# Nothing seems to work



## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Why is it that some people get lucky and find things that helps their IBS-D and others no matter what they try nothing helps, I know there is no cure for all and some things work for some but not others, but has anyone else, tried so many things and found none of them work, money is nearly non existant , so cant afford to keep trying everything mentioned, but i have tried lots of things and i have found only immodium to work and thats if i take 2 sometimes 3 aday every day, but then there are times when the D will strike out of the blue with so much urgency, even with taking the imodium. I wish i could find something that would work. I know i am not the only one in this situation, and good luck and great for those who have found help, I would just like my life back.Scientists get out there and work on something good for IBS-D.Sorry for the moan.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It is hard to know why a few people of any illness seem to have trouble finding a treatment.I disagree that the blame is on the scientists. The scientist take IBS-D seriously enough they devloped Lotronex and there have been several other drugs for IBS-D in the development pipeline.To me the blame lies at the FDA that seems to believe IBS is a minor nuisance and much less disruptive to one's ability to work and take care of oneself and other general life stuff than acne or erectile dysfunction.IBS according to them is always easily treated with fiber so any rare but dangerous side effect for an IBS drug is way too risky even if acne meds and ED meds can kill. Those things are worth dying for to get relief. IBS is not, apparently.If the drugs cannot ever be approved there isn't much the scientists can do. It also tends to suppress the research as drug companies can't afford to spend billions on things they will never be able to sell.{/soapbox}


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## SuzM (May 31, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> Why is it that some people get lucky and find things that helps their IBS-D and others no matter what they try nothing helps, I know there is no cure for all and some things work for some but not others, but has anyone else, tried so many things and found none of them work, money is nearly non existant , so cant afford to keep trying everything mentioned, but i have tried lots of things and i have found only immodium to work and thats if i take 2 sometimes 3 aday every day, but then there are times when the D will strike out of the blue with so much urgency, even with taking the imodium. I wish i could find something that would work. I know i am not the only one in this situation, and good luck and great for those who have found help, I would just like my life back.Scientists get out there and work on something good for IBS-D.Sorry for the moan.


Have you tried the exclusion diet? It's drastic, but it might be the answer. Best of luck and don't give up. I know what you're going through and it's awful, but there's sure to be an answer for you, somewhere.


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Yes, ive tried excluding foods, I only eat Rice, Potatoes, Carrotts, Peas, Bananas, Porridge, Lean chicken , Bread and Fish, also anything Gluten and Wheat Free and dairy free foods, and there doesnt seem to be any pattern with the foods i eat, i have kept a diary, and still i get loose bms every day with urgency.


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## SuzM (May 31, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> Yes, ive tried excluding foods, I only eat Rice, Potatoes, Carrotts, Peas, Bananas, Porridge, Lean chicken , Bread and Fish, also anything Gluten and Wheat Free and dairy free foods, and there doesnt seem to be any pattern with the foods i eat, i have kept a diary, and still i get loose bms every day with urgency.


What a drag! Have you tried hypnosis? Antidepressants? Probiotics? Psyllium?


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Yep tried all that too. no good.


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## SuzM (May 31, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> Yep tried all that too. no good.


AAARRGGHH!!! What's left? SOMEBODY HELP!


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## lfcfl (Nov 24, 2008)

Hi, I know exactly how you feel....I've tried sooo many things and just want my life back already, have had this about 18 yrs. and used to be very active. Have you tried the peppermint pills from ...com website? They have given me some relief though I must take them in conjunction with immodium most of the time. I have severe urgency and it does slow the contractions somewhat. Also her Acacia powder may help with cramping....I just haven't found anything that stops me from going when I need to get out of the house yet...still hoping. I hope this helps somewhat....I'm waiting on someone to answer me about Bavolex. Have you looked into that yet?


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## Finding Neverland (Apr 30, 2009)

Have you tryed 5-htp supplement made from a plant name Griffonia simplicifolia ?I heard this work similar to lotronex.I`ve read about a doctor who treated over 40 cases of ibs with this supplement.You have the article here.But try not to take too much or for a long period of time because it can affect the functioning of the heartAlso you can try natural supplement like valerian,passion flower or homeopatic like gelsemium or aconit but not together with the 5-htp.


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

I have tried peppermint capsules, they gave me heartburn, have tried physsillium husk Fibre capsules, not much good either.


