Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)
- Thread starter Amanda76
- Start date
Marcy Sheiner
Senior Member
- Location
- Bay Area CA
Amanda76
Member
- Location
- Eastern US
@Rosie56
I, too get heartburn, because I love beans which is one of my daily foods along with fish and strawberry or broccolli. Eating beans is a kind 'hard' to digest, even though I chew them several times to get them in my stomach.I take 'PANTOPROZOLE 40 mg' which is a prescription med., and works really good for my stomach/digestion, but it's not OTC med. You need to ask your GP for it to rx.
Elsie
Senior Member
I always puree beans for any meal. (Pre-chewed, so to speak, so no worries over missing chewing a bean).
Marcy Sheiner
Senior Member
- Location
- Bay Area CA
That's the med I take for it too.
outlander
Member
- Location
- southern Arizona
Had a ruptured appendix many years ago. The surgeon explained that he removed 12 inches of my small intestine and a fist size piece of large intestine. That's the only explanation I got. Went on with my life feeling mostly normal. After 20+ years I started having some issues. Uncomfortable stomach and bowel issues, not real serious, not all the time.
They slowly became more noticeable and about 10 years ago I ended up seriously anemic. The doctor had no clue, but I researched and found out the last 18 inches of your ileocecal is where B12 is absorbed and I had most of mine hacked out. Started taking B12 twice a day and my anemia went away. Then I figured out I had no ileocecal valve to stop backflow from my acending colon back into my small intestine. So I always have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which causes IBS and probably Crohn's disease. Three different doctors pretty much flat out ignored me and didn't offer much help.
I do the best I can, some days are OK, others kind of miserable. I have experimented and learned several tricks which help. One of these is drinking lots of water, which may help people with IBS. Another is to keep a rigid schedule on eating and going to the bathroom always at the same time. Of course a careful diet helps, but not always the same for all people.
I don't know how, but while my schedule is pretty limiting I have managed to stay mostly functional. Working out, running and riding my bike always helps me feel better. I am just trying to stay positive and make the best of things, no point in giving in or giving up to become totally miserable. Not happening...
They slowly became more noticeable and about 10 years ago I ended up seriously anemic. The doctor had no clue, but I researched and found out the last 18 inches of your ileocecal is where B12 is absorbed and I had most of mine hacked out. Started taking B12 twice a day and my anemia went away. Then I figured out I had no ileocecal valve to stop backflow from my acending colon back into my small intestine. So I always have small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, which causes IBS and probably Crohn's disease. Three different doctors pretty much flat out ignored me and didn't offer much help.
I do the best I can, some days are OK, others kind of miserable. I have experimented and learned several tricks which help. One of these is drinking lots of water, which may help people with IBS. Another is to keep a rigid schedule on eating and going to the bathroom always at the same time. Of course a careful diet helps, but not always the same for all people.
I don't know how, but while my schedule is pretty limiting I have managed to stay mostly functional. Working out, running and riding my bike always helps me feel better. I am just trying to stay positive and make the best of things, no point in giving in or giving up to become totally miserable. Not happening...
Elsie
Senior Member
As I read your story, I was hoping for a happy, (healed) outcome. I'm very sorry it did not happen, but your resilience to stay positive in spite of the bad(worse) times can carry you through. God bless.
outlander
Member
- Location
- southern Arizona
Thank you Elsie.
When having a bad day, I think about other people that have much tougher situations to deal with than me. So I suck it up and realize it isn't so bad.
When having a bad day, I think about other people that have much tougher situations to deal with than me. So I suck it up and realize it isn't so bad.
I’ve lived with IBS for a little under a year, so I totally relate to the “good-weeks / bad-weeks” roller-coaster many of you describe. Three things have helped me stay (mostly) functional:
1. Treat it as a three-phase journey, not a life sentence.
• The strict elimination phase gave me near-instant relief, but the re-intro phase taught me my personal “sweet spot” (for example, half a slice of sourdough is fine, two slices = trouble).
2. Keep a tiny food-and-stress diary.
• Writing what I ate, how stressed I felt, and any tummy rumblings takes one minute and shows patterns after a couple of weeks. I realised long café meetings stressed me out more than the oat-milk latte itself!
3. Control what I can; accept what I can’t.
• If I’m sleep-deprived or upset, I schedule a bland, low-fiber dinner and a gentle walk rather than pushing myself.
