A very mumsnet question- apologies

ThorpyFX

Does anyone here suffer from IBS? If so, how did it start and how do you stop it?

its really starting to annoy me! 

joeyowen

Don't you mean irritate you? 

Consulted a doc? 

monquixote

Stress

bingefeller

Depends on whether you're constipation type or diarrhoea type IBS.  How many times a day do your bowels move?

Buscopan can  help with cramps and bloating and so can peppermint tea.  

EricTheWeary

You are going down a wormhole here of endless internet wisdom. But worth talking to your doctor. Common foods that cutting out/ down on that might help are dairy, anything made by the Chorleywood process ( ie anything with processed yeast , so almost all bread), excess fruit, excess caffeine. Being stressed,not drinking enough fluid, having too much or not enough fibre.Generally keep a food and drink diary and chart it against your IBS symptoms. 

Maynehead

Cut down on your 50 prunes a day diet?

Seriously though, maybe it's something you're eating... Try cutting out gluten, dairy etc and see if it makes any difference.

jpttaylor

A few friends of mine have IBS and I've managed to adopt a few tips from them that help with my colitis.

• Regular meals rather than skipping breakfast, lunch etc.
• Less fibre and/or vegetables 
• Less tea, coffee and caffeine if you have more than a few cups a day

Think most IBS sufferers have good and bad days regardless of what happens. If you know it's a bad one, Buscopan helps a lot (Imodium is a bit OTT).

Hootsmon

IBS is a companion condition associated with the disease Ank. Spon.,which I have had since early 20s

I am not sure if I have IBS courtesy of the AS or a lifetime of aspirin and ibuprofen use or both

if I watch what I am doing I get by just fine.....if I deviate from my rules I pay a price

NO......or very little starch...potatoes cakes bread pastry

no eating snacks

no eating late or after main course

it's doable but in it's own way a NIGHTMARE....for instance,after living like a monk for a month I may go absolutely crazy and eat some white bread and a packet of crisps.....20 mins later the IBS gremlins come knockin'.....

strumjoughlamps

yes for quite a while now, there is no do/dont right/wrong answer one week can be different from the next..

my 2 methods depending how I am feeling is to eat little and often or to wait til I am super hungry until I eat, this is my main method at the mo as it also helps my hiatus hernia.

PolarityMan

Turn down the bass

Hootsmon

I've had the colonoscopy...it was clear, thank God

a memory I will cherish forever took place immediately after the colposcopy in what can only be described as the "farting room"

Folk that have just gone through the colonoscopy procedure are ushered into a side room tae ensure that the build up of gas that has accumulated during the "look see" has a chance tae .......dissipate, before one leaves the hospital

so you have a roomful ( open window ) of perfect strangers,men and women,sitting there with their tea,biscuits and sandwiches....all sitting, cross-legged, cross-eyed and bashful, holding onto their cup of tea with extended pinky and the conversation went something like.... 

" what bus.......PAAAARP...... you getting then?"

"PAAARP.......Oh. I'm.. PAAARP... getting picked up" RIPPPPPP

"Wisnae too pain.. PAAARP... painful at all, was it?"....PEEP

"these.....HONK..... fuckin' custard creams are......PAARP.....sklooooosh..........NURSE!"

ThorpyFX

So its the runs version rather than constipation. I've been to the doctor two weeks ago and he gave me buscopan, I've tried to limit dairy (moved to soy milk) seeing him again on friday to book in a more invasive checkup, hopefully ill get some sort of decent answer. In the meantime, i just want to limit the pain.

Hootsmon

do you feel like you are getting little warning when you need tae go?

ThorpyFX

hootsmon said:

do you feel like you are getting little warning when you need tae go?

rgr

Grunfeld

ThorpyFX said:

Does anyone here suffer from IBS? If so, how did it start and how do you stop it?