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## SuzM (May 31, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> I have tried peppermint capsules, they gave me heartburn, have tried physsillium husk Fibre capsules, not much good either.


We didn't find the capsules much good either. We use the real deal, mixed with Metamucil.


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## Glenda (Aug 15, 2000)

Oatmeal is suppose to be good for diarrhea controll.But I am allergic (Deathly wise) to Milk.So can't have any on the Oatmeal.I have to eat the oatmeal DRY. (Blah , yuck , fooie)A good over the counter product here in the usa is "Donnagel".It is a green liquid and it has a neat undescribable taste to it.Works pretty good.I just haven't seen it in afew years.


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## SuzM (May 31, 2009)

Glenda said:


> Oatmeal is suppose to be good for diarrhea controll.But I am allergic (Deathly wise) to Milk.So can't have any on the Oatmeal.I have to eat the oatmeal DRY. (Blah , yuck , fooie)A good over the counter product here in the usa is "Donnagel".It is a green liquid and it has a neat undescribable taste to it.Works pretty good.I just haven't seen it in afew years.


Mocha Mix, CoffeeMate, Rice Milk, and Almond Milk in any combination work well on oatmeal.


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## Glenda (Aug 15, 2000)

I have Never tried those. Almost afraid to. They must be Non-dairy.I'll have to investigate this further.Thanks*


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## SuzM (May 31, 2009)

Glenda said:


> I have Never tried those. Almost afraid to. They must be Non-dairy.I'll have to investigate this further.Thanks*


They're all non-dairy, but Mocha Mix and CoffeeMate have chemicals (not sure about the others). I can tolerate them all, but I know we're all different. For example, the chemicals in bologna bring me to my knees.


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

I lived on soy milk and soy cheese for the last couple of years that I had to deal with it. I even managed it in my cappuccinos, although that wasn't a fave.Mark


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## Genie75 (Jun 22, 2009)

I know for me I am carbohydrate intolerant and when I eat any foods with lots of starch, I get diarhea. I do take carbohydate digestive enzymes, but I find that they don't really work too well, if I eat carbs all the time. I have gone totally carb free and my diarhea did go away. Unfortunately though, then I got really bad constipation. So I am finding it really hard to get a balance between eating carbs and not eating carbs. If I don't eat enough carbs, then I don't get enough soluble fibre and then I get colon spasms. And if I eat too much, then the diarhea. So I am finding it quite hard for myself to get into something that works all the time.


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## Borrellifan (May 5, 2009)

I hear you 100%I'm the same way. Have had this for the last 3 years on and off. I was lucky that it would just go away on its own and no particular thing would cure it. Unfortunetly its been pretty bad now for quite some time and isn't letting up. I have tried everything! Eating healthy (IBS diet), Gluten free, Hypnosis, Antibiotics, Accupuncture, antispasmodics, immodium, marijuana, pepperment, aloe vera, all sorts of pro-biotic and natural supplements and still no relief! Im currently trying Questran (cholostrymine) but that doesn't seem to be working either. The best things are the Immodium (which unfortunetly stopped working as well as it used to) and Marijuana (which gets me so loopy i can't really function eitherway). Niether of these in my opinion are acceptable forms of treatment. Unless i take 10 Immodium and smoke 5 Joints every single day i pretty much don't get any relief.I often get very frusturated, im only 25 yrs old and was very active in all aspects of life. I started my own company at 20, bought my first Mercedes at 22, now i barely leave my house most days, my social life is pretty much dead as well. Its really a awefull thing to live with and thats why i have been trying everything to get my health back at whatever cost. My damn doctor doesn't understand that i need to take serious measures to do this and he refuses to write me a prescription for Lotronex because im a male. eventhough he admits it could be the one thing that cures me.I really don't know what to say other then i share in your frustration. Since your a female maybe you could get your hands on Lotronex and it will be the life changer that some people have experienced. Oh well, on with the struggle i suppose.


cherrypie09 said:


> Why is it that some people get lucky and find things that helps their IBS-D and others no matter what they try nothing helps, I know there is no cure for all and some things work for some but not others, but has anyone else, tried so many things and found none of them work, money is nearly non existant , so cant afford to keep trying everything mentioned, but i have tried lots of things and i have found only immodium to work and thats if i take 2 sometimes 3 aday every day, but then there are times when the D will strike out of the blue with so much urgency, even with taking the imodium. I wish i could find something that would work. I know i am not the only one in this situation, and good luck and great for those who have found help, I would just like my life back.Scientists get out there and work on something good for IBS-D.Sorry for the moan.


