They say there's no cure for IBS, but...
#364331 - 04/16/11 07:51 AM
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mcmom
Reged: 12/11/10
Posts: 4
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They say there's no cure for IBS, but if stress is the underlying stimulant, then examining your diet and restricting your diet will be enough stress to make symptoms worsen. This made it appear that foods I tested were causing problems. When I started addressing stressful moments in my life with breath observation- even for only a minute, I noticed a reduction in symptoms. Then I had an event that really opened my eyes. I had three successive days of sudden stressful events leading up to the most pain and rectal bleeding I had ever experienced. I had just had a normal colonoscopy a few months before, so I KNEW that there was nothing more than IBS and a bit of hemmorioids which I had been diagnosed of 10 years earlier. As I was still being "careful" with my diet, I realized that the focus of my attention had been misdirected. I called a friend-counselor, explained my situation and she suggested Lucinda Basset's program "Attacking anxiety and Depression". This sells for around $500, so I bought an older used version for about $50. Because I was now convinced that stress was my issue, I addressed each moment of stress as it occurred. Fortunately at that time in my life things were fairly calm, so I saw immediate results. After three weeks some stress came and I did need to work harder at relaxing, but in a week I was well again. I only avoid lactose, caffeine and minimize sugar now. We can't always change the things that happen in our life, but there are things we can do to stop being anxious.
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Thanks for sharing - it is always great to hear what works for people... 
But as readers here will know, folks on this message board have found an even more reliable means to address the brain-gut component of IBS, and that is through the IBS Audio Program which is featured and sold here... this program was developed specifically for IBS symptoms AND any of the added stress, anxiety or worry factors that accompany it! And it comes with free support if needed -
For those interested in learning more about this program, visit our Hypnotherapy/Hypnosis Message Boards as well as
http://www.helpforibs.com/hypnosis/.
IBS sufferers in 44 countries have found it very beneficial since 1998, and way more cost-effective too!
Take a look at the great feedback as well - this is very encouraging to others who may need an adjunct to the other treatments they are using, but still have the worry of travel, stressors, etc.
And again, thanks for sharing!
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My Journey and Success with the IBS Audio Program Hypnotherapy Program: www.helpforibs.com/messageboards/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=hypnotherapy&Number=224850
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Are you referring to the recent article posted by Heather "Stress May Alter Gut Bacteria and Hurt Immune System"? My IBS started during a period of high stress and I have suspected that this was the cause.
Cheers.
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ibs-d (pseudo)with pain and bloating
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The interesting thing about the article was the kind of "socal stress" the mice were given in the experiment.
Quote:
The social disruption (SDR) stressor occurred over a 2 h period between 1630 and 1830, which is at the transition from the end of the light cycle to the beginning of the dark (i.e., active) cycle. SDR was initiated by placing an aggressive male mouse into the home cage of the resident mice as previously reported (Bailey et al., 2007). The aggressor was the same strain as the residents and was originally isolated from the rest of the colony due to observed aggressiveness towards cagemates. During SDR, agonistic interactions between the aggressor and the residents were observed for the first 20 min to be sure that the aggressor attacked and defeated all of the residents. If fighting did not begin within the first 5 min of the interactions, a different aggressor was placed in the cage. After fighting was initiated, the aggressors were left in the cages for 2 h. At the end of the 2 h period, the aggressor was removed and the residents were left undisturbed until the following day when SDR was repeated. Thus, the residents were exposed to a total of 6, 2-h cycles of SDR. The subjects of the experiments were the residents that were repeatedly defeated by the aggressor. Mice were euthanized immediately after the last cycle of SDR (designated SDR + 0 h) or the morning following the last cycle of SDR (designated SDR + 15 h).
