# Ibs



## steely (Oct 7, 2007)

Does anyone here have IBS?If so,how do you deal with it?I've been diagnosed and it's killing me.I'm afraid to eat,afraid not to eat.I'm completely at a loss.Help anyone,please?


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## tonynyc (Oct 7, 2007)

steely said:


> Does anyone here have IBS?If so,how do you deal with it?I've been diagnosed and it's killing me.I'm afraid to eat,afraid not to eat.I'm completely at a loss.Help anyone,please?



Hi Steely:
Sorry to hear that you are going through this - I don't suffer from IBS; but, have included a link below.

I've had to take care of my mom who had to deal with diviticulitis- surgery for a colostomy and reversal of the colostomy. She's changed her eating habits and after seeing what she went through - I made some modifications as well. 

I guess for starters you have to see which food are causing you distress and what your doctor reccommends. I've enclosed a link below on IBS and support groups - hopefully this can be a small start along with advice that more knowledgeable Dimmers may have....

http://www.ibsgroup.org/


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## steely (Oct 7, 2007)

Thanks,Tony,
I'm sorry to hear about your Mom.That makes what I've got sound like a day in the park.Hope she's doing better.Thanks for the link,I'll check it out now


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## kathynoon (Oct 7, 2007)

I have IBS. To a large part, you figure out what you can control, then you get used to the rest.

When it first started acting up with me, it was so awful, I spent many days wishing I would die to put me out of my misery.

I can't eat too much or I have trouble. I can't eat too little or I have trouble also. I find I can eat more at lunch then at dinner, because there is more time to process it before I go to bed. If I go to bed full, I am just asking for trouble.

What I had to do with foods is cut out a lot of what I was eating, then reintroduce each seperately to see which I can tolerate and which I cannot. I have trouble with many fruits. I can have milk and ice cream in small amounts. I have to have a big bowl of bran flakes each day. I try to eat a lot of rice. Each person has different food they can tolerate.

I tend to always want to be places where there a bathroom nearby. Most times I do not need it, but I do, I don't want to be stuck.

I did not go on any of the medications for IBS. If my symptons were to get much worse, I would consider it. Right now they are not too bad. I usually always have some level of pain, but that has become the norm for me.

I did read some articles and books. I tried the support group mailing list, but I stopped. No one person seemed to have symptons exactly like me. But I know that they help a lot of people. I'd say give it a try and see if it helps you.

Good luck dealing with this.


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## steely (Oct 7, 2007)

I really am at the point of wishing I would die so I could get some relief.I've been living on toast,saltines and occasional bowl of soup.I know I'm not getting enough to eat but I just don't want to eat,I'm afraid.They put me on Levsin.I hate medications but I'd take anything to get rid of the pain.

Thanks for the heads up.I've already gotten rid of milk and ice cream.I guess I'll just keep cutting things out but I'm already down to toast and so forth.I guess I should start adding back in.

The hard thing is the fact that my doctor doesn't really know what to do either.As you say,everyone has such different symptoms.Thanks for letting me know that I'm not alone.


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## BubbleButtBabe (Oct 8, 2007)

I hate IBS..It is a horrible condition!! When I first had my gallbladder out IBS was a source of a lot of bathroom visits..Took me a few years to figure out what was triggering it and what wasn't..Like others have posted it is a game of take a certain food out of the diet, then add it back to see if it is a trigger..

I have to be careful with the type of fiber I digest..Iceberg lettuce is bad as is corn..I can tolerate a good bran cereal in the mornings with enough milk to wet the cereal...I have noticed tho since I have began to eat a carton of yogurt each day my IBS seems to be under control...I try to drink plenty of water during the day and fight the stress in my life..I only have fried foods once a week(big time cut down) and salads at least twice a week..

I have more constipation then I do the diarrhea,so the water and more fiber,as well as the yogurt in my diet helps..

I hope you find a good medium so you can go back to eating regular foods..Just remember try not to stress to much or it will cause an attack..


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## steely (Oct 8, 2007)

I think the stress is what has me out of whack now.I'm so bewildered by the whole thing I just want to have a breakdown.That is not helping at all.


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## BubbleButtBabe (Oct 8, 2007)

I am so sorry it has you stressed out...Just remember there are millions of us out here that have the same thing and it can be controlled..

I noticed you have not been adding some kind of fiber to your diet..You need fiber,even if it is just the fiber pills,added to your diet it helps with both the diarrhea and with the constipation..I would suggest something easy such as bran cereal with a minimum amount of milk,maybe some whole wheat bread as well..I wouldn't do fresh fruit just yet until you have a hold on your IBS..


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## Jane (Oct 8, 2007)

Eggs tear me up like nothing else.


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## steely (Oct 8, 2007)

BubbleButtBabe said:


> I am so sorry it has you stressed out...Just remember there are millions of us out here that have the same thing and it can be controlled..
> 
> I noticed you have not been adding some kind of fiber to your diet..You need fiber,even if it is just the fiber pills,added to your diet it helps with both the diarrhea and with the constipation..I would suggest something easy such as bran cereal with a minimum amount of milk,maybe some whole wheat bread as well..I wouldn't do fresh fruit just yet until you have a hold on your IBS..



