Can Somebody PLEASE help me? End of rope slipping!
#275060 - 07/20/06 04:35 PM
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First off, this will be LONG. Sorry.
I have IBS. BIG time. I have suffered with migraines and IBS for about 8 years, since my fathers death. (Underlying cause - stress and nerves. Working on this..) I have started to think that the IBS is one of the biggest triggers for the migraines.
Over time, I have learned that certain foods made me feel lousy. Then I found this site, and the list of 'Trigger' foods for IBS was almost IDENTICAL to those that bothered me. (I preferred flat pop even!)
I have deteriorated to the point where it seems impossible to work for a week straight. I do not generally get constipated, but I DO get the opposite... and the pain!
I have gotten to the point where I have started giving up on food. Of course, this isn't helping. I am in treatment for serious depression and anxiety, and this whole thing is overwhelming. Not a good situation.
I have always had a sensitive stomach. There are some foods I have never been able to handle eating, some no doubt are more psychological then taste reasons. I grew up on whole wheat bread, and always liked the taste. White is good too, I just thought WW was healthier! My favorite foods have always been Pizza, and all of the ingredients therin, and pasta dishes. I LOVE fresh fruit, and I like most vegetables. (Not tomatoes (weird eh?), or onions, or Broccoli, makes me sick.) I am not a meat freak, but I do like it. I AM a cheese freak.
I have become so down that even things I really enjoy, Like the odd mixed rum drink, have become NON-Appealing. There goes alcohol from the list.
There are a lot of foods I can't eat, I hope I can still correct this problem.
OK - The main thing I need to ask is this...
Today, I am sick, and off work again.
My wife and I decided to start following everything on this site to the LETTER.
So I had a cup of Peppermint tea. (Pure, Natural.)
And in 30 min I was cramped up and got diarrea like crazy.
That isn't supposed to happen, is it?
#2 - Ice cream, which looks HORRIBLE in the light of this site, doesn't seem to bother me! It seems to settle things down even! What's with that?
Any encouragement, or opinions, would be greatly appreciated!!
Phil
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brew it strong and see if that makes a difference. There seems to be a handful of folks on the boards who can't tolerate peppermint at all, and fennel is a great alternative. Also - did you have anything else before or with the peppermint tea? Make sure that it really was the tea before you give up on it.
I don't know about the ice cream - that's bizarre. Is it full fat? A specific brand or flavor? What are all the ingredients?
Also - check out the breaking the cycle info http://www.helpforibs.com/diet/faq.asp#break_cycle to get things under control as quickly as possible.
And welcome to the site!!!
- H
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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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Phuzzy,
Ice cream can be a big comfort food, I know... I seem to tolerate the lowfat and fat-free, if I eat small portions (makes me feel better about having to avoid cheese... sort of).
That's weird about the peppermint... even the old wives' tales say that peppermint is a tummy soother, so I don't know what to make of your reaction to it. (I'm not a doctor, of course.) Have you had the "poke tests" done by an allergist to see if you are allergic to any particular foods and plants?
It seems logical that if you feel stress is aggravating your IBS, that reducing your stress is going to be a major step toward feeling better. Mentioned on this site are things like hypnosis, yoga, meditation, exercise... do you have such a means available to you for releasing stress? Even just taking a walk can be helpful, weather permitting, or doing some gentle exercise/stretching in the comfort of your home.
Wishing you all the best.
--------------------
Check multiple sources and make the best-informed decision possible!
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Thank you everyone for the replies.
Would Chamomile tea work as good? I happen to already LOVE it.
I SHOULD try the poke test for allergies, you never know!
The stress is huge, and I am doing all I can for it. I am on tons of medications ..
OH yea! I shuld mention that!
Daily -
Dicetel - for IBS - 100MG - 3 times a day. (Often 2 times. I forget.) (Obviously not helping.. Or helping enough.)
Propanelol - Migraine Prevention
Celexa - Depression / Anxiety
As needed -
Oxycocet - Pain related to headaches, joint problems - AND IBS!
Clonazepam. (Valium.)
I am probably forgetting something.
Thanks again, I really appreciate any help and/or comments.
Phil
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Random theory (based on my own personal IBS)... have you been in the middle of a flare up? I'd assume so, but that may be why drinking the tea caused that reaction. I find that when I'm in the midst of a bad IBS flare, no matter what I eat or drink, I'm going to have problems.
