Problems with Peppermint?
#133418 - 12/28/04 04:10 PM
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I have a question for everyone. I've looked for the answer to this around the site, but I always see positive reviews of peppermint tea for IBS. However, as I've been using it, I find that if I drink it after a meal, it makes my tummy very bloated. I then must go immediately the bathroom, at least three or four times before it's all over with. The good side is that I feel my digestive system is thoroughly cleansed after a meal, but it feels like the slightly minor version of an attack. I intend to try other herbs to see if they work differently or better, but I wanted to know if any of you had this problem with peppermint. Alicia
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Interesting question - it sounds like you are quite sensitive! I tend not to drink it right after a meal - I just know I would feel very uncomfortable if I did. But I do drink it lots, first thing in the morning, between meals or in the evening with a very small snack, eg slice of bread/toast. Taken like this it helps me not to keep eating when I'm already full - a longtime bad habit/ED - and I'm sure it's a reason my insides feel so much calmer now than they used to. So it seems to me to be very soothing, whereas for you it's a little bit too stimulating!
Do you react to peppermint this way at other times? Some people can't tolerate it (mainly because of reflux problems, I think) and use fennel and camomile instead.
BTW naturopaths recommend not drinking anything with, or immediately before, or after meals because it dilutes the digestive juices. But I know some people, especially with C, need to drink something with food to help with the amount of fibre they are eating. Perhaps, if you are D, you should keep eating and drinking separate? As usual, you may need to do a bit of trial and error. Let us know how it goes!
Josephine
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I can't do peppermint. I'm an IBSD-er, and it will start an attack if I injest too much of it, which for me is one full altoid, or a full cup of pep tea. But I understand it doesn't work for all people, which makes me feel a little better not being alone at least. 
If I have 1/2 a cup of the tea, I'll get this sucking feeling in my stomach, which is pretty uncomfortable. (Any more and it'll launch an attack). At most, I'll only do a sip, if I need to warm up, or just for the taste (which I still like!) But the mints are out of the question for me.
~nelly~
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Hello, all! Josephine and Nelly, thanks for your replies! You both were helps to me. Josephine, do you have anymore info about what naturopaths have to say about IBS? I'd be curious, as I tend to agree with what you mentioned. Nelly, I am also IBS D, and it helps to know I'm not the only one who can't do the mints. I've thought about trying peppermint capsules, but not sure yet. Do any other herbs like chamomile and/or fennel work for you instead of peppermint? Thanks again! Alicia
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I hardly ever get trappes gas (I did once this year though and it lasted a week) so normally, I don't drink fennel tea. Chamomille tea however is a major part of my diet. I'm actually sipping a cup right now as I write this. 
I have pain-predominant IBS-D with explosive gas and painful D. I've been really quite stable in the last 10 years, and especially stable in the last 3, managing my symptoms with diet, lifestyle changes, and imodium and Tylenol-3 for meds. I take between 4-20 imodium a day, but ussually my dose is around 8 a day if I'm stable. I take 2 when I wake up, 3 before a meal and 2 after a meal. My doc wrote me a prescription for the Imodium, so it's cheaper than buying it OTC. 
I also take gas-x, or tums w/calcium when I start to get gassy. It really helps to diffuse the gas, which can jumpstart my D if I let it get out of control.
But diet and lifestyle are the main reasons I'm doing so well. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be able to lead my seemingly outwardly "normal" life without meds. But I live to cheat on my diet, and the normaler I stay, the better I feel when I can pull out the stops and eat a steak at the bar with my friends!
Peppermint capsules are the pure mint, right? Odds are good if you can't handle peppermint oil in general, you won't be able to tolerate the caps. I think it's just better quality and more quantity of the same thing. But that being said, I'm a big advocate of Whatever Works, so I say try them in moderation and see what happens.
We're all where we got to here because of trial and error!! Yea for the scientific method!!
Best of luck to you!!
~nelly~
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Hi, Alicia, I'm no expert on naturopathy, but I believe its basic approach is that the body will always tend to heal itself and regain balance, given the right conditions, so the important thing is to try and provide the right conditions. Diet is important, ie eating only food that is as natural and unprocessed as possible; fasting is a key therapy, usually along with detox techniques such as colonic irrigation; good sleep and regular exposure to fresh air and water are important too, but a naturopath might also use herbs, homeopathy, massage, counselling, depending on his/her preferences.
The diet and fasting approach of naturopathy is totally different from - or even opposed to - Heather's recommendations. I don't know whether they would work. I was considering trying colonic therapy myself, out of desperation, and because I know of people who have done this regularly and swear by it - but they didn't have IBS, other problems. Then I found this site and knew straight away that Heather's approach would suit me better than the "healthy" diet I had been trying to follow previously, which included wholemeal bread, very sour yogurt and lots of raw vegetables, nuts and seeds. It may have been healthy but very hard on IBS - probably not healthy at all in fact as most of it passed straight through me! For some conditions, naturopathy may be very good - these people were way ahead of their time in stressing the nutritional value of fresh whole foods. But it can come across like a "one size fits all" approach and, if there's one thing that's obvious from reading this messageboard, it's that everyone is different - oh, so different!
Sorry this is a long reply - and a bit opinionated too! - not meaning to put you off, I am very drawn to this approach myself, but have decided to treat my gut kindly for a while! If you google naturopathy you will find lots of sites with more information anyway. Good luck!
Josephine
Edited by dozyveeny (12/29/04 05:01 PM)
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Hi, folks! Josephine, don't apologize for your replies being lengthy and opinionated. I respect that in a person! Grin! I know of a place to get organic chamomile tea, so I'm going to get it today and try it. By the way, I'm surprised Heather sels the peppermint and fennel, but not other tummy teas. Or is that soon to come, Heather? (Smile.) Have any of you guys ever heard of the brand of tea called Traditional Medicinals? If so, what do you think of them?
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The T.M. Eater's Digest tea is wonderful. It works great and is convenient. Sometimes I mix up Heather's tea and when I am lazier I use Eater's Digest. I don't think Smooth Move is allowed though since it is a stimulant. I plan on bringing many packets of Eater's Digest with me to Britain next spring.
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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particularly the Eaters Digest and Smoothe Moves. Caution on the smooth moves as it seems to cause a lot of turbulence in most. It saves me from getting blockage.
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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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