Help and Support
#162540 - 03/20/05 08:24 PM
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Alisa
Reged: 03/20/05
Posts: 51
Loc: Appleton, Wisconsin
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I am an 18 year-old with severe, chronic abdominal pain. My father has recently posted a message on this board, so I thought I would do the same. I have dealt with this horrible constant pain for over four years now and am very much underweight. The intense bloating and pain I experience causes me to not be able to eat enough to keep on weight. I feel as though I'm alone in experiencing this awful pain and increased discomfort after eating anything, especially at college where everyone seems to eat whatever they want. I've noticed that being on the Celiac Disease wheat/gluten free diet has helped me, although it has not solved the problem by any means. I have to rely on phosphosoda to keep my bowels moving, and even that sometimes doesn't help very much. Are there any remedies for pain, bloating, and increased discomfort after eating that have been helpful? I know heat and pilates help me, but I am getting desperate to find other means of pain relief. Being incredibly sensitive to medications, I can't take many prescription pain relievers. Doctors assume that this is all in my head, or that I have an eating disorder because eating causes such pain for me, but this is not the case. I am in need of support and advice!
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Doctors can be very insensitive to anyone they think is not wise enough to see the big picture. That is really unfair to a young intelligent person. Yes heat is good, but have you tried peppermint tea or peppermint capsules or fennel tea? Peppermint has pain relieving properties for the gut and fennel reduces bloating. I think too that phosphosoda would be a stimulant and although they work for a while they in the long run cause your bowels to shut down- like taking sleeping pills every night of your life. (Speaking of which, don't take those either, they cause C.) So taking a fiber supplement is best for keeping the bowels in regular movement. Do some research on this site too about IBS supplements and meds. Pain relievers are bad news as you say but other things especially anti-depressants can help a lot. Keeping a food journal and noting things that are better or worse might help you find some foods that you can stomach. Really read the information pages on trigger foods carefully and try to eat the easily digestable foods and see if you have an improvement. Of course finding an understanding doctor would be wonderful. Good luck.
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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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Thank you so much for your response, Little Minnie! I have tried peppermint tea and found it to be quite relaxing. I have also tried food journals and will be starting one up again this week now that I'm on spring vacation from school. My diet is so restricted that the foods I'm eating shouldn't be bothering me the way they are. I'm going to work on eating lots of rice pasta to try to gain some weight and reduce bloating (rice pasta seems to be bland enough for me to tolerate the best). Thank you for your advice! I wish you all the best as well.
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