Down and out from abdominal issues

Paco Dennis

Paco Dennis

SF VIP
Location
Mid-Missouri
For the past few days my IBS flared up, and it leaves me almost dysfunctional. This has been going on for about 12 years. At times it becomes about the only thing I can deal with. Otherwise, I function on a tightrope, most of the time it's ok, but one "wrong" move and trying to regain balance predominates.
 

Sauerkraut helped me.
Many health benefits have been claimed for sauerkraut:

  • It is a high source of vitamins C and K the fermentation process increases the bioavailability of nutrients rendering sauerkraut even more nutritious than the original cabbage. It is also low in food energy and high in calcium and magnesium, and it is a very good source of dietary fiber, folate, iron, potassium, copper and manganese.
  • If unpasteurized and uncooked, sauerkraut also contains live lactobacilli and beneficial microbes and is rich in enzymes. Fiber and probiotics improve digestion and promote the growth of healthy bowel flora, protecting against many diseases of the digestive tract.
  • During the American Civil War, the physician John Jay Terrell (1829–1922) was able to successfully reduce the death rate from disease among prisoners of war; he attributed this to feeding his patients raw sauerkraut.
  • Sauerkraut and its juice is a time-honored folk remedy for canker sores. The treatment is to rinse the mouth with sauerkraut juice for about 30 seconds several times a day, or place a wad of sauerkraut against the affected area for a minute or so before chewing and swallowing the sauerkraut.
  • In 2002, the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry reported that Finnish researchers found the isothiocyanates produced in sauerkraut fermentation inhibit the growth of cancer cells in test tube and animal studies. A Polish study in 2010 concluded that "induction of the key detoxifying enzymes by cabbage juices, particularly sauerkraut, may be responsible for their chemopreventive activity demonstrated by epidemiological studies and in animal models.
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officerripley said:
Neither works for me either and I really love sauerkraut; the more I like the taste of something, the more likely it is to aggravate my IBS.
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well could that be if you like it , you might be eating too much of it, and hence creating an intolerance.. just a thought, always on the lookout for potential causes..

I can't eat anything with spices or acids..nothing ( no acidic fruits, no tomato sauces, not spicy anything..)...and I love bread, we do a lot of artisan flavoured breads in the UK, and it's delicious ..but I have to really ration it, because it causes me hell...
 
Paco Dennis said:
For the past few days my IBS flared up, and it leaves me almost dysfunctional. This has been going on for about 12 years. At times it becomes about the only thing I can deal with. Otherwise, I function on a tightrope, most of the time it's ok, but one "wrong" move and trying to regain balance predominates.
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Sorry to hear that, take care, hope you will be better soon.
 
I'm not very familiar with IBS, but I'm wondering if 1/2 Tablespoon of Psyllium would help. It absorbs water & might relieve some of the symptoms. I sometimes take it.
 
hollydolly said:
well could that be if you like it , you might be eating too much of it, and hence creating an intolerance.. just a thought, always on the lookout for potential causes..

I can't eat anything with spices or acids..nothing ( no acidic fruits, no tomato sauces, not spicy anything..)...and I love bread, we do a lot of artisan flavoured breads in the UK, and it's delicious ..but I have to really ration it, because it causes me hell...
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It makes sense but only about 1/4 of a teaspoon of anything--like you I can't do acids of any kind--and I'm miserable. My older brother used to laugh at me ("Whaddayu talking about?! That doesn't make any sense!") when we were kids and I'd say, "I can't eat that; it tastes too good!" Or when I got a little older, it'd be, "I can't eat that; it's got too much flavor!"

You know, I heard some years back about some Caucasians who were discovered, in the 16th Cent. IIRC, living as high north in the Eastern Hemisphere as the Inuits here in the West. Hemi, in other words really far north. They eventually either all died out or were moved south down to parts of Europe but it was really startling to the discoverers (French maybe? or British? or Dutch? Can;t remember which) about how these northern dwellers could survive just fine on only meat and dairy products from the reindeer that lived that high north (nothing grew up there but frozen tundra); "these folks survive just fine on nothing but protein!" Well, it's not true that humans can survive on nothing but protein; the reason they were healthy is because they ate just about all of the animal, including its innards which is how they got the vitamins and minerals otherwise found in fruits, veggies and grains. Welp, with my luck, that's who I'm descended from since seems like the only foods that don't give me problems are room-temp. water, room-temp. wine, unseasoned meat, and unsweetened dairy products, sigh. Wouldn't mind to be a vegan (I love beans) but then I'd starve. 😞
 
Paco Dennis said:
For the past few days my IBS flared up, and it leaves me almost dysfunctional. This has been going on for about 12 years. At times it becomes about the only thing I can deal with. Otherwise, I function on a tightrope, most of the time it's ok, but one "wrong" move and trying to regain balance predominates.
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Paco,

I feel very sorry for what you are having to deal with. When that flares up, is is pure misery. Have you been to a gastroenterologist yet?

