IBS and cranky guts

[cheeba]

Hey fhc,

Im posting this but the person in question who is suffering is my gf.

She has basically had terribad digestion for years and years (difficulty digesting wheaty foods, red meat, fatty things) and gets painful cramps, spasming, vomiting and a swollen abdomen where food seems to literally get stuck inside. Certain weeks it can be really bad and she is reduced to basically a liquid diet, other times its not bothersome at all.

NHS doctors have always said its IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), which is indeed common in women and ticks the majority of her symptons. She did have a colonoscopy a few years ago to rule out any serious growths/abnormalities and that went fine so IBS seems most likely.
The problem is that no one has any idea what IBS actually is and all doctors prescribe is basically fibre to try and help keep things moving, or occasionally muscle relaxants to stop the lining of the gut from spasming so much. However both are ineffectual.

Im posting here as Im frustrated I cant do more to help her. No one likes to see their loves ones suffer (especially over something like food!) and I was wondering if any fhcer's or their partners suffered from IBS and whether they had any tips, tricks or recommendations for medecines? I dislike NHS doctors as they all basically tell her to just deal with it. I was wondering if anyone from USA/AUZ had experience with the condition and whether doctors there advised anything else? We'd be willing to try new drugs, new herbals, new anything that might help.

Thanks in advance for any advice you can share.

cheebs

[indi]

Hey cheeba,

We (Overspark and me) have years worth of experience with this type of problem. Overspark has IBS, which was probably a good thing as it led to the (still timely) discovery of a nasty tumor in his colon; or so our GP theorizes anyway. (Theory: because of his IBS his symptoms got so bad that they found the tumor (somewhat) in time. Lesson: have a colonoscopy to rule out serious bad stuff, as your girlfriend did.)

Anyway, we experimented with a lot of stuff and came up with the following which basically always works:
- a diet that avoids dairy and fatty foods (esp. animal fat) and focuses on soluble fibers
- fennel tea for bloated feeling/air production in bowels
- peppermint tea for spasms/cramps

The diet (and the use of these teas) was based on this lady's work: http://www.helpforibs.com/. I know the website looks girly and hideous, but what she wrote (also in her cookbook) is based on scientific research and her own experiences and it really, really works. I can recommend the recipes in her book as well; Overspark lived on her fruitbreads for a few months. We were basically desperate when we found this and willing to try anything (much like you seem to be), so imagine our relief when it produced results. Of course it can be frustrating to have to avoid steak, but the absence of pain is probably worth trying it.

What is also worth looking into is vegan cooking. I'm not even a vegetarian, let alone a vegan, but there's a lot of creative cooking out there. And if you just can't deal (well) with dairy, well.. that doesn't mean you don't like nice food. I can especially recommend http://www.amazon.co.uk/Vegan-Cupcak...9150786&sr=8-1. These ladies wrote other books (including pies & cookies oriented ones) as well, but the cupcakes are awesome. Nobody I served them to ever noticed they don't contain dairy and they are better than average, to say the least. Eat without frosting if the fat is too much, they'll still be good. Or top with fruit. (Can imagine that (too little) weight is also possibly a problem for your gf. Sugar doesn't set off IBS, so this could help.)

For me, it really was great to find something that worked. I could cook/bake and help my poor partner out. It's horrid to see someone you love suffer.

About the theory of IBS: I found this helpful: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Irritable-Bo...9150939&sr=1-1 One of the few professors that has done a lot of research into the phenomenon.

PS She's probably been tested for it, but make sure you exclude celiac disease (gluten intolerance), as she has trouble with wheaty foods according to you. It might also be that she eats wholewheat foods and the insoluble fiber in that is a huge problem to the irritable bowel.

[Sponk]

Also try flat bread, ppl I know bloat up with normal bread but are ok with unleavened stuff.

I don't suppose you have tried lactose-free milk?

Blah blah tapatalk

[lt]

Good advice.

Bad Indi! He asked help from US/AUS people. NOT europeans... ;-)

:TpTlk:

[indi]

Good advice.

