Just been diagnosed

[butterfly1]

hi everyone,just got diagnosed yesterday at last, doctors kept saying it was my endometrosis all this time and i had enough of them not caring and listening to me. I am know trying to find out what makes the ibs flare up how did everyone else do this as it seems to be a lot of things for me but i am not sure what to do, any advice would be great. thanks

[deniseclarkeuk]

I would check out this website it's the most helpful that I have found. Also look into the concept of food combining as it can really help ease digestion.

Good luck.

[deniseclarkeuk]

Sorry this is the website link

helpforibs.com/footer/

[dforret]

sorry to hear ur bad news,before i got diagnosed with this i had piles for about 10 years,id been to hospital for them to tell me i was eating to much starchy yeasty foods,but all the the time i had to live with bleeding piles for so long after me going back to hospital only to tell them somethings not right,after them doing more test for them to tell me i have severe i.b.s and sometimes its a living nightmare Ive only just come to tearms with what i have.there are no support groups where i live as it would be good to talk to several people who have the same problem,if i need to go out in the morning i make sure i dont eat anything at all as this triggers it off,so i only eat a manin meal at night when i dont have to go out anywhere i live in the Mansfield Notts area.i make sure i that some foods i love i have just a little i.e cheeses,bread,milk if you follow these guidelines you should be OK for now,just dont let it get you down like i did,i suffer from anxiety and depression as it is and im 42 going onto 43 in oct.

[kacey in reply to dforret]

hi i know wot yr going through i have the same problem i wont eat or drink anything when im out it really does take over yr life i dont know how to cope with this i find that milk, cheese and certain other things give me a flare up i loved to drink lattes but cant drink them no more im the same as u have no one in my area to talk to it just gets me down and i dont know how to cope anymore.

[Drummermum]

Hi there. It is good you have a diagnosis as you can start to try and find out what your triggers are. When I was first diagnosed (14yrs ago) I started to keep a food diary where I noted what I ate and when. It helped me find out what were the 'triggers' to make my IBSd worse. I basically have had diahorrea for 14 years but there are times it is more manageable than others.

Try eliminating one thing at a time - you probably know already what agrees and disagrees with you already, and see if it makes a difference. Elimination is a slow process as you have to let the body adjust so stick it out. For me I find I have less wind and discomfort if I eat gluten free bread and pasta (although I'm not Ceoliac) I can only eat a small amount of fruit but manage plenty of veg.

Often little and often is better for me, as large heavy meals cause my gut to go into turmoil! IBS causes me periods of anxiety and I cannot go any where if I don't know where the toilet is. Shopping in my local town is a joke as there is one public toilet at one end and often is not working but I have now become the best online shopper around

[angel29]

i was diagnosed a few months ago and i didn't really know the full extent how this would affect me. i had blood tests done for coaliac disease & anemia and they both came back clear so the doc said it was IBS. i am currently laid up in bed with a flare up and having called in sick, it is so uncomfortable, depressing, i have been in tears as i am so fed up. it's like having a tummy bug all the time. i still don't know what my triggers are somedays i can eat things like white bread and be ok, other's it will give me a bloated tummy and cramps. i feel like i haven't got a clue how to cope with this or take control. i am going to look into have test for food intolerances. i worry that it could be something worse. reading the comments on this forum has helped me feel a bit more positive as i don't feel so alone. thanks.

[shannon_de]

Food has always been a gamble for me. I can eat something one day and if I eat the exact same thing the next day....I'd be sick. I also have both diarrhea and constipation. My dr told me to eat more fiber to try to regulate my bowel movements. I'll have to see how that goes. I would definitely keep a food journal to see what your triggers are. I notice really greasy foods like Mexican triggers it more often than not. Also, I can't eat too much garlic. I'd look into diets like the SCD diet. I haven't tried it yet cause I just found out about it but it seems to be working for a lot of people. Also, I know its hard but stressing and worrying about it tends to make the symptoms worse. Try to have a support system even if its from an online group. IBS is very common so don't think your alone in this. I use to when I was first diagnosed but now I realize that a lot of people have it. I've also become more open about it. Letting those around me know what's going on so they'll understand when I can't do anything or if I have to leave suddenly. You'd be surprised on how understanding people are.

[foxkennedy21]

Hi whoever you are. A diagnosis is good but it's the start of a new way of life, guided by food, push you doctors and ask to be put on a FODMAP diet, it's new and works for some people. Good luck!

[xsnorkelx]

I found what I can't eat by keeping a food diary. Be careful tho as symptoms can show up days after eating a type of food and screw your results. Typically for me I have symptoms in an hour or two after milk and 18-24 hrs after wheat. I've heard FODMAP is good although I just lived off rice for a few days and added food in and noted symptoms. It was drastic and restrictive but I was in too much pain to care!