This isn't just your ordinary kind of daily social stress - it was a combative physical and social stress. That sort of "social stress" would be enough to give anyone GI problems. It is a long way from interpreting in terms of humans not mice. It will be interesting to see if antibiotics reduces the effective of stress on human gut flora too. An interesting thing about these findings is they seem as if they might fit the theory for the cause of IBS that is emerging which is the notion of bacterial metabolic 'toxins'. This theory fits well with the gut-brain dysfunction theory too.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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I would have to agree with Marilyn, I know the success she has had with the IBS Audio Program, and I have as well. It is one of the main things that led to me being stable. I tend to get myself worked up very easily when I am stressed/worried, and a combination of moderate exercise, including yoga, the hypnosis, and the acacia fiber has made an enormous difference in my life. I don't know where i would be without it! oh wait, yes I do. I'd be on the toilet all day! 
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stable IBS-A
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gut-directed hypnotherapy. Tends to be MUCH more effective than general anxiety / stress reduction programs or approaches.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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Me personally?
I think this whole "IBS is stress related" is a bunch of BS.
It is very convenient for MDs and other people who fail to to do their jobs and make us feel better to blame it on some vague term like "stress."
See, blaming it on stress does none of us any good.
WHat is stress?
How do you know what stress is?
I do not work as a NY stock broker, so could I have stress?
To me, it is the sign of utter incompetence because stress is something which can't really be measured or quantified, it's just an excuse for the MD to get off the hook or for peers/family to blame YOU for your IBS.
Unlike dairy, you can't avoid stress because stuff isn't labled as stress.
That said, I am curious HEather/others...just how well does hypno work?
I see it labled here are a cure, ok, well then why aren't more people/board memebers cured if it works so well?
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You might read what is stress or this word document on stress from University of Berkley. It is well documented that stress can make IBS symptoms worse. You don't have to be a stock broker to experience stress. It can be precepitated by an anxious state of mind, disease or a variety of other things.
There is plenty of clinical evidence to show that gut-directed hypnotherapy is effective for managing IBS symptoms for many people. The latest clinical review suggests it might be effective for 60-70% of IBS suffers although they recommend it be integrated with other management approaches such as dietary managmenet. The American College of Gastroenterology Task Force on IBS report An Evidence-Based Systematic Review on the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the British Society of Gastroenterology Guidelines on the irritable bowel syndrome: mechanisms and practical management both report that gut-directed hypnotherapy can be an effective technique for managing IBS symptoms. Hypnosis isn't a cure. The statement that is a cure emanated from comments made by a pediatric physician made during a conference presentation that the news media picked up on it and the word spread. However, once the results were published all mention of it being a cure was removed from the paper.
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STABLE: ♂, IBS-D 50+ years - Science of IBS
The FODMAP Approach to Managing IBS Symptoms
Evidence-based Dietary Management of Functional GI Symptoms: The FODMAP Approach
FODMAP Chart & Cheatsheet
The Role of Food & Dietary Intervention in IBS
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Not all IBS patients are stressed - that is to say, beyond the average amount of human every-day stress. I speak with folks with IBS all the time, who say their IBS came 'out of the blue' and they were not particularly stressed or anxious at all.
Stress can make IBS worse and bring on symptoms, but it is NOT the cause of IBS.
Many times what happens is that once symptoms take hold, the IBS patient becomes worried or anxious or "stressed" over whether or not this will happen to them again - and then this becomes the stress in and of itself. Others mention that they are not particularly stressed at all - they could be enjoying a nice evening at home, and wham - they have and IBS attack.
So there sometimes seems to be no apparent reason as to why certain individuals may have an IBS attack or not. They could be following the EFI or other diet to the letter, and/or on meds, or doing whatever treatment felt to be helpful, and the IBS symptoms keep coming -
Others have the symptoms 'on schedule' - every morning, or every time they know they have to leave the house, or eating a particular food, or hearing something upsetting - these are triggers.
Clinical hypnotherapy for IBS is not a cure - and thank you Syl for the great links and info and clearing that up.
There have been clinical studies showing the efficacy of this treatment since 1984 - however - the medical community is not specifically trained in this arena, and it has taken quite a while to get gastros on board with referring their patients. Once they find out about it, or learn of a patient who has been helped via this method, we have seen referrals, so it is getting better.
