3 questions I'd love to know bout you all too
#168969 - 04/11/05 02:33 PM
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How old are you??
How old were you when IBS began?
How old were you diagnosed?
How long have you been helped "Heather style"?
Uh oh that was more than 3, sowwy!
Ok I'M 25.
I'm suspecting I've had IBS since about age 16 actually, but it was pretty mild. It got worse with age and reared it's very ugly obvious head after my Csection 1-9-04.
I've never been officially diagnosed.
A Dr said I was "classic IBS" tho when I finnaly saw a Dr in July '04. It was then I became aware of what it was I had...before then I had NEVER heared of IBS. Thankyou Google! 
I think around late Jan '05 I began treatment "Heather Style". And a month ago began taking the Acacia and Fennell tea and caps an all she sells.
Ok your turn!
And can you give me an idea what lies ahead for me?? How long before you saw improvement?
THANX!!
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Hi!
I'm 23 years old
My IBS began when I was about 16 I think but it was really sporadic. When I was little I wouldn't go for days, but it never bothered me or hurt. Then when I got older i'd randomly get D when I ate mcdonalds or something like that but not always. When I got to college it became way worse, and now i'm all D.
I was diagnosed at around 17, before it got too bad, but when it was definitly there.
I have been following heathers guidlines since last april. To be honest I haven't seen significant improvement, but it has helped a little. I tried the acacia for six months, got to the highest dose and it didn't help, so right now i'm just watching what I eat, and hoping the FDA approves a new med for IBSD thats not gonna harm me, kill me or have bad side effects. My IBS isn't terrible, and I can live with it. I've crapped in many a walmart or mall, but there are way worse things. I generally just pop some immodium if i'm desperate. I don't let it immobilize me one bit.
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I am 33.
I suspect I've had IBS symtoms for at least 10 years, but they were very mild up until recently. Everything started going haywire last fall.
I was 32 when I was diagnosed, but it was only about a week before my 33rd birthday.
I've been trying to do Heather's diet to some degree since mid-late February. It helps a lot, but I still have gas to some degree and am working on getting the IF balance right. I'm waiting for my first shipment of fennel tea and hoping for the very best!
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Quote:
How old are you?? 29
How old were you when IBS began? around 19 but not bad enough that I went to the doc. It got real bad this past summer.
How old were you diagnosed? 28
How long have you been helped "Heather style"? about 8 months. I find most of the guide lines ar every helpfull. I don't take an SFs though, it made things much worse in the trapped gas area. I have learned to handle my IBS and it doesn't realy stop me from doing anything like I thought it would.
HUGS
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Heather7476
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lets see...
I'm 33 now...
I have had IBS since I was probably about 10/12, wasn't officially diagnosed until a few years ago... it was sporadic, major triggers were bad, and high stress times but otherwise it was ok for years....
and I've been on this diet since I changed docs and she gave me this site among others last fall...
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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How old are you??
28
How old were you when IBS began?
28 when got very bad, have been "sensitive" to certain foods
for about three or four years on and off, and have been suffering terribly after alcohol for about a year before diagnosis. Abdominal cramps are my main symptom as opposed to D or C.
How old were you diagnosed?
28, last August (hmm repetition...)
How long have you been helped "Heather style"?
The day I was diagnosed I googled and found this site.
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S.
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Quote:
How old are you??
31
How old were you when IBS began? I had C really bad as a kid. Then as a teen I started getting D out of the blue.
How old were you diagnosed? Not really sure. Everyone knew I had IBS since it runs in the family. Sometime in my early 20's I saw a GI doc and had an upper GI and small bowel follow through and he went ahead and diagnosed me with IBS.
How long have you been helped "Heather style"? Since last April, after a particularly bad spell. Went more strict in June. Hey today is my one year anniversary!
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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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I am answering for my son, Brian. He is ll and was diagnosed in March. We've only been using Heather's diet for a month, but along with medication, there is a tremendous improvement. He is back in school and learning the proper way to eat. We are very fortunate to have found a great pediatric GI doc.
