Hi. My first time here. My problem is IBS. Had it for about 12 years or so. Had colonoscopy and scan. So, docs say that's what it must be, even though unusually to start at my age. Now 74. Bouts are getting more frequent and this one's been awful, about 6 days now. I'm in UK by the way. All I'm given us Buscopan.
First time here. : Hi. My first time here. My... - IBS Network
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59 Replies
•
I find that by following a low fod diet helps me.. Maybe you could explore that option, you never know it could help you..
Also I have tried intermittent fasting which has helped me.. Not for everyone but I tried it to find much needed relief...
• in reply toSatsuma
Thanks for that. Definitely going to try FODNAP even though it looks quite difficult to keep to.
Satsuma• in reply to
You are welcome.. It does take a bit of getting used to but once you get the swing of it you will reap the benefits in many ways..
Satsuma• in reply to
I got diagnosed with IBS when I was 15.. I am 52 now.. Bit of an old hat at this caper..
• in reply toSatsuma
Will give it a go. Do you suffer as soon as you have something you shouldn't. I mean, I can go for a few weeks being OK then wham it's back, with no change in diet. Pretty bland diet really as I don't like spices, curries, chillies and things like that. Neither does my husband, which makes life easier. Not keen on red meat, nearly all chicken. Just wonder why it comes on with no change in what I eat.
Satsuma• in reply to
Mine is Food related and also stress related with the later being more troublesome.. It can come and go.. I think also as we get older our body cannot tolerate alot like it once did..
Krisbetty• in reply to
There are some good apps out there which are really helpful . Also there is a good Webinar from NHS about IBS. Just type in NH S IBS .
Inksplat• in reply to
It’s recommended that you only try low FODMAP under the guidance of a dietician.. so just beware if you do it on your own as it’s very restrictive
Oh satsuma. I’ve had it for 42 years. But are you diarrhoea or constipation? The best thing you can do is read up as much as you can and stay on this forum. There are myriad ways of tackling it. My own personal regime is :
Make sure every day I ingest the following:
Seaweed
Kimchi
Kefir
Fast all day taking only glucose tablets or sucking toffees.
Eat only after eight pm.
Enema or glycerin suppository before leaving the house.
This is mega drastic but stops me from voiding in the wrong place. Con amore Bx
I have both sometimes in the same day.. I have a hernia just now and that makes me more constipated I find as sometimes I take codeine which is not good for the gut but when the pain gets intense I have it..Today I bought some aloe vera liquid to aid my digestion.. I find I can't eat alot nowadays..
I have tried kimchi but because it is cabbage it plays with my gut.. I have yet to find some vegan kefir then I will try that.. I like seaweed though and sometimes eat that..
My sister swears by aloe Vera but it made my diarrhoea worse. Have you tried kombucha? I have discovered recently that microwaved unripe banana mixed in with potato starch is very gentle on the gut. Buona fortuna Bx
Just one more thing satsuma. The chemicals in fermented cabbage are radically different from from those in fresh cabbage. I avoided cabbage for fifteen years because my gastro told me to. Then I tried kimchi and I knew within ten days that something good was happening to my gut. Kimchi is the result of vegetables being buried in jars under the soil for more than a year. I hope you find a solution soon. con amore Bx
Yer I know I went through jars of it before I knew it was not helping.. I love it aswell.. Thank you for your kind words 🙏
Low FODMAP not too difficult to follow is you are home based. Try the spice Asafoetida (in minute quantities) to replace onions and garlic. Lactose free milk and yogurt easily available and Waitrose do a Spelt sourdough loaf that is usually tolerated with IBS. Good luck. BTW I am 67 and have recently been diagnosed with IBS for first time.
• in reply toMitzi22
Thank you. Going to try the lactose free milk and yogurt for starters, then move on to more of the diet. Can't help wondering why these problems start later in life.
humph3• in reply to
I started having stomach problems in my 60’s. when I was younger I could eat anything. Now at age 76 I eat gluten free take probiotics and prebiotic take macro gel every day to stop constipation. The way I see it is when you are young your stomach can cope with anything you throw at it, as you get older your stomach is less efficient and starts to wear out. It is then that you need to select what you eat
Yes, I am wondering that too. I am still just feeling my way but have read that going lactose free may help diarrhea led IBS. I also have a suspicion that I can no longer tolerate chocolate for some reason and it is my only sin!