• When flares do appear, a short course of stool softener (my doctor okayed it) clears the “traffic jam” and lets the gut settle. In rare cases, a specific antibiotic helped too, but that’s strictly under medical guidance.
Bottom line: IBS management feels like tuning a radio, small dials for food, stress and sleep instead of one magic button. Curious to hear which small tweaks make the biggest difference for you!
1. Treat it as a three-phase journey, not a life sentence.
• The strict elimination phase gave me near-instant relief, but the re-intro phase taught me my personal “sweet spot” (for example, half a slice of sourdough is fine, two slices = trouble).
2. Keep a tiny food-and-stress diary.
• Writing what I ate, how stressed I felt, and any tummy rumblings takes one minute and shows patterns after a couple of weeks. I realised long café meetings stressed me out more than the oat-milk latte itself!
3. Control what I can; accept what I can’t.
• If I’m sleep-deprived or upset, I schedule a bland, low-fiber dinner and a gentle walk rather than pushing myself.
• When flares do appear, a short course of stool softener (my doctor okayed it) clears the “traffic jam” and lets the gut settle. In rare cases, a specific antibiotic helped too, but that’s strictly under medical guidance.
Bottom line: IBS management feels like tuning a radio, small dials for food, stress and sleep instead of one magic button. Curious to hear which small tweaks make the biggest difference for you!
papa tiger
Well-known Member
I think before the evening turns to retire; I shall take a crap!
The doctor should have taken this more seriously. My father was 78 when he developed severe abdominal pain. This was on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. The ER doctor poked him and said he was probably exercising too hard. He was on pain meds, bedridden and severely nauseous on Thanksgiving. I tried feeding him soup but he couldn't even hold that down. I went back to the pharmacist to increase the pain medication.
We had every intention of taking him back to the doctor on Monday after the holiday but he passed away on Sunday night due to a twisted bowel! The agony he must have gone though must have been unbearable. It is a difficult issue to diagnose but doctors still should not be so flippant about it. They could have corrected it through surgery and he could have lived many more years.
I struggled with IBS mostly in my 20s, 30s and 40s. If I ate a heavy meal I would need to go to the bathroom before I made it home. I remember being in Toronto airport after having lunch at a conference and having to run through security to find a restroom. I was heading home from Orlando to Tampa with a group of friends and had to "go" in the bushes off the freeway. Thank goodness they were good friends because it was embarrassing.
It was horrible. It was typically abdominal pains followed by profuse sweating. Garlic especially exacerbated the situation. It seemed to go away in my 50s and beyond.
It was horrible. It was typically abdominal pains followed by profuse sweating. Garlic especially exacerbated the situation. It seemed to go away in my 50s and beyond.
Re: antibiotics, I've taken Z-Pacs for infections and they've cleared me out like prep for a colonoscopy so I think they can add to stomach issues.
Antibiotics kill bacteria in the gut, including both harmful and beneficial bacteria. This disruption in the gut microbiome can lead to antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD).
AAD is usually mild and resolves within a few days after stopping the antibiotic. However, in some cases, it can be more severe and require medical attention.
Paladin1950
Still love 50's & 60's music!
- Location
- Mohawk Valley, NY
I had that problem in 2013. I went gluten free for several years. Then I started eating wheat again, but in moderation. I've never had that problem since.
officerripley
Well-known Member
- Location
- Porlock, Calif
Unfortunately for me, it has been a life sentence, had it since the day I was born; so did my mother and her mother. And according to something I read a few months back by one of the foremost GI doctors in the U.S. (don't remember his name, sorry), all of the GI and IBS research, including all the latest research, had led that community to the conclusion that some poor people are just born with terrible digestive tracts about which not a darn thing can be done--not diet or anything else--other than the people should eat very little amounts (like 2 or 3 bites) of food at a time and wait several hours before eating again.
At first, that depressed me but then again it was kind of a relief because all my life I've heard that sufferers of IBS are doing something wrong (not eating right, not drinking enough water, not exercising enough, getting too stressed) and trying *everything* and nothing, nothing helps much if at all and for someone to finally realize it's not always the patient's fault (other than choosing the wrong parents to be born to ha ha) is kind of a relief.
I spend time on the Mayo Clinic IBS site and seems like all of the patients on there have tried everything (even seeing Mayo doctors and surgeries) and nothing has worked for them either (not for any length of time anyway).
papa tiger
Well-known Member
I suppose Off - if - cer. Starvation is the only meal that may help.
