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Help my IBS is killing me

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pichuchy21

pichuchy21

Shiny_Rock
Joined
Apr 26, 2008
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334
UGH I hate having all these digestive issues. I have IBS irritable bowel syndrome and delayed gastric emptying have tried just about everything to help the symptoms, but stuff only works for a bit and then the symptoms flare back up. Lately every time I eat my stomach bloats so much that I look like I am 9 months preggo I feel so uncomfortable. Anyone else have these problems? Can you recommend any natural remedies to help ease the bloating? Thanks in advance for your help.
7.gif
 
I don''t have diagnosed IBS, but i did suffer from really bad digestive issues for years (and still do from time to time--esp bloating) the only thing that has made a HUGE difference for me was
a) eating 6 or so pitted prunes with a large glass of water each and every day
b) completely omitting dairy from my diet

don''t know if you have tried either, but prunes are excellent for regularity and that is key for minimizing bloating. Dairy, even if you don''t think your are lacotose intolerant or have an allergy, is so difficult for most ppl to digest. You''ve probably tried this, but make sure if you haven''t that you really, truly give it a try. Many ppl say, "oh ya, i avoided dairy for a few weeks and it did nothing" but really they were still eating foods with dairy in the ingredients or having a piece of chocolate here or there. A true elimination is so tough but worth it in the end.

Lastly, a friend of mine with IBS have had sucess with the principles from the book Raw Food Detox Diet (diet is used in the very general sense of the word). I read the book and i agree with a lot of the theory, but it is an extreme change in lifestyle. I adopted some of the ideas in my own life (esp juicing fresh vegtables in the AM) and noticed a big impovement in the way i felt. It''s worth taking a look at--even if you just check out the website.
DIET
 
Hugs, girl, I know its awful.

Jas, do you not eat any of your beautiful cuppies?? That seems tragic!

I did a true elimination diet for about 8 weeks (till I got derailed) and it was, indeed, insanely hard. Nothing could have dairy, wheat, or sugar (among many other things) in the ingredients. However, when I started it I was having those severe bloat issues that you mention, and after about 2 weeks on the elimination, I stopped having them.

I still think about redoing the diet (overall would take FOREVER, since it''s 6 weeks off all possible irritants and then add one at a time for a week, so we are talking months here), to see if that would help pinpoint whatever it is that causes my flare-ups, since it has all just gotten worse.

As far as finding something to ease the bloat in the moment, sorry to say I haven''t had any luck there.

Sorry I couldn''t help more, just know that you are not alone, I completely understand your frustration. I am actually headed out the door ATM to get a camera shoved down my throat to check for GERD as well. Par-tay.

I will dig up some stuff on the elimination diet later and post it, if you are interested.
 
I have a good friend with severe IBS and I just wanted to say I''m sorry, and I hope that you can find relief.
 
Along with dairy, you can try complete removal of gluten products. You need to read labels carefully because gluten can often be called by other names. Do a comprehensive google search.

Elimination of both foods products for AT LEAST 3 weeks is recommended. If you crave carbs, eat rice or corn.
 
Sorry to hear about your tummy problems! My DH also has IBS. He watches his fiber intake very carefully - Metamucil 2x per day, lots of water and tries to stay away from sugary beverages like soda or juices. It also helps him to limit his dairy intake as that seems to make the symptoms worse. I hope you start feeling better soon!
 
hi pichuchy :)

i''ve done a cleansing program and it really helped. helped my friends, also. it''s drnatura.com take a look at the photos - it''s enough to convince ANYone to do a cleanse. i did it for 3 months and just ate normally, and it was fabulous. relaxed my gut like nothing before or since.
 
Date: 7/14/2009 10:00:38 AM
Author: Jas12
I don''t have diagnosed IBS, but i did suffer from really bad digestive issues for years (and still do from time to time--esp bloating) the only thing that has made a HUGE difference for me was

a) eating 6 or so pitted prunes with a large glass of water each and every day

b) completely omitting dairy from my diet


don''t know if you have tried either, but prunes are excellent for regularity and that is key for minimizing bloating. Dairy, even if you don''t think your are lacotose intolerant or have an allergy, is so difficult for most ppl to digest. You''ve probably tried this, but make sure if you haven''t that you really, truly give it a try. Many ppl say, ''oh ya, i avoided dairy for a few weeks and it did nothing'' but really they were still eating foods with dairy in the ingredients or having a piece of chocolate here or there. A true elimination is so tough but worth it in the end.


Lastly, a friend of mine with IBS have had sucess with the principles from the book Raw Food Detox Diet (diet is used in the very general sense of the word). I read the book and i agree with a lot of the theory, but it is an extreme change in lifestyle. I adopted some of the ideas in my own life (esp juicing fresh vegtables in the AM) and noticed a big impovement in the way i felt. It''s worth taking a look at--even if you just check out the website.