And I, too, noticed that ice cream doesn't bother me! I just had a bad flare up and nothing was helping so I got frustrated to the point where I had a little cup of ice cream because why not? I'm not sure why, but it did help. So I eat it every now and then, but only a couple of spoonfuls. I don't want to push my luck!
As for those medicines, I wish I could offer some sort of wisdom with those but sadly I can't. I always have terrible reactions to medicine... they almost always tear up my disgestive system, even if they're intent is to help. So I'm no help there!
Good luck and I hope you feel better!
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~*If you can dream it, you can do it*~ Walt Disney
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You may have something there about the tea. I admit though, I'll be nervous to try it again.
To be honest, High fat foods in general have not stood out for me as a problem! Weird. Maybe the problems caused are delayed a bit.
Phil
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Since you never get constipated, it sound like you're IBS-D with cramping. I was too and Heather's approach has worked wonders for me. I followed it to the letter when I first started out and the results were amazing. In her post Heather refers you to the Break The Cycle Diet and I heartily second this. It's incredibly boring but it's only for 3 days.
Chamomile tea is on Heather's list of soothing digestive teas, so if you love it, by all means drink it.
As for the ice cream, before I found this Website, I used to eat cream soups for lunch, convinced I was calming my tummy. It wasn't until I gave up dairy - and the other trigger foods and irritants - that I started feeling better. For myself, I've found that sometimes trigger foods mean an immediate attack, but sometimes they just act like sandpaper, keeping my tummy in a constant uproar with actual attacks happening apparently randomly.
My advice would be to do what you've already decided to do and follow this site to the letter. Start with the Break The Cycle Diet for 2-3 days, then gradually add other safe foods carefully. If you're D rather than C you can stay more on the SF side for a while. For me, the trick was being very, very careful for as long as possible. If I wasn't sure something was okay for me, I didn't eat it. Once you're stable you can start pushing the envelope - a little.
You can get all the diet information you need from this Website, but there are two things to consider. First, you can't learn about the Diet from the Message Boards. As wonderful as they are, people here talk about the Diet at the margins. You need to rely on the information you find in the main part of the Website, outside the Boards. Second, you might check and see if your library has Heather's "The First Year - IBS" or even consider ordering it from this Website or Amazon or Barnes and Noble. I found it very helpful - and reassuring - to actually have all the information laid out in step by step form.
Taking an SFS has made a world of difference for me. Heather's Diet took care of the cramping and much of the urgency, but the SFS helped with the last of the urgency and the frequency. I use Acacia and love it, but there are a lot of them out there. Assuming you are D, though, avoid any with IF and stick with the pure SF ones.
As for meds, I use Imodium and Donnatol and find both helpful now, but until I got somewhat stable on the Diet nothing really helped - it was like trying to stop a runaway freight train with a little orange traffic cone.
HTH. Tie a knot and hang on.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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I can't suggest strongly enough that you try the IBS Hypnotherapy CDs (which you can buy right here on Heather's site). It does wonders for anxiety-related IBS.
I dragged my feet about hypno for *years*, and finally tried it 2 years ago. Not only did it reduce my attack frequency, but it made my occasional attack much more bearable and considerably shorter.
--AC
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Hypnotherapy has a very high success rate for IBS. And it will also help with things like reducing anxiety, sleeping more easily, headache reduction, confidence. You name it, it will probably help it. Hypnotherapy changed my life and I can't speak highly enough about it. Quote:
There goes alcohol from the list.
Alcohol is bad for IBS anyway. No drink and no pain is much better than drink and pain. Quote:
White is good too, I just thought WW was healthier!
Well, WW is healthier, but not good for IBS. It doesn't digest as well, as I'm sure you've already read. Quote:
My wife and I decided to start following everything on this site to the LETTER
I wouldn't follow everything on this site to the letter. But, if you don't have Heather's book, get it, and follow it to the letter. I'm sure you have noticed that everyone on this site is more than willing to share their stories about what works for them and how they cope with different situations. But what I want to point out is that we are all different and what works for one person may not work exactly the same for another. So, you may find along the way that what is safe to someone else (ex: I can tolerate egg yolks since becoming stable and for most people egg yolks are a huge trigger) may actually cause problems for you. But, like I said, go with the info in Heather's book sand you'll be fine in time. I recommend Heather's products (teas, caps and fiber). Definately give that hypno a try. It is well worth the few dollars you'll spend on it. And, most importantly, don't give up. This takes some time and you need to be patient (I know how hard that is when you're in pain).
