New here & stuck...advice appreciated

[KlayPigeon]

Hi all,

I've been living with diagnosed IBS for 15 years. I've tried many things for support. Most recently spent 2 years working with a nutritional therapist who runs an IBS clinic. We did SIBO test, and P88 food reactivity (indicated heightened immune response to potato, ginger, sesame, eggs, crab, and cucumber.) I've been on low FODMAP the whole time, and cutting out those foods listed on that test too...and lots of supplements (probiotics, prebiotics, gut lining support etc...).

After 2 years and lot of money, I didn't see enough of an improvement to carry on. Although things are slightly better than before, episodes of sustained constipation & then mornings of diarrhea when the pendulum swings the other way are still pretty consistent. And i do wonder if much of that change is due to me changing my exercise habits, and taking more rests when I am struggling with symptoms rather than 'pushing through'.

So now i'm looking for other ways to support myself / people to work with. I've read and understood the IBS network website information on mental health...I do try many things to support that side of my life, and have changed my habits a great deal to try and accommodate this condition.

I'm not expecting you to offer me a magic fix! But i guess this is a way to introduce myself, share thoughts if you have any? And try to keep finding some sense of normality with it all.

I'm based in the NW of the UK, if anyone has any ideas or recommendations I'm all ears.

thank you,

KP

[Larrythelamb]

I have IBS-c and I have not found away to manage it i have done fod map I take a lot of laxatives, and just recently came off stimulants and replaced with fybrogel. So I take three movicol, three docusate and fibrogel

[Harley1020 in reply to Larrythelamb]

Hello, it has taken me 14 years to find something that helps with constipation.

I take one and half teaspoons of milled flaxseed every morning (use measuring spoons). The milled flaxseed is sprinkled over porridge, the sachet ones. It does not look appetising but you cannot taste it.

If you google milled flaxseed it will tell you all the good nutritional value that comes from flaxseed. Initially, I took one tablespoonful but found that made my stools too loose so it’s a case of finding what suits you.

[Stressedoutwoman]

I have ibs C and am currently having a bad patch everytime I eat at min I get bloating pain and trapped wind which cripples me I was on movicol on and off and it gives me cramps

I can go days without going to the toilet and eat fruit veg etc but doesn’t make a lot of difference

I also suffer with anxiety which definitely aggravates it

I get these fruit cubes off Amazon and they do make me go so generally take them every few days as they are all natural ingredients

Stress anxiety and depression is rubbish and the root cause of so many health issues

[Harley1020 in reply to Stressedoutwoman]

Hello, it has taken me 14 years to find something that helps with constipation.

I take one and half teaspoons of milled flaxseed every morning (use measuring spoons). The milled flaxseed is sprinkled over porridge, the sachet ones. It does not look appetising but you cannot taste it.

If you google milled flaxseed it will tell you all the good nutritional value that comes from flaxseed. Initially, I took one tablespoonful but found that made my stools too loose so it’s a case of finding what suits you.

I have tried the fruit cubes you mentioned but found they were not consistent enough.

I’m also on 20mg Amitriptyline for anxiety which really helps a lot. Did start off with 10mg but found that was not quite enough. The Amitriptyline was prescribed by a consultant. It’s a real low dosage so not for depression, only anxiety for my IBS.

Hope this helps.

[Stressedoutwoman in reply to Harley1020]

I’ve funnily enough bought flax seed last week and am going to try it but I have to say the cubes do work for me if I take one at night I always go in the morning but the flax seed would be a better alternative so I’ll try it 👍I’m already on fluxotine and have been for a long while but on occasions anxiety persists

[Bracondale]

I'd strongly suggest that you look at ELIXA probiotics website information (articles/short videos explaining the theory underlying the approach of a short (six day), very high dose of probiotics). It worked extremely well for me with minimal die off symptoms.

[ChickieBaker in reply to Bracondale]

Hello. Would you know if the Elixa probiotics are any good for using with a SIBO eradication programme ? Thanks.

[Bracondale in reply to ChickieBaker]

Karl, who developed the product, is very helpful if you contact him by email/FB. I'm sure that I've seen him responding to this query on his FB site. (As well being considered an issue with gut motility, I understand SIBO to be a type of dysbiosis and as such would be amenable to Elixa). It might be that Elixa could replace the other eradication items 🤔

[Radhak108]

Hi there,

I spent a year working with a functional health practitioner who was supposed to be an expert on gastrointestinal problems.

I also spent a lot of money on lots of tests, including the P88 food sensitivity test. It came up with things like blueberries, eggs and shellfish.

These tests are not worth doing yet as they are still very imprecise and unlikely to give you accurate information. I ended up wasting a lot of money for absolutely zero progress.

I am vegetarian, and in the end, the doctor insisted that the only way I’d improve was through eating meat. This is against my spiritual beliefs, was disrespectful, and not true. In India, for example, lots of people are complete vegetarians and follow Ayurvedic principles to look after their health.

I would recommend everyone to avoid functional medicine and food sensitivity tests.

I recommend Kirten Jackson’s book on IBS, which takes you systematically through the process of testing and then managing your lifestyle to keep your ibs under control. The importance of lifestyle changes should not be understated.

I hope that is helpful!

Cicely

[xjrs]

I went through the same as you with nutritional therapists, paid a fortune, got no where and they made my condition far worse in the end. I ended up doing my own research to help improve my situation and put what I found on a website to hopefully help others for free:

ibsresearcher.com/

Hope you find some tips in there useful.

[KlayPigeon]

thank you so much for all the responses, i will take a look at what yous have sent me

[Sparrow58]

It sounds like you have IBS mixed, constipation and diarrhoea. Have you kept a diary,not just food but symptoms too and also your mood etc. I have mixed and definitely connected to anxiety and hormones.

[AGB111]

I was in the same position, after years of frustation I have now found the Nerva app which is meditation linking your brain to your gut. I understand it sounds hippish but it's really working for me, I am still on laxatives but I can see me coming off them after the program finishes.