Help! IBS At Worst In a Year, and All Options Seem Gone
#307670 - 05/20/07 08:58 PM
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Hello. I have not posted in awhile, partially because I just have felt hopeless.
Earlier this year, after Rifaxmin, Zelnorm, all failed, my doctor put me on Amitza.
My symptoms of C, trapped gas, and bloating were significantly better, in fact this drug did what nothing else did, and it seemed to work.
I raised the dose to two pills a day as prescribed.
About a week after my stomach is the worst it has been in a long time.
I have c, trapped g, and horrendous bloating.
The bloating in my stomach is as bad as it's been in ages, it feels like it did before I began dieting and was eating dairy, that bad.
I also had cramping and D, something I NEVER had before.
I went and saw my GI doctor, who told me this can be a side effect of Amitza and studies show the doses currently offered can be 'too' powerful for the stomach.
I've been off it for almost a month...the cramping and D are gone....but my stomach is still a wreck in terms of trapped gas, bloating, and C.
I wanted to know if any of you had any ideas as to what might be causing this and what I can do to resolve and get back on track.
I am going to list my current diet, medications, and treatments current and past.
The doctor told me he basically is out of options and my only choices really are meditation and or seeing a nutrionist for the south beach diet.
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IBS-C and Bloating
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Diet
Have followed Heather's recommendation, but since moving back home somewhat deviated in the sense portions can be larger, I eat less rice, more pasta, and overall better tasting food.
NONETHELESS I avoid all dairy, high fat, watch insoluable fiber, and minimal if any alcohol.
In other words it might not be strict to a 'T' as when I lived on my own but it has NO blatant triggers (I can post if necessary).
Medications for IBS:
-Rifaximin (no effect), Zelnorm (felt worse), Amitza (felt better....then worse), Dr. Natura Colon Cleanse (felt better...then much worse)
Pre biotics/fiber:
-Acadia (no substantial help)
Current
-Miralax (1 scoop daily, slight help)
-Benefiber (1 scoop daily, slight help)
Pro biotic
Jan-May VSL (2 pills daily)
May-current Jarrowdophillus Acidophillus (2 pills daily)
-Also did this all of last year
Unrelated Medications
1500 mg Depakote
50 mg Luvox
Claritin
Calcium Carbonate
Bottom Line
What I see going on is my stomach feels like it did after Zelnorm and other failed meds...more destabilized.
It has been a month since I took amitza and I still feel bad...how long will it take for my body to 'half life' recover if this is the problem, and if not what can I do since I've done so much?
I see it that I can either go on an ultra strict diet like when I lived alone to 'recover' for a few weeks, but that feels like deprivation and really I am exhausted of doing it when I don't see myself having blatant triggers, but if I have to I will, anything to get on track.
I also am confused on if I should go back on Amitza but do it once every two days, it really did help the first week, much like the colon cleanse, but once the dosage got raised it got worse.
The doctor said "I could" try that but was not clear cut.
I'd hate to do it and prolong any worsening effects.
I'm really at a tough crossroads, and having used this site, Heather's book, and so many other products and being in this big a slump, it's really depressing and could use any explanation or suggestions.
Thanks, it is so depressing.
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IBS-C and Bloating
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Just looking at your list, I'd say the Dr. Natura Colon cleanser is way too harsh for a sensitive stomach. Also calcium carbonate is known for being gassy--have you tried calcium citrate?
C
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I feel so relieved in a way to find someone else that I can relate to. I'm new to the message board so not sure if I'm doing all of this right. I was just recently diagnosed so I have only been on Amitiza. It made me worse. I felt horrible afterwards, I was nauseated, felt like I should lay down, cramping after I ate regardless of how healthy and D to the point of having an accident luckily in my own home where the bathroom was 2 steps away. It happend so fast I didn't even have time to run to the bathroom. I got off amitiza and have been trying IBS diet and reading Heathers books. I'm now taking acacia fiber but I'm still chronically constipated. I keep uping the dosage but still no luck. The fennel and mint tea help with bloating and gas but need to drink at least three times a day. I feel like I'm not much help to you but wanted to just have someone who is an IBS-C sufferer to relate to. I feel like alot of Heathers information is geared toward D sufferers. I have an appointment with my GI in a couple of weeks. I do remember reading something today in Heathers book about antidepressants helping some people. Have you tried that route?
