If you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you will know how difficult it is to treat. Doctors can be dismissive of IBS symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation and bloating, and when treatment is offered it may only help for a short while before the distressing symptoms return.
Sufferers often find that they have to deal with the symptoms themselves, through self-help methods and supplements, rather than by using conventional medicines. However, this does not mean that there is no hope of improvement. By sharing their experiences, sufferers can learn a lot about what really helps to ease IBS.
All the self-help tips in this article have come from IBS sufferers who have found a way to control their irritable bowels. Before trying any form of self-help, please make sure that you have your doctor's approval, and do check that anything you try will not interfere with any medication you are taking.
Calcium tablets
Linda, who suffers from severe diarrhea, says: "What has helped me for more than two years is calcium carbonate, an over-the-counter supplement. I take three tablets a day, one at each meal. The most success has come from using any formula of calcium supplement that is like Caltrate 600 Plus with vitamin D and minerals. The only side effect is at the beginning of taking the calcium you may have some gas or indigestion, but this usually goes away after taking a regular dose for a few days."
If you suffer from constipation rather than diarrhea, you could try magnesium supplements instead, as these can have a slight laxative effect.
Digestive enzymes and probiotics
Kim, who also suffers from bad diarrhea, says: "I tried taking digestive enzymes with acidophilus and found significant relief within three days. I am not afraid to eat now, but find that I still cannot eat very much refined sugar or high fibre vegetables. I have also added a cup or two per day of peppermint and chamomile tea. When I do have an episode it occurs late in the day and by the next morning I am feeling back to normal."
Looking at your diet
Laura describes how a close examination of her diet helped her IBS: "I was placed on every kind of medication, and sometimes they worked in the short term, sometimes they didn't work at all. The doctor finally suggested trying to alter my diet in cycles, and we discovered that eating meat was my problem. I became a vegetarian and no longer have constant problems. Sometimes I even go years without any pain at all. It's worth all the effort you put into it when you finally feel better."
Mina also found that dietary change helped control her symptoms, alongside traditional medication: "I've made a number of changes to my diet. I've eliminated milk and mostly any dairy, fried foods, sugar for the most part, pop, alcohol, potato chips, spicy food, rice, pasta and bread. Most recently I'm eliminating flour. But my best friend for the last couple of years has been Imodium Quick Dissolve tablets. I don't ever leave home without them. I just have to make sure I don't overdo it. If I ever become immune to the wonder drug I am gonna be a real mess!"
Flaxseed
Watching your diet is sometimes not enough to completely control the symptoms, and natural or herbal supplements can help, as Marion discovered: "After about six months of a horrendously restrictive diet (ultra low-fat vegan with no raw veggies or fruit except banana) and a lot of Metamucil, I managed to get it sort of under control. But if I deviated from the diet, the chronic diarrhea would come back. Someone I met told me that she had helped her IBS by taking a tablespoon of freshly ground flaxseed with a glass of water or juice every morning.
I thought it was another crackpot cure, but eventually I decided to try it. She had told me that pre-ground flaxseed didn't work because flax seed starts to oxidize as soon as you grind it and that whole flax seeds are no good either, because they cannot be digested properly. After years of IBS, in about two weeks it just went away. I cannot believe that I now have perfectly normal, regular bowel movements."
Fiber, water and yoga
Pam, who struggles with constipation, has developed a combination of things which work for her: "I drink Metamucil (psyllium fibre) every day and try to relax, pray or meditate, even do a little yoga. The more I make myself relax and take time to de-stress the better I can manage my problem. I know time for yourself is very hard to come by sometimes but I have to if I'm going to manage this. I try to drink at least three bottles of water a day. This is also hard sometimes but I have to take care of me the best I can. I also take a mild anti-depressant. This has helped a bunch in my stress department and in turn has helped my IBS."
Stress and IBS
Daniel believes that his symptoms are related to his emotions and stress: "I thought that when I was stuck on the toilet, experiencing the most severe cramps, thinking I was about to pass out from the pain, feeling like I was about to throw up, I was the only one. I'm still trying to work it out but I believe it has a lot to do with my psychological state. I say this because although I don't get too stressed out at any one moment, I do have general worries about money and life. I tend to find when I'm not worrying about these things I don't get the pain as much, if at all.
It's easier said than done of course, I can't just stop worrying about money or my future, but being aware of these things seems to help - being optimistic and knowing that everything is only temporary. I have been taking Colpermin (peppermint capsules) as a preventative which often helps and for a while I took painkillers which I think helped."
