IBS? Help!!!
#98901 - 08/17/04 12:14 PM
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Nate
Reged: 08/17/04
Posts: 2
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This is my first post and I'm looking to see if the experience I'm having is anything like someone with IBS has had or if it sounds like something else.
While I was in college (97-00) I had stomach problems. I got D about 2-3 times a week. After a couple of years living with it, I finally went to the doctor. They diagnosed me with IBS. In the fall of 2000, I had a big improvement and only got sick about one time a month and could pretty much eat anything I wanted. About five weeks ago I got D worse than I've ever had in my life. I was sick 30-40 times a day for about 2-3 week. I missed some work time, lost about 20 pounds and was very fatigued. Over the past two weeks I'm down to about 10 times a day but I haven't had a normal bathroom experience in five weeks. They did blood tests and a colonoscopy and found some irriation in my intestine, but nothing big. The specialist told me that he thought I had a bacteria/virus and that I should get better in about a week. It's been a week and there's been no improvement. I'm having a very hard time dealing with this and my life is not easy to manage. I've got two little kids and a job that keeps me busy and I have got to get my system fixed. I don't care if I never eat anything good again, I just want to stop racing to the bathroom. Does this kind of length, intesity and episode sound like something anyone's had? I've tried the soluable fiber diet for extended periods and it slows me down some, but I still have D. I can also say that this has been nothing like what I had in college. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
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Welcome Nate. I am sorry to hear you are having such a bad spell! I suppose you have tried immodium, if not that can do a lot. I think it is possible your episode is some sort of bug or infection. My husband has had that twice when I didn't get it at all and both times were from bad water. I felt so bad for him. I would recommend you find the what to eat when you can't eat anything page on this site and eat that and see if it helps. Once again I hope you feel better and I really feel for you. 
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IBS-A for 20 years with terrible bloating and gas. On the diet since April 2004. Remember this from Heather's information pages:
"You absolutely must eat insoluble fiber foods, and as much as safely possible, but within the IBS dietary guidelines. Treat insoluble fiber foods with suitable caution, and you'll be able to enjoy a wide variety of them, in very healthy quantities, without problem." Please eat IF foods!
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First of all, I would check with my doctor again. Are you familiar with Heather's "what to eat when you can't eat anything diet? It is posted under IBS Diet.
I have had D for 4-5 days consistently, but I just take my SFS, drink my peppermint or Chamomil tea or if the peppermint tea is too much for you and gives you GERD, take Heather's peppermint capsules; they work wonders. I also balance what I eat with soluble and insouble fiber, i.e. white rice, oatmeal, toasted soudough muffins, etc.
Are you taking a SFS or any medications for your IBS? Are you drinking any peppermint, Fennel or chamomile tea to sooth your stomach? I know oatmeal slows down D from experience.
I wish I could be more helful, but I am still in the learning stages myself. I ordered Heather's IBS 1st Year and IBS Diet and Recipes. They are really helping me to become stable. I also try to avoid as much stress as possible.
You will get more responses from the board, people that are more experienced than I am. This is a warm, loving and compassionate board. Whatever you are expericing, somehas has experienced it before or can advise you on what to do. You might even get a post from Heather, she is great.
I am sorry you are feeling so crappy, but this too shall pass.
Good Luck and welcome to the board!
Lene
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God never promised life would be easy, but he did promise to provide a way out!
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Welcome, Nate! Sorry to hear you're having such a tough time right now. You need to call the specialist and let them know it's been a week and you're not better. You may have an intestinal parasite that will require a prescription medication to get rid of.
In the meantime, let me run through the time honored home treatments for severe diarrhea so you can make sure you're trying all of them.
1. Stay hydrated. You are losing a lot of fluid from the D and it's very easy to get so dehydrated you'll collapse and have to be taken to the emergency room. Drink as much water as you can. Flattened caffeine free sodas like gingerale are also good. And get some Pedialyte from the drugstore. It's like Gatorade for children. Here's a quote from their website: Pedialyte® Oral Electrolyte Maintenance Solution — the #1 pediatrician recommended solution to prevent dehydration due to diarrhea or vomiting. Pedialyte is specially formulated for infants and children to quickly replace lost fluid.
2. Follow the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce and toast (assuming you aren't allergic to any of them). Add other foods like potatoes or poached chicken with care.
3. Take something to slow down the D. Possible options are Imodium, Pepto Bismol, Kaopectate, stuff like that.
There have been a number of mentions of parasites here and in the Living Room recently. You can do a search and find them if you want.
Now, long term, this acute illness, whatever the cause, could very well make your IBS worse. Which means you're in the right place. So once you get the D slowed down and the bug killed off, Heather's diet and other suggestions, will be really helpful to you. There's lots of people here with busy lives and jobs and children who have been helped tremendously by following this approach.
Let us know what happens, okay? You'll be in our thoughts!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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It could be that your system is so wiped out that it can't fight an infection. Did your doc give you an antibiotic or do a stool test? If not, ask. And if you take an antibiotic, take a probiotic as well.
In the meantime, Immodium is a lifesaver!
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Thanks for the advice. I hadn't been using Immodium, I thought that was for short-term episodes. I started last night and it's helped some. We'll see how the rest of the day goes. I spoke with the doctor and he told me to try and wait it out, because he thinks it's something that will pass through my system.
Once again, thanks for your feedback, it was very helpful.
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Re: IBS? Help!!!
#99076 - 08/18/04 08:27 AM
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Nelly
Reged: 08/06/04
Posts: 4381
Loc: Within stray mortar fire of DC
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Hi Nate,
I've been using imodium as a preventative for 5 years now, and it works very well. I used to just go and go, no matter what I tried, or how long I fasted between bouts to "give my system a rest."
Imodium's been a lifesaver for me!! I hope it works as well for you. Best of luck to you,
~nel~
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I've always denied that I had IBS since I haven't actually been diagnosed with it, it was just suggested. BUT, I was having D all the time, missing a lot of work and feeling very depressed because I couldn't eat anything without it happening. I started taking "Swiss Herbal" "Full Spectrum" Digestive Enzymes. I take one with supper every night. I stopped having D after a week or so. My BMs became pretty normal. I still have a tad here and a bit of C there, but nothing to worry about. Thismorning however I had D. I don't know if I'm lactose intolerent, I had KD yesterday and I've been completely avoiding dairy lately. Also I didn't take my Enzyme with dinner the other day. Usually when I stop taking them it happens again. You could give it a try.
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You're welcome! Glad to hear the Imodium is helping a bit. Let us know what happens, okay?
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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Hello,
I had almost the same exact thing happen to me recently. My first year in college I used to get D pretty regularly, then it kind of "went away." Now it's been a couple of years and I've been more sick in the last few months then my whole freshman year!
Now my problem is that all my friends that I've made in the last couple of years have no idea about my condition, and I'm too embarassed to tell them.
I feel really bad because I have to refuse their invitations and I can't say its the "stomac flu" all the time. Does anyone else have a good way of handling this?
Also, has anyone ever experienced really bad "agoraphobia" or social phobia because of IBS? I have started to find that I never want to leave the safety of my home and when I do leave, I'm convinced that I'm going to get sick and everyone will know. Have other people developed ways of handling this?
Thanks!
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