Questions about attacks...
#62367 - 04/18/04 05:58 PM
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Hi!
I was just wondering what everyone means by attacks. Alot of posts have mentioned that they were attack free for 5 months, or that one attack lasted almost 2 months etc.
I am just wondering what exactly that means.
I personally have had diarrhea nearly everyday for the past 5 years. I can't imagine not having it, and basically have delt with it for so long that it doesn't even faze me most of the time. But I'm wondering if what I have is not what the majority of people suffer from.
Is it safe to assume that people have IBS attacks for a few days and then it goes away and they have normal bowel movements for a few months before being struck down again by a hurting tummy a few months or weeks later? I am just curious beacuse this is not the case for me. My bowel movements haven't been normal if YEARS.
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Mine are so rarely normal that it is a remarkable occurrence when it does happen. I can't speak for anybody else and what they mean by "attacks," but for me, and "attack" is when I have extreme cramping pain and a need to find the bathroom ASAP, usually only relieved by (warning: TMI) explosive diarrhea.
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Oh man, I know what you mean...
I was just confused cause I've seen people write that they had one that lasted two months.. is that two months spent on the toilet.. or it comes and goes..
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Hi,
You sound just like I used to be. Now I just have "attacks", sometime lasting for a week, now they usually last for 2-3 days.
I found through a process of elimination that firstly I had coliac disease and lactose/dairy intollerance, then later I found out that I had IBS. When I was still having problems, I found that because I had chronic fatigue syndrome, I had a yeast infection throughout my gut.
If you don't have coliac, which gives similar symptoms to IBS, the yeast infection could be what is giving you continual D. Because of your weakened state, your immune system gives up and its very common to have a yeast overgrowth in your gut. This gives you constant wind and D.
I'm fighting off one again now.
Anyway, perhaps this could be your problem. A nutritionist or naturapath could help.
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I think it varies depending on each person's IBS. Have you started Heather's diet? I had D all the time for ages until I started the diet and now I'm nearly stable (only very occasionally have any major symptoms)!
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Not Just D
#62477 - 04/19/04 07:53 AM
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Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
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I am a D. I've never had C. But I don't have D every day. Are you taking any soluble fiber supplement? What about probiotics? Are you following the program religiously? Not cheating? What about water, how much are you getting? Exercise?
I've always had 3-4 "normal" poops every morning, like clock-work. But when my IBS got bad, they were no longer "normal" until I began taking acacia and probiotics.
To me an "attack" comprises both D and cramping, not just D. I will get D after eating something my tummy doesn't like. For example, yesterday I had some extra-lean turkey bacon, and my tummy was NOT happy with me, so I got D as a result -- no cramping, just severe bloating which lasted a few hours. But I don't consider that an attack.
Your assumption that "people have IBS attacks for a few days and then it goes away and they have normal bowel movements for a few months before being struck down again by a hurting tummy a few months or weeks later" rings pretty true for me.
I keep a food journal, and when I have such an attack, I refer back to the journal and can always pinpoint the culprit. So now, by this time, I pretty much know what I can and can't have. That turkey bacon I had yesterday? I was wary of it, even though it was the first I'd ever had, because I know I can't tolerate turkey pepperoni. Now I know for sure.
Here I am rambling again. Sorry.
I'd try a good fiber supplement, and maybe even a probiotic. I'll bet you'll find a big improvement!
Bev
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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Quote:
have extreme cramping pain and a need to find the bathroom ASAP, usually only relieved by (warning: TMI) explosive diarrhea
that's an "attack" to me... add: sweating, chills, shaking, dizziness, wanting to vomit, stabbing pain in the lower right and left abdomen (in addition to the cramping) and the feeling that you would rather die than experience the next 15 minutes.
the problem was, for awhile there last year, that was happening to me on a daily basis (multiple times a day), for many weeks at a time. naturally, that wore me out and then being tired makes me have D, then i got more tired.... as you can see, a situation that feeds itself....  that's what i mean when i say i had an attack for 2 months last January. it was technically a series of attacks multiple times daily from 2 days before Christmas to late February. to me, that's "one attack." crud- i couldn't eat, sleep, or leave the house! i can call it whatever i want! 
prior to that, i had diarrhea every day for about a year, maybe longer. sometimes i had attacks, other times just "the regular diarrhea." and by "the regular" i mean upwards of 12 trips to the bathroom in a day, 8 or 9 of them before noon!
