IBS: Anybody else struggle with this?

B

beanqueen

Cathlete
hi,

cathe's forums have always been a wonderful source of information not only on fitness but a variety of topics, so i thought i'd go out on a limb, and see if anybody here has experience with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and if so, what have you done with diet to cope with or overcome it?

thank you so much.
 
Hi, I have a friend at work who suffers with this. All I know is she has to really watch eating high-fat foods. So, for example, she is careful to eat very small amounts of ice cream or not at all. She also does not eat any fried foods or anything that might have butter in it and that kind of thing. I know she does not have a problem with cheese however. Anyway, that's all I know. :)

Edited to add: I know if she follows this kind of diet and eats high fiber foods, she has few problems.

Jo
 
Hi beanqueen,

I suffer from IBS and have found that stress plays a role for me (although the medical community has mixed thoughts about this). I've found that eating lots of fiber and fruits and vegetables and drinking lots of h2o is helpful.

Hope you get some more answers.

take care
Maggie
 
Hey Lady, all I can HIGHLY recommend you to do is a colonoscopy. Yes, I know it's rough, the bowel prep and all, but still, do it! ( I am being very sarcastic) What are you going to hurt. Do it & take control. I am a nurse who admits & discharges a lot of colonoscopy patients. Piece of cake! You can do it. I'd rather you be safe than sorry. You can always email me if you have any doubts.

Marla
 
thanks so much for your response. :)

marla...actually, i have had a colonoscopy already...my IBS diagnosis came after "many" diagnostic tests. unforutnately, since there is no cure for IBS...i'm trying to somehow find a way of eating that might afford me a 'normal life'. :)

thanks again!
 
I use to have IBS all the time before eating clean. Now I have no problems, but I do have problems with drinking the protein drinks and bars as they make me gassy. EW!

:7

Charlotte~~
 
I grew up with a "nervous stomach" as a kid and was formally diagnosed with IBS as an adult. Mine is definitely stress-related.

Here's what helped me: First, the one thing that really helped me start getting it under control was using Metamucil daily--a friend of mine who also has IBS told me about it and it absolutely saved my life at the time--I was at the point where my symptoms were so bad it was hard to get work done at the office. The fiber powder--not the capsules--somehow kicked my GI system back onto an even keel. I used it daily for a few years, but now only go back to it when I get a flare-up, which happens mainly when I'm under extreme pressure at work.

Second, exercise: When I was first diagnosed in my 20s, I did workout (I ice skated 5 days/week) :). That helped some, but it wasn't until I got into heavy duty cardio in my 30s that I found that it controlled my IBS. I racewalk about 5 miles a day--it really keeps things under control, esp on days when things are going nuts at work and my stomach is reacting.

Third, unfortunately, time: Ugh, I know this isn't particularly helpful to say to you, but it has gotten better with age for me. Maybe I'm learnign to deal with stress better? If so and if your IBS is stress-related, then maybe a program that teaches you to cope better with stress will help--meditation or yoga, perhaps? It might be worth a shot. :) I did once hear about biofeedback programs for IBS, too.

I haven't tried the new meds that are out there for IBS--for me personally it's not worth the potential side effects, but that's just a decision that is right for my individual circumstances.

Hope this helps--keep trying to find something that works for you!
 
IBS W/ constipation. :p

thanks for your responses...to make things more complicated i not only have IBS, but i also have gastritis and GERDS in the upper GI. does complicate matters further.

i'm hoping that as i'm able to start eating again, and get some energy back, as well as get over this cold (which is probably lingering longer because of dietary problems) i'll be able to work out a bit..(DEFINITELY NOT at the hardcore series level..yikes! ).

thanks again.
 
Good for you. Now if I could only get DH to do the same. He is so stubborn! I think he has IBS too.

Marla
 
I had a month long bout with IBS type symptoms. I can't say for sure I have/had IBS. I started taking Super Enzymes from Now supplements, they are just digestive enzymes, and I've gone back to normal in just a week. Whew! Thank goodness. That was one of the roughest months of my life!!
 
>thanks for your responses...to make things more complicated i not only have IBS, but i also have gastritis and GERDS in the upper GI. does complicate matters further. <

I had upper GI problems too, mainly in my 20s. It still flares up every once in a while, but not as bad as it used to be. The metamucial *really* helped me with it, but I would check with your doctor first, especially if you're on medication.

Also, I've upped the fiber content of my diet a lot since I was diagnosed way back when--lots of fruits and veggies, plus whole grains and a big bowl of oatmeal every a.m.--and lots of water. I think it has helped me.
 
thanks, bunbun :) i hope to be able to start eating again..and look forward to the time when i can eat veggies, fruit and whole grains...IF my stomach/intenstines will tolerate it. recently, it hasn't done well with any foods. :(

boy, the days when i was younger..and could EAT ANYTHING...workout like a crazy woman...(sigh)....oh well....

onward...thanks again!
 