• in reply toMitzi22
Have you gone lactose free or FODMAP? Shame about the chocolate!!
Mitzi22• in reply to
I am trying gluten free, lactose free AND low fodmap, but don’t follow me, I am walking in the dark!
Dark chocolate
Yes even dark chocolate is under suspicion right now 🥲
You can become lactose/dairy intolerant at any age. Try cutting it out from your diet for a few weeks just to see. Check all ingredient lists for it. If you've already done that then stay on the Fodmap diet but cut out porridge, tomatoes and all fruit, honey and jam for 2 weeks to settle things.
If you are on Omeprazole or similar tablets that could be causing you a problem.
Yes you are right about Omeprazole. Cures one thing and gives you something else if you are left on it for too long. Have you had a bad experience with it? Regards Sue
Yes. I took it for a while. The side effects built up to the point where they caused me to have agonising stomach aches worse than labour pains! I stopped and the pain stopped within 24 hours. I still hsve IBS but at least now i can manage it with diet.
Like you I was in so much pain after eating. It was like I had bricks in my upper stomach. They also made me feel depressed . My GP wanted me to try antidepressants but thank goodness I waited until I was reffered to Gastroenterology specialist and he advised stopping the Omeprazole and gave me a prescription for something much kinder. Pleased to hear you are much improved too. All the best. Sue
• in reply toCarlettejaque
Thank you. Will try the lactose free route and see how it goes.
Hello Maggie, sorry to hear what you're going through, and it can be awful when the cycle takes time to recover from.
I think, learning from my own experience, finding out the course should be the first priority. Is it food related, or is it anxiety, or emotional, stresses. Without having a firm handle on this trying to change your life-style to fit with your condition is hugely disruptive. It also has negative effects if you have the cause incorrect.
Second comes down to TB (Tolerance and Balance). Depending on your diet, it may be food related but as you have described, you can go for a few weeks without issue, it could be a tolerance of a certain food type. So keeping a journal ( I always go on about the importance of this ) of what you eat, when and how you feel before and after food intake.
This is not a short process, it will take a few months to gather enough data for you to make some sense of it. From here you can then start to balance your food, stresses, etc.
It could be a combination of Stresses and Food, it could be something else entirely.
Buscopan is good whilst you're going through it, but I found it only took the edge off. It did not stop it completely. But I know others have used it and swear by it. Would be interesting to hear your experience with it.
Hope it passes quickly 
• in reply toMrAddy
Thanks for that. I don't think it is stress related although it has been in the past. As for the Buscopan, I don't really think it does much. Just feel I should take it as I've nothing else to take. Will start keeping a food diary to see if anything pops out at me.
I was 'sort of diagnosed' with IBS about 15 years ago. TBH, there was no prescription and I managed to cope quite well. Now 68 years old and really suffering with constipation, bloating and dreading getting out of bed in the mornings coz I know within 10 minutes I will be in some sort of pain. Minebrevine has certainly helped stop the painful cramps, I find the FODMAP diet very difficult to use and slo very contradictory. Peppermint tablets help with 'wind' but nothing helps with constipation. I drank half bottle of Syrup of Figs the other night, nothing happened, I have used Dulcoease, Dulcolac, Fibrogel and Laxicol and still nothing happens. I have insisted a referral to a Gastroenterologist. Let's just wait and see what happens.
• in reply tobridunsig
Good luck. Sounds awful. I bloat up like nobody's business. At least 2 sizes. Hideous. I'm not slim at the best of times but this...!!! Wind is bad too. Sometimes can't pass it which is nasty.