Bizarrely (well, not really) IBS symptoms have a decent track record of being sorted with hypnosis.
Hypnosis for IBS is a treatment recognised in the NICE guidelines -- which I know can be damning with faint praise but NICE guidelines, for all their pros and cons, are not just pulled out of a hat.
Hypnosis can work because...
Once you've excluded all biological components of the problem, and excluded organic symptoms caused by different foodstuffs, you're left with a set of debilitating symptoms which can be a mystery.
IBS is an exaggeration of normal bowel behaviour -- (understatement).
A highly personal take on it is that IBS symptoms seem to have an association with people who are e.g. driving themselves hard -- which is great -- until the body says "slow down please."  And the person keeps pushing and driving.  And the body says "Fuck you!  I'll get you to stop by giving you diarrhoea 36 times a day!"
Obviously not a conscious choice!
Hence hypnosis.
And "driving too hard" can often be people who are too bloody caring.  Always giving too much of themselves. 

Also, the therapist is highly important to success.  You need someone who is experienced in the subject.
(I know someone who is very specialised with hypnosis and IBS and am happy to recommend by PM if anyone is interested.)

Hootsmon

Thorpers......DON'T EAT ANYTHING AFTER MAIN MEAL ......you should notice results very quickly

last bite of the day at 18:00

it works for me Bro

all the best

sw67

I had it bad when i was in my mid 20s - i am pretty much ok now but still don't eat bread or drink much beer.  I used to take my mums  fibogel and pils she had for colitis when it was bad and still always have immoduim in my wallet.

ThorpyFX

Grunfeld said:

ThorpyFX said:

Does anyone here suffer from IBS? If so, how did it start and how do you stop it?

Bizarrely (well, not really) IBS symptoms have a decent track record of being sorted with hypnosis.
Hypnosis for IBS is a treatment recognised in the NICE guidelines -- which I know can be damning with faint praise but NICE guidelines, for all their pros and cons, are not just pulled out of a hat.
Hypnosis can work because...
Once you've excluded all biological components of the problem, and excluded organic symptoms caused by different foodstuffs, you're left with a set of debilitating symptoms which can be a mystery.
IBS is an exaggeration of normal bowel behaviour -- (understatement).
A highly personal take on it is that IBS symptoms seem to have an association with people who are e.g. driving themselves hard -- which is great -- until the body says "slow down please."  And the person keeps pushing and driving.  And the body says "Fuck you!  I'll get you to stop by giving you diarrhoea 36 times a day!"
Obviously not a conscious choice!
Hence hypnosis.
And "driving too hard" can often be people who are too bloody caring.  Always giving too much of themselves. 

Also, the therapist is highly important to success.  You need someone who is experienced in the subject.
(I know someone who is very specialised with hypnosis and IBS and am happy to recommend by PM if anyone is interested.)

SO, 18 hour days and broken sleep are bad for me? 

sw67

My doc said nightshift was a major factor in mine - when i do nights now i eat as if i am on days 

bingefeller

ThorpyFX said:

So its the runs version rather than constipation. I've been to the doctor two weeks ago and he gave me buscopan, I've tried to limit dairy (moved to soy milk) seeing him again on friday to book in a more invasive checkup, hopefully ill get some sort of decent answer. In the meantime, i just want to limit the pain.

You might need an abdominal x-ray to check if you're constipated (seriously).  Some people get overflow diarrhoea and don't actually think they are constipated, but they are.  

Grunfeld

ThorpyFX said:
SO, 18 hour days and broken sleep are bad for me? 

It's strange how we can push ourselves with no major ill-effects for years then something changes. 
Exploring that change is interesting.
Doctors and therapists with with much bigger brains than mine have noticed the interaction our minds have with our bodies.  I've seen it with IBS and I was really in two minds about mentioning here -- a couple of lines on a guitar forum -- because of the necessity of just cutting to the chase and leaving out all the necessary background evidence. 

Just as a taster, you might be interested to read this on Medically Unexplained Physical Symptoms.  It's in the same ball park and it's a good read by a sober minded neurologist. 
Suzanne O' Sullivan, "It's All In Your Head"  [worst f*cking title ever given the content and message of the book]