Good luck with it, Beanqueen. I have to baby my stomach at times, too. I like cream of wheat on those days. :) Anyhow, do you have a doctor who is willing to work with you on the problem? It sounds like your problem is a tough one and if so, you probably should work with your doctor on it rather than just taking our suggestions here. If you are thinking of trying Metamucil, I'd also ask your dr about that first, too. Plus, if you can and you have health insurance that covers it, have your doctor refer you to a GI specialist or at least a registered dietitian?
 
Beanqueen,
Those are the same issues I have. My gastroenterologist put me on Zelnorm and Glyco-Lax. I've been taking these rx’s for about four months and they don't seem to be helping. I recently went to a nutritionist who specializes in medical problems and he had me fill out pages and pages of questions, ran a few tests and recommended several products. It's only been a little over a week but the difference is unbelievable! I'm posting links if you would like to read about what he "prescribed",

Ultra FLora Plus DF:
http://www.metagenics.com/products/catalog/detail.asp?pid=87


CandiBactin-BR:
http://www.metagenics.com/products/catalog/detail.asp?pid=44


Ultra InflamX:
http://www.metagenics.com/products/spotlight/Kaprex/ultrainflamx.asp

If you would like information on my dosing, just let me know.
 
A low carb diet cured my IBS! Seriously. Since I started lowering my carbs a year ago, I've only had a few IBS episodes. I used to go 5-7 DAYS without going to the bathroom, then have terrible diarhea for a day. Now I am fairly regular. It's great to be normal! (In that regard anyway lol)
 
I had it for a while a few years ago, and I went to my doctor and he said that most New Yorkers have it! I kid you not. He was definitely of the mind that it is caused by stress, and it rang true for me.

You should know that although it lasted for some time (can't remember how long), it also went away and hasn't been back since. So please take heart!

-Nancy
 
thank you, everybody...what great info!

hmm..lowering the carbs...i was doing that for a while as well, and found that to be effective prior to my last 'ibs attack' (when i was trying an ibs diet which promoted high carbs! hmmmm... once i'm able to eat again, i want to try and revisit that method.) i was doing more of the food combining methodology, esp the idea of not mixing carbs and proteins, and found that to be effective. it's just that even at that time, i was soooo limited by what different foods i could tolerate. :( oh well...maybe this time around i'll be able to expand my horizons beyond 5 foods?!

jk, those links for the supplements were really interesting! i think i need to talk to my doctor, and find a good nutritionist like you did, and see if i can't find more specific foods/ways that i'd be able to eat! btw, how does that anti inflammatory drink taste? (oh, and also i'd be interested in your dosing. :) do you also adhere to the diet for the anti inflamm drink?)

thanks everybody...gosh, it's great to know that i'm not alone, and that others have found ways to cope with and overcome this ibs monster.

THANK YOU! :)
 
Beanqueen,

This is what he prescribed:

Ultra FLora Plus DF: 1 AM & 1 PM *

CandiBactin-BR: 1 AM & 1 PM for the first day, 2 AM & 2 PM for three days, 3 AM & 3 PM till gone. *

*Take on an empty stomach either one hour before or two hours after eating.


How does the Ultra InflamX taste? Well, I've only tried one of their "four delicious flavor options" and it wasn't so delicious. I bought the Chocolate Orange and if I camouflage it with fruit - bananas, raspberries, blueberries or a mix of all and sometimes peanut butter it tastes pretty good. (My husband thinks it's awful.) I'm supposed to drink two scoops twice a day instead of my regular protein drinks. (Each serving has 15 grams of protein.) He did not give me any dietary guidelines other than 5-6 meals a day including two servings of fresh fruit and vegetables. (The drink counts as two of the meals.)

Let me know if you have any additional questions. :)
 
thanks, jk...that's really helpful. regarding your doctor...(he sounds wonderful, btw.. :) ) was this doctor just a basic nutritionist, that specialized in food allergy type disorders? or was he a dietician...(gee wiz, what's the difference, anyways?! :eek:) i'm not quite sure what type of referral to ask my GI guy for...ya know? i tell ya, it's a maze of doctors, none of whom have been able to help me, aside from giving me prescriptions. :( btw, thanks for the heads up on the 'delicious flavor options' on that ultra imfalmx..eek..at this point, i can't have any fruit, so i won't have any camoflauging techniques available to me. :O i'll have to skip that supplement for now. (phew! ) ;)

thanks again so much for your help! :)
 
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