PS: the upside... my last "attack" was so long ago i can't remember (may have been "the date from hell") and i have fairly normal BMs on a nice normal schedule (only once a day! GASP!) and no pain for weeks now. no bloaties, either! 
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Quote:
Mine are so rarely normal that it is a remarkable occurrence when it does happen. I can't speak for anybody else and what they mean by "attacks," but for me, and "attack" is when I have extreme cramping pain and a need to find the bathroom ASAP, usually only relieved by (warning: TMI) explosive diarrhea.
That's what I consider an attack, too. I usually get chills, feel nauseous, etc. I also have bad episodes sometimes that go on for weeks or months, during which I just don't feel well all the time. I think people also call those "attacks". I guess it all depends on how you use the terminology. 
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"Anyone can exercise, but this kind of lethargy takes real discipline." -Garfield
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Normal BM, whats that?? To me, if I'm just a little C or have a bit of D, thats what I consider normal. An attack to me starts with shortness of breath, having to pee way more than usual and extreme pressure (imagine an elephant sitting on your tummy)Of course there is always the usual gas and bloating involoved. If I'm lucky this will only last a few days but these bad attacks have last 6 weeks before 
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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You know, I dont get as much D or C (tho it's there) but what I notice right away is the pain way down in my groin area.. if you're a girl it's almost over the ovaries. Much of my pain has gone since being on the ibs diet for 3 weeks now, but I am due for a pelvic ultrasound this friday as we're just not sure if it's something else. I've been getting up to pee 3 - 4 times a nite (and that's on a good nite..) for almost a year and it's been rough sometimes. The best part is that the IBS related symptoms mostly are gone, so perhaps the rest will catch up once I really get stable. However, I'm still pushing the Dr to look at all the possibilities just in case.
Rosey
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Quote:
that's an "attack" to me... add: sweating, chills, shaking, dizziness, wanting to vomit, stabbing pain in the lower right and left abdomen (in addition to the cramping) and the feeling that you would rather die than experience the next 15 minutes.
the problem was, for awhile there last year, that was happening to me on a daily basis (multiple times a day), for many weeks at a time. naturally, that wore me out and then being tired makes me have D, then i got more tired.... as you can see, a situation that feeds itself.... that's what i mean when i say i had an attack for 2 months last January. it was technically a series of attacks multiple times daily from 2 days before Christmas to late February. to me, that's "one attack." crud- i couldn't eat, sleep, or leave the house! i can call it whatever i want!
prior to that, i had diarrhea every day for about a year, maybe longer. sometimes i had attacks, other times just "the regular diarrhea." and by "the regular" i mean upwards of 12 trips to the bathroom in a day, 8 or 9 of them before noon!
PS: the upside... my last "attack" was so long ago i can't remember (may have been "the date from hell") and i have fairly normal BMs on a nice normal schedule (only once a day! GASP!) and no pain for weeks now. no bloaties, either!
I get the nausea but the pain is higher up. Luckily no chills or shaking for me, but let's not leave out straining and moaning in pain . It's sooooooo brutal. Pre-IBS diet, this would happen (for YEARS) maybe once or twice a week, sometimes not at all. (Although two attacks in one day -- which I attribute to an entire day of pizza, chicken fingers, french fries, and pop at the NCAA basketball tournament -- is what made me go for it with the IBS diet.)
As I've stated previously, bloating after I eat is a given that I can (must) live with and my BMs are never "normal" but luckily I don't have them constantly -- in fact, I have BMs only every 2-3 days. I am pretty bummed out though because I have now been on the diet for a month and I had an attack Saturday a.m. Boo!!!!  I almost threw in the towel on the diet yesterday in favor of a revised version (no more fried or extremely fatty foods but bring everything else back). I am holding the course for now, but when my symptoms are not being dramatically reduced, it is tough to live like this for only small improvement. Grrrrrr....
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I began taking fibercon two pills twice a day about three days ago.. the D has remained the same if not gotten worse since I began taking it. However, I have not started the diet.. I can't actually find all that much information about the diet, is it all in her book that you can buy on this website? I am hoping the fiber will help but as of yet its not at all. I'm wondering how long I should stick it out for before switching fibers etc! I don't know if what I take is a probiotic, but I also take pills with flora in it said to aid digestive problems.