DIET
Click to expand...


Thank you for the website I will check it out. I have not tried eliminating dairy out totally, but these past few days I have noticed that milk and cheese make me bloat twice as much. Went out and bought some soy milk today will see if that helps.
 
Date: 7/14/2009 10:12:16 AM
Author: Miscka
Hugs, girl, I know its awful.


Jas, do you not eat any of your beautiful cuppies?? That seems tragic!


I did a true elimination diet for about 8 weeks (till I got derailed) and it was, indeed, insanely hard. Nothing could have dairy, wheat, or sugar (among many other things) in the ingredients. However, when I started it I was having those severe bloat issues that you mention, and after about 2 weeks on the elimination, I stopped having them.


I still think about redoing the diet (overall would take FOREVER, since it''s 6 weeks off all possible irritants and then add one at a time for a week, so we are talking months here), to see if that would help pinpoint whatever it is that causes my flare-ups, since it has all just gotten worse.


As far as finding something to ease the bloat in the moment, sorry to say I haven''t had any luck there.


Sorry I couldn''t help more, just know that you are not alone, I completely understand your frustration. I am actually headed out the door ATM to get a camera shoved down my throat to check for GERD as well. Par-tay.


I will dig up some stuff on the elimination diet later and post it, if you are interested.
Click to expand...

Sorry you have to have an endoscopy...those stink. I have GERD as well and the prevacid 30 minutes before my meals really helps out. Hope your endoscopy comes back negative. Good luck
 
Date: 7/14/2009 11:43:21 AM
Author: Haven
I have a good friend with severe IBS and I just wanted to say I''m sorry, and I hope that you can find relief.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the post. I really appreciate it!
 
MC-I will start today eliminating Dairy out of my diet since the past few days that seems to be what makes it work. Thanks for the advice. I will try the Gluten stuff as well. I just want to feel better.

Diva-Sorry to hear your hubby has this as well. I only drink water and watered down OJ cause when I drink anything else I feel miserable.

Whitby-Thanks for the site I will look into it tonight.

I also started taking this product called Align today it''s for IBS with constipation which is what I have and it contains one billion bifantis bacteria per pill which is suppose to help with the IBS symptoms. A friend of mines who works for a GI doctor recommended it. It contains no medication, but is suppose to be really good. Its over the counter too. I also picked up a supplement that aids in digestion at Mother earth my friend told me about it last night and says he acupuncturist recommended it. I hope this stuff works cause I''m so tired of feeling miserable. I also made an appt. at the family physician for next week. I don''t want to go back to my GI doctor he is useless made me have all these expensive tests done and basically told me there is nothing that can be done for me. Thank you all for the valuable information I will look into the site ya''ll gave me. Thank you!
 
Hi Pichuchy, I''m so sorry to hear what you''re going through. I''ve been suffering w/ the same thing for years and I hear ya on the pregnant stomach look. Sometimes I couldn''t see my feet! I actually just started seeing a new doc about a month ago and here''s where I am so far:

1st appt - blood work, checked for H-pylori (I was negative) - you may want to get tested for that.
2nd appt - perscribed a Rx for IBS. I was on it for about 2 weeks and it was horrible. I was a total stress case/witch, gained a pound or 2 (really pissed me off) and had some hair loss. So I stopped taking it. I worked out super hard the following week and I felt a bit better (probably burned those out of my system)
3rd appt - we talked again about dairy and I said I''d try no dairy next. Well today is 1 whole week w/out dairy and I only had 2 upset stomachs (the 1st 2 days of no dairy).

So far it''s working really well. I''m going to try to go at least another week or 2 to make sure that''s what it is and then if that''s the case I''ll buy some Lactaid and just take that before I want dairy (but I''ll still really limit my dairy intake anyway). It has been a little hard though, I love cheese so that''s been hard to resist. But anything''s better than those horrible stomach pains.

I hope the non-dairy diet will work for you. good luck!
 
Pichuchy--just be aware that soy is very hard for some ppl to digest too (since it is a bean product) I can''t tolerate it at all and i hear this is common of ppl who can''t tolerate dairy. If you want another milk substitute i have found the best one is almond milk (tastes better too!)



Mischka--i feel best if i totally, completely omit dairy, but that doesn''t mean i always do
40.gif
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Date: 7/13/2009 11:35:18 PM
Author:pichuchy21
UGH I hate having all these digestive issues. I have IBS irritable bowel syndrome and delayed gastric emptying have tried just about everything to help the symptoms, but stuff only works for a bit and then the symptoms flare back up. Lately every time I eat my stomach bloats so much that I look like I am 9 months preggo I feel so uncomfortable. Anyone else have these problems? Can you recommend any natural remedies to help ease the bloating? Thanks in advance for your help.
7.gif
Click to expand...
so sorry you have to go through this. I have IBS, but it is not bad. I know IBS is tough to pin down and control.
 