I have ulcerative colitis which is an even worse version of IBS and did not get any real relief until I was put on a specific medication for it. It does not make me happy that I will have to be on it for the rest of my life. But I can get on with life now.
 
officerripley said:
It makes sense but only about 1/4 of a teaspoon of anything--like you I can't do acids of any kind--and I'm miserable. My older brother used to laugh at me ("Whaddayu talking about?! That doesn't make any sense!") when we were kids and I'd say, "I can't eat that; it tastes too good!" Or when I got a little older, it'd be, "I can't eat that; it's got too much flavor!"

You know, I heard some years back about some Caucasians who were discovered, in the 16th Cent. IIRC, living as high north in the Eastern Hemisphere as the Inuits here in the West. Hemi, in other words really far north. They eventually either all died out or were moved south down to parts of Europe but it was really startling to the discoverers (French maybe? or British? or Dutch? Can;t remember which) about how these northern dwellers could survive just fine on only meat and dairy products from the reindeer that lived that high north (nothing grew up there but frozen tundra); "these folks survive just fine on nothing but protein!" Well, it's not true that humans can survive on nothing but protein; the reason they were healthy is because they ate just about all of the animal, including its innards which is how they got the vitamins and minerals otherwise found in fruits, veggies and grains. Welp, with my luck, that's who I'm descended from since seems like the only foods that don't give me problems are room-temp. water, room-temp. wine, unseasoned meat, and unsweetened dairy products, sigh. Wouldn't mind to be a vegan (I love beans) but then I'd starve. 😞
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..and you know beans of any type are horrendous for IBS sufferers....

I'm thinking incidentally that that diet you talk of during the 16th century sounds a lot like the keto diet of today...
 
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Paco Dennis said:
For the past few days my IBS flared up, and it leaves me almost dysfunctional. This has been going on for about 12 years. At times it becomes about the only thing I can deal with. Otherwise, I function on a tightrope, most of the time it's ok, but one "wrong" move and trying to regain balance predominates.
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I used to have a lot of intestinal discomfort and bleeding. I understand how that type of pain just sucks the fight out of one. I speak to Paco's IBS inflammation and tell you to return to normal condition. I tell the gastric fluids to balance out. In Jesus' name, I command these things to happen. Amen.
 
Hope you feel better soon, @Paco Dennis . IBS is one of those diagnosis that means "there's something going on that we can't figure out so we'll call it this..." Going strictly (as in zero) gluten free calmed mine more than anything. TMI maybe, but went from going six times a day to a normal once a day within three weeks of eliminating gluten. Gut microbiome is another consideration.
 
Thnx for all the support. I have heard all the suggestions, and also am feeling not so alone knowing that even on this small group of seniors that a lot of us have problems with some form of IBS. Just think of the millions that suffer with it.
Yes, I have been to a Gastroenterologist. Also I thought about an umbilical hernia surgery but decided against it after I bought an effective hernia belt.
Someone told me that when you get old you become more conservative. Not politically, but in the choices you make. By the time I am near the end, I will not get up for nothing ( save the 30 minute walk to the bathroom ), eat only berries, and nuts,
and only use this forum to communicate with others. Ha! :)
 
Paco Dennis said:
For the past few days my IBS flared up, and it leaves me almost dysfunctional. This has been going on for about 12 years. At times it becomes about the only thing I can deal with. Otherwise, I function on a tightrope, most of the time it's ok, but one "wrong" move and trying to regain balance predominates.
Click to expand...
Sorry to hear about your flare up, I hope you feel better soon. I don't have any experience with IBS, so no advice. Bingo mentioned aloe vera juice, I can say that we've used Lily of the Desert Inner Fillet for many years now for other things, good brand, IMO.
 
I heard a few years ago that some of the latest research about IBS and some other gastrointestinal problems was that it's caused by the rhythm of the muscular contractions of the digestive tract being off and that what regulates, and therefore can cause problems of, that rhythm is part of the brain (can't remember which part, I think the nickname for it is "the muscle manager"). I've been to 3 different gastrointestinal m.d.'s--every time we get a new young one, I figure I'll try them since they might have some new knowledge that would help me but not so far--plus I've tried meditation; heck I've tried everything, only thing that seems to help a really bad attack, and it only helps once in a while, is a muscle relaxer such as Clonazepam/Klonopin and that's getting hard to get prescribed along with the opiates.
 

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