Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Me, a 21 year old

Hi again!
Okay, here we go! First of all, it is completely understandable how you are feeling right now and I am hoping that by getting some advice and suggestions you will be feeling loads better very soon. Let's look at your questions...
how the heck can I, a 21 year old male, have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, as most people who have this are middle age women?
Okay, that's an easy one for me! I am 22, so not middle aged and I have been dealing with IBS for as long as I can remember.. just didn't know that's what it was! And although the MAJORITY of people who have IBS are female, there are still lots of men who have it. On this site, even, we have quite a few men who frequently post. So it's not a 'woman thing' or anything that you have strangely gotten - it's an everybody thing, unfortunately!

In fact, if you do a Search on this board, I believe someone asked the other day how old everyone on here was when they first got IBS and most people first got symptoms when they were quite young.

I have several questions
1) Can I have lactose intolerance and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, how common is it to have both?
Okay, here is the deal with lactose intolerant. People that are lactose intolerant don't also have to have IBS - they can be completely healthy as long as they avoid the sugar, lactose. With IBS, though, it works differently. It is often confused with lactose intolerance when we notice milk makes us sick, but it is not as simple as lactose intolerance - Not only do IBS tummies react badly to LACTOSE, but to other milk proteins that are in milk. That being said, lactaid pills won't take care of the other stuff we react badly to in milk products (ie. casein) so it makes sense that they aren't working. I think milk products are especially bad for bloating, so avoid them all for a while and see what happens.

2) This is such a pain in the ass and it's hurting me and my life. I am 21 and in college, I want to be able to meet up with friends and eat out with them. I have tried this and when I do, I order a sandwich and the stomach is bloated. I can't live like this, I have to be able to eat something at sandwhich restaruants, I can't eat my meals at home, I am an active person. What the heck do I do here? I totally understand where you are coming from. Being young makes it really hard because a lot of people aren't as understanding as we would like them to be. Eating out can be trickier than eating at home, but it is doable as soon as you figure out your trigger foods and don't mind being a picky order-er.

It's hard, I won't say it isn't, but it's doable. It takes some time, and some patience, but you'll figure it out!

3) Alcohol. I am in college, and while drinking a lot is not the most healthy thing, I need to be able to drink sometimes. I can't sit there and be the only one not drinking, this is so boring, but I can't tolerate the bloating. Alcohol is one of the worst Irritable Bowel Syndrome triggers for me, but for God sakes, why does the lord have to curse with this bloating? It is unreasonable to ask me to give up alcohol and eating out, I am a college student trying to have a social life, I can't be saying "Sorry, I can't go out to eat because of my stomach", and have to eat by myself.
Alcohol is a tricky one, I understand exactly what you are going through and it is tough but it is one of those things when you have to make individual decisions, "Do I want to drink and get sick, or not drink and not get sick?" Beer is the worst. For me, anyway, and for a lot of other people I know. If your stomach is already unstable, any alcohol can be a trigger. It is a GI trigger, so your poor gut goes nuts when it gets in there. If you are stable, there may be a few things you can handle.
If you must drink... Drink on a full stomach of a safe meal, pace yourself and stop if you start to feel queasy, DON'T DRINK BEER

, try drinking something like vodka and cranberry juice (the only juice most of us IBSers can handle) - might not be the manliest drink, but it might not leave you rushing for the loo either so it's a good option that way! Some people do okay with wine, some don't.. it's all up in the air for some... But the best option is, don't drink if you don't want to risk an attack.
4) I'm trying to gain muscle, meaning I'm trying to gain weight, how do I do this and diet for Irritable Bowel Syndrome at the same time?
There are lots of IBS safe foods that are high in calories. Eating a lot of carbs (especially potatoes) can help put on pounds as well. There also lots of proteins like chicken, turkey, fish, shrimp, and tofu (and others too I'm sure) that are safe, but good for adding substance to meals. If I were you, I would concentrate more on building muscle (ie weights) than on cardio to build up more muscle.
5) I live at school and now eat in the cafe, I also have to eat out a couple times a week. What can I eat that won't cause me to get bloated? I have to be able to eat out.
Check out the rest of the boards for lists of foods and snacks that are safe. Always carry safe snacks with you in case you can't find anything safe where you are and you don't have to choose between eating something that will make you bloated, or going hungry. Go for low fat options, avoid all dairy, red meats and anything too spicey. Check the ingredients in foods, avoid the ones with the things you have figured out don't agree with you.

6) So is it true, I can no longer drink, go to bars, eat out, have pizza, enjoy life, I have to stay inside and shelter myself from fun because everywhere I look there is some trigger for this? How the heck can I live a normal life and not be bloated?
You do not have to shelter yourself from fun, don't worry!! There are SO MANY things you can do that will make you start to feel better, and there is so much to figure out that once you do, you should be able to get your life back.. Maybe not exactly same.. Maybe no pizza, no beer, but those don't equal happiness anyway AND you'll be so much happier with a calm belly.

7) Will lactaid pills help at all, so far they have not done a lot.

8) Worth asking again, why is that I a 21 year old male likely have Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I am not a woman, this is awful news.
Maybe think about it like this: IBS is the lesser of several evils. If you can figure out ways to control it, you'll be all set. You just have to commit to learning how to deal with it, and you will get through this. We will be here to support you and answer any questions that you have.
9) Could I get a sample diet to allieve Irritable Bowel Syndrome, what has worked?
Well, obviously most people here swear by Heather's Diet. I won't spell the whole thing out for you here 'cause it's all on here already, so I'll just be repeating what already there! Look on the diet website, an outline of the diet is there. Basically you need to elimiate all trigger foods, these include:
Alcohol
Caffiene
High-Fat Food
Spicy food
Red meat
Dairy Products
Chewing Gum
Pop

10) Does this mean I can't eat meat anymore, I have to stick to rice and chicken as my food?
You can eat meat, you just should stay away from red meat. So no steak, hamburger, pork, etc. That does mean that you can still eat all poultry, fish, tofu... And if you look on the Recipe Exchange on here, there are TONS of recipes that make it feel like you're not even on a strict diet.

11) Hypnosis, the cure, is it?

Hypnosis has helped a lot of people with IBS in dealing with the pain and anxiety that goes along with it, as well as any other symptoms you may have. Hypnosis isn't a quick fix, though. It takes time and patience, and is something that you have to committ to in order to get results from it. I would definitely recommend giving it a try, though. It certainly won't hurt!

Don't worry, we'll help you. Ask away, we'll do whatever we can to help you get stable.
Here are a few more suggestions:
-Anti-spasmodics (prescription meds or peppermint capsules which you can get from a Health Food Store) can really help with pain and D.
-Fennel tea can really help with bloating, peppermint tea with pain and D. I used to make a mix of the two and it really helped bad attacks.
-A heating pad on a sore, bloated stomach can be really soothing.
-Drink plenty of water, warm water is especially good. The rest of the time, drink herbal teas. Do not drink carbonated drinks.
-Make sure you are getting enough soluble fiber in your diet, with each meal.
-Exercise is good for constipation, pain and bloating. Yoga can be beneficial for all IBS symptoms.

Hope this helps. If you need anything else, don't be afraid to ask. And definitely take a look around and see what info you can find.

Cheers,
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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