Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | IBS, tinnitus...and I really don't know what to do anymore...

Hi everybody

After being diagnosed with IBS more than a year and a half ago, I was able to get by on Heather's diet and 7 grams of Benefiber a day only for the first year and a half, I would usually get no more than one d-attack a month and was quite happy with that.

Last fall, I started to have more frequents attack (one to two a week) to the point I had trouble to tolerate anything outside the BTC diet. I started to take one half of an Immodium a day and it quickly resolved the problem. For two whole months, I did not have any attacks and was feeling great, I even cheated a few times and had a few drinks without any effects.

Two weeks ago, I was diagnosed with subjective Tinnitus, a �syndrome� that produces an intermitent buzz noise in my right inner ear. And it's very much like IBS, there is NO cure and you basically have to GET USED TO IT!!! On the day I was diagnosed, I had my first IBS D-attack in two months. I was very much depressed. In the last two weeks, I started to cope with the Tinnitus to the point where it does not bother me much anymore. Then I had an IBS-D attack last wenesday night and one again this morning. I'm getting very much depressed about it and I really don't know where to start, so any kind of advice would help at this point.

I think I have put too much emphasis on the diet portion of my IBS management and not enough on the rest of it. Here's a list of things I want to do in the coming months, please feel free to comment:

1) Right now I'm taking 12 grams of Benefiber a day and I have lots of gas and bloating, would it be a good move to switch to Acadia and increased to 15 grams a day?

2) I've tried hypnotherapy and some relaxation tapes, it does not work for me. I really need to develop some sort of stress management program cause I have none right now and I don't really do sports. Any suggestions?

3)I really need to find more medical support. Since I've been diagnosed with IBS, the only follow-up I had was in an hospital emergency room where they did the same old test with the same old result, �YOU HAVE IBS! DEAL WITH IT!�
Any of you know any good doctor in atlantic Canada?

4) I need to have more medication to support me. Right now, I am thinking of increasing to one Immodium a day. Any counter-indications on that? How about a low dosage of anti-depressant like in Heather's book? Any of you had experiences with Elavil?

Well, that's what I will be trying...

Print Remind Me Notify Moderator