help needed

Hi ray, stress is a very big factor in IBS. Also food intolerance. Sometimes when all else has failed finding out what food sets you off and eliminating it can bring a lot of relief.

There are many websites (and some other IBS posts here) that will give you good advice on diet and foodstuffs that are inclined to affect IBS.

Google - Diet for IBS , diet for bad digestion, what foods cause IBS? That sort of thing, you will get loads of helpful information.

Over the counter Motillium Instants are very helpful but you shouldn't take them all the time, just for flare ups. Also Buscopan and Colpermin, all help the symptoms Movicol sachets or Cream of Magnesia is helpful for constipated moments and Immodium for the opposite.

Cutting out alcohol, wheat products, full fat milk, cheese, ice cream, nuts, uncooked fruit and veg, fruit juices, spicy foods etc; all can help calm the gut down.

Eat Rice, white toast, crackers, cooked fruit and veg, grilled chicken and fish, oat products, jelllies (gelatin is very good and easily digested), light sponge but not fruit cake. Also a daily pro-biotic drink or pill is very helpful for most IBS sufferers. You do need to take them regularly for a week or so before you get the full effect. Some people only need a day or two though. Ginger tea, the proper stuff by Birt and Tang not Twinnings, with half a teaspoon of honey is wonderful for calming down a bloated unhappy tummy.(It comes in tea bags now).

So get researching food and it's affect on the body. Try slow breathing, spend at least 20 minutes a day sitting/lying with the curtains drawn and your eyes closed. Breath slowly and learn to relax more. gently rub your stomach and lower bowel area for a few minutes now and again. Give your poor body a rest and it will respond. Try not to get stressed by TV, learn to read a book again and listen to music and think calm. If you get het up count backwards slowly from 10 or 20, your whole body will slow down and you will feel better.

I'm sure your gp will give you a PPI like Lansoprazole to help for a while to help the acid, once your diet is better you will find you can stop them.

It's not really a diet that you need but re-education in what you put into your body. We are what we eat.

Hope I've given you some helpful tips.

Hi, Just joined, and really know what your going through, just been dignoised with ibs after miss dignosis last year and been through hell for thirteen months that has really taken over my life, totally agree in relaxsation which helps found meditation at night better in quite surroundings espically if you have children the best time can get free apps on this on your mobile .on omeprazole ppi but has destroyed my levels of b12 and folic as been on everyday for a year due to miss dignosis drink only herbal tea either peppermint or ginger and lemon with one sugar if i have an attack which will last for three days use the good old hotwater bottle drink plenty of tipid boiled water and also charcoal tablets for the dreaded d and imoduims when things get really bad found that bascopan releives the cramps but hate taking medication unless i cant control but also found a good hot bath what ever the time works and its close to the loo.

Hi!

I know exactly what you're going through. I suffered for quite a few years, until I had allergy testing. I discovered I have an intolerence to wheat/gluten/sugar/dairy products. I cut out bread/cakes/biscuits/sugar. I go careful with dairy products. For 5 days, I felt terrible (it's the toxins leaving your body) then I started to wake up feeling more energetic. Eventually, my life wasn't geared around toilet stops, but it took a long time. I now buy wheat free bread/cakes/biscuits etc.

Your problem might not be the same as mine, but your sythoms are. It's worth a try.

Hi helpful just wondering how you went about getting allergy tested? I asked my gp if he could test me for lactose intolerance and he just said it was complicated and basically sounded like he couldn't be bothered with it!

Hi!

That's bad of your gp. All he has to do, is make you an ppointment at the hosp. I paid for an allergy testing myself. I paid about £30, but it was well worth it.

Why not try to find out yourself, by cutting out bread/cakes/biscuits for 5 weeks, & see what happens? If that dosen't work, try cutting out diary products. You will feel bad for about 5 days, then you'll start to feel better.

You can still eat bread/cakes/biscuits, just buy wheat free ones. Goats cheese & milk/soya milk are good subsitutes. I use soya milk for my rice crispies, & goats or semi skimmed milk for my tea/coffee.

Please let me know how you get on.

Yeh I do try but the thing is i'm a student and so money is tight, I have cut out milk and have lacto-free butter at the moment but not sure.

Did you go to the hospital for an allergy test?

I might try my GP here at uni and see if they will refer me for testing

Thanks for your help x

I didn't go to docs as he kept saying it was ibs. I looked up altenative treatments. You shouldn't have to pay, you should ask the doc to refer you to hosp.x

ok that's great thank you x