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HI! I'm also new to this site as of yesterday. I sent for the IBS cookbook and am trying to followe the guidelines I have seen on the site. I have gotten nauseaus quite a bit with this condition and get headaches sometimes also, especially when I can't go to the bathroom. I have been going from one extreme to the other and I know it can drive you crazy. My doctor diagnosed me with IBS, spastic colon, hiatal hernia and gerd. He gave me mediation for the hiatal hernia and gerd but just told me to take benefiber to regulate myself. I found this website and have been reading everything I can find. Am just learning how to even post a message. Hang in there. I know there are a lot of people who can help you through this on this site.
Pat
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I became a vegetarian in 1996 and went almost vegan in 1997 because I wanted to be healthy and knew a lot of junk that meat and dairy nowadays can do to everyone's health. I found out later that I was originally lactose intolerant anyway so that move was good for me. BUT, the last two and a half years it seems I've had problems with irregularity. It got worse when I went on a trip to Tibet where we had to take high-altitude sickness pills, which caused constipation. So during that trip to counteract it, I took natural laxatives. I think that caused a dependence on not necessarily laxatives, but herbs that helped with irregularity--particularly Aloe vera capsules. I heard that you could get dependent on them, and then that they were okay. But to be safe, I stopped, but I substituted them for other things such as YerbaPrima Colon Care and colon cleanses. I think I'm obsessed with not being bloated and "gas-ey" all the time. I want relief!!   I feel fat though I'm 130 pounds. Sometimes I'm in pain, but not frequently. I've always been a healthy eater even as a young child. I love cereal and just recently decided to try cutting back on wheat-based cereals and go towards oat-based cereals.
I'm actually needing advice to help me figure out what to do. I'm totally against pharmaceuticals to help with sickness. I've been on Ortho Tri-cyclen for two years and the bloating was supposed to go away after a while, but that might be a contributing factor as to why it hasn't. I'm just so unsure. I want to be regular without drastic "help" from major herbal medications if you know what I mean.
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Jodi, welcome!!
there's lots of vegetarian folks here. do some searches and you'll find past threads. and they'll be welcoming you before the day is out probably.
You could also start your thread as a new post to make sure they see it.
Welcome to the best place on earth!!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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i want to thank all of you for the wonderful welcome!! i look so forward to talking more with you and learning all i can from you and this site. i also thank you so much for the advice and encouragement. i'm so happy i found this site and other people going through what i am. i will definitely have lots of questions along the way, and hopefully over time i'll be able to help newcomers like myself.
like suggested, i am going to take this one day at a time...learning and incorporating what i can as the days go by.
thanks again!!
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thanks for the info bevrs. you asked if my doctor recommended a soluble fiber supplement and the answer is no. he simply prescribed zelnorm...and i personally don't want to be stuck taking a medication the rest of my life, that's actually how i found this site, cause i was looking for other treatments. i'm hoping that i can eventually stop taking zelnorm and simply control my symptoms through this diet, but for now i'll stick with trying both. zelnorm is only supposed to be a short-term treatment anyway.
i have an appointment with my gastro next friday so i'm going to talk to him about all this new info i've learned. i hope he doesn't put it down...think it's crazy talk. oh well, i don't really care.
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Hi! Welcome to the boards. I am a strict vegetarian myself, though not vegan. But I hate eggs and milk and now don't eat cheese because it makes sick. But I do eat honey. 
First off, have you gone to a specialist and been tested? There are lots of diseases, such as Celiac Sprue (wheat allergies) that have similar symptoms and these can be ruled out with a blood test. There are also other more serious diseases that you would want to rule out.
After that, if you don't want to use medicine (which has really made a difference in my life, but I understand why you want to avoid it) I would buy Heather's book and focus on following her diet carefully. You can totally do this as a vegetarian. I make recipes off the board all the time subbing in soy meat for normal meat.
If you have any other questions let me know... I'm happy to help. And I understand what you mean about feeling fat all the time. A friend of mine and I joked once about looking pregnant when we are having an attack, even though neither of us are big people either. It's a pain.
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same person!!!
