IBS- one year on from diagnosis
#205509 - 08/15/05 06:15 AM
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cailin
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 3563
Loc: Dublin, Ireland
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I thought I would post an update on life with IBS one year after diagnosis for all the new people to see, I have included links to previous posts of mine, so that you can see that I was just as frustrated/depressed/despondent as you guys are now, back last August. I was scared and felt like I couldn't eat anything at all.
My GI doctor put me on Colofac, an antispasmodic and I found Heather's site the same day. I started the BTC diet and three weeks later was still so ill that I went back to my GP and then my GI doc in tears. He put me on a low dose of cipramil/citalopram. Here's when that happened
here's when I was frustrated
I kept to Heather's diet, introducing new foods every couple of days and by the time of my friend's wedding at the end of September I was eating fish, vegetables and most things non dairy, non redmeat and non alcohol.
I missed ONE AD in October and this was the result.
The following week I cheated with bad results read all about it here
THEN I GOT WELL 
I ate no chocolate from August until Christmas (previously twice a day) I ate no red meat at all for months and months and have only tasted a little bacon twice in a year. I do drink alcohol again but not beer, and only for special occasions and on a full stomach and when I know that I don't mind losing a day to cramps.
Today, I eat what I want. Well, except the things that make me really sick, and who wants to eat things that make them really sick anyway?? So I am on a dairyfree (bar a spoonful of icecream or cheesecake after a very safe meal) red meat free, alcohol in moderation, low fat diet, It works, and it keeps me slim. I drink tons of water, I don't take an SFS and I have stopped this condition from taking over my life!
The basic message that I want to give everyone through this post is that its horrid to begin with but if you stick with the Breaking the Cycle diet, give your body a break and rul out all the bad foods you can start to enjoy better foods and a better way of life.
Thanks to everyone who helped me go from constant cramps and misery to normality unless I break from the diet.
I owe you girls.
Special thanks on the diet helping side to Casey & Dalia who always seemed to be online at the right time for me.
Sinéad
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S.
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Awww!
#205511 - 08/15/05 06:43 AM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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You're welcome! Hey, we tried! And it's always so encouraging to hear about people who are able to take control of their IBS, rather than letting their IBS control them... I'm SO glad you're one of those people, and that you're doing so well now.
As someone else who's stable, I have to definitely second your advice: It's TOTALLY WORTH the aggravation, "deprivation", and frustration in the beginning, and for you newbies, you WILL realize that when you get beyond it and get your life back. We promise!
*hugs*, Sinead, and keep on feeling fabulous! 
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Thanks sooo much for sharing your story Sinead! I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel..I am just hoping that I can see it soon! The good thing for me is that I don't eat red meat to begin with. I do, however, miss DAIRY considerably! My husband has found many soy based treats that I can eat instead!
This message board is, by far, the best for keeping me positive and upbeat!
Thanks again!
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Can't believe that I have become one of the ones giving advice here! Hope you get sorted soon Michelle.
Dairy is a tough one to say goodbye too, but to be honest, I rarely want to cheat with it anymore, except in dessert and that's usually scraping tons of cream off a little tiramisu so I can taste it. The sight of tons of melted cheese on pizza now revolts me as you can see all the fat floating around. Start tasting your food and sub as much as you can. A lot of it is about getting used to eating different foods instead of just trying to eat the same with subs. (In my experience anyway)
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S.
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This is great information, great links. I think a lot of us will benefit from your experience and encouragement. Thanks again for your support! And congratulations on being able to manage IBS and enjoy life!
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I never did the total restriction to just a few foods and slowly built back up. Being a C, I was too afraid to give up so many IFs.
Do you think I should start all over and just eat a few foods, like rice, carrots, chicken... As you know, I have been at this for about 10 months and still clueless as to what foods are okay and which are not.
What foods did you start with and for how long? You only added one new food every 3 or 4 days?
I have also tried a food diary, but it gives me no answers...as I am always in pain, and the delayed symtom syndrome makes it hard to back track to see what food caused the problem...It could have been anything.
I'm so glad you are doing so well...right in time for the Wedding! You have your life back...what a gift! Awesome! 
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Hi Sinead, Congrats on your stability! You can even drink in
moderation, what a plus. Say, I am interested in this anti-
spasmodic you were taking, colofac. I checked it out on the
web and found out it does not interfere with BPH which I have,
and all these other antispasmodics, robinul,levsin,bentyl,etc.
do. Did it really help stop your colon spasms cold? I see
my GI doc this friday and am thinking about asking him to
switch me to colofac, especially if you found really
effective. Spasms have been one of my worst problems.
Thanks. -Bob
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<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
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I started with the BTC foods. Then I followed Casey's advice in this post
I added chicken first. If I had a success with that then I added something else the next day. If you keep things simple then its easy to work out what's ok.Then carrots, then peas, then green beans. I ate chicken or turkey sandwiches for lunch and chicken and rice/pasta/potatoes with vegetables for dinner. Then I added shrimp.
When I really got a craving for a food then I added it but I was pretty careful and clever about things and added things first that I could adapt to a number of meals eg tomatoes so I could try them raw and in sauces, mayonnaise and mustard as they could be had at every meal. I was probably eating this simply when I added ADBs. Oh they really cheered me up.
I ate toast a lot and for breakfast had oatmeal or Rice Krispies. I tried to balance my nutrients and always kept more SF than anything else and only SF on an empty tummy.
Unfortunately different things work for different people so I can't give any guarantees that what worked for me will work for you but I just wanted to give you some hope.
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S.
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Hi Bobk-
To be honest the antispasmodic did nothing at all for me in the beginning so the doctor told me to throw them away and I started on the Anti D's.
I am now off the Anti D's too (my scrip ran out on a surprise holiday and my tummy didn't even notice!) so I am purely controlling this with diet.
I have friends who swear by colofac, it just didn't work for me, so I recommend talking to your GI doctor about it. I found Colpermin (a OTC IBS remedy that's really just peppermint oil) useless when I was starting out too but when I got more stable and when I get cramps from being naughty then I take it before I eat and it really works now.
If you haven't already tried the AntiD route I highly recommend it, its what got me where I am today, I was only taking antiDs for IBS, not for depression and I really saw the whole brain/gut reaction that Heather talks about working for me.
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S.
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Casey!
#205603 - 08/15/05 11:31 AM
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cailin
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 3563
Loc: Dublin, Ireland
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Thanks Casey, let's share the LOVE !
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S.
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