I'd like to know if there are any other children out there with IBS. I find this site a wealth of information but have not come across any other parent of an IBS child. He'd like to know that he's not the only kid out there with this affliction.
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How old are you?? 20
How old were you when IBS began? I realize now that I've probably had it my whole life - to varying degrees. I've had random D and cramps and such most of my life, but it only started getting really bad (such that it was seriously interfereing with my life) about a year and a half ago.
How old were you diagnosed? I "self-diagnosed" myself with IBS a year ago (that would be age 19, after having vaguely suspected it for a while). I was officially diagnosed by a doctor with all the tests and such last summer.
How long have you been helped "Heather style"? Pretty much since I "self-diagnosed." It started to help immediately but I still wanted to go to the doctor to be sure there wasn't something worse wrong with me (well, my boyfriend forced me to go to make sure of that... I'm not a big doctor-fan, lol). It definitely has helped me *a lot* since then. I don't think I would consider myself "stable" but I certainly know how to control it, and it doesn't interfere with my life for the most part any more. I saw improvement probably within the first few weeks of being on the diet simply because I was able to identify triggers I hadn't suspected (like whole wheat) and to employ eating strategies that ensure I don't feel sick after eating anything (SF base, eating small meals every few hours, low fat etc.). So that helped a lot. A few months later I went on acacia and within a few weeks of that I saw more major improvement - D lessened significantly and cramps and bloating too. I still get all three of those things but they are certainly improved from before. I've also seen improvement with digestive enzymes, probiotics and peppermint caps - all of which I take regularly.
I think what remains between me and getting stable is lifestyle factors - getting enough sleep, less stress, more exercise (though I've been doing well with that lately), eating often, etc. I *know* I can be stable if I diligently stick to those (as I've had stable periods before), so I know this diet and strategy works for me. It's just a matter of staying low-stress, getting lots of sleep etc., which is difficult in university!
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I'm 24
My IBS started probalby as young as 13 but got out of control around 22
I'm not diagnosed because my doctors wont give me a time of day...
I've followed the diet for about 3 months now...I LOVE IT!I THANK GOOGLE TOO!!!
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I'm 29.
I think I have had IBS all my life but it didn't get really bad until about 4 years ago.
I was 25 when diagnosed with IBS.
I don't follow Hetaher's diet strictly but I found the soluble fiber to be a Godsend. It is been about a year for me since I have found this site. I am so happy I found these boards for a variety of reasons. The people here are great!
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I have had it since I was in my early teens but like you it was very mild. I have had severe episodes in the last 2 months. My anxiety does not help either. By the way I am 33 yrs old and I am from South Texas. I just ordered Eating for IBS last week and am looking forward to start treating myself. I have had many blood tests and a sonogram about 3 weeks ago and everything came back ok. Any suggestions on what drinks are safe??
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I'm 33 years old.
My IBS started about 5 years ago - maybe more. That's when it got my attention anyway. (I tend to ignore things until I can't anymore) I didn't know what it was then though -- it still took me another two plus years to get it figured out.
I have been helped Heather style as long as I have been diagnosed - which is two and a half years.
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I'm thirty.
My IBS began when I was 21. Out of the blue I would suffer from what seemed like tropical storms of diarrhea and even require hospitalization for dehydration. I've always had a weak gut. By the age of 27 I was finally diagnosed with IBS. I also suffer from H. Pylori. My diagnosis came as a result of investigation re: hair loss and anemia (B12, folate, and iron) and very low (osteopenia) bone mineral density and menopause. The IBS was apparent due to my journalling--I still do it daily--re: foods/ bm's or lack there of/ and well life. I've had periods of constipation longer than 8 days. My hair fell out again--and it's growing back. I'm on a waiting list to see a specialist and
also get tested re: Celiac. I have been eating gluten-free and my hair is growing back. B12 shots and lots of vitamins/minerals to get me into decent enough form again. I still have bouts of diarrhea, but not nearly as severe. I take anti-anxiety meds. and anti-convulsants (I have petit mal/absence seizures.).