Maybe try Golden Seal seeped into your hot coffee or Tea?
If you have Echinacea that's might be a great start too. Herbs.
Their readily available at your Herb store, maybe the mix will be better?
Maybe try Golden Seal seeped into your hot coffee or Tea?
If you have Echinacea that's might be a great start too. Herbs.
Their readily available at your Herb store, maybe the mix will be better?
Last edited:
Hi @officerripley,
I hear you , for some of us IBS feels wired in from birth, and no single diet or pill flips it “off.” What has helped me is thinking in terms of dialing down the volume on multiple triggers rather than hunting for a miracle cure:
• Genetics we can’t change, but we can still tweak the environment. Tiny adjustments (eating ~2–3 bites every couple of hours like you mentioned, keeping hydrated, walking after meals) don’t “cure” me, yet they shave down the intensity of flares.
• Gut–brain axis TLC. I do ten-minute breathing drills twice a day; when my stress hormones stay lower, the cramps usually stay quieter too.
• Gentle foods in small, frequent portions. My gastro had me test a simplified low-FODMAP pattern. I’m not strict forever, but on rough weeks I still lean on rice, oats, eggs, firm bananas, and lactose-free yogurt in child-size servings.
• Antibiotics only with caution. One round of rifaximin helped a flare linked to suspected SIBO, but afterward I rebuilt my microbiome with probiotics and soluble fiber.
No one should blame themselves for “picking the wrong parents.” We just tune a lot of little knobs food volume, timing, nerves, sleep and aim for the best-possible normal. Curious: are there any micro-habits (stretching, peppermint tea, heating pad, whatever) that give you even a 10 % relief bump? I keep a running list and love learning from other veterans.
I hear you , for some of us IBS feels wired in from birth, and no single diet or pill flips it “off.” What has helped me is thinking in terms of dialing down the volume on multiple triggers rather than hunting for a miracle cure:
• Genetics we can’t change, but we can still tweak the environment. Tiny adjustments (eating ~2–3 bites every couple of hours like you mentioned, keeping hydrated, walking after meals) don’t “cure” me, yet they shave down the intensity of flares.
• Gut–brain axis TLC. I do ten-minute breathing drills twice a day; when my stress hormones stay lower, the cramps usually stay quieter too.
• Gentle foods in small, frequent portions. My gastro had me test a simplified low-FODMAP pattern. I’m not strict forever, but on rough weeks I still lean on rice, oats, eggs, firm bananas, and lactose-free yogurt in child-size servings.
• Antibiotics only with caution. One round of rifaximin helped a flare linked to suspected SIBO, but afterward I rebuilt my microbiome with probiotics and soluble fiber.
No one should blame themselves for “picking the wrong parents.” We just tune a lot of little knobs food volume, timing, nerves, sleep and aim for the best-possible normal. Curious: are there any micro-habits (stretching, peppermint tea, heating pad, whatever) that give you even a 10 % relief bump? I keep a running list and love learning from other veterans.
officerripley
Well-known Member
- Location
- Porlock, Calif
Nope. The only thing that gives about a 1 percent relief bump is to go at least 36 hours between eating anything and I just can't go that long without eating anymore (headache, shakes).
Marcy Sheiner
Senior Member
- Location
- Bay Area CA
Thank you for this post! This is exactly how I feel. I only developed IBS in the last decade, but I get severe diarrhea in the morning, and I always inwardly flagellate myself over whatever I ate recently. And I've done a million things for it already: the Low FODMAP diet, meditation, doctors, probiotics, fiber, etc.
Since mine is relatively new, I know I wasn't born with the condition. And GI docs know very little about what to do about IBS. They will probably discover a miraculous cure right after I kick off this mortal coil.
CaliS
Member
Yeah... bizarre how the side effects can be as bad as the condition....
Dicyclomine can cause a range of side effects, including:
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Nervousness
- Excitement
- Confusion
- Difficulty urinating
- Tachycardia (fast heartbeat)
- Hallucinations
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weakness
AnnieA
Well-known Member
- Location
- Down South
.
I love this thought process. I've been trying so hard for a cure (IBS, fibromyalgia, other autoimmune issues) that it exacerbates stress which helps nothing. Just this shift in thinking feels huge. Thank you.
