Question For Those With IBS

[Feralpeg]

DD has IBS. She's had it most of her life. There is a drug that can help IBS sufferers when their IBS tends toward constipation. DD's IBS is the opposite, so she cannot take the drug. I recently heard that eating yogurt with active yeast cultures once a day helps to stabilize the digestive track. Has anyone had success with this?

 

[katerkat]

I was given a drug for the opposite IBS (we call it IBS-D vs IBS-C.) I never got to try it before I got pregnant so I forgot the name, sorry! I found that cutting out a lot of sugars helped. I never ate yogurt on a daily basis, though.

 

[wasabi girl]

I've got the other IBS also...I also have found that cutting sugar, spicy food, and anything fried helps. When I have flare ups I eat yogurt...with active cultures and it does seem to calm things down...but I can't tolerate much dairy so I don't have it daily. My Dr said to "avoid stress" , probably would help if it were possible...

 

[indigoxtreme]

Hey Peg. I have eaten Yogart many times as I have IBS the kind you are talking about. I have had it all my life. They called it a spaztic gut back in the 60's and 70's. I have also found that Ginger Ale helps alot. I cannot drink Milk as I have always been lactose intolerant. Yogart for some reason is different. I only eat Dannon as it does have the live cultures. I have also found that when I travel I simply take Zantac 150 1 time a day at least 1 hour prior to food. Also cut down on amounts of caffine. I have to have a cup in the morning but I try to cut down on others. Tea seems to give me a hard time. If I have more than 1 glass a day. I have found that if I keep a book a food intake for a few weeks I can ususally determine what to stay away from. Mexican food doesn't bother me, but italian does. Weird. If I am going out and eating different things I take the Zantac 1 hour prior and I can get through it. I do not take Zantac every day just when I am not doing a normal diet. Occassionally, every couple of months I will have a severe bought, and just have to take the Zantac and Immodium to get through it. Take care hope your DD get where she can manage this.

 

[KIRSTIN'S MOMMY]

I have it too. I don't eat yogurt though, because dairy doesn't really agree with me. I have to avoid most things with milk (ie: cheese, ice cream, all the good stuff, lol), anything spicy, and also not to much fried food. Back when mine first started (I was 16) they put me in the hospital for 9 days and gave me demoral shots every 6 hrs., then sent me home and told me it was stress!

 

[Feralpeg]

Thank you all for the information. DD had problems from the day she came home from the hospital only she was usually constipated. I used to give her bottles of prune juice. Now it is just the opposite. We will definately try some of the things you have mentioned. It's hard because you have to do each thing and try to find the right balance. I appreciate all your help!

 

[C.Ann]

How old is your DD? Applesauce is supposed to work equally well for either aspect of IBS..

 

[wasabi girl]

How old is your DD? I find that during bad times...either super stressful or just my digestive system going whacko... a diet consisting mainly of oatmeal, applesauce (homemade, no sugar) the occasional yogurt and peppermint tea will help everything settle down...after a couple of days I can resume fairly normal eating.

Indiogoxtreme, I also can eat mexican but not italian...seemed weird to me too.

 

[becker1123]

I, too, have had stomach pain and other issues for most of my life, and a few years ago it was diagnosed as IBS. What has done wonders for me, and seemed counter-intuitive at the time, was to take a daily fiber supplement. I drank a glass of water with a scoop of citrucel powder every morning. My doctor said that would keep my system "flowing" smoothly. It really worked and was an easy fix. Dr. said my system was stopping and starting, causing bursts of digestion that caused pain and other unpleasantries. The fiber served to keep it all moving all the time, and made my life sooooo much better. I don't know if it would work for you DD, but it's easy to try and can't hurt. Good luck to her.

 

[Feralpeg]

DD is 17.