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## vickieibsd (Jun 12, 2009)

I have been on Lotronex since 6/9/09 in increasing dosage and thought a couple of days ago that it would be the miracle I have waited for after 26 yrs of IBS....the last two months I have been in and out of the hospital and more medical tests than one person should have to endure. After 2 Benefiber caplets....the last two days have been a nightmare....gas,bloating, D and mucus. I hope it is a fluke and the Lotronex qill start working again. I hope you will find something that works for you.


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

I dont think we can get Lotronex here in the uk, at least the doctor nor the gastro people have ever suggested it, but doesnt it have serious side effects, or was that sorted when it was taken off the market. ???


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## Lendy (Jun 29, 2009)

Cherrypie09, I hear you loud and clear because I have been in search of a "cure" for over 25 years. I have been to the top notch specialist in our country with little success on treatment. I have lived my life omitting foods one at a time to see what bothers me and what doesn't. I have narrowed down beef as one of my biggest culprits, so I avoid eating any kind of beef in my diet. I have switched to a lactose free milk. I have given up coffee (however refuse to give up my glass of wine each evening)!Sweet foods early in the morning will set me off in a second, so I try to limit sweets until later in the afternoon. Bacon and eggs in the morning are a huge treat for me IF I'm not going to be leaving the house that day. I have lived on Imodium (prescription strength) and Librax capsules (prescription sedative) for the past 24 years and was told that was the best medication out there for IBS-D. Last fall I had a problem with my neck muscles tightening up to the point it felt as if my neck were broke. A doctor at the hospital prescribed a muscle relaxer (Cyclobenzaprine HCL Tabs 10MG) and a very weak pain pill (Tramadol HCL Tabs 50 MG). I take one of each every night before bed. Oddly enough as soon as I started taking these two medications for my neck, my IBS-D seemed to go away for a few days and my stomach and intestines have never felt calmer. I rarely needed to take any of the other drugs. When I went back to my regular doctor and asked if I could continue to take these medications and told him why, he said they would be perfectly safe if they helped. I still have maybe one bad day a week, however, I will take that over having to go 17 times a day like I did in the past years. So, is this a miracle cure for me? I hope so. Will it work for anyone else? I also hope so, but that is something they should discuss with their doctors. All I know is the muscle relaxers sure calmed the colon spasms for me. I hope some of this might help you because I know the hell you are living and I would never wish it on anyone.Good Luck!Lendy


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## crstar (Jun 29, 2009)

