Any IBS/IBD sufferers here?

[engineereeyore]

My wife has it. She uses a peppermint oil and a bunch of herbal teas to keep her's in check. She rarely has an issue with it anymore, but she has to be careful about what she eats. I know dairy, nuts, and red meat are big bads. Egg yolks aren't much better, but this varies from person to person.

EDIT: Forgot carbonation. That's a big one for a lot of people too.

 

[boomerang]

I was diagnosed with IBS. My symptoms were somewhat severe abdominal pain that I had 24/7. Towards the end of the day, I would start to be a real SOB from putting up with the pain. I never had loose bowels or constipation, just constant pain.

I had my doctor run every test we could think of including an ultrasound and a CAT scan all coming up with nothing. I even went to an Oncologist and had bone marrow drawn and came back with a clean bill of health. I've left out all the simple and regular type tests that were done initially.

The diagnosis was IBS. I'm telling you this because in my case, I believe the IBS diagnosis was because the doctors had no other explanation for my symptoms. I had put up with the pain for nearly three years.

My primary doctor said that there was a new drug out that might help with my IBS, but asked if I would try something else first. He wanted me to take Metamucil 3 times a day. I went ahead and tried it. It worked!

It's been about 4 or 5 years and I'm still using it. Costco has their own brand that is dirt cheap.

I gave you the whole rundown because I know that compared to what other's are experiencing (maybe you too) my symptoms were mild in comparison.

This is what worked for me.

 

[engineereeyore]

Here's a comment directly from my wife. Hope it helps.

"After ruling out celiac and other bowel issues, I was diagnosed with IBS. I used Bentyl for a month, but found the side effects unlivable. I used herbs and tea to keep things under control. Daily, I take 3 peppermint oil capsules (NOW Peppermint Gels). They cost $12 for 90 at my local health food store, but can be found cheaper online if you buy more quantity. For a small flareup, I drink Yogi Tea's Stomach Ease tea, which is $4 for 24 bags. For a major flare-up, I take four tablespoons of Colic Ease (colicease.com). I do my level best to manage my disease through diet, but if I make a mistake or am highly stressed, I will have "an episode," as I call it. I also keep immodium handy for the worst flare-ups, since I have IBS-C for the most part, but occasionally get diarrhea instead if I've been plain old stupid.

My GI doc agrees wholeheartedly with my therapies, even though he's pretty old school about medicine. I did have to stay on Nexxium, but I hope that I can use apple cider vinegar for heartburn going forward. This system is working for me. Just ask my husband, who's been there for the best and the worst of it. Good luck. IBS sucks."

 

[Mermaidman]

How valid is Low Stomach Acid?

If the problem is low stomach acid and someone takes an antacid, wouldn't that exacerbate the problem?

 

[apepooooop]

Originally posted by: patentman

Originally posted by: Geekbabe
need tips on managing bad flare up please

Buy lots of TP.

actually some medicated moist wipes, maybe with witch hazel, they seem to help if you have frequency or if your IBD has reached uranus.

 

[Willy Duet]

I had severe diarrhea every morning for 4 years. During this time I went to 5 different doctors who kept taking test after test that all came back negative and had no idea what to do. They tried suggesting Imodium, Metamucil, and various other prescription drugs that had no effect what so ever. I finally found a more knowledgable doctor who said it was a classic case of IBS and prescribed a low dosage of anti depressants. Almost immediately the diarrhea was gone and has been for the last 2 year except for an occasional flare up that isn't as severe. It seems that they have found that there is seratonin in the intestines which can throw off your system. Seratonin is the same chemical that's in the brain and what anti depressants treats when someone is suffering from depression.

Talk to your GI doctor about trying anti-depressants (pamelor, effexor, etc.). You will have to play with the dosage to find the right one for you but you have to start off with a very small dosage. If your GI doctor blows you off and says that he doesn't believe in this theory, leave and find another doctor who will listen and let you try this as it has worked wonders for me.

Good luck

 

[Geekbabe]

I really,really from the bottom of my heart appreciate you people coming forward.I am one hurting unit,this is not only painful,it's humilating.

Some more background.. always had weird bowel habits,generally of a cyclic nature based on that time of the month but never anything like this.. A few months ago a couple people at my hospital job got sick with a GI illness,I got it too but after being horribly ill for a few days it went away... only to return 10-14 days later... same deal..really sick for a few days then improved enough to go back to work...then 2 weeks later sick again..this time I turned and whispered to my boss that "my problem"had returned,he looked at me and said his had too.Infectious disease was brought in and talked to everyone in my division.. 25 people had experienced this illness,several of us had more than one bout.
Infectious disease closed our division,pronounced norwalk virus.I was out of work a week till GI sysmptoms were gone.
I went to my doctor,he ran a stool sample testing for bacteria,parasites,he also ran a check for c-diff.. he diagnosed c-diff even though my samples were negative based on my reports of the frequency of bowel movements and the horrific smell.. and the fact that he could hear my gut rumbling from the door of the exam room.He put me on flagyl told me to finish the course,I did and gradually started to feel better,much less gas and bloating,more solid,that smell went away.

