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Hi, Marla!
I've read everyone else's posts and don't have much to add regarding the food issue - it's trial and error. A couple of thoughts, though - I don't know your history, but did you self-diagnose or have you been thru any testing, i.e., colonoscopy? endoscopy? others? Is any of this "new" or is this pretty much a chronic condition? Either way, if you've never had a checkup from a board-certified gastroenterologist, you might want to consider it just to make sure you're dealing ONLY with IBS - especially if these are new symptoms. (In Feb & March, my "d" flared up badly - couldn't work - had a colonoscopy which was painless and discovered that I had "mild acute colitis". The doctor put me on a course of meds and at my last checkup she said she believes the meds have worked - it's not a chronic condition. Just wanted to encourage you to not let things go on too long without checking back in with your doctor - catching things in early stages is a blessing).
You mentioned depression - some people with IBS benefit from taking a low-dose antidepressant (the gut is sometimes called the "second brain" - and it produces 95% of our serotonin - which helps us feel good). Also, many people on the board say that they benefit from the relaxation techniques, like yoga and hypnotherapy. Personally, I use deep breathing and stretching when I'm having a bout with pain. As difficult as it may seem at the time, I try really hard not to double over when I'm cramping - if I breathe properly (as opposed to holding my breath!) and stretch gently, it seems to help, whereas if I give in and double over, the pain seems worse. A therapist taught me the breathing exercises and also told me that we can't be tense AND relaxed at the same time - physiologically impossible! So, the concious effort to relax really can work. One of the best things I did when I was having a rough time was to get some good "talk therapy" - helped me deal with reality instead of the cascading, negative emotions which were keeping me stuck - and helped me regain my perspective - and hope.
I'm a Christian and for me, the very best counselor is the Holy Spirit, the Comforter - and I find a lot of comfort and hope in the Bible. The Psalms are particularly soothing - even the rhythm of the verses is calming. For me, the Scriptures reveal the hope anyone can find in God through Jesus Christ. Jesus promised that He would never leave anyone alone or comfortless if they called on Him. I hope you can find the same comfort. I'll be praying for your health!
Blessings,
Kaybee C
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Marla - welcome to the board. I feel for your agony. Many of us have been there too and take heart - there is light at the end of this horrible tunnel. First of all, time will help. Once you stabilize, it IS possible to have a normal life. It takes time to figure out your triggers and what works best for you. But you CAN have a normal life - hang in there till then.
I know that you feel depressed - many people on this board have seen a link between IBS and depression. Know that we know how you're feeling - but if youre REALLY feeling bad you should talk to your Doc. There may be other issues other than just the IBS. Even if there isn't, he should know the seriousness of your situation.
About that - have you seen your Doc and got a proper diagnosis? That is critical - you must outrule other things like crohn's, colitis, uterine problems, ... etc.
Peppermint tea is wonderful for pain and helps relax the muscles in the colon - drink gallons of it.
Also, for nausea, ginger tea is great. Drink gallons.
These teas can often work better than prescription drugs. Let us know how you are doing so we can help you more.
Look up old posts for other helpful hints.
Hang in there and take care. You are NOT alone. Keep in touch.
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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Marla - just a few more suggesgtions. Lactaid milk is still a trigger. Even though the lactose is missing, there are other ingredients in milk that are bad for IBS.
You're right on the money saying that fat is the worst trigger. Avoid fat at all costs (hey - it's a great way to eat anyway). It is definitely the worst trigger.
As a helpful reminder, here is a link to the list of trigger foods to avoid: web page web page
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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I am fairly new to IBS, I am IBS-D like you. My suggestion is that you need to cut out all fats and dairy. Don't give yourself a chance to say your dinner tonight might have been to fatty. See how that goes. I also found out that when I ate something that is "riskey" I would get so nervous that I would get sick, that I actually would get sick. Look into relaxiation techniques to help you.
It is really amazing to me how small ammounts of no-no food can bring incrediable pain and D to me. Cutting out fats dairy has helped me so much. I used to eat a cup of fat free yogurt at lunch and that would give me the worst stomach cramps. At the time, I didn't realize it was the yogurt. Also, water, water, water....
Like others have said, make sure you have had all the necessary tests to rule out other problems.
Good luck!
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I eat 50 mg Zoloft each day, it makes me feel less tired and I have less pain. I had almost constant pain in my gut for about 3 months when I began to take Zoloft after a week it was almost gone. Not even during attacks did I get the agonizing cramps I used to get. There are some side effects, I must take the pill in the morning or I get sleeping problems. In the beginning I was really warm and my mouth was dry but this went away in a week or two.
Are you following the diet? In the beginning I only ate oatmeal, French bread, bananas, rice cakes, risotto(just fry some diced carrots and maybe finely chopped some shallot, 1/2-1 tsp salt add 2 cups avorio rice and some water with green stock (6 cup in total) do not add all at once. Simmer without a lid for 35 minutes, stir and add water when it begins to look like rice pudding.)I can't drink peppermint tea but I drink a lot of chamomile tea. And I eat a supplement called ViSiblin (like Metamucil etc.) made of Testa ispaghula, made of the plant Plantago-ovata's seeds.
I know it's hard to talk about but tell your friends and family. I have started to be open about my problem cause the nervousness that came from hiding my illness made me feel worse. Every time I had an attack I tried to hide it from my partner cause I was embarrassed, that made my gut cramping even more. Now, instead of pretending to brush my teeth or take a shower I just say "please mind the baby I'm going to read Garfield in the bathroom". And my mother really tries to cook IBS safe food when I visit.
Good luck and remember that we are here for you!
Fia
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Hi Marla,
I'm sorry you're in so much pain. I suggest visiting your doctor, and seeing if there are some tests you can take to rule anything else out.
Have you tried drinking strong peppermint tea? That is good for pain.
Maybe one of the powder soluble fiber supps would work better for you. Drink lots of water too.
Good luck, and I hope you feel better soon. 
Cloudygirl
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You know.. I was just thinking today that my cramps weren't that bad on my vacation and on weekends in the morning, and realized it was because I don't drink my peppermint tea then. So I drank my cup of peppermint tea this morning and sure enough, mild cramps. I think I'm going to experiment with this more and see if the peppermint tea is the culprate. Glad to know it's not just me!
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- Jennifer
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Marla--I've been going through this too. Please see a doctor and rule out any other possible problems. This is very important! Good luck!
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Thanks for all the great advice you have all given me. I've been to several GI docs and had several scopes. They found some unusual things, some eosinophils and some lymphocytes. However, no colitis or crohn's was diagnosed. From this, my docs ( I even went to John's Hopkins) have decided that what set me off was an unusually bad case of food poisoning which caused the odd findings in my biopsy. They had to put me on prednisone which took away much of the pain because I was inflamed at first. Now, the lymphocytes are gone and they say it left me with severe IBS that I;m just having a heck of a time dealing with. The D is the least of my problems, for me it's just pain,pain,pain. I think I need to follow the diet, pray, and learn to accept this better. I;m pretty much afraid to eat though because not eating feels so much better, but because my weight has dropped so far so fast, I know I can't do that forever. Your stories inspire me and someday I hope to be on the other side, helping others. Until then, thank you all. Marla
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fia
do you have ibs c or d..or both? i have ibs d and thinking about asking my doc about zoloft since it also helps with social anxiety and many of my attacks happen as a result of social anxiety fearing i'll have an attack. i know many take tranquilizers for this, but i'm thinking zoloft might not be a bad idea.
thanks
amy
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