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Hey there:
I lurk mostly, but wanted to comment on my experience with Rifaximin. After taking it I haven't been the same since and August will be year. It seemed to just dry me up. I can't get anymore than pebbles out and if I go off the diet in any way I get mega flares. I'm so fed up and depressed. I try to suck it up and tell myself at least the diet works, but it's no way to really enjoy life when the whole social scene is revolved around food. I'm also now left with being nausea when a flare comes. For me, that antib was just way too powerful for constipation, but I hear it's great for those with IBS-D. Thanks for posting I found your note really interesting.
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Since I am a Holistic practitioner who has had IBS for over 30 years I have tryed numerous things over the years in this respect. I have to say that Heather's diet is excellent and I would say that it is the best there is for this debilitating condition.
Before I finally discovered which foods hurt and which ones help there were many times over the years that I suffered ongoing attacks that even sent me to the emergency ward of the hospital whimpering for strong pain drugs.
I hope that this is helpful to you.... ACUPUNCTURE! Yes, acupunture helped me tremendously when nothing else seemed to work and I had that hopeless feeling. It is capable of bringing the body systems back into balance so you can get on track again. It certainly was a Godsend to me at the time. You must find a good acupuncturist. Like anything else... some are better than others.
At any rate... this may be of help to you to help you to stabalize and feel better again.
Of course, I would never recommend that anyone take drugs for this condition, (except in emergency pain situations).
Zelnorn, for one, has caused deaths, heart attacks and strokes and has many-a-lawyers on the tails of the drug companys right now.
Hope this info helps! 
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So it would seem the conclusion is Heather's diet and recommendations are good but bested suited or tailored to people who need a "fireman" to put out the "fire" or emergency room pain and d, not for IBS C, G, and bloaters?
Also that at this stage diet is less likely the main problem or cause more something which must be followed painstrikenly, the real long term improvement lies in other areas such as anti-depressants, hypnotherapy, meditation, or acupuncture?
Is this a logical conclusion?
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IBS-C and Bloating
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Hmmmm....I'm sorry, I'm a d so fortunately it worked for me, but I have seen other success stories for c people too...I think it's just quicker for d people to stabalize.
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I'm sorry you feel so hopeless. I know exactly how you feel. I'm new to the diet and am A. This diet so far has helped tremendously with D and when I switch to C (doesn't last as long) and Tremendously with G. So hang in there. If you can afford the hynotherapy and/or acupunture, definitely try it. When I could afford it last year, my symptoms completely went away and I was even off my meds for about 4 months. Then my life went haywire again and on top of that I couldn't afford it anymore. I know this doesn't work so wonderfully for everyone and everyone stabilizes differently. Keep trying.
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What were your symptoms, C?
What did you do, hypno or acu or both?
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IBS-C and Bloating
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At that time, I was big time D, horrible gas, extreme abdominal pain, headaches, nauseous, vomiting (rarely) extreme touch sensitivity in the tummy. I also suffered from anxiety, depression, I had chronic pain in my neck, shoulders, wrist and jaw from a car accident and had horrible menstral cramps and terrible allergies.
I did acputuncture with hypnosis. She would put in the needles and then we would do the hypnosis. Now, I had practiced hypnosis on and off for a while as a stress reducer so I wasn't a novice. I was on 2 daily meds and 2 emergency meds for the IBS. After 3 months (visits about every 2 weeks), I was completely off my meds and all my IBS symptoms were gone, plus my anxiety and depression were better so were headache, jaw, shoulder, neck aches and allergies. It doesn't work that well for everyone. I have to emphasize that. For some people it takes longer to work that well and I guess others just don't get as far. It takes practice and dedication (i.e. doing the hypnosis outside of the doctor's office) but it was a miracle for me. It's the first thing I'll do as soon as I get financial stable again. The hypnosis does work wonders for a lot of people, but that combined with acupunture can potentially change your life.
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Totally agree with you - want your laugh of the day? Read my post "Gastroenterologist!" CMB
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That truly is unbelievable. At least my doctor did have some knowledge. But what was even sadder was that after going to her for like 7 years and my going through a horrible patch where nothing was working, she never suggested EFI or some of the triggers and she knew about it!
All GI's should be given massive laxatives or imodium so they are forced to live part of our lives for a week.
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