Treatment of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.?

hi i also have ibs. make sure you eat a balanced diet, keep takeaways to a treat. Eat little and often, dont go all day without eating and then eat a big meal at the end of the day, it will cripple you. Everyone has different reactions to different foods. My friend has ibs also, lasagne irritates her ibs but it doesnt bother me. Its well worth having a food sensitivity test, it will tell you what food you are intolerant to. Also drink plenty, it will help you keep your bowle movements regular. Ive also found peppermint tea help for digestion and wind.

My best friend has IBS and also has prescribed drugs. We both went to the libray and did some serious study on the diet. She tried it for while but it was very difficult. Some food is absorbed quicker than others. Because everyone is different and food effects each person in a different way It is very difficult to say what would work best. She has to avoid all wheat products and food with husks such as sweetcorn and broad beans or baked beans. She also cannot eat pasta jacket potatoes or nuts. Try a diary system for a little while, It doesnt suit everyone, but you may be able to establish what foods you are sensiitve to and what will trigger an attack. I appreciate that you feel a bit worried by the medication, but I assume you have anti inflamatories which will help to stop the inflamation in the bowel. There are some really nice recipes online which may help. I hope this works for you.x

There are two kinds of IBS, and your treatment may depend on which you have: IBS with constipation or IBS with diarrhea. My personal experience is with the diarrhea kind. And you're right, it is a pretty vague description. As far as I know, there is no approved prescription medicine for it. There was one for IBS with constipation but I thought it was taken off the market. Anyway, you don't necessarily need any prescription medication.

I have several suggestions for you. The first is to keep a "food log" of everything you eat for a few weeks and how your tummy is doing. That way you can see if you have any dietary triggers that need to be looked at. I know for me, spicy foods can trigger my IBS so I try to be careful about eating them. I also need to watch how much I eat, because overeating also triggers it.

In addition, take a look at fiber. My doctor told me to start using fiber supplements. I got that Benefiber -- you put a tablespoon of powder into your food and you can't taste it at all. I've even put it into water. It helped regulate me a lot.

Don't be afraid to talk to your doctor about some other options besides medication, as well. And I bet the literature you were given contains some tips too.

Good luck. And don't worry. It is manageable.

The one thing that you must do with IBS is cut right down on fatty foods. That may be all you need to do. If you are a heavy drinker then you will need to cut back on that as well.

Live yoghurt, some fibre, plenty of liquids and lower stress will help.

In future make sure you are drinking enough, are having some fibre in your diet and you hopefully should be o.k.

One reason your doctor is wanting to prescribe medication is to guard against ulcers. If your symptoms don't improve after 3 weeks, I would recommend reconsidering taking some medication.

When I was diagnosed I was also refered to a dietician. She asked me to keep a diary of all the foods I ate and to write down the times a had flare-ups of any bleeding or diarrhoea. I was surprised to learn that fruit, pasta, bread, oily and spicy foods triggered my flare-ups. This is due to the fibre, some IBS sufferers don't do well with it. From this I just avoid these foods or have them in moderation. It may be worth having a food intolerance test done to check what foods effect you. Other foods that can have an effect are chocolate, milk, caffine and alcohol.

Also, an important factor to consider is that IBS is effected by stress. So be mindful of those things that can cause stress in your life and reduce or cut it out completely.

All the best!

50% of IBS patients improve on a high fibre diet, unfortunately 50% get worse, but it is worth trying. The classical prescription drug used is Colpermin, this is high dose peppermint oil concentrate. I would have to be honest and say in 30 years I have never seen it work well!

Antispasmodics definitely help the spasms, but don't improve the bowel habit. If you want to avoid medication, psychotherapy, especially relaxation techniques have been shown to be helpful.

Overall I am afraid the only thing I have ever seen work with any consistancy is amitriptylline. This is an old fashioned anti-depressant. Here in small doses, it probably works as a smooth muscle relaxant.

I've had ibs for 12 years now. I've tried various different remedies and the one i use most often is loperamide (immodium) as this is the quick fix for a bad flare up. I also take them at night if i need to go out early in the morning as this is when i'm worst Changing your diet can help but you still get bad bouts no matter what. The longest i have been symptom free is when i was on slim fast for 3 months and i often use this if i'm going on holiday, just start it a week before i go then stop again when i get back. I also find that peppermint tea or capsules help as they ease the cramps.

First off, Crohns is a form of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) not IBS. Second, Zelnorm (tegaserod) has been pulled from the market due to cardiovascular side effects. Alosetron is a 5-HT 3 receptor antagonist that is used for diarrhea dominate IBS in wome. Zelnorm is a 5-HT 4 receptor agonist. Serotonin (5-HT) is viewed as the future of IBS treatment by many gastroenterologists. the pain is often treated with Tricyclic antidepressants like desipramine or amitriptyline or by antimuscarinic agents like dicyclopromide and hyoscyamine. Laxatives and antidiarrheals are used to treat IBS associated symptoms.

Try Fibogel - you can get it on pescription. It is a totally natural product which will help regulate you - whether your IBS gives you diorreah or constipation. Try getting some good qualify vitamin B12 tablets - this aids absorption and digestion of food. Obviously, eat a good balanced diet and try and eat red meat a couple of times a week.

Out of interest, do you have a IUD/coil fitted - I had one for four years and had IBS for the duration (never had it before it was implanted) - had the coil removed and no more IBS.

I try to take fiber daily-citrucel is the best. I also tried taking an over the counter chewable called Digestive Advantage for IBS, and it seems to work. Green tea daily also. I don't what kind you have but if diarrhea is a problem, make sure to drink lots of water and take immodium when needed. Try to avoid fried food or coffee. If you must have your coffee, switch to Folgers Simply Smooth. The non-dairy creamers are also a no-no, stick w/ skim milk. Stress greatly affects it, so try to recognize and control that as much as possible. Good luck!