Date: 7/14/2009 9:10:11 PM
Author: asscher_girl
Hi Pichuchy, I''m so sorry to hear what you''re going through. I''ve been suffering w/ the same thing for years and I hear ya on the pregnant stomach look. Sometimes I couldn''t see my feet! I actually just started seeing a new doc about a month ago and here''s where I am so far:


1st appt - blood work, checked for H-pylori (I was negative) - you may want to get tested for that.

2nd appt - perscribed a Rx for IBS. I was on it for about 2 weeks and it was horrible. I was a total stress case/witch, gained a pound or 2 (really pissed me off) and had some hair loss. So I stopped taking it. I worked out super hard the following week and I felt a bit better (probably burned those out of my system)

3rd appt - we talked again about dairy and I said I''d try no dairy next. Well today is 1 whole week w/out dairy and I only had 2 upset stomachs (the 1st 2 days of no dairy).


So far it''s working really well. I''m going to try to go at least another week or 2 to make sure that''s what it is and then if that''s the case I''ll buy some Lactaid and just take that before I want dairy (but I''ll still really limit my dairy intake anyway). It has been a little hard though, I love cheese so that''s been hard to resist. But anything''s better than those horrible stomach pains.


I hope the non-dairy diet will work for you. good luck!
Click to expand...

I''m glad to hear that eliminating dairy helps I hope it helps me too. I have had a bunch of bloodwork done, but none to test for h-pylori when I go in for my appt next week I will bring it to my doctors attention. Thanks for the advice I know you know how much it sucks to have all these stomach issues.
 
Date: 7/14/2009 10:58:33 PM
Author: Jas12
Pichuchy--just be aware that soy is very hard for some ppl to digest too (since it is a bean product) I can''t tolerate it at all and i hear this is common of ppl who can''t tolerate dairy. If you want another milk substitute i have found the best one is almond milk (tastes better too!) ''

Thanks for the info I had some cereal tonight with the soy milk and my stomach was hurting so much I seriously felt like I was passing a stone....on top of the IBS I have gallstones that my doctor chose not to have removed he claims I don''t need to. I will look into the almond milk sounds yummy.




Mischka--i feel best if i totally, completely omit dairy, but that doesn''t mean i always do
40.gif
.
Click to expand...
 
I second the suggestion of cutting out wheat and gluten-containing food. Even if you don''t have Celiac Disease, many people are sensitive to wheat and gluten and this sensitivity can show through IBS symptoms, chronic fatigue, and joint pain/inflammation.

I''ve got Celiac''s and I''m really bad about staying on the diet, so I know allll about the bloat/stomach problems that go along with it. I also have to watch dairy and eggs as they''re really hard on my system (the place where your body puts out those digestive enzymes is the same place that''s affected by Celiac''s). As of Monday I''m on the gluten free wagon. I''ve got to get my system into shape so DH and I can start TTC this winter.
 
So have any of you had an endoscopy? What did they see? Sorry for the slight threadjack...
 
I've had it all...endoscopy, colonoscopy, biopsys, etc... The endoscopy isn't that bad. There's no prep required other than not eating after a certain time and they give you drugs to make you loopy. I'm not saying it's a pleasurable experience by any means (I wasn't so loopy the first time that I don't remember anything), but it's FAR better than the other end...The CD causes the villi in my intestines to errode or lie flat so my intestines looked smooth as opposed to bumpy which is normal. See pics below from webMD. ETA: top pics are from a normal person, bottom pics are from someone with CD.

afp20071215p1795-u3.jpg
 
Thanks, HH. Mine came back "normal" which was really frustrating. I am glad its nothing on one hand, but on the other I am tired of living with all these issues. I did have a slightly elevated celiac panel at one point, but not enough for them to worry ab it.

Seeing my insides is weird, btw.
 
Well like I said some people are sensitive to gluten even though they don''t have CD.
 
Interesting. Perhaps I will cut it out for awhile to see. How long did it take you to tell a difference?

Thanks again for weighing in
1.gif
 
Date: 7/15/2009 11:53:37 AM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Well like I said some people are sensitive to gluten even though they don''t have CD.
Click to expand...
Hudson, I thought it was dangerous for those with CD to eat gluten. . .such as it will cause nerve damage and various other problems?
 
It is, the "cure for CD" is a gluten free diet. However, there are people who are sensitive to it and therefore symptomatic, though not officially intolerant and diagnosed with the condition.
 