Soluble versus insoluble fiber
Some nutritionists believe that IBS sufferers' intestines react differently to soluble and insoluble fiber, and this has been Stu's experience: "After trying all kinds of drugs and healthy eating, my pains were still there. I found by accident that it wasn't so much what I ate but whether I ate it on a full stomach or not. My failsafe is pasta on an empty stomach, I get no reaction - it is soluble fibre that settles the colon apparently. I quickly searched on the internet for recipes high in soluble fibre and I have improved.
Most significantly though I am on no medication and this puts me in control of the IBS, not the other way around. I think this is important as stress certainly can trigger the symptoms off. I don't avoid insoluble fibre as it is essential for the body, but I recommend that you eat it on a full stomach."
Sophie Lee has suffered from IBS for more than 15 years. She runs the IBS Tales website at http://www.ibstales.com where you can read hundreds of personal experiences of IBS and self-help tips.
Consider this:Already since 1972, over 60 million people in the... Read More
As much as 95% of the population suffers from some... Read More
When you search online for Electric Wheelchairs, like any other... Read More
In September, 2004, pharmaceutical giant Merck voluntarily withdrew its painkilling... Read More
(NC)-In most cases insect bites are harmless and if left... Read More
Infant acid reflux is quite common. People of all ages,... Read More
Sinusitis and Sinus Infection Starts with a Little SniffleYes, I... Read More
When an unconscious patient arrives in the ED, every hospital... Read More
High blood pressure is on the rise worldwide. But, doctors... Read More
Americans are on the go. According to a NSGA Survey,... Read More
More and more people have started travelling to India for... Read More
Most writers suffer from a lack of discipline. The urge... Read More
If you are missing a tooth or a group of... Read More
How To Buy Your Way Out Of An Early Death... Read More
The pharmaceutical industry is a tremendously profitable one, as anyone... Read More
IntroductionAntibiotics are said to be the greatest contribution of modern... Read More
What's Insomnia?Identifying insomnia is a little like the old joke... Read More
It was Saturday morning and while I was making breakfast,... Read More
Please feel free to comment, so I may modify this... Read More
Warning: This article is for information only and can not... Read More
Have you been struggling to lose weight, but diet and... Read More
There are five basic types of drugstore laxatives you should... Read More
It is the reality of the 21st century medical practice... Read More
We cannot help but accept the fact that children do... Read More
As any dialysis patient will tell you, keeping your fluid... Read More
Before you decide to buy Lunesta, make sure you have... Read More
We all know that there's no such thing as cheap... Read More
Before computed tomographic (CT) scans became available in the 1970s,... Read More
Have you ever taken the drug Vioxx or celebrex? In... Read More
Sit down in a quiet place alone and take a... Read More
How does a mind contemplate itself? That's a philosophical question... Read More
It is very interesting this hypochondriac attitude which permeates our... Read More
Risperdal is an atypical anti-psychotic drug that balances the levels... Read More
Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a... Read More
Last year I told an acquaintance that at the age... Read More
Throughout time there have always been two opposing points of... Read More
Our modern preservatives and other pollutants like yellow dye no.... Read More
It just seemed too absurd to be true, but there... Read More
NEW YORK, N.Y., February 18, 2004 ? On a visit... Read More
For those who take Bextra, there are many warnings out... Read More
The NBC National News, quoted the Washington Post in March... Read More
I recently had a reader send me this comment:"As a... Read More
While everybody else is wandering around enjoying the spring weather,... Read More
In the case of Cerebral Palsy there is no one... Read More
When you ask what arthritis is, professinals will tell you... Read More
IntroductionAntibiotics are said to be the greatest contribution of modern... Read More
I am a strong believer in Cetyl Myristoleate for the... Read More
New antidepressant development, until fairly recently, was at best a... Read More
Personal injury attorneys representing clients who have allegedly been harmed... Read More
The U.S. government's annual bill for healthcare spending ? $3,925... Read More
Modern civilization has produced an unusually stressful environment to humans... Read More
How to find a doctor? There's no magical route to... Read More
Do you suffer from ulcers?If yes, what kind is it... Read More
This report will give you 22 important tips to make... Read More
The word Antibiotic is constructed from Greek words anti, which... Read More
NIH Official Altered Drug StudyDr. Edmund Tramont, director of the... Read More
On June17, 2005 Guidant Corporation recalled close to 50,000 heart... Read More
America's war on drugs, which has been fought in the... Read More
Doctors have been encouraged to prescribe the cholesterol-lowering drugs called... Read More
Vioxx is a prescription medication that has been used primarily... Read More
Your colon is a place for other parasites and organisms... Read More
As computers, Internet and technology have become increasingly more available... Read More
Warning: This article is for information only and can not... Read More
This is a true story.Yesterday, I picked up a new... Read More
"As an arthritis specialist, one area that I see people... Read More
Following the recall of Fen-Phen and Redux in 1999 (two... Read More
Medicine |