Here were are a few weeks later and I'm sick again.. this crap literally seems to be on a cycle,it has struck now 4 -5 times,roughly every 2 weeks and always on my weekend off work--there's no secondary gain in being sick here.

At this point I'm taking lomitil,I'm also taking calcuim carb with meals as it's thought to be binding,I ate small quantities of banana,applesauce, had plain potato and a bit of meat for dinner.I'm still having pain,cramping but not as bad as the weekend. I'm trying to get a referal to a GI doctor.

family hx of asthma,allergies.

Btw,no matter how long I sit,I never feel quite "done"if yoiu know what I mean

 

[Geekbabe]

Originally posted by: engineereeyore
My wife has it. She uses a peppermint oil and a bunch of herbal teas to keep her's in check. She rarely has an issue with it anymore, but she has to be careful about what she eats. I know dairy, nuts, and red meat are big bads. Egg yolks aren't much better, but this varies from person to person.

EDIT: Forgot carbonation. That's a big one for a lot of people too.

When I'm like this soda hits my gut like a bomb and has me trotting to the restroom in short order.I'm trying to avoid soda now,also trying to avoid foods that are super cold or super hot.

This situation is horrible,I feel dreadful and am getting to the point that I'm afraid to eat.

 

[Eos]

Holy ess, that must suck.

Good luck.

 

[engineereeyore]

Originally posted by: Geekbabe
When I'm like this soda hits my gut like a bomb and has me trotting to the restroom in short order.I'm trying to avoid soda now,also trying to avoid foods that are super cold or super hot.

This situation is horrible,I feel dreadful and am getting to the point that I'm afraid to eat.

My wife is the same way. She's lost 20 pounds now purely out of fear of eating. She's done a large amount of research on it, so if you're interested, let me know and I'll send you her email address.

The sitting and not feeling done is a big symptom. That was actually a big clue to the GI doctor that IBS was what she had. I hope you get the referral soon. If nothing else, at least you can get knocked out for a few hours for an endoscopy.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: Willy Duet
I had severe diarrhea every morning for 4 years. During this time I went to 5 different doctors who kept taking test after test that all came back negative and had no idea what to do. They tried suggesting Imodium, Metamucil, and various other prescription drugs that had no effect what so ever. I finally found a more knowledgable doctor who said it was a classic case of IBS and prescribed a low dosage of anti depressants. Almost immediately the diarrhea was gone and has been for the last 2 year except for an occasional flare up that isn't as severe. It seems that they have found that there is seratonin in the intestines which can throw off your system. Seratonin is the same chemical that's in the brain and what anti depressants treats when someone is suffering from depression.

Talk to your GI doctor about trying anti-depressants (pamelor, effexor, etc.). You will have to play with the dosage to find the right one for you but you have to start off with a very small dosage. If your GI doctor blows you off and says that he doesn't believe in this theory, leave and find another doctor who will listen and let you try this as it has worked wonders for me.

Good luck

I really need more info on this...
My doctor just started me on the same treatment after all sorts of pills and diets have not helped. I just started with 10mg at night time and its not doing anything. He told me to increase it to 20mg if that doesnt help. I'm about to start on that but need to call him because he only gave me 30 pills.

I hope it works because hell if i was not depressed when i was not sick, i'm probably somewhat now because of being sick everyday.

 

[jmolayal]

I'm going to chime in with a good word for Bentyl as well. Its prescription and at first made me feel like my mind was slowing down. After a while, that went away. Now I just take it once a month or so for severe pain...

For help with the pain right away I usually apply an ice pack to my stomach.. The cold seems to dull the pain, while the Bentyl relaxes it away....

- Jaison

 

[MidasKnight]

I have Ulcerative Colitis. Diagnosed about 10 years ago. Treatment was Asacol/ Imuran for the last 5 years. My IBD was very rough. Ended up in surgery last year with my Colon removed. I am doing so dam good even though I have the bag. I will later this year under go a second surgery to make a j-pouch. This will end my time with the bag. The J-pouch procedure is called :


Ileoanal Anastomosis


Try to see a gastroenterologist to rule out IBD like Ulcerative Colitis or Crohns.

 

[Mrvile]

Whooa didn't know this was such a common thing :Q

 

[IceBergSLiM]

Originally posted by: nonameo
Are you sure you have IBS? My mom was first diagnosed with IBS, but was later found to have celiac disease.