I think most gastros are frustrated with treating their patients and sadly, they become so inundated with patients that they just dont have time to sleuth out all the treatments, and they keep to their rigid protocol of antispasmodics first, and so on -
You ask why arent more board members 'cured' - well -
I have had IBS since 1983 - did the IBS Audio Program 100 that is featured here in 2000, and I now help moderate this and another BB to tell folks the story of how I was helped, as well as provide support when needed.
So, if you really want to read stories of people who have been helped (I dont use the word cure, however, many have been able to walk away from their IBS) go check out the reviews of the program - everyone's story is different - some are totally relieved, others are improved, but the vast majority do see some help and are better than they were prior to doing the program.
One lady who was helped and feels she IS cured and purchased the program thru this website is now featured in a new video explaining the brain-gut connection which you can view at healthyaudio.com if you wish - she no longer has IBS symptoms AT ALL!!! And she travels without worry now. There are a few others who tell their story on there of how they have been helped. You can also find success stories and feedback from 10 years of people that have been helped by this method.
Also take a look at this http://www.helpforibs.com/messageboards/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=hypnotherapy&Number=279719&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&fpart=all
which is an honest compilation of real people who have been helped - some more than others - but genuinely more positive stories than not...
Also - folks who feel better no longer need to come to the BBs or message boards - some of the ones I speak with never post on BBs - which actually is to their advantage, because when you are doing the program, constantly living on message boards and reading about IBS over and over does not really help - most of them get the info, do the program, and then they are moving on with their lives.
When I first started researching on the internet about IBS back in 2000 or so, I was very angry at having this condition, I was desparate, hurting and had been to so many doctors and gastros, I wanted to give up. (If you want to wade through my complete journey, it is in the link below.) I speak with people who feel just as you do - I have been sweared at in frustration because their many gastros have not been able to help them, just as I had not been helped. I know how you feel - when I first heard about hypnotherapy I thought it was an insult and the most bogus thing to treat a condition in my gut - not my mind...
And I have a degree in psychology and back many years ago, had worked in the field prior to ever having IBS. So I do understand totally your frustration - because I was there - and I hear it all the time.
Hypnotherapy most likely is not the way forward for you right now, so dont worry, there is no way I would try to 'sell' you on it- people have to come to grips with it, suss it out, just as I did. It takes time, it is a process and a journey, not a fast fix-t.
If you need someone to speak with, let me know.
But at the end of the day, we know that most people who opt for clinical hypnotherapy - and more specifically - the IBS Audio Program which is featured here - do so as a very last resort- when all else has failed, and you are at the end of your rope - and happily - for most, this is the thing that finally helped. Again, not a cure, and do whatever it takes to treat your IBS, but for the brain-gut connection which is a big part of IBS, this is by far the best way forward.
If it did not work at all, you would see way more independent reviews (check out Amazon reviews - 26 of them) that were negative and you just dont see that. And for some of the posts that are negative, many times, it is due to the fact that the person did not do the program completely, or they had other stuff going on, and then, again, hypnotherapy is not for everyone.
Hope this long reply of mine helps - sorry it is so long - but I just wanted to help clear it up a bit - because I have been on this journey for 28 years, and now want to help others as I have been helped.
There is HOPE!!! All the best in your journey to feeling better - no matter what that journey may be...
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My Journey and Success with the IBS Audio Program Hypnotherapy Program: www.helpforibs.com/messageboards/ubbthreads/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=hypnotherapy&Number=224850
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Before you make a generalized statement like this, you should read or speak with those who have experienced healing with the hypnotherapy program. Don't be so quick to judge/dismiss whether something will benefit you or not.
You ask me in another post how I can eat steel-cut oats. Well, FYI, I eat healthy and anything I want, and it is BECAUSE of the hypnotherapy program that I completed three times over the course of a year and a half.
As one poster said to you, an improvement in your attitude might go along way in helping your situation.
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