Hi there, I'm same as you. I know each day I will be some sort of pain and/or discomfort. Sometimes high fibre can make things worse, especially if you have a slow gut transit as it requires a lot of water to 'bulk'it out. Water is reabsorbed in your colon and if your transit is slow it will reabsorb too much causing hard stools. Try lactulose or milk of magnesia( if you can get it) or alternatavely, magnesium citrate/oxide supplements, these may help x
I have found ground linseeds taken in cereals or similar excellent for constipation. Be careful to start with small amount maybe 1 teasp.as I find it puts me on the loo several times a day if I take too much.Try also kiwi fruit. I find a combination of these with linseeds work really well.
I buy the ground linseeds at aldi ready to eat and reasonable price
Thnx Maggie, I have tried so many different things that are supposed to help and spent a small fortune on sourcing pure liquorice, prunes, prune juice, probiotics etc etc. I have kept a diary of meals. I have always been able to eat anything and as a chef in my early years, I love my food. I am 6' tall and have always weighed 10 stone. I just cannot put my finger on whatever it is that sets me off. I am not stressed, I am not anxious, however, I am now beginning to get depressed as it is difficult to plan my day and know where toilet facilities are 'just in case' !!
• in reply tobridunsig
I know the feeling of needing to be near a loo. It's horrid, not knowing what's causing this.
I have never ever been constipated so I cannot imagine your difficulties. However, once I was staying with a friend and she cooked our porridge with linseed without telling me and I soiled her bed. I bought new sheets for her as I was mortified by what had happened. When I got home I tried again with the linseed just out of curiosity and the same thing happened. I know how powerful this stuff can be so perhaps you could give it a a go? Also, have you thought of colonic irrigation? Con amore Bx
• in reply toBatteria
Thanks. Someone else mentioned linseed so, worth a try. When I first had problems and had a scan, doc told me all was OK except that my bowel was slightly higher than it should be. ??? Said it's not a problem but who knows?
Hi Maggie, like you I have had IBS for about 12/13 years. I am 72. I too have had all the tests etc.I now accept that mine is predominantly stress related but I also wonder about the effect of the menopause and the reducing level of hormones, given that I was in my fifties.
There do seem to be foods that make things worse (e.g. lactose, fodmaps and high fat foods) but there is no real consistency in the way I react. For example, if I am on holiday and feeling pretty relaxed I can eat fairly normally. Mine is IBS-D so I take loperamide, but have to be careful with that to avoid constipation! i haven't found any other medication that works. Hope you soon feel better.
• in reply toJackie1612
Thankx
I will pm you with some tips.
How many buscopan are you taking ? Doctor told me to take 2 three times a day and not only when I have a bout ...it helps as it helps the muscles to stop cramping so much ...
• in reply toAntiques72
Only take when I'm actually suffering. Take 2 , 3 or 4 times a day. Don't suffer with the cramping very often so, maybe that's why they don't seem to help much.
Its not me who suffers but my son. They have just ruled out anything more serious and he is waiting for his next appointment. In the meantime he has switched to almond milk and has been having home made kefir for the last few months and it seems to have helped. His worst symptoms were stomach cramps. Kefir or another good probiotic like Symprove may help though it isn't cheap.
You made coloscopy and byopsi?
Hi Maggie im 65 and just been diagnosed I had every test under the sun including a colonoscopy which found i had polyps all removed. I found if I cut out gluten, onions and garlic and use lactose free product's my symptoms are less. I take omeprazol, buscapan, and a sachet of laxido every morning, my doctor also gave me amitriptyline which I take 3 tablets at night, since taking them I sleep much better as my cramps arent keeping me awake. I had to push the Doctors thou
• in reply toKrisbetty
Strangely, I don't suffer much with the cramps and pain. Mostly bloating, feeling sick (but never am). Mucus from bottom, bits of diarrhea and then constipation. Quite a mixture but no cramps, rarely anyway
Hello! My first time here too. I’ve had it for years but only went to the GP for help when I started having accidents. I’m on Mebeverine and referred to a dietician for help with a low Fodmap diet. I’m in UK too - Scotland. Maybe you could ask for a referral?
• in reply toTumblemum
Hi. Had a chat with nurse last week and she has given me Mebeverine. I've been using lactose free milk and yogurt as a start. Been OK this week. Not perfect but lots better. Thanks for the tips though. Hope you get better too.
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