Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Re: terrible d...PLEASE help!!!

I'm not on the Boards very much so I just saw this today. Let's sort this out a little.

Gatorade: may have HFCS (I don't remember for sure)

Energy shot: the ones I know about are just super-caffeine; that would do me in

Pepto: It looks to me like both liquid and tablets contain artificial sweeteners.

Goody's Headache Powder: Depending on what kind you took it might have had artificial sweetener and/or lactose in it.

So none of this is good. However, the headache powder in particular probably contained so little of either artificial sweetener and/or lactose that I'd consider it insignificant. I'd say the energy drink was the worst - caffeine is deadly for my D - but it's probably a good idea to avoid all of them.

If you're taking the Pepto for an upset stomach (not lower digestive tract), try Alka-Seltzer instead or just club soda. If you're really bother by carbonation, try ginger tea or a tummy tea (a couple different herbal tea companies make those) or - if you're willing to risk some HFCS - try a ginger ale. (For me HFCS is less of a problem than artificial sweeteners.)

For headaches, I'd go with straight Tylenol, aspirin, or NSAID like Aleve. Check the label to be sure the aspirin in particular doesn't contain caffeine. Caffeine apparently potentiates pain relief so it's common to add it to pain relievers. Aspirin and NSAIDs can be hard on the stomach so be sure you don't take them on an empty stomach. Tylenol should be safe with nothing in your system. I have never had IBS-related problems from any of these meds.

For a quick energy boost, try something sweet. One nice thing about the EFI diet is that sweets are definitely not off limits. If you can combine a sweet with something higher in protein, you should get a quick energy boost and some long lasting energy also.

In place of Gatorade you can try making your own energy drink. I know this isn't always helpful if you're out and about but then you could stick with plain water and use your own energy drink to rehydrate and re-electrolyte when you get home. Here's a recipe: recipe

It does have orange juice which is high fructose but it's pretty diluted.

All that said, nothing you took should have caused the severe problems you're describing since you're basically doing the EFI diet most of the time. So I don't think last weekend's problem was IBS. If your husband had D also it's more likely you picked up some kind of bug. My experience has been that if I get a digestive illness, I suffer much more from it than people without IBS. Here's what I'd suggest for any future episodes:

Talk to your doctor about having some codeine on hand. The last time I had a truly terrible intestinal virus the doctor prescribed this and it was like a miracle. I believe it was a pretty standard Tylenol and codeine tablet.

If your doctor isn't willing to let you keep an emergency supply then find out the location and hours of your nearest walk-in clinic. When you're as sick as you were last weekend, you need to see a doctor. Don't assume it's just another IBS attack or that it's somehow your fault.

For a more garden-variety IBS-D episode, try peppermint tea. I like Tazo's Refresh but there are a lot of different ones out there. I brew it one bag to a mug and let it steep for at least five minutes. It won't stop a freight train IBS attack for me but it really does help calm down more minor ones.

Imodium is helpful but I don't find that adding extra SF helps an attack already in progress. I do know, however, that one old-timer on the Boards swore that Equalactin (a particular SFS) would stop an attack in progress. I tried it once and it made me worse but you might consider it. Similarly, I'm not sure adding more acidophilus would stop an ongoing attack. Calcium has never done anything for me IBS-wise but I know other people find it beneficial.

You can also talk to your doctor about anti-anxiety meds (valium, ativan) and about anti-spasmodics (like Donnatol or Levsin). I find the former helpful, the latter not but your mileage may vary.

I hope some of this helps in the future. I'm glad you managed to get through the week but please - the next time see your local doc-in-the-box. Just because we have IBS doesn't mean we don't get sick just like everyone else. Sadly, intestinal illnesses don't seem to leave us alone just because our guts are already beat up.

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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]

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