs may cause symptoms such as excess gas, pain or disordered bowel movements. There is an interesting infographic on this here:

gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com/....

This is why it’s worth trying probiotics such as Alflorex (which has been scientifically studied for IBS) or Symprove to crowd out the bad bugs and make their numbers die down. If that doesn't work you can try the FODMAP elimination and reintroduction diet. This is normally under the guidance of a nutritionist via GP referral - this may not be possible at the moment so you can read about it online. If you download the Monash University FODMAP app and Kings College fodmap apps, they will tell you which foods contain FODMAPs and in what quantities. You can eliminate all FODMAPs for 2 weeks and then introduce each type of FODMAP one at a time starting in small quantities, increasing over a 3 day period and wait up to 4 days for symptoms. I go much slower than this - only introducing a small amount (1/4 to 1/3 of a normal portion size) of the same food for 3 days and then increase if tolerable or no symptoms and cut back to the previous amount if symptoms for longer and then try to increment again . I've read your microbiome can adapt to handling a new food if introduced very slowly and your bad bugs are under control with a good probiotic. Ideally you want to eat as many FODMAPs as you can since they are good for your health. Many people with IBS don't have diverse gut bacteria - it has been found that people who lack a diverse microbiome are more prone to diseases in general. In the long run, if you can get your symptoms under control, the ideal situation is to have a very varied diet - lots of different coloured fruits and vegetables, a variety of protein and carbohydrate sources including cereal fibres. This may seem a long way off, but with the right treatment all of this is possible. Last year all I could consume to control my IBS was white rice, protein and limited low fodmap veg. Using the approach above (particularly introducing Alflorex) I am now able to consume far more foods - more than I've ever dreamed of including wholewheat bread which is unheard of for me.

If you are also suffering from pain, you may be suffering from visceral hypersensitivity (functional abdominal pain) - there is info about it here:

iffgd.org/lower-gi-disorder...

It is where the brain interprets the normal activity of the bowel as pain - this is due to a wearing down of neurons in pain control centres of the brain which can be caused by PTSD, neglect or abuse in childhood, extreme stressful events etc. The first line treatment is nerve pain agents such as low dose amitriptyline. There is a theory that being on something like amitriptyline for 6-12 months can help the pain control centre neurons to regenerate. Note that amitriptyline can cause constipation, but this can be helpful in people who are diarrhea dominant. Unfortunately I couldn't tolerate these. Linaclotide (for IBS-C only) & Alflorex have helped me with this intestinal pain.

You may also find assistance with anti-spasmodic medication such as mebeverine (Colofac) or enteric coated peppermint.

You can find some info on self management here:

theibsnetwork.org/the-self-...

If all of the usual IBS remedies fail and you are experiencing diarrhea, it is worth getting tested for BAM (Bile Acid Malabsorption), which can cause constant diarrhea - there is a separate test and treatment for that. Good luck.

[Kdw1]

Thank you for all the advice I've started taking flaxseeds and I'm trying to stay off laxatives today so hoping I will go without them .I'm on prebiotics also I've started taking them again and I've been avoiding chocolate which is a struggle as I love it, hope this passes soon.

[Barney100]

I have had ibs for ten years, Goes in waves but effects every day and this year especially bad. I can only give two pieces of advice: 1) everyone is different. Many treatments can make life worse for you and are not effective. IBS is very poorly understood and hence the potential remedies are mainly a hope rather than an expectation. By all means try things but make your own decisions and dont listen to online experts too much 2) don't cut out everything and still enjoy your life. You still should enjoy food and try to get on with your life. There may not be a magic cure aim you should aim to limit the damage. If you like chocolate, I would definitely still eat some unless you are 100% sure it is bad for you. Otherwise, you will mentally be in a worse place.

[penelope2]

Having IBS mostly d for all my adult life, now in my 60s.

You have had some great advice here already but would add - try and take a step back from all of the worrying and spend as long as you need writing like a spider chart and include everything that applies to you.

Then see if there is a pattern. Unfortunately doctors etc are not great thinking outside the box and only you really know how you feel.

But they are good at prescribing!

Over the years I have tried many things including the FODMAPdiet, hypnotherapy, avoiding certain foods.

I am now gluten free (because of another health problem) not advised to do this but you get to a point when desperation kicks in.

Looking back no one said to me it "what about gluten?"

If only they had because of all the health issues I've had then IBS is right up there as being the worse one to deal with. And eliminating gluten has really helped!!!

So try the spider chart thing, hope this helps.

Good luck and take care.

[Sengeanya in reply to penelope2]

When I have a flare up I go gluten free for a while & that settles it down. I’m quite sure gluten plays a big part in IBS

[Kdw1]

Thank you I'm staying off milk so might have to consider going gluten free also, I'm having a laxative free day today to see if I can go naturally in the morn it's a vicious cycle.