I've been religiously following Heather's diet recommendations, but without gluten for less than a year (A quasi-BRAT) diet. I AM STABLE. A drop of grease/fat sends me running...gives me spasms. A naturopath told me to eat all raw and take all this flax oil junk, well let me tell you that the effects were WORSE. The family doctor prior to my current family doctor was all hot to trot on RAW and INSOLUABLE FIBER for constipation and I almost died. I also became seriously anorectic in my early twenties, because eating and it's effects on my g.i.tract hurt--diarrhea, pain, spasms, constipation, nausea, vomitting, gas, bloating...I was born lactose intolerant and fed soy infant formula. (Infant gas, bloating, constipation and diarrhea. Do babies get IBS?)
I'll know more in OCTOBER re: Celiac and gluten. But finally I am STABLE and know how to maintain stability. And I'm finally starting to live again, more and better, with less fear and less an inferiority/defect complex. I actually smile again, which is miraculous. And thanks to Linz, I'm not making adult baby food. But man, is it ever hard to keep weigh on...it just falls right off.
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Quote:
How old are you?? 29
How old were you when IBS began? Probably around 18 is when I noticed that I was having horrible C. I can remember a few incidents where I was literlly crying on the toilet because it was stuck or I couldn't get it out! 
How old were you diagnosed? I was diagnoes this past October so I was 29.
How long have you been helped "Heather style"? Since October. I don't follow strictly but use Acacia every day, no dairy, no red meat, and no fried foods. My stomach was a mess after I had my son so I had to do something!
]
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I'm 30.
As far as I remember, I was 12 when I really started having IBS symptoms, but I do remember having bowel troubles here and there even earlier than that.
I was 29 when I was diagnosed.
I started Heather's diet last May, a couple weeks before I actually registered and joined the boards. I'll be honest, the diet didn't help much at first, but I stuck it out and by August I was finally starting to do a little better. Now I'm doing quite well... I don't consider myself fully stable, but the diet's been such a huge improvement. I have my life back.
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Quote:
How old are you??
25
How old were you when IBS began?
too young to remember, I do recall having lovely tests by my family dr at a very young age and sitting on the toilet for hours and needing to go but not being able to. Also remember my mom giving me suppositories because it had been so long since I had gone  It has gotten way worse in the last 5 years and I am A now.
How old were you diagnosed?
I was diagnosed prob about 4 years ago but never received much advice or information to really know what it was. The diagnosis was confirmed about a year ago by a Gastro Specialist but I had eliminated most of the triggers on my own from realzing they caused me pain
How long have you been helped "Heather style"?
I found this website a couple months ago and am desperately trying to finish reading the books. I am starting a new SFS and have cut out red meat since finding the website
I feel better for the most part but am still struggling and having bad attacks, although not as often
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Microscopic Colitis, IBS-A, GERD, Hiatal Hernia
Bethany, Ontario, Canada
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Quote:
How old are you?? I'm 22.
How old were you when IBS began? Hmm, that's a hard one.. I got stomach parasites when I was about.. 7.. that lasted a few years before they finally killed them off, which took a long time and made me really sick. Ever since, I've had stomach problems. I think I got told I had IBS when I was about... 10? I don't remember. It was fairly mild through high school, usually just quite bad stomach aches, some nausea and some D. It came on again when I was about 19, then got _really_ bad when I was 20-21 and I have been here since then!
How old were you diagnosed? I think I have been diagnosed 3 times. Once when I was fairly young, then re-confirmed when I was 19 and then told again when I moved to England by a UK doctor last year (so 21).
How long have you been helped "Heather style"? Um, I think I first found this site about a year and a half ago maybe? I was in England, and I was _really_ sick.. I had gotten into such a bad state that just going on the diet at first didn't 'fix' me but it did make my attacks a lot easier, and usually shorter. The "What to Eat when you Can't Eat Anything" was a life-saver to me then because I had no idea what I should be doing when I was really sick. For me, though diet is only one part of controlling my IBS. Through this site, I also realised that I need to find ways to manage my stress AND I need to medicate. Without medication, or if I am really stressed out, I could still get an attack eating just rice.
