Any advice on how to cope with IBS?

Hi

It sounds like IBS but did you see a Dr. Or have any testing done just to make sure?

Vivian

My ibs is also worse with stress however I found symprove cleared up my symptoms. You can buy it direct from their site or on amazon. You take a small amount before you can eat in the morning and within a short period you should notice the difference. Mine is worse with dairy. Once I started taking it I could eat dairy without any issues.

1. You need to go to a Doctor.

2. Some people claim that stress triggers IBS; personally I haven't found that - some of my worst attacks have been on holidays, when I'm completely relaxed.

3. For me that it's food that triggers it, or more correctly certain foods.

4. If it is IBS try following the low FODMAP diet - best site for info is Monash University, who have done a lot of research on diet and IBS.

 

I had a colonscopy in 2011 and was diagnosed with IBS then. I really have been in severe pain with it.  You do need to go to your GP and get it diagnosed with a colonscopy as until then it is just guess work and it could be something else!  I was going through a lot of stress at the time, my husband was very ill and I was struggling to cope with problems with my daughter too!

So I do think stress was my trigger.  The only foods that I know to avoid are onions, which go right through me!  Also, tomatoes, especially when they are in a rich sauce.  I have tried so many products both from my GP and pharmacy but nothing was helping at all!   I have had a really bad flare up recently and in desperation I asked my pharmacist if he could suggest anything that would help the cramps and bloating and he suggested Kolanticon Gel.  I was sceptical but had nothing to lose.  I take it after meals as I know that is when the trouble is going to start!  I can only eat very small meals at the moment.  It has helped me a great deal.  Unfortunately, I am now having problems at the top of my stomach.  Probably due to taking Ibuprofen and Naproxen when I was waiting for a neck operation about 6 months ago.  I have had erosions in my stomach before through taking these but I was in so much pain with a trapped nerve in my neck.  I live in hope that once I have had my endoscopy at the beginning of August and found out what the pain is 'up top' I will hopefully be able to cope a bit better.  Kolanticon Gel seems to ease the cramps.  It has an antispasmodic, antiflatulent and an antacid, so it is helping me a bit with my pain 'up top' too.  It is definitely worth a try.  Hope it helps you while you get a diagnosis.

For short term relief on the dull stomach ache, I'd suggest a hot water bottle. Very simple but really effective-it helps me through bad nights of wind and bloating. Rich food is not nice for IBS. I'd suggest you keep a food diary, and note down when you've had a bad day of it with your IBS-there will be a pattern, but it is different for everyone so whatever triggers it for your mum won't neccessarily be what triggers it for you. If you think about it, though, rich food is hard for anyone to digest, so it's doubly hard for those of us with IBS. One thing I would suggest avoiding though is white bread as it's highly refined and not very nutritious or very easy to digest.

Anxiety is also a factor for me-I know that if I've got something important to do I need to eat foods that are easier to digest the night before and that day, as when I'm tense, it makes muscles tense in my stomach and bowel. Maybe combining the food diary with a mood diary-so what mood were you in and what did you eat that day.

Good luck. xx

i take mebeverine 125mg and buscopan 10 mg half an hour before each meal, onions, wheat and cabbage can be triggers, mornings are worse for me, 3 bowel movements before 10 an and i at night before bed, on the meds so no cramps, just a pretruding belly which i hate.

Hi I dont understand why you dont go straight to your doctor and tell her/him that you want testing to confirm that it is definately ibs   If it is ibs then the cheapest thing to do is to go on the FODMAP diet for 8 weeks or so and see if that makes the symptoms go away   If that works you have the solution.

This will take a very short time and you have a 70% chance that your problem is gone and you only have to fine tune your diet and then stick to it.

As far as I know the diet is not a cure - it identifies the foods that cause your IBS You have to continue with the expanded diet forever,    To most people with ibs that is not a big deal.   Many people have to avoid certain foods and they still manage to live happily.

Cheers

Hi. Sounds like IBS to me but you need to get it confirmed by GP. The situation at night sounds very familiar. I take Kolanticon Gel which is very good. I also try to drink plenty of water throughout the day/evening and use a hot water bottle. Maybe the bottle isn't cool but it helps my stomach. You are not a hypercondriac. The symptoms are real and horrid. All the best. By the way don't get uptight about not being able to sleep cos of pain as it will only make it worse!