 

[AuntRoeRoe]

I, too, have had stomach pain and other issues for most of my life, and a few years ago it was diagnosed as IBS. What has done wonders for me, and seemed counter-intuitive at the time, was to take a daily fiber supplement. I drank a glass of water with a scoop of citrucel powder every morning. My doctor said that would keep my system "flowing" smoothly. It really worked and was an easy fix. Dr. said my system was stopping and starting, causing bursts of digestion that caused pain and other unpleasantries. The fiber served to keep it all moving all the time, and made my life sooooo much better. I don't know if it would work for you DD, but it's easy to try and can't hurt. Good luck to her.

I have IBS also and I take Citrucel each day. It is a Godsend. My attacks are now less frequent. I was also given a prescription for Dicyclomine and was told to take it prior to eating anything I would think would cause me intestinal pain and diarreah (Sorry to be so gross.). I used it once or twice, but found that it caused constipation, so it wasnt worth it. Immodium works well for me when I am traveling and am afraid I will have an attack.To the OP I hope your daughter finds something that works for her. Living with IBS is a pain in the....(Pardon the pun.)

 

[perdidobay]

Ok, don't laugh but my poor dog has had IBS problems (diarreah mostly) for a long time-couple of years. After trying different foods, meds and the like, the one thing that is working is mixing in fiber supplement into his food everyday. If I miss adding it more than a few days...it comes back.

 

[Sonya]

I used to have this, pretty bad, but getting pregnant and having a baby cured me!!!!!

I've got the other IBS also...I also have found that cutting sugar, spicy food, and anything fried helps. When I have flare ups I eat yogurt...with active cultures and it does seem to calm things down...but I can't tolerate much dairy so I don't have it daily. My Dr said to "avoid stress" , probably would help if it were possible...

Me too, except I could eat all the dairy I wanted. Yogurt did help me some but usually I took acedopholous supplements. They have live cultures and you don't have the dairy.
No fried food, no salads, no fiberous fruits like apples, no heavy grease like lasagne or pizza, no heavy cream dishes, no caffeine.
I tool fiber pills too, that really helped A LOT.
Good luck to your DD! I remember the days when I lived on rice. Rice and rice water is supposed to settle the stomache. And for me it really was stress. Learn relaxation techniques. (not that it ever worked for me but it's worth a shot!)

 

[JenDaveBrendan]

Sorry no advice, but I suffer from this too. I find that fatty foods and alcohol contributer to the problem. I take (live on) immodium, and it does the trick.
For me, pregnancy made the problem worse. I was always in the bathroom (sorry, TMI!!) Don't know what you can do for it at that point............

 

[Meezers]

I too have IBS....usually one or the other. The time I have felt best was when I was on Weight Watchers and was eating a very high fiber diet....strange but true.

 

[chrissyk]

Nope, didn't work for me. I had "IBS," then "ulcertive colitis," then back to "IBS" from the ages of 11 to 29. I had every test under the sun, 3 different gastros, etc., and nobody could get it under control. It was AWFUL. Then, at age 29, I had an odd symptom of nausea/vomiting/dry heaving at night. My gastro thought that I might have reflux and started me on a daily perscription reflux drug. Well, not only did the nausea/vomiting stop, but the "IBS" did as well. It was as if someone had flipped a switch on the IBS. In my case, it was 100% related to the acid reflux. I've heard another "IBS" sufferer tell the exact same story too. Now I tell people that if they have IBS that they can't control, get checked for acid reflux!!

 

[Christine]

I also have bouts of this. You know what has helped me the most? A multivitamin with iron in it. Doesn't cure it, but the iron in the vitamin kind of "stops me up" a bit.

 

[tinaluis]

Acidophillus and Lactobacillus are very good at keeping the digestive tract healthy. You can find them at any GNC/vitamin store. My oldest DD has IBD and these have helped her in the past. They are similar to yogurt cultures multiplied by 1,000. Good luck. I hope she feels better soon.

 

[Christine]

Feralpeg,

I wanted to add this (forgot it in my previous post): If you've got time, check out the website: www.ibsgroup.org. They've got really good discussion boards (very active) and the people are friendly. They've got their boards divided up into IBS-C, IBS-D, young adults, etc. They have a lot of good suggestions for stuff you can try on your own, etc.