Uh oh that was more than 3, sowwy!
That's okay. If I were you, I would make sure you get yourself properly diagnosed with IBS. Since so many things mimick IBS, it's usually the best idea to just make sure it isn't something else. Ask your doctor about IBDs and celiac and stuff like that.
It's hard to predict exactly what lies ahead for you personally, 'cause I think everyone is different. Like, I have a friend who has IBS who just can't eat cheese and fatty foods and she is generally okay. I, on the other hand, have a whole long list of things I have to do to stay tummy happy.. and even those don't work all the time!
I would say, get to a doctor, get diagnosed. After that, discuss with him/her some treatment options. For example, an anti-spasmodic or other kind of medication might be really beneficial. Diet is something you can control on your own, so I would make a food diary so that you can find triggers for you and be able to track attacks more easily once you are getting stable.
Figure out how stress affects your tummy, and find ways to deal with it. Yoga, hypnosis, other exercise.. can all help with this.
Then it's just a matter of tinkering and experimenting to find out how to get and stay stable, from what I've experienced.
Good luck!!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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24.
21 (jan 2002).
21 (sept 2002).
Started Heather's diet about Nov 2002 and was stable by the end of spring '03. Still there mostly...when I'm not, it's my own fault and I know what to do to stabilise again.
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Quote:
How old are you?? 26
How old were you when IBS began? a little kid, I've had "pains" ever since I can remember. I was constipated as a kid then it switched to D when I got my first period, now I'm an A but mostly get D.
How old were you diagnosed? about a month ago for sure after a colonoscopy due to a lot of weight loss
How long have you been helped "Heather style"?
I'm not really on Heather's diet atm. To be honest I got worse, however I know I have some food intolerances I need to address and stress is a major trigger for me too. I still stick with a lot of soluable foods so I guess I'm on a 'mini' heather diet.
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Amy
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How old are you? 29
How old were you when IBS began? Looking back I would say it has been about a year since it really began, but more severely in the last two and half months after a week long bout with the stomach flu.
How old were you diagnosed? 29, I was diagnosed about two and half weeks ago.
How long have you been helped "Heather style"? I have adopted Heather's style for the last two week and half weeks and things are going well so far with some really bad days and a few more good days.
-Michelle
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I'm 30 years young. 
I was told that I had IBS several years ago but I was IBS-C back then. It's only about a year ago that it got VERY bad and I became IBS-D. (I'm WAAAAAY better now!) I saw two GI specialists who both thought I might have Crohns. I had a lot of testing and was told I don't have Crohn's. No inflammation or anything suspicious at all. YAY!  
But the 2nd GI doc told me that I don't have IBS. Ok, ya right...explain that to my body and to the Imdodium that I have to take on a semi-regular basis. Tell my body that when I get attacks from triggers... Duh! 
I have been following Heathers' diet for almost a year and it has made a HUGE MASSIVE difference. Here's to our Heather! She rocks! 
Anyhow, welcome!
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Quote:
How old are you?? I'm 22 y.o.
How old were you when IBS began? I was 17 when I started having stomach problems out of the blue, it was the beginning of my senior year of high school
How old were you diagnosed? I hate doctors, I finally dragged myself to a GI in November of 2002, who diagnosed me with IBS from a fecal occult exam and some blood tests. He didn't really have any advice, just put me on Levsin, which helped for awhile, but eventually stopped working. I was rediagnosed in Jan 2004 after an abdominal CT scan, colonoscopy, and more bloodwork. That GI didn't help either. I was IBS-D at the time (the A has come about since being on Heather's diet), and she told me to eat more IF!
How long have you been helped "Heather style"? I've been on Heather's diet since my second diagnosis, Jan 2004. I've had Heather's EFI book since before then, but my IBS was really bad at that point and I was desparate. I'm by no means stable, but I can function a lot better and I feel a lot better than I used to.
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Melissa
Friendship is thicker than blood. ~Rent
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Tommy, for "a variety of reasons" That's great.
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