Bloating from IBS comes from mistimed contractions of the smooth muscles
05/05/05 05:53 PM
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Heather
Reged: 12/09/02
Posts: 7799
Loc: Seattle, WA
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in your gut. This can cause trapped air, bloating, and gas. If you have IBS, by definition you have altered gut motility - the muscle contractions in your GI tract are irregular, too strong and fast, too slow and infrequent, or a combination. IBS is also by definition a disorder with intermittent symptoms - so one day you can be fine, as the muscles in your gut function normally, and the next day you're bloated, as the contractions are suddenly irregular.
Your best bet is to try and normalize your gut motility - base your diet on soluble fiber, add in a prebiotic soluble fiber, use fennel and/or peppermint and/or anise on a daily base, practice yoga regularly, get daily exercise and drink plenty of water, etc.
You'll drive yourself crazy if you try and pinpoint every single episode of IBS symptoms to one particular cause. Sometimes, your gut is going to cause you problems no matter what you do, because you have an underlying bowel dysfunction. But, you can try your darndest to head off symptoms on a daily basis (diet, supplements, yoga, etc.) and the more you can get symptoms under control, the more likely that they will stay that way.
It's not fun to hear, but you have to take a long-term view and not be discouraged by some ups and downs on a daily basis. IBS just doesn't work that way. 
Best,
Heather
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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