i give up
#309975 - 06/27/07 10:19 AM
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badtzjack
Reged: 05/08/07
Posts: 54
Loc: NEW YORK
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it seems to me that it is hopeless trying to get answers anywhere about IBS. everything hurts, and if i can't get the pain to stop on soluble fiber foods, forget insoluble. since everyone is different, message boards can't provide any answers. personally, i don't believe that any of this is helping, and fiber supplements increase pain when one increases the dosage, it does not stop pain. the colon will do what it wants, when it wants. i'm just going to give up posting any more questions here. it is pointless. unless all doctors finally face up to the fact that IBS is not a mental problem, we are not going to get a medication that will control it. even if they are kind, they still don't get it. so that is it for that. i'm tired and weary.
also, forgive me for putting caps earlier, but the last thing on my mind when i'm in pain is if anyone is worried i might be "shouting" at them. maybe we should shout, since our lives are twisted about.
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I really understand where you're coming from. This is a very frustrating and confusing condition! I have tried all sorts of things that haven't worked, but I have found the message boards very helpful. The reason is that much of the diet and treatment for IBS can only be found through trial and error. It is very helpful for me to read about what other people have tried and what experiences they have had. It helps me figure out what I might expect and give me ideas for what to try next. And of course, it's always nice to know that we're not alone!
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Lisa
IBS-A, Interstitial Cystitis, Migraines
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Re: i give up
#309977 - 06/27/07 10:39 AM
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Snorkie
Reged: 02/15/05
Posts: 1999
Loc: Northern Illinois, USA
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How long have you been following the diet? For some people, it does take some time to start working.
I'm sorry you are suffering.
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i feel alone, because i just want to rip my guts out and die. many days i feel like that, and consider it a lot. i just don't see any point in living. my pain is with me all the time; i'm sore all day long. i don't know how to make that go away. i'm only eating soluble fiber, and i eat very little at that. nothing soothes or makes me feel better. i'm just sick all the time.
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Please don't give up. Has your doctor ruled out everything else? Have you had a colonoscopy, ect. to eliminate anything else that may be wrong? Maybe you should also be food tested for allergies. I am going to have that done within the next month. Keep fighting, stay strong. I am sorry you do not feel well.
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yes, i had the stomach test, catscan, but not the colonscopy. they found thickening of the stomach, but they seem to find that insifnigcant. not to me it isn't. i want antibiotics, but i don't know if they'll work since no one can answer that one. these days, i would prefer death than this
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Please don't give up. I think a lot of us have had such bad days that we just would rather die than continue living with the pain. I had a flare-up that lasted almost a year. Every single day so much pain, nothing helped, new meds did nothing. It does sound like you might have something other than IBS going on. I would follow the advice of others in see another doctor. I am on Donnatel now after having been on probably 6 different anti-spasmatics over the last 10 years. Donnatel is working the best for me now. Other medications have worked and then something changed, either with my system or I just got used to them. I would give it 3 weeks, but it doesn't sound like it's doing anything. There are a lot of different meds to try. Stay away from antibiotics unless you truly need them. They have messed me up and i know some other people on the boards have had similar experiences. I would strongly suggest the hypnotherapy and acupunture, if you can afford it. At least try a relaxation CD. A great one is the Art of Letting Go which is guided imagery. It's not targeted at IBS like the hynotherapy, but is cheaper and helped me tremendously with stress in general.
Don't give up on the message boards. This has been a god-send to me after suffering for the last 16 years. More than half my life. I don't know if other people have had similar issues, but if you're taking any other pain medication, ibuprofen and aspirin can both be hard on the stomach. Keep asking questions. We'll all keep trying to help. See your doctor, or maybe better yet, a new doctor. Hang in there. Things will get better.
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I am new to the board but not new to IBS. I was very much in your position a couple of years ago. I wanted to give up on it all, everything. I felt frustrated and I was frustrating everyone in my life that wanted an active, healthy, and happy me.
You can't give up. That's the first thing not to do if you want to manage your IBS.
Realize you are going to have IBS bouts from time to time. Not even people without IBS can completely avoid an irritated tummy or colon.
However, we can take steps to avoid an IBS bout as much as possible.
I found that with Heather's advice on food, I was able to clear up a lot of issues I was having. However, from the many flare ups and fallout because of them that I suffered through I had developed a lot of psychological hang ups. IBS has side affects - one prominent one is anxiety.