Bad Indi! He asked help from US/AUS people. NOT europeans... ;-)

:TpTlk:

This is true. I decided to ignore it.

[duckduck]

My wife is American and got very similar advice about her IBS in the US to the advice she got in England. In the US they spent a lot more money on scans etc, but in the end they still found nothing concrete. In the end she gave up on conventional medicine. We are both generally pro-science anti-quackery, but whatever. She tried various alternative approaches - the one that worked was a western herbalist, who diagnosed what foods were causing the problems and proscribed a smelly 'potion' to help. This helped immediately and after 6 months she was back to eating anything and feeling fine.
I actually feel bad recommending this kind of hippy bullshit, but when plan A has failed perhaps it is worth trying plan B.
This is the place she used. Good luck.
http://www.haelan.co.uk/Herbs_Nutrition_Bodycare.shtml

[Diicc Tater]

Just reading the painful symptoms reminds me of a friend who's intolerant to yeast.
no bread
no soy
no beer (!FFUUUUU!)
no wine (!!FFFFUUUUUU!)

and a lot of other things that have yeasts in it.

Was thought to be IBS, ulcer, gluten allergy... took a while for her to get the correct diagnose. Might be an idea to check up on that.

Otherwise, diet is the way to go imho.
Mom and her dad both got the shits from lactose and gluten. Easily avoided today.
Buddy got crohns and that's srsbsns when it comes to diet. in a diff way but still.
Friend with yeast allergy (also got a coworker with the same) keep diets as well.

They don't need any pills as it's about staying away from what you can't digest without reacting.

Have you been to see any specialist on food allergies?

[cheeba]

Thank you all (especially indi) for your advice and help - much appreciated. Sprinkles of +reps all around.

@ indi - that website is an eyesore but its very informative and has given me some new ideas for what we can do to manage the ibs - especially exercise. Given the bad cramps, my gf often spends evenings after work lieing down in bed watching tv and as the cramps persist in the night, she doesnt sleep well and doesnt go to the gym in the morning. It sounds like being sedentry is counterproductive as movement would help push food along when the muscles are being useless. Now its summer Ill try and persuade her on evening walks to see if that helps at all.

Fennel tea is something we havent tried. I hope she likes the taste... Better than to keep taking buscapan etc.

But yeah, reading the links reaffirms my fears that maybe we are too lax with diet. My gf isnt veggie but avoids meats etc. However, I tend to eat big dinners and she will share/graze on what Im having and inevitably this leads to pain. Im going to look at some of those recipes and try and cook up some interesting and compatable dinners. I want my gf to have a better diet as some evenings she gives up and just eats some sweets, as obv pure sugar is easy on the stomach...!

thanks again.

[indi]

no worries, cheeba. This type of thing is more prevalent than people know, and it's horrid for those who suffer from it. I hope you two can find something to make stuff more manageable! I'd lend you the book, but you're not anywhere close to me

Btw, I didn't find it a real issue to change my own diet along with that of Overspark's. Never really liked milk anyway, and drink soy milk to this day (even now that Overspark can process dairy again). Also pretty healthy to eat more vegetable based, etc. Once again, good luck and a

[F18]

I have it. It developed after a reaction to antibiotics in my early twenties. It calmed down considerably in my mid to late twenties but but returned with avengance about two years ago.

I too can have trouble with wheat and dairy or just starchy foods in general. Red meat is also difficult.
Sometimes food can pass so quickly through my colon, bile hasn't been processed properly.
Tea, coffee and fizzy drinks are pretty much a no no. Alcohol too. But I will have a drink on occassion and get away with it.

It's pretty fucking miserable sometimes. I'm so fucking hungry all the time. I love food and I tend to crave all the things that I shouldn't eat.
Sometimes I give in. I'll break down and eat stupid junk food then face the consequences, which can be days of bloating, heartburn, indigestion, flatulence, diarrhea/loose stool, mucus and dull pain.

The doctor has been pretty useless, prescribing colofac for no reason other than, "try it, see how you get on". It initially had no effect, then seemed to make the symptoms worse after about two weeks.