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***********************
If you're not dead, you've still got time.
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Have you been tested for celiac and bacteria in the intestine?
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Hi there,
First of all, Welcome to the Website! I really hope that you can find some information here to make you start feeling better - I know how it is to miss work a lot and suffer with the anxiety and emotional side of IBS and it sure doesn't make it easy to get the physical symptoms under control.
I think that everyone else has given you some great tips so far, and I just wanted to add in a few things.
I really agree with Sand about the ice cream and it causing problems with you later on. It's like alcohol for - I can drink it, and be fine all night.. the next day, watch out! I gave it up completely and voila, much better.
If you feel like it is soothing, that could be a psychological thing as well and may be able to be replaced by things like sorbet or soy ice cream that should be less of a strain on your GI tract.
The thing is, when I am stable I can tolerate a little bit of ice cream and not worry about it but when I am sick (like it sounds like you are now) I wouldn't go near it unless I wanted to suffer the next day.
I think for you it might be really helpful to start keeping a food diary. You may find that you notice patterns in reactions to foods 24 hours later or something, and know what to eliminate from there.
I would also make sure you get tested for celiac and see if it a wheat/gluten problem that mimicks IBS symptoms.
I would also definitely start the hypno program, especially if your IBS is so related to stress.
I can totally hear where you are coming from about things you used to like being unappealing and I think we all go through that to a degree when we are trying to figure out what makes us sick - but keep in mind that there are a lot of alternatives these days that can make the transition a little easier. Like, I too *love* cheese but it certainly does not love me. I can, however, make an *awesome* homemade soy cheese pizza with soy mozarella that does the trick just fine for my cravings. Ground beef bother you? Try ground turkey. Try soy ice cream, hagen daaz sorbet, Amy's soy products, etc, etc.. You can still have really good food that will satisfy you without making you sick, it just takes some research and guessing and testing.
Good luck, let us know how you're doing! 
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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I really appreciate all of the replies and suggestions you guys! I am going to put everything in one reply.
Um, hypnotism makes me uncomfortable, so I do not consider that an option. It's nothing to do with not trusting anyone, it's just the idea.
Celiac? I should look that up and see what it is! Thanks!
Oh - Has nitrates, the stuff they use as a meat preservative, ever stood out as a trigger? It is a serious migraine trigger for me, but the triggers are all up in the air now.
I was wondering about whether triggers can cause reactions later on, that's good to know. I LOVE Sorbet, very suitable substitution. The cheese will be harder, although I have to say lately, I have been so turned off of food that ALL of my favorites look gloomy. Anything is possible. I should see if this town I am in has a source of soy substitutes. My wife says yes! I'll try anything once. I don't know if red meat bothers me at all, but I think I'll try the alternate anyhow. I HAVE just realized that beef jerky is not good.
I realize that some things that work for others may not work for me, that's a good point.
IBS-D? Didn't know there was different types. Neat.
I did try the tea during a flare up. I'll try it at another time to see what happens.
The allergy poke test also sounds like a good idea to me!
I have read all of the comments, and I am giving them all thought. Thanks everyone...
I am in a bit of a bad place right now, I had to go to the Emergency dept Friday because of the worst type of depressed thinking. I am on a medication which knocks me on my arse, which is supposed to help me get back on my feet. IIronyyy...
Phil
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Hi Phil--
Have you read about the hypnotherapy here? There are some samples you can listen to. It's really very subtle - most of the time I was awake the entire time. Essentially, what it does is teach you how to turn off that anxious feeling at will.
I would definitely suggest that you spend 15 minutes reading about IBS hypnotherapy and see if it's at all like what you think hypnotherapy is. All it really is is a guy talking about relaxing things while a bit of music plays in the background....
--AC
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Sounds like relaxation therapy. Wonder why they would call it hypnosis? Oh well.