I do take metamucil every night.I've been adding oatmeal in the mornings.I seem to have real issues with wheat.Thats all I've been eating and things aren't improving.I haven't tried eggs or any kind of meat yet.I can tell the lack of protein.I'm lactose intolerant so I gave up milk a long time ago.I didn't give up cheese or butter but I'm thinking that probably needs to go ,too.There is so much trial and error but I am feeling better about not being alone.Theres a real solitude with this condition.


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## tonynyc (Oct 8, 2007)

steely said:


> I do take metamucil every night.I've been adding oatmeal in the mornings.I seem to have real issues with wheat.Thats all I've been eating and things aren't improving.I haven't tried eggs or any kind of meat yet.I can tell the lack of protein.I'm lactose intolerant so I gave up milk a long time ago.I didn't give up cheese or butter but I'm thinking that probably needs to go ,too.There is so much trial and error but I am feeling better about not being alone.Theres a real solitude with this condition.



*
Hi Steely:

Thanks my mom is feeling much better. He recovery has been a journey of sorts. I guess when we look at different illnesses it all can see like a walk in the park-but, each has it's own rough spots. I'm glad that you are feeling better and that there are Dimmers here to help 
*


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## JerseyGirl07093 (Oct 9, 2007)

I've had IBS for years too. Sometimes it's been not so bad and other times it's been hell. There was a time in my life when I felt like I was literally chained to the bathroom. I hardly ever left the house and forget about ever eating out.
Having IBS caused me anxiety and the anxiety didn't help the IBS so it was a vicious circle.
Years ago I tried the drug Lotronex when it first came out and it worked really well for me. It was the first time that I felt like I could actually get better. They took it off the market and I stopped taking it. I was one of the first people in line when it came back on the market but when I took it this time it didn't seem to work the same or as well.
My IBS has been much better lately but only because I have a much more painful condition, neuropathy. The medication that I take for that has pretty much gotten my IBS in check. I had the type of IBS where I had diarrhea and the medication I take for the neuropathy causes constipation so they kind of cancel each other out. I'd hate to think how constipated I'd be if I didn't have IBS to begin with.
Good luck, I know what hell IBS can be.


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## steely (Oct 9, 2007)

Thanks Jersey,
Sorry to hear about the neuropathy.Hope you feel better,too.


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## BLUEeyedBanshee (Oct 9, 2007)

I was diagnosed with IBS. However, later on they found out it wasn't IBS it was Celiac. Have they done a celiac blood panel on ya? 

I know I probably sound like a broken record to some of ya on here. But Celiac sprue is more common than most folks think. Also, most doctors don't suspect celiac if you're overweight in the least. It used to be thought that you can't have celiac unless you're wasting away. This is not true. 

Since I finally got to the heart of the matter, and now avoid gluten like the plague, I don't have the bloating, cramping, gas ,or diarrhea I used to have at all. Another great thing is I no longer have to take my iron pills, my iron deficiency disappeared. (A good sign that my intestines are healing and I'm finally getting good absorption.) Also, no longer have a lower calcium or potassium level either. 

I know the fear of eating or of not eating...the fear of going anywhere that I don't know that there's a private toilet (I despise public restrooms) 

I hope you find what works for you.


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## steely (Oct 9, 2007)

Thet haven't done that yet.I've been researching Celiac and I think that may be an issue.I was on a low carb diet for 4 months.I was feeling great.I quit taking Zantac because I never had heartburn anymore.Long story short,I've got gastritis now.Once that heals I'm going back to no wheat.I really felt better


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## BLUEeyedBanshee (Oct 9, 2007)

It'd be a good idea. Throughout the years, I've taken zantac, tagamet, prilosec, prevacid and so on. Anymore, I no longer need to take them. However, before you go to a no wheat thing, ask the doc to do the draw. If you have the item in your system that increases the antibodies and will give you a truer reading...If you would have told me 2 years ago that I would feel this much better after being diagnosed and not on any meds, I wouldn't have believed you. It takes the body a while to fully heal, but the energy is awesome.


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## steely (Oct 9, 2007)

I will have them do the test.I go back in a week and a half to be rechecked.I'd really been feeling better without the bread.Who knew that the acid was still building up?After about 4 months doing great then everything I ate for weeks would just kill me.Since I've been taking the Nexium my stomach feels much better.If I could just get the bathroom under control I think I might make it.
Off hand could you suggest a resource about celiac that was helpful to you?
I would be really grateful,Thanks,
Amy


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## BLUEeyedBanshee (Oct 9, 2007)

celiac.com is actually a great website.


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## steely (Oct 10, 2007)

Thank you


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## ChubbyBlackSista (Oct 14, 2007)

Irritable bowel syndrome they have a medecine for that I can't remember what its called at this moment but they do have a medecine for it


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## BLUEeyedBanshee (Oct 15, 2007)

They do have Zelnorm out there for IBS. However, it's only for IBS with constipation, not with diarrhea. (I'm not aware of an IBS med for IBS with diarrhea)


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