Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Welcome! I was hoping Hans Solo would answer you

just so we'd have an official meeting between you two!

Everyone has given you fabulous advice. The hard part is following it, which I know is not fun or easy, especially when you're trying to make so many tremendous changes all at once.

Do make sure your doc did the bloodwork for celiac. That's often overlooked.

If you loathe the herbal teas you've tried so far, give fennel or anise a chance. Also, any caffeine free herbal tea on the market (and between Celestial Seasonings, Republic of Tea, etc. there are about a jillion) will be better than the black tea you're drinking. Try Bengal Spice, or one of the fruit flavored ones. Something is bound to taste good to you.

The peppermint caps suggestion is great too - you won't taste those, you can easily travel with them, and they work really well.

About eating safely on the road and then splurging at home...well, you probably know we're all going to say this, but it's really not a great idea. The big problem is that by setting off attacks once you're home, you're also setting yourself up for a cycle that you may find harder and harder to get under control each time you go through it.

Your best bet is to get yourself stable with the breaking the cycle info folks are recommending. Get yourself on a good dose of the soluble fiber too - most people don't take nearly enough. Check the links on the front page of this forum for detailed info on both of these topics.

Do eliminate dairy altogether. Try different brands of rice and soy milk until you find one you like. You can even get little cartons to take with you.

Don't feel that you're going to be deprived of great food - you won't be. There are healthy, low fat, vegan versions of just about every junk food out there - from baked potato chips to soy or rice ice cream, to soy or turkey bacon, and more. You can also cook your own safe versions of all types of treats, so if you're craving something you know will make you sick, ask for an IBS version on the recipe board. It's much better to splurge on these foods, and keep yourself stable, then to go all-out on your week off with foods that can upset all your hard work to get stable.

Hope this helps, and that you're feeling better soon. Please ask any other questions you have.

PS - My grandfather was a pilot.

He doesn't have IBS (in fact, he has a cast iron stomach that I most definitely did not inherit!) but I've always had a soft spot for pilots as a result. If you have a picture I'm happy to post it for you...maybe one in those cute pilot uniforms?

- Heather

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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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