Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Much Comfort Derived from Taking Peppermint Oil Capsules

Just a word or three to express our gratitude to Heather (http://www.helpforibs.com/) for having supplied my husband with what turned out to be (at least for him) the Very Very Best Irritable Bowel Soother as far as he and I are concerned - namely, the capsules called "Peppermint Oil" made by Heather's Tummy Care and marketed by the folks at HelpforIBS.com.

Allow me a few minutes to tell all of you cramps & diarrhea sufferers out there how bad and miserable my husband was for over four years until I found these IBS capsules recommended by Heather. Following a difficult period in his life (all of us get these bad periods at one time or another) he started to have abdominal cramps and diarrhea. After a few weeks of suffering from these pesky conditions, it seemed like the sensible thing to do was to consult a physician specialized in gastro-intestinal disorders. We did. The usual battery of 'tests' was imposed on him - Blood tests - Feces Analyses - Ultra-Sound - CT-Scan - Magnetic Resonance (MRI) - etc. And what did all of the tests and checks reveal? Nothing. According to the medicos, there was nothing wrong with his guts. Well, all fine and dandy but why the diarrhea and the cramps? Must be "Irritable Bowel Syndrome" we were told. Can you prescribe something to ease the condition and/or alleviate the cramps? Not really, try aspirins. (!?!)

We stopped short when a 'colonoscopy' was suggested. We did so for 2 reasons (of which I was well aware since I have been employed in a hospital for the past 27 years): First, colonoscopies are the latest fad (read that 'craze') - everyone over 50 (according to medical wisdom) should have it done every so many years and... Second, the 'protocol' involved in this procedure is certainly no boon for sufferers of Diarrhea & Cramps.

Picture this: You're already going to the john 3 to 6 times daily and your belly feels like it's losing the battle that is going on in there. Soooo, what do you HAVE to do to prepare for this "colonoscopy"? On the day preceding the one where you'll be 'checked' you must take a laxative (!!!) that is just about as powerful as a dose of Draino (just the thing for diarrhea sufferers wouldn't you say?). And...you must also drink an 8-ounce glass of water every hour starting at noon until bedtime to flush you even 'cleaner' ! And...no supper. In fact, you're not allowed ANY liquid and/or food from the day before until the time when the 'colonoscopy' is to take place. What's a colonoscopy? Sticking a tube with a tiny camera at its business end into your rectum and funnelling it all the way through your large intestine - your 'colon' - after having injected you with some 'tranquilizer' so you won't feel too much 'discomfort'! I leave it to your imagination to picture how 'happy' must be the guts of someone suffering from intestinal irritation during that 24-hour 'draino-&-fast' preparation period followed by the 20-minute ordeal just described!!! Ask any sufferer who has had one done. All of this to explain why we adamantly drew the line at undergoing a "colonoscopy".

Fine, but what to do next? Well, we inquired and narrowed down our options to two or three remedies vaunted to alleviate his condition. First, he tried capsules made by Bell Lifestyle Products; his condition got worse. I should have known since he had priorly tried their anti-allergy as well as their cholesterol management pills, both to no avail. So much for Bell Lifestyle Products. Then, he tried "Intestinal Bowel Soother" by Renew-Life which were of some relief but much limited in their action, etc.

At last, while cruising the Net, I came across the people at "Heather's Tummy Care" (www.helpforibs.com) and decided to give them a try (as a last resort, I might add). I ordered a two-month supply of their "Peppermint Oil Capsules with Ginger and Fennel" and my husband started using those as recommended. Well, lo and behold, after just one week of taking that remedy, his cramps were nearly gone and the diarrhea was rapidly diminishing. After two weeks, he was nearly back to normal!!! No more cramps - just a SLIGHT discomfort in his lower abdomen - and, more often than not, normal stools ! He was so delighted he felt like crying - after over four years of this debilitating condition (he had lost 15 pounds during that period of non-stop diarrhea and cramps), we had all but given up hope and, in fact, he had even suspected he was going to die! This took place about a month ago and he has since started regaining pounds as well as having fairly normal bowel health.

So, if anyone out there is suffering from similar problems and if all 'standard' tests have not detected any pathological disorder save for a verdict of "Irritable Bowel Syndrome" (which, if you think about it, is simply fancy jargon to state "We don't know what you've got") may I recommend that you contact the folks at Heather's (www.helpforibs.com) whom I found to be very knowledgeable. If Jack (my husband) has regained his health, it is entirely due to Heather.

We Owe A Million Thanks to that Fine Person and to her Staff of Great People.

Most Sincerely, Helen & Jack Richard-Montreal-Quebec-Canada

P.S. - By the Way, both of us were also pleasantly surprised at the modest cost of these capsules. It is quite evident that Heather's first concern is to *HELP* IBS sufferers. $ + Recognition come as a reward - as it should be ! Thanks again Heather.

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