#57243 - 04/02/04 10:53 AM
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Dalia
Reged: 03/14/04
Posts: 79
Loc: London / Tel Aviv / New York
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Hey and welcome
it was amazing to read about your symptoms...amazing. its like we have lived the same problems!! Nausea, bloatedness and c are my biggest problems! Nausea was the symptom that first alerted me to something being wrong!!!
I want to reassure you that I have learnt to manage my ibs through diet and diet only. As far as heathers die, I follow it except that I substitute wholegrains where white grains are specified. For me, if I were to eat white flours, I would get more c!! But as far as red meat, eggs, milk, caffeine etc....heather hits the nail on the head!
If you want any help, I am here....
Good luck!! XXXXXXXXXX
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Feel the fear, and do it anyway
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Hi Jenni,
My name is Melissa and I am new to this web site – I found it about a week and a half ago. I know exactly what you mean, I am at work too, and I am checking this site all the time. I ordered the Big Kahuna package so I could get started reading Heather's books, drinking the teas and taking the fiber. Finding this site feels like a blessing.
For the past year, I have experienced a lot of pain, nausea, bloatiness, i.e – IBS-C. I never used to have this problem before, and it is so frustrating sometimes I cry. I have been to the doctors – and they all tell me the same thing (and also give me wrong suggestions!! Taking Metamucil made my stomach blow up), and eating raw vegetables didn't help either.
As a part time second job, I am a fitness instructor and have a very healthy eating lifestyle. I was doing all the things wrong – like eating salads every day, apples, yogurt… little did I know it was making my symptoms worse. This past week and a half, I have tried Heather's diet… I started eating only soluble fiber for two days, gave up coffee (YIKES, that was a tough one), and dairy completely…and after those two days, I started slowly adding other things in. I am amazed at the results – I have been feeling good for the past five days… my belly almost feels back to normal. I feel like this is a miracle. I can't wait to get Heather's book and learn even more. I was scared to do this because I have been living on whole wheat, veggies, food that is really good for you – and I didn't want to give it up. Honestly though, the way I feel is worth it. I haven't gained any weight (in fact, I think I may have lost a pound)… and I just feel better (I think cutting out dairy is key, even if you aren't lactose). I now blend my fruits into soy smoothies, and have fell in love with a new snack – vanilla soy milk and rice chex cereal. I have been peeling and heating up my apples – and my husband even likes that treat now. It's only been a week and a half. I am slowly eating veggies again – I just puree them into sauces, or cook and eat them with a big roll. I started taking Citrucel and it works a lot better for me than MetaMucil.
Give the diet a shot – and see how it works for you. I think the white flour is okay, as long as you are still getting your nutrients from other places. I am a health food nut, and I'm adjusting.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed recipes, and stories - reading everything this past week has been so uplifting for me.
Best wishes!
Melissa
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Melissa, GREAT to hear you're doing so well. That's fantastic!! You go, girl!!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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I'm new to this site also. I found it about a couple of weeks ago, when I was desperately searching for information on IBS-C and taking antidepressants to help with it. I bought both books and have found them very helpful as well as this site. Last summer I had an ulcer and I think everything went down hill from there after treatment (2 weeks of heavy duty antibiotics). I had very painful spasms, gas, bloating, and constipation. I couldn't eat any hard veggies. My doc put me on Elavil to help with the spasms and told me to take metamucil. Elavil was a great help, but I gained 10 months in 3-4 months, would sleep 10/day and had nighmares some times. I went to see another doc. about 3 weeks ago, she put me on lexapro. I'm suppose to try it for a month. The first week on this med was very frightening, my mind was racing a mile a second, plus heart palpitations (blood pressure up), couldn't sleep at all. But now I with three weeks on this med, I feel a lot better. I'm actually going to the bathroom more and able to sleep now, no spasms. I can actually eat almost anything. But I'm still going to try the diet, because I don't want to be on meds all my life. Plus I'm worried about other side affects that this med causes (besides the sexual side affects). Anyways, just wanted to tell my story and to tell you to hang in there. This site has a lot of helpful information and friendly people.
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