Anyways, I guess attacks very for EVERYONE. I mean I have had diarrhea every time i've gone number 2 for the past yearS!! For me I don't have alot of bloating or unbearable stomach aches.. for me its more like I'll get a stomach ache that hurts and I have about 1 minute to find the nearest bathroom before my stomach really kills. but once I let go the stomach ache goes away.. until about ten minutes later when its time for the next episode..
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"The First Year"
#62732 - 04/19/04 06:08 PM
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Bevvy
Reged: 11/04/03
Posts: 5918
Loc: Northwest Washington State
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Here's Heather's book; you really need it -- it's our bible: web page
Is there a book store near you? It would be much faster to just zoom down there and pick it up. The sooner you get it, and the sooner you read it, the sooner you'll get better.
Have you been diagnosed with IBS? Did you have a colonoscopy?
You haven't been on the fiber long enough to notice a difference; give it a chance. In a few weeks, try increasing the dosage a little (I believe you're only taking in about 2g./day).
The fiber will help a lot, but what's going to help the most is following the diet religiously. Don't cheat like I did, because it'll just slow down your progress. (I wouldn't give up my beloved coffee. When I finally did, I got better REAL fast!)
In the meantime, check out the IBS Research Library board above. And keep asking those questions! That's gonna help you a LOT!
Bev
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<img src="http://home.comcast.net/~letsrow/smily3481.gif">Bevvy
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Like others have noted, "attacks" for me would come and go (mostly go, ha ha!) for several years. And as jenX and Kree noted, I had a lot of nausea, weakness, spasms, pain, etc.
I did this for YEARS and only just recently was diagnosed with Crohn's.
I went back and forth to the doc(s) repeatedly complaining that I "felt" sick, like I had a fever or the flu. My skin was sore, my hair hurt, I'd have weird night sweats that were NOT menopausal, and my arms felt creepy like when you have the flu -- but I never had a temperature. High white blood count sometimes but not all the time. SEVERE abdominal pain, along with weakness and shakes and the tremors -- and the docs couldn't nail it down.
I remember crying in the bathroom one day and thinking that a colostomy wouldn't be so bad .... I'D NEVER HAVE TO POOP AGAIN!!!!
But it can get better. I had surgery, AND READ JILL SKLAR'S BOOK, and found Heather's websites (and diet and acacia) and now I do believe it's possible to have a normal life again. So don't give up hope, normal can happen, it may feel like you're stuck with bathroom disaster for forever, but you're not. Hang in there.
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My 'attacks' occur mainly at night, right around 1:30am - just like clockwork. I wake up feeling nauseated, then flushed across my arms, shoulders, neck, and face...and then its a mad rush to the bathroom for a bad case of D. If its a really bad attack then I get the fun of vomitting too. Then I sit on the bathroom floor for hours, usually shivering with chills alternating with hot flashes, more D, stomach cramps, and nausea. It usually goes away in about 4 hours and I'm able to go back to bed, but then I feel bad for several days to a week afterwards. I always go back on a bland diet for at least a couple days afterwards to help my gut calm down again. I've only had one minor and one major attack since I started the diet and the acacia 6 months ago, and before that I was having like 2 attacks a week for the previous 8 months. Thank god for Heather, this website, and all you wonderful people out there! ((HUGS)) I don't know how I would've managed without ya'll.
Shari
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Hi, Rosey! Nice pic!
And good to hear that you're doing so much better on the ibs diet. BTW, peeing alot seems to be something related to IBS somehow. Alot of other folks here have mentioned it.
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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Kelly, nice pic and GREAT hat!!
And I like your pun about "come and go"!!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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which book is better to buy.. ibs the first year.. or her cookbook. which is more beneficial.
Also, I did not have a colonoscopy,but I was diagnosed with ibs when I was 16, so about 6 years ago.
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I'd say buy "The First Year" first if you can only pick one. The other book is great too but it's mostly recipes while "The First Year" gets into greater detail about IBS and talks about all the different ways you can treat it.
Good Luck!!
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I agree with Kimm, if you can only get one, get The First Year. Lots of great info.
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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