But... it's pretty rare, so you probably don't have that.

1 in 100 american are estimated to have it with most remaining undiagnosed.

 

[Willy Duet]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: Willy Duet
I had severe diarrhea every morning for 4 years. During this time I went to 5 different doctors who kept taking test after test that all came back negative and had no idea what to do. They tried suggesting Imodium, Metamucil, and various other prescription drugs that had no effect what so ever. I finally found a more knowledgable doctor who said it was a classic case of IBS and prescribed a low dosage of anti depressants. Almost immediately the diarrhea was gone and has been for the last 2 year except for an occasional flare up that isn't as severe. It seems that they have found that there is seratonin in the intestines which can throw off your system. Seratonin is the same chemical that's in the brain and what anti depressants treats when someone is suffering from depression.

Talk to your GI doctor about trying anti-depressants (pamelor, effexor, etc.). You will have to play with the dosage to find the right one for you but you have to start off with a very small dosage. If your GI doctor blows you off and says that he doesn't believe in this theory, leave and find another doctor who will listen and let you try this as it has worked wonders for me.

Good luck

I really need more info on this...
My doctor just started me on the same treatment after all sorts of pills and diets have not helped. I just started with 10mg at night time and its not doing anything. He told me to increase it to 20mg if that doesnt help. I'm about to start on that but need to call him because he only gave me 30 pills.

I hope it works because hell if i was not depressed when i was not sick, i'm probably somewhat now because of being sick everyday.

I assume the 10mg pill your taking is Pamelor. I started at 10 mg and gradually increased it to 40mg taking 20mg in the morning and 20mg at bedtime . This worked for me although after a year and a half I switched to Effexor as I was alot better but not perfect. Effexor took me to the next level so to speak since it's now normal when I go to the bathroom. If you try Effexor, the dosage should be between 150 and 300 mg split between morning and evening.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: Willy Duet

Originally posted by: Jnetty99

Originally posted by: Willy Duet
I had severe diarrhea every morning for 4 years. During this time I went to 5 different doctors who kept taking test after test that all came back negative and had no idea what to do. They tried suggesting Imodium, Metamucil, and various other prescription drugs that had no effect what so ever. I finally found a more knowledgable doctor who said it was a classic case of IBS and prescribed a low dosage of anti depressants. Almost immediately the diarrhea was gone and has been for the last 2 year except for an occasional flare up that isn't as severe. It seems that they have found that there is seratonin in the intestines which can throw off your system. Seratonin is the same chemical that's in the brain and what anti depressants treats when someone is suffering from depression.

Talk to your GI doctor about trying anti-depressants (pamelor, effexor, etc.). You will have to play with the dosage to find the right one for you but you have to start off with a very small dosage. If your GI doctor blows you off and says that he doesn't believe in this theory, leave and find another doctor who will listen and let you try this as it has worked wonders for me.

Good luck

I really need more info on this...
My doctor just started me on the same treatment after all sorts of pills and diets have not helped. I just started with 10mg at night time and its not doing anything. He told me to increase it to 20mg if that doesnt help. I'm about to start on that but need to call him because he only gave me 30 pills.

I hope it works because hell if i was not depressed when i was not sick, i'm probably somewhat now because of being sick everyday.

I assume the 10mg pill your taking is Pamelor. I started at 10 mg and gradually increased it to 40mg taking 20mg in the morning and 20mg at bedtime . This worked for me although after a year and a half I switched to Effexor as I was alot better but not perfect. Effexor took me to the next level so to speak since it's now normal when I go to the bathroom. If you try Effexor, the dosage should be between 150 and 300 mg split between morning and evening.

Nope not taking either of those pills, but i'll ask my doctor about them.
I'm taking Elavil (Amitriptyline HCL) 10gm. I just increased to 20mg before bedtime

 

[meltdown75]

This thread is great

for me to poop on

 

[pennylane]

I have IBS. Or at least I think I do. It seems much milder than what you're going through.

I have particular triggers. It's kind of weird. But I got it from my mom, who has the same issues I have. I've been controlling it more or less just by figuring out what triggers it. My stomach (or digestive system) is most sensitive to being "cold."

For example, in the morning, when I get up, I feel really cold. So even during summer, I often get up and wear a sweatshirt immediately (I put it on while I'm in bed) so my stomach stays warm. After eating also, I have a tendency to feel cold, so I have to be careful then. I also have problems if I don't eat for a long time. It's sort of a pain to deal with, but I have it more or less under control.