I''m back with an update...I have been taking the align twice a day and it has really helped with the bloating and abdominal pains I haven''t had any dairy products for about a week now and I am starting to see a difference. I tried the almond milk and like it better that the soy so I think I will stick with that. I went to my family physician today to discuss some issues and I am very unhappy with this doctor so made an appt with another doctor for this friday. I was explaining to her the fact that I think in the past about 6 yrs ago I was told I had polycystic ovaries, but I can''t remember for sure so I asked her if I can have some testing done to see if that is indeed the case and she basically said NO that I should try taking Paxil and see if that helps with the stress/anxiety and that could be the cause of my abnormal periods. I was also concerned b/c I saw on TV this show about how many woman get misdiagnosed with IBS and really have ovarian cancer so I figured it wouldn''t hurt to have an ultrasound of my ovaries done that way they can check for both the polycystic ovaries and any abnormalities. I also explain to her my concern with my weight I have been going to the gym now for 2 weeks 5 times a week 45 min a day and have gained 7 lbs how is that possible her response was that she will check my thyroid....I told her it was checked a month ago by the GI doctor so obviously thats not the problem. She also thinks I have high blood pressure....I was like WHAT I have been going to this doctor for 1 yr now and now is when she decides to tell me that. She said watch my salt intake for 6 weeks and she will determine then if I need to be on meds for that. Sorry for the long post but I just feel like this doctor is not really helping me. Hopefully the one I see of Friday listens to my concerns and provides me with some answers.
 
Does your insurance cover an ND? When I decided to be tested for food allergies, I called around and found a clinic to go to that was entirely natural and the ND gave me great advice, in addition to the testing. It's nice to combine modern and alternative medicine to receive a well-rounded perspective on your health.
 
Whats an ND? Sorry if that is a stupid q.
 
Also, pichuchy, if you don''t like soy milk you should also try rice milk! I like it better. Haven''t tried almond, but just in case you want to try something else
1.gif
 
Pichuchy--anxiety and digestion issues can be related. In both directions. If you feel nervous and on edge if can effect your digestion & cause bloating, but also, i''ve read the toxins etc. in the bowel can actually cause feelings of anxiety/dizziness. This was my experience. I used to have strange dizzy feelings and my husband actually made the connection that when i complained of being really "blocked up'' it corresponded to when i felt dizzy and the dizziness made me anxious b/c i didn''t understand it. So you may find that when you get your IBS under control you will feel better in other ways too.
Did you try adding a big handful of pitted prunes into your diet. Really, this is something i can''t omit from my diet. Many of the other fibers like bran, or cereal with psyllium etc. only bloat me up more (which makes me suspect i have a mild wheat intolerace) For me, the fiber has to be fruit or vegetable matter. It''s very different. So, i am just suggesting it again b/c it doesn''t hurt to try along with an elimination diet or something.
Good to hear you are feeling better--i''d keep going no dairy for at least another 2 weeks and judge after that. If yu don''t notice i big difference i would omit gluten for sure. That is much harder to avoid, so hopefully you have success with the simpler adjustments.
good luck--i hope you get some answers from the new Dr. Be firm!
 
Date: 7/22/2009 11:45:26 AM
Author: Jas12
Pichuchy--anxiety and digestion issues can be related. In both directions. If you feel nervous and on edge if can effect your digestion & cause bloating, but also, i''ve read the toxins etc. in the bowel can actually cause feelings of anxiety/dizziness. This was my experience. I used to have strange dizzy feelings and my husband actually made the connection that when i complained of being really ''blocked up'' it corresponded to when i felt dizzy and the dizziness made me anxious b/c i didn''t understand it. So you may find that when you get your IBS under control you will feel better in other ways too.

Did you try adding a big handful of pitted prunes into your diet. Really, this is something i can''t omit from my diet. Many of the other fibers like bran, or cereal with psyllium etc. only bloat me up more (which makes me suspect i have a mild wheat intolerace) For me, the fiber has to be fruit or vegetable matter. It''s very different. So, i am just suggesting it again b/c it doesn''t hurt to try along with an elimination diet or something.

Good to hear you are feeling better--i''d keep going no dairy for at least another 2 weeks and judge after that. If yu don''t notice i big difference i would omit gluten for sure. That is much harder to avoid, so hopefully you have success with the simpler adjustments.

good luck--i hope you get some answers from the new Dr. Be firm!
Click to expand...


Thanks for the reply I forgot to mention earlier that I started drinking prune juice one glass once a day followed by a bottle of water my dad use to make me drink it when I was little to help with constipation. I have been visiting the bathroom more often. On Friday when I go see the new doctor I am going to be very firm I just want to make sure that I am ok and not about to die any minute. I have made a list of the things I want to discuss. I will report back in once I go to the appt.

MC-I am not sure if my insurance covers an ND I will have to call and find out. Thanks for the input.
 
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