I think for most of us it's about eliminating the trigger foods. My diet pretty much consists of
fish, chicken, rice, potatoes (in small portions), garden veg, fruit and oats. In fact, porridge seems to have a calming effect on my bowel. It's funny how oats work. You'd think that they'd have the same effect as wheat but I can eat granola bars till they come out my ears. I also avoid strong seasoning and sauces. Snack foods like crisps, chocolate biscuits and cakes are off the menu although I do cave in occasionally. I drink mostly Rooibos tea and fruit juice. I tend to drink berry based fruit juices though as citrus types can cause problems.

I've also looked at alternative medicine but I'm a bit apprehensive. I do take a probiotic though.
This one.: http://www.optibacprobiotics.co.uk/s...owel-calm.html
It's no cure but has made my life so much better which was suprising really.

I find that excersice helps me in a big way. Activity aids digestion wether you have IBS or not.
It can be hard to break the cycle though. When your feeling bloated and heavy excersice is the last thing on your mind. It's difficult too, as alot of strength comes from the core. As long as I keep it up I tend too feel better for it.

[indi]

F18, if I'm not mistaken oats contain a lot of soluble fiber, in constrast to (whole) wheat. That's probably the reason.

To all of you, I have tons of recipes that will yield acceptable to great results even with stuff like cakes (from back when). PM me if you want some.

Meanwhile, a /hug to all of you out there who suffer like that. One of my friends has it too, it's horrible to see the pain on her face sometimes.

[Aea]

I can chime in on this thread (unfortunately).

Doctor diagnosed me with IBS, I don't particularly accept the diagnosis anymore since it went away but he did think I had an allergy to fructose (this turned out to be correct for now).

All that said however there is a magical mint-flavored drug called Hyoscyamine that instantly (for 30-60 minutes) turns off any cramps / indigestion / etc. Don't rely on it, but when the pain gets irritating it can be a good temporary reprieve.

[cheeba]

@ f18 - amazing hpw similar your situation sounds to my gf - the same problems and frustrations. I have sent her your replies and we are trying some new things out!

and thanks aea for the hyoscyamine recommend, ill see if i can pick it up here.

[cheeba]

Just wanted to give an update on this.

Thanks to some true bros (+bro-etes) in this thread, things have really improved. My gf, despite initial reservations, has really made a habit of drinking the fennel tea in the morning as well as during the day when feeling stomach pain. In addition, we got really strict in eliminating any bread/gluten from her diet. That definitely seems to be a trigger for the IBS. Additionally, we reduced fatty foods (translation: I eat all that now ). The diet change and tea really helped her feel less pain and discomfort - which in turn meant she sleeps well and has the energy to start going to yoga/pilates classes, which in turn makes her stomach feel even better by aiding digestion.

Tldr - its pretty amazing how you can get into a positive or negative feedback loops. Thanks to advice from you guys, we've gotten her into a really good cycle and a sustainable one too where she can still occassionally nibble on dangerous things like cheese, sweets etc.

So thanks again to you all (especially fennel tea, that stuff is a winner!).

[indi]

Yay! Very good news Big up to your gf, hope she can stay in the good place and leave the pain & discomfort behind.

Fennel tea works magic. Peppermint tea as well for crampy guts. Too bad that it's not nicer tasting

[Klesk]

I've had IBS or that blanket term for when the doctors don't know what is wrong with you since I was a kid, kept a food diary and nothing flags up a repeated reaction except getting shitfaced on beer. Even so I still get all the flare ups every week or so.
My missis got me some peppermint and its been really good at calming things down, even just a pack of off the shelf mints works wonders.
The doctors are predictably useless "its just a bit of IBS" well done doc, well done.

[Sponk]

Could be sensitivity to yeast?

[indi]

IBS as a conditon does exist, although they seem to be on the way to classifying 'subtypes' - it's not alle explicable by sensitivity to yeast, gluten, etc.

[Sponk]

Ate some pizza. God damn that was a regrettable action.

Blah blah tapatalk

[Klesk]

Could be sensitivity to yeast?

Pretty sure its not yeast, can eat fresh bread etc. I'm so use to it now I don't really think about it.