Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: New to IBS looking for some help

Welcome to the Boards. This is a support Board for people following the Eating For IBS (EFI) approach to IBS, so most of the advice you get here will be based on those principles. I'm IBS-D (IBS with diarrhea as my predominant symptom) and this approach has worked wonders for me. I hope it does the same for you.

Here's a link to a post I did recently. This post and the hyperlinks it contains will get you to the basic reading you need to do to understand the EFI approach (and all the acronyms!). My post was written for someone who is IBS-C (IBS with constipation as the predominant symptom), but the basic EFI approach is the same for all forms of IBS. The only advice change I'd make for you is that as an IBS-D, you will probably want to be more cautious about IF (Insoluble Fiber) when you're first starting out. You do need IF, though, so don't avoid it for too long.

More specifically, I suggest the following:

You need to be sure you've been accurately diagnosed. Part of the reading I direct you to has a list of conditions that must be eliminated and tests that must be done before an IBS diagnosis can be made.

If you're really miserable, consider following the Break The Cycle Diet for 2-3 days. This will calm down your gut. You can then start adding safe foods back in.

Imodium can be very helpful. You can do a Search to see what others have said about using it. Search on the Diet Board with no time limit. You'll probably need to do two searches: look for it spelled Imodium and then again spelled Immodium.

Some people have good luck with anti-spasmodics. You can do a Search for those also to see what others have said. I'd suggest searching just for spasmod to avoid any spelling or hyphenation differences. I have a prescription for Donnatol - an anti-spasmodic and phenobarbitol mix - and find it helpful. My experience with Donnatol and with Imodium, though, was that unless I follow the EFI guidelines, the drugs don't do much to help.

A huge help for me has been adding an SFS (Soluble Fiber Supplement). I use Acacia because it's been the easiest on my tummy, but preferences in SFSs vary widely. Because you're IBS-D, I would strongly suggest you avoid any that contain IF and stick with those that are pure SF (Soluble Fiber). (SFS FAQ)

I hope this helps. If you have any questions, just ask.

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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