The Celiac suggestion caused me to look it up. HOLY COW do those symptoms sound familliar! There is even one more on there which I never mentioned, bleeding.
This is what I read...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celiac_disease
I am going to get the tests as quickly as possible! Obviously, I could go on the diet myself, but I NEED a clear answer. Call it closure. The diet would possibly mess up the test result, so I am reducing my wheat a bit, just for now. Ok, tomorrow.
I am VERY sick right now. Today, I ate a dinner bun with cheese on it, then an hour later, a nectarine. The pains were terrible. Later, things calmed down, and I had pizza. BLAMMO! (TRYING to throw it up..) Whatever this is, it has taken a huge turn for the worse. It's not usually like this!!
If I get a specific diagnosis, it'll mean big things for my whole family. There is a lot of bad health.
Phil
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In your original post you said that you and your wife had decided you were going to follow Heather's EFI Diet to the letter. I'm assuming you've now changed your mind about that, but just in case you haven't:
Cheese and pizza (unless it's made with safe ingredients) are both huge triggers for IBS. A tangerine is IF and acidic. These factors mean that it is problematic and must be eaten carefully, that is, with a solid SF base. I would not advise it for an IBS-D whose system is already in an uproar.
I do think it's important you be checked for celiac disease. In fact, you should be sure you've undergone the whole list of diagnostic tests Heather recommends before an IBS diagnosis can be made. However, the gold standard for diagnosing celiac is an endoscopy and it may be a while before you can get one of those. In the meantime, since you should not be eliminating gluten before being tested, I still suggest you try the EFI Diet and see how you feel. Following the Break The Cycle Diet strictly for 2-3 days is a good way to start.
The hypnosis CDs are hypnosis. It's not the stage variant where people can (supposedly) be made to think they're Oprah or a chicken, but it's something more than relaxation therapy. The CDs start by addressing concerns about the safety and ease of hypnosis. I'm at about Day 30 of them now and agree they would probably be beneficial for you. Quite apart from any IBS effects, I find them very calming in general.
Take care. Good luck with all this.
--------------------
[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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We are still in the process of figuring out what to do actually, but you are right, pizza isn't so good. I haven't gotten on the cycle breaker, because I am thinking that Celiacs sounds more likely! Of course, Pizza is WORSE for Celiac, but I got the blood test today, and a false negative can occur if you are OFF the gluten, so I stayed on it yesterday. Now that the blood test is done, I am leaning more toward the celiac diet. No more gluten for me.
I guess I am hoping it's celiac, since a definite answer would give a lot of closure, and the treatment would be clear as a bell.
You folks will be first to know what the test says. Hoping to know Monday or Tues.
Phil
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Negative for Celiac. Last week, two things happened. I started a new medication for my nerve problems, and I eliminated Gluten from my diet. This past week, I have felt better then ages.
I thought it was a bit of both.
Now my Celiac results are back - NEGATIVE. I guess it was just the pills. Things are looking more and more like IBS all the time. My stress level seems to have my bowell tied to it so closely that reactions happen within 1/2 hour.
Sigh. So I think I DO belong here. Now - here is a question...
How can you find the strength and determination to eliminate some of your favorite foods from your diet when you are so sick?
I don't know if I have the 'berries' for it.
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I felt great the first few weeks I tried gluten free - and same as you I tested negative for celiac. For me it didn't seem to last unfortunately. I wasn't perfectly gf - its hidden in so many things I didn't know about at the time. I ended up eating wheat free instead which I don't recomend!! Well its worth a try I guess. In my case I was never convinced it helped, but now I'm having trouble going back to eating wheat.
For me the dietary changes are easier than feeling like sh** so as much as I'd like to eat everything, my reactions to foods have helped me have the will power to change my diet.
Good luck with everything, I know that it absolutely sucks.
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Ladies & gentlemen take my advice, pull down your pants and slide on the ice.
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Quote:
How can you find the strength and determination to eliminate some of your favorite foods from your diet when you are so sick?
When I learned that my options were (a) eat it and be sick or (b) don't eat it and don't be sick, I just didn't eat it. It was a matter of pain for me.
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***********************
If you're not dead, you've still got time.
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Quote:
Negative for Celiac. Last week, two things happened. I started a new medication for my nerve problems, and I eliminated Gluten from my diet. This past week, I have felt better then ages.
