i have suffered from diagnosed IBS for about 12 months and believe it to be as a consequence of a long period of antibiotic use following pneumonia.
It first presented as diarrhoea and since taking colafac MR it is now more commonly constipation with bloating, right hand stomach pain and back pain and gurgling lower bowels.
i have read numerous articles about diet and they are in the main contradictory.
i have decided to reduce my gluten intake and have certainly stopped the majority of treats such as chocolate and biscuits thereby reducing my sugar intake and also significantly reduced the amount of coffee I drink but am only experiencing small gains and never feel too far away from a bout of diarrhoea.
i go to the gym 2 to 4 times a week when symptoms allow.
Any dietary advice based on experience would be greatly appreciated.
With your IBS Dr's diagnosis and antibiotic implicated..you need to reboot your digestive system. No fad diets ..usually a gastritis diet with your own input as to negative and positive reactions. Diet alone may take time..to accelerate these that you c can tolerate...yogurt, kefir, sourkraut, probiotics, prebiotics and small easy digestive meals. Claudio
with frequency (loose stools..watery etc)...you lose electrolytes...so stay hydrated and add minerals......best to ask you pharmacist for a non carbonated drink vs pills.
Probitocs: getting them to colonize is a huge challenge..most are either destroyed by your stomach acid, or are washed out...so putting them back, and often seems to help...same goes for yogurts/kefir etc more benefirial when taking small amounts often rather than all at once. Prebiotics...there are 3 types...psyllium husk, psyllium seed, jerusalem artichoke/chicory. The ones I am most familar with are psyllium husk and seed...one traps water within your waste like a gell and makes the stool more formed..the other slows down transit time (so one speeds up while the other slows down)...too much causes GAS (inulin)..Don Claudio suggested to start with 1/4 teaspoon...maybe try both to see what works best for you...the combo husk and seed also "boost" production of your good colon bacteria...is well worth considering. any of the prebiotics can help (chaperone) some probiiotics thru the stomach acids....
In summary, hydration, electrolytes, pro and prebiotics... our best...Ann....relax.
Your doing all of the right things..Ann mentioned psyllium husk/seed.. with constipation dominant, the husk might be more suitable but why not both?...... hydration and lots of it ...spot on.....the addition of an electrolyte drink is IBS beneficial. ....coffee IMO is healthy...in moderation with or without IBS...check out the "rome criteria" for IBS..a few dr's diagnose IBS too quickly with any bowel disorder..., could be clinic policy to minimize costly testing.
Former wife's daughter diagnosed with IBS...but was bacterial overgrowth due to long term wide spectrum antibiotics...took only days to show improvement and then in 8 weeks...could eat pizza for the first time in a very long so called IBS war...... Doesn't work out that way for everyone....in 2013 "JPT" on this web forum provided a protocol that worked for him and others (looks like your are on the same protocol path. Wish you God speed.
at last some experience based and consistent advice for which I am very grateful.
I am using a probiotic called acidophilus plus purchased from a local health shop as a trial and will source some of the psyllium husk and seed and keep you updated.
Where to buy varies.by price..amazon is usually competetive,we prefer whole husk. Quality should trump price. We use source natural but a few others are considered good quality. Pharmacy and health food personnel consensus. Not all countries have.identical product, so inquiry thru pharmacy or chemist.
We avoid bulk. We are in the usa having sources that differ from other countries. Hope info helpful, ann
re capsule vs whole. I "guess" the capsule is an "OD" preventive since the husk has "inulin" that "in excess" can cause gas. So, why not control amount of whole husk?......I'd follow DonClaudio's suggested start of 1/4 teaspoon..once daily.....if no result, try 2 times daily but only morning and noon...not afternoon nor evening. The most recent IBS Constipation patient in our Pacific NorthWest started at 1/4 teaspoon, increased over a weeks time to 1/2 teaspoon x 2 daily...37 year old Chinese female..IBS not antibiotic implicated...bad diet...wild snack meals with timing erratic...inadequate intake of water.."latte with excess sugar and condiments" etc. She began "compliant"..but in less than a couple of weeks when she was feeling "normal" tried Latte..back to square one for a short time before she finally chose not to takes risks at such an early stage of recovery. Takes time to get the entire digestive track (from oral cavity to anus) back in good order....Ann
I have a question and some input. I have IBS and diverticulosis. Most recently I had episodes of loose bowels at least 8 times a day and constant pain keeping nevoutvof work for over a weel at a time. Gas always there. Treated with antibiotics which have made me worse. Drs not sure if they are diverticulitis attacks or IBS but now they are gearing towards IBS. In the past an all protein diet had helped. I just started today. Easier to digest than carbs. However also in the past once I had a bowel movement pain would subside. Now its constant.
i was diagnosed with diverticulosis many years ago following a barium enema examination. I suffered pain in my right abdomen below the rib cage and bouts of severe constipation. I was not offered any treatment or dietary advice. Interesting after my recent CT colonoscopy there was no suggestion of diverticulosis?
My pain and discomfort is an everyday occurrence, just with varying degrees.
I am changing my diet and and currently experience a good day, followed by a bad (like today😡). This forum is helping me a great deal and have received some good advice which I will take.
i understand the carb issue and have reduced my intake.
Symptoms and day to day life. This recent flare up kept me off work for two weeks. You can find protein in avocados chicken a lot of fish tuna salmon all meats. I am staying away from all breads. I found that I was much better without them. Greek yogurt and bran buds are good. Blueberries are an anti oxident and clean out the bowel. Lots of green tea. I had to take imodium today. Now I have to make sure that tomorrow I take some psylium. It's a catch 22. Need to balance good carbs and fibre.
I have noticed various of the gut-distension symptoms along with something like the spastic gurgling that can last several hours and that can disturb sleep.
I firstly noticed that fasting cured all of this. Also that even brief fasting, accelerated by exercise such as lengthy walking, hiking or cycling, was more rapidly effective.
I now find that I can comfortably eat larger meals, but only within a period of time that my calorie expenditure would utilize the extra fuel.
So I'm thinking that the quickness, effectiveness and comfort of digestion somehow relies heavily on the metabological needs of the amount of food/fuel to be consumed.
The good news of all this is that I am more comfortable when exercising more and eating less, as all of my many issues with gut and lower back discomfort quickly go away when I simply create this bit of a deficit in my calorie stores.
So I can recommend whatever exercise that most comfortably allows longer-term sessions of calorie expenditure, along with food choices that are lower in non-water density, such as soups, fruit, vegetables (even pickles, make your own using leftover pickle juice), along with plenty of water. I don't cut back on meat/fish much either, but portion size is kept reasonable at each meal. I avoid all cookies and crackers most of the time, and go very easy on bread and on oil-laden foods such as dressings, etc.
Dan38655's post is excellent protocol for nearly all digestive issues. TCM suggestes a fast of one to 3 days after any major digestive upset/disturbance.