MoBeans
Member
I had severe gastrointestinal issues in my 50s which they labeled IBS. It started after a long bought with Lyme disease and being on antibiotics for 6 months which destroyed my healthy gut biome, which was replaced with bad gut microbes, and IBS. Once bad microbes get entrenched it's difficult to get rid of them. Especially if you keep feeding them what they like. I finally cured it by going on a very strict plant based diet for 3 months. (Google "Forks over knives diet".) It was one of the hardest things I have ever done. I loved things like greasy cheeseburgers, Buffalo chicken wings and all beef processed hotdogs. So did my bad gut microbes. Once I stopped feeding them they died off. Eating only plants gave me some new healthy ones.
My Doctor is holistic in his approach to health and told me gastro issues are usually caused by bad gut flora and that I needed to reboot my system and get some healthy microbes back in there. I did it and it worked for me. Plus I lost 15 lbs. and I had healthy cholesterol levels for the first time in a long time. I continued eating more responsibly after that and the IBS or whatever it was hasn't returned. Now I eat turkey burgers and turkey hotdogs instead. Can't stand plant burgers.
It's true, you are what you eat, it affects everything else.
My Doctor is holistic in his approach to health and told me gastro issues are usually caused by bad gut flora and that I needed to reboot my system and get some healthy microbes back in there. I did it and it worked for me. Plus I lost 15 lbs. and I had healthy cholesterol levels for the first time in a long time. I continued eating more responsibly after that and the IBS or whatever it was hasn't returned. Now I eat turkey burgers and turkey hotdogs instead. Can't stand plant burgers.
It's true, you are what you eat, it affects everything else.
Hi @officerripley,
I hear you going 36 hours without food just to calm a flare is brutal, and no one can do that forever. A few things my gastro and dietitian suggested when a complete fast isn’t realistic:
• Tiny “micro-meals” instead of a full fast. On my worst days I nibble ¼ cup portions every couple of hours (plain rice congee, a boiled egg white, or a few sips of bone broth). It keeps blood sugar steady but still gives the gut long rest periods.
• Elemental or semi-elemental shake days. Swapping one or two solid meals for a pre-digested formula (amino acids + MCT oil) buys my intestines a breather without starving me. It isn’t gourmet, yet it cuts the cramping almost as well as total fasting.
• Track the “trigger stack.” I jot down sleep debt, stress spikes, and food load on the same page. Seeing how those three pile up lets me schedule a micro-meal day before the storm hits.
These tricks aren’t cures, just ways to dial the volume down when the old “nothing by mouth” rule feels impossible. If you experiment, maybe rate your pain/bloat every few hours so you’ll know fast whether it’s helping.
I hear you going 36 hours without food just to calm a flare is brutal, and no one can do that forever. A few things my gastro and dietitian suggested when a complete fast isn’t realistic:
• Tiny “micro-meals” instead of a full fast. On my worst days I nibble ¼ cup portions every couple of hours (plain rice congee, a boiled egg white, or a few sips of bone broth). It keeps blood sugar steady but still gives the gut long rest periods.
• Elemental or semi-elemental shake days. Swapping one or two solid meals for a pre-digested formula (amino acids + MCT oil) buys my intestines a breather without starving me. It isn’t gourmet, yet it cuts the cramping almost as well as total fasting.
• Track the “trigger stack.” I jot down sleep debt, stress spikes, and food load on the same page. Seeing how those three pile up lets me schedule a micro-meal day before the storm hits.
These tricks aren’t cures, just ways to dial the volume down when the old “nothing by mouth” rule feels impossible. If you experiment, maybe rate your pain/bloat every few hours so you’ll know fast whether it’s helping.
Wow, I had no idea there were so many side effects to Bentyl, @CaliS! Scary ones, too. I should have read the fine print more carefully. I didn't take it for long, fortunately.Yeah... bizarre how the side effects can be as bad as the condition....
Dicyclomine can cause a range of side effects, including:
- Drowsiness
- Dizziness
- Blurred vision
- Dry mouth
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Nervousness
- Excitement
- Confusion
- Difficulty urinating
- Tachycardia (fast heartbeat)
- Hallucinations
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weakness
papa tiger
Well-known Member
My neighbor has Colitis and has stopped biking and doing Protein shakes.
Is on a Veggie rich diet now. He says he's better and 36 years old with 2 daughters.
Is on a Veggie rich diet now. He says he's better and 36 years old with 2 daughters.