I thought it was a bit of both.
Now my Celiac results are back - NEGATIVE. I guess it was just the pills. Things are looking more and more like IBS all the time. My stress level seems to have my bowell tied to it so closely that reactions happen within 1/2 hour.
Sigh. So I think I DO belong here. Now - here is a question...
How can you find the strength and determination to eliminate some of your favorite foods from your diet when you are so sick?
I don't know if I have the 'berries' for it.
Hehe, the berries for it, that's great, Phil - I love your sense of humor. A sense of humor is important while dealing with this. I am definitely not downplaying your distress at all, though. I know how scary and difficult this is. I read your prior post about your depression and anxiety - I hear you on both - I suffer from mood disorders and IBS-C with pain, cramping, gas, nausea... and among that I have other problems too, such as migraines, every single freaking day. So you are not alone and you are in the right place. I wish I could answer your ice cream and peppermint tea questions, but peppermint tea has had both calming and adverse reactions on me as well. Sooo, right now, I am going to try peppermint tea again. It's been nearly 2 years since I've touched any herbal tea at all, be it peppermint, fennel, green tea, ginger, etc., b/c I was literally afraid to. As soon as I get the money saved up, I'm going to buy some of Heather's peppermint caps - being enteric coated they will probably be easier on me. I've taken ginger caplets before from the health food store for nausea, sometimes that helped me, but now I'm rambling. I'm also very late for taking a shower and getting ready to leave for the store. I hope you find the answers to your questions here and find comfort here as well. Believe me, I know how you feel. This disease is a toughy and it's really hard to change. I'll write more later on. Btw, I tend to get kind of long in my posts too sometimes. Good luck and welcome to the board. Take it easy and I hope you feel better.
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XOXO from lil' ol' me.  (IBS-C, mood disorders, etc., etc.)
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Hello again, hawkeye, I hope you're feeling better. I'm just taking it one second at a time, literally and figuratively. Two of the hardest vices I can't let go of include alcohol and tobacco. I don't smoke that much and I don't drink that much, but for IBSers and such, "a little" is just as bad. I take responsibility for myown actions though. If I'm not ready to quit smoking and drinking altogether, especially when that drink might come with something carbonated... then that's my own fault. To be honest, my fortitude in general comes and goes and varying degrees by seconds, minutes, or days. But extreme mood disorders and sleep problems along with this annoying inability to cope with any amount of stress, anxiety, change, or lack of control all make the entire IBS picture scary as hell and hard to deal with (for me anyway). SO sometimes you might see me all positive on here, other times somewhere in between, and then other times, severely depressed. When things work out, it sure does help the fortitude though and the conviction to keep trying, like you said. Take care.
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XOXO from lil' ol' me. (IBS-C, mood disorders, etc., etc.)
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+++ How can you find the strength and determination to eliminate some of your favorite foods from your diet when you are so sick? +++
Phuzzy,
One of the points Heather makes in her information is that she looks for creative substitutions, rather than focusing on deprivation. I have/am experiencing how trying to change your eating habits all at once can be difficult. Hang in there, hope you're feeling better soon.
--------------------
Check multiple sources and make the best-informed decision possible!
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Phil,
It is very frustrating to have something wrong with you and not feel you like you have any power to change it doesn't it? I look back now to before I started the IBS diet and I remember that helpless feeling and also remember the sadness from not being able to eat milk chocolate. But, there are things you can do to live happily with this disorder. It's like a complete lifestyle change. You can't just change your foods, you have to look at your stress and your sleep and your support systems. (Sounds like your wife is on board.)
As other people have said as far as feeling like you are being deprived of the foods you used to love - after you eat only safe foods for awhile and then slip and eat something that you know will hurt you and it does - it becomes easier to let those foods go. Does that make sense? Instead of feeling unhappy because it feels like all foods make you sick, you pin it down to a few and then you train yourself - after awhile, that chocolate bar just doesn't look good anymore because you KNOW with reasonable certainty (previous attacks) that it's going to be troublesome for you. And after you spend some time on the diet, you can change what you find tasty. (I had broasted chicken with the skin last week and was practically apalled at how rich I found the skin to be. I hope these were somewhat helpful comments to get you in a better place mentally. Best of luck!
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