I have found three things to be instrumental in turning my life around beyond Heather's advice - Meditation, Positive Thinking, and Anti-Anxiety medication. I told the doctor that I was in such fear of having an IBS attack that leaving house provoked attacks, and I hadn't even eaten anything. The attacks were somewhat psychosomatic at the point - panic and anxiety. I broke down and told my doctor that I was having these problems and I think it's what contributed to my IBS. He prescribed me Lexapro. I am not saying its a drug right for everyone but it controlled my body's handling of serontonin.
I keep reading that there is a link between serontonin and the tummy.
I stopped taking Lexapro back in October 2006, and I am still doing great. I live a more active live. I have a gym membership, and I can now tackle another problem in my life - my weight.
Don't give up. You can manage it! 
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Check with your GI. I sounds to me like you may have something else going on. Ask for a colonoscopy, endoscopy and whatever else it may take to figure out what is going on with you. Have bloodwork done and have your stools check out for any type of bacteria, parasite, ect.
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with you. I found that increasing SF and decreasing IF made quite a bit of difference to many of my symptoms but it did not reduce the pain. Also I found that SFS and dietary supplements usually made the problem worse. Eventually, I figured out that foods that contained high amount of fructose were causing my pain and that I could substitute rice, pasta and potatoes for SFS. You may have experiment a bit more to find your source of pain.
One thing that I found helpful was to create a base diet for myself that I immediately fell back to whenever my IBS symptoms worsened. I would stick to that diet until my symptoms were under control and then start experimenting again. My base diet was oatmeal, grilled chicken breast, cool rice, boiled carrots and homemade sourdough bread.
I have had IBS for at least 35 years. It wasn't until 4 years ago that I discovered this web site and learned about the importance of balancing the ratio of SF and IF in my diet. It took another 2 years to figure how much fructose I could handle. Now I am quite stable and almost pain free.
Good luck
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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The diet doesn't work overnight, how long have you been on it? Have you tried the peppermint tea, or capsules? Have you tried any medication like levsin or buscopan? Do you exercise regularly?
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I think some anti-depressants would be helpful to you, not only for the pain, but for your overall outlook. There are many meds out there that will help you be less sensitive to the pain. You really should contact a psychologist who can steer you in a better direction. Once your outlook on life is more positive, you will be able to handle the pressures of IBS.
I truly feel for you and hope you consider this advice. IBS is a royal pain in the butt, but there is help out there. The message boards are really a great place for bouncing ideas off a fellow IBS sufferer. Take care~~
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are you saying that it is strange to be sore all the time? i would like to do some stretching, and perhaps slowly do sit-ups if it would improve the soreness, but i'm afraid it will make the pain worse. the only thing i have not had was a colonoscopy and a stool test. as for anti-depressants, i don't know if i believe in such things; how can something meant for the mind help something physical? believe me, life for me was depressing enough before IBS, now if i could get it under control i'd never complain again! i wish it were as simple as an anti-depressant. i also can't easily change doctors, not with my health insurance! i just completely feel like i've been handed a death sentence.
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i am definately NO expert and have had some very similar situations. Exercise does help-at least WALK! I also,just in the past 2 wks., I saw on the boards something about 'Nature Calm'. I have used that now regularly for the past wks. and have noticed a very large difference. I, too, have questioned alot but staying on the message board and being pro-active in your life will help tremendously! I also am on Fluoxitine(generic for Prozac) and it has helped me alot! I had been on Lexapro prior and feel much better on the Fluoxitine. TALK to someone-help yourself! And don't give up on this support-it is critical!
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I'm sorry to hear you feel like giving up. If you really want to get some control over your IBS then you should really learn all you can about it. First, you should have properly been diagnosed: this means getting a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy and stool samples done. Tests to rule out other health problems.
You should also know that there IS a connection between the mind/brain and your gut. Brain-Gut Dysfunction. This is why anti-depressants help treat certain IBS symptoms. Those of us who take them aren't always on a high enough dose where it affects your mood, but they can (as with tricyclics) raise your pain threshold and regulate gut motility. This doesn't mean it's not real or that we have psychological problems, it just means the brain-gut interaction is not functioning correctly.
I hope you don't give up. Is your doctor willing to work with you to get better? Does he/she have the latest IBS information?
Edited by Maria!Maria! (06/27/07 07:31 PM)
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