It did take me like 2 years to figure out what the hell was wrong. And those two years were absolutely horrible.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Anyone been refered by their doctor to take Probiotics?
Probiotics were defined by a group of experts convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as "live microorganisms administered in adequate amounts which confer a beneficial health effect on the host". Most probiotics are bacteria, which are small, single-celled organisms. Bacteria are categorized by scientists with genus, species and strain names. One yeast - Saccharomyces boulardii - also has been evaluated as a probiotic.

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: Jnetty99
Anyone been refered by their doctor to take Probiotics?
Probiotics were defined by a group of experts convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as "live microorganisms administered in adequate amounts which confer a beneficial health effect on the host". Most probiotics are bacteria, which are small, single-celled organisms. Bacteria are categorized by scientists with genus, species and strain names. One yeast - Saccharomyces boulardii - also has been evaluated as a probiotic.

My gastro told me to stop taking probiotics when they were doing tests on me. I had since resumed taking them, and although I only have anecdotal evidence, there does seem to be a positive impact. It really could be any number of factors though, and it depends on what your symptoms are.

 

[mattlear]

I've had IBS for about 10 years. I've been on a cocktail of drugs over the years, from levbid, belladonna, all the way up to amitryptilene. (the antidepressant really wacked me out, even though it was in a much lower dosage than normal - I had to stop taking it, and it wasnt really working anyways)

Nothing seems to work for me. I had a test to confirm that I am not lactose intolerant, I've been scoped more times than an alien abduction victim.

It has gotten so bad that I'm afraid to go out sometimes, because I dont want to have an episode in a public place.

I finally visited my GE again and requested that certain tests be done. Namely,
Lactose intolerance
Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth
Celiac's disease

I also requested being put on a new drug called Motofen.
I'm having an endoscopy (EGD) next friday to take some samples and test for celiac's and SIBO. We'll see how that goes.

If you want to ask any questions, send me a PM and I'll try and help the best I can.

-Matt

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: Jnetty99
Anyone been refered by their doctor to take Probiotics?
Probiotics were defined by a group of experts convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) as "live microorganisms administered in adequate amounts which confer a beneficial health effect on the host". Most probiotics are bacteria, which are small, single-celled organisms. Bacteria are categorized by scientists with genus, species and strain names. One yeast - Saccharomyces boulardii - also has been evaluated as a probiotic.

My gastro told me to stop taking probiotics when they were doing tests on me. I had since resumed taking them, and although I only have anecdotal evidence, there does seem to be a positive impact. It really could be any number of factors though, and it depends on what your symptoms are.

My second GI doctor mention it to me but never heard about it again... all sudden within the last week i saw a commericial about probiotics etc etc.
Anyways it remind me about it so i looked it up online. My doctor said to look into VSL3 and some other stuff. The commerical I saw on TV mention Align. Its much cheaper than VSL3 so I'm going to give it a try. I just order a box of 28 tablets for under $30.
I hope this helps me a little with combination of other pills. Right now i'm having a massive bloating attack in my left abdominal side... horrible.

 

[Mayfriday0529]

Originally posted by: mattlear
I've had IBS for about 10 years. I've been on a cocktail of drugs over the years, from levbid, belladonna, all the way up to amitryptilene. (the antidepressant really wacked me out, even though it was in a much lower dosage than normal - I had to stop taking it, and it wasnt really working anyways)

Nothing seems to work for me. I had a test to confirm that I am not lactose intolerant, I've been scoped more times than an alien abduction victim.

It has gotten so bad that I'm afraid to go out sometimes, because I dont want to have an episode in a public place.

I finally visited my GE again and requested that certain tests be done. Namely,
Lactose intolerance
Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth
Celiac's disease

I also requested being put on a new drug called MotofenMotefen.

I'm having an endoscopy (EGD) next friday to take some samples and test for celiac's and SIBO. We'll see how that goes.

If you want to ask any questions, send me a PM and I'll try and help the best I can.

-Matt

I know how you feel i been working on this problem for almost 4 years now. Over the last three years the problem increased from like 1 or twice a week to every day. I been proved and tried lots of pills. I have had celiac tests, colonoscopy twice, endoscopy once. Every test comes back negative. On paper i seem healthy but i'm not.

 

[skrilla]

I was diagnosed with colitis a few months ago. I've had my share of bad bowel movements - bloody ones, etc.

How much have you looked into your diet?
I was able to 'break' my last cycle (which lasted for months) by avoiding anything that basically fed the yeast and other bad bacteria in my colon (white sugars, bread, junkfood, etc.) - and eating some good yogurt (with acidophilus cultures) - to combat the bad bacteria - from the natural food store. Also ate a lot of fruit, veggies. Cut out all the junk in my diet. There are also some good books on Amazon dealing with IBS.

I know sometimes the diet/natural stuff can come off as hokus pokus, but you will try anything when you are crapping blood 10 times a day.