i know what u mean.......i am new here, found this site trying to get info about things that effect the spasms that attack.........i have had this thing off & on my whole life, but about 6yrs ago it hit with a freight train........i have a good dr& we r trying things that r not run of the mill.........about 6-1/2mos ago i increased my stomach acid & it got ridof some parasites, along with some of the diarrhea......then major stress hit & it was still helping, but with the acid improving in my stomach, i kept going thru detox, which can make D worse.........so i deal with it, except when i have to leave the house......it was just b 4 june 1st & i was in the middle of Diarrhea hell.........it was w/o a doubt the worst session i've ever had.......i've been trying to take car of this naturally.........at this point, after 10-12days of this nightmare, i said to myself, there has to b more to it than what everyone & their mother say it's about & what to do about it....i visit website that r scientific research based.........so i don't always get the same old party line..........that's where i found the stuff about the stomach acid...........i also recently got this book called fiber menace.........it's an eye opener...........so i'm t=reading this book & searching the net for anything i can find about this........well around june 1st, i'm reading this book & decide to try what the book say about fiber & do away with everything that has excess & insoluble fiber, it's everywhere......it seems that fiber, which everyone says u should get plenty of, it detrimental tour intestines........it scars, scrapes & causes inflamation of the intestines.........so i cut out all fiber........commercial yogurt has a thing called inulin that is a laxitive, for those who don't know, as if i need this.........about the same time, i remember that quite a while ago, i found out 5HTP is good for the intestines.......i was taking st johns wort with it, it did help, but it made me feel tired & didn't work all the time, so i stopped.....so i'm surfing & i run across anumber of site that say that serotonin dictates the health of the intestinal walls & about 80-90% of ur bodies serotonin is made in the intestines..........so i research serotonin........it turns out that tryptophan & 5HTP help make serotonin........i also suffer from insomnia, forever!!........so in the middle o my waking nightmare, i decide to follow some guidelines for doing it right.........i had some 5HTP & tryptophan in the house............u have to take it with B6, preferably the p%p form, which i didn't have, niacin/niacinamide, vitamin C & some chelated magnesium.........so here i am, after 2wks of horrible, horrible diarrhea & start taking both of them, not at the same time, tho, to find out which works best........5HTP gets into the brain to make serotonin, but tryptophan will convert to 5HTP with the right co-factors, but tryptophan does more than just make serotonin...........so i start taking them & for the fist time in 2 wks, this time, my stomach & intestines relaxed & were still & quiet.........the only draw back, was i kept falling asleep........but i needed the rest, badly, so i slept, 45min, an hr, 1-1/4hr, then wake up & my insides were doing it again, take some more & in about 45min or so, i havve to lie down & sleep.........the smallest amount of tryptophan u can get, except in bulk, is 500mg.........so for 2 days this is what i did.......took the 500mg tryptophan at night for sure, it has given me the most amazing sleep.........on the morning of the 3rd day, i woke with a migraine..........this is what i got when i took the tryptophanin the past..........which was why i quit taking it........so i talked to my dr, he told me that if there is unconverted tryptophan in the body it can b converted to some harmful stuff, like alot of hormones & things.........so what i did was open the tryptophan caps & divided them into 6 parts.......since i had the caps open, i opened vit C, niacinamide, magnesium & B6 & divided them up too, in each cap...... well over the past weeks, i've had to increase the amounts of the tryptophan........i found a 5HTP in 50mg, pill, or 100mg in capsule..........u can find them with the B6 & niacinamide/ niacin together, but u still should have the P5P, it works better........well, since i first started this on june 1st, i've had my ups & downs, sometimes it would get bad, then i would take more of my mixes........the tryptophan does seem to work just a tad better, but it takes a little longer to get into ur system, it also seems to work longer.......for the past 4wks i have had to increase the amounts, i now take 350mg-500mg tryptophan at night........i get to bed to read & watch tv by 8:30p.....at about 7:30, i take about 150mg of 5HTP, then at 8:30 i take the tryptophan...........then about 9:30 to 10, i take about 200mg of 5HTP.........this sounds like a large pain, but along w/the D getting better & my guts quieting down, i find i am very calm, less irritated, less angry at things & when i saw my dr i had to drive a ways & i was able to handle the driving much more adeptly.....it was nice, cause i use to have that ability yrs ago & thought i'd lost it.........serotonin enables ur muscles, all over ur body, to constrict & retract in a smooth way........ur heart uses this........ur intestines r suppose to do this only with constant D, u r getting repeated spasms that go on & on.........if u have it for a while or yrs, u have inflammation........the tryptophan & 5HTP take time to work, because serotonin is a powerful hormone & if u r deficient in it, ur whole body has a need for it.......so it took about 4wks to get today........it was really nice, that after over a month of this awful thing, things have finally turned in my favor.............there is more about what happened to me, but i am tired & need to get ready to turn in........a few days ago, i also increased my magnesium during the day........its good for smooth muscle health, that made it better, also................something to know about all the anti-diarrheal meds, immodium, lomitil & the like, they stop the very contractions that enable u to metabolize ur nutrients......if u take that stuff alot, u r not getting the important stuff from ur food..........& then there's the rebound effect.........when u take that stuff, it only makes things worse in the long run.........this month is the first time in yrs i didn't take any & i had to get past the effects of that stuff, cause pretty much most pharmaceuticals do not cure anything, they just treat symptoms & we pay the cost of the side effects of those meds.........i will check in again............


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## crstar (Jun 29, 2009)

i have alittle more to add...........taking sedatives is only treating the symptoms.........don't get me wrong, i've tried everything, used everything to try to get my life back.........was in an accident on a motorcycle almost 5 yrs ago & in the beginning i took alot of vicodin..........it took 4 wks for it to stop the D.......& i keep it on hand, but if all u r doing is treating symptoms, "IT IS NOT A CURE"......after all, no one ever got this thing from having a deficiency of fiber, depressives or anti-depressives, sedatives, immodium, lomitil or SSRI's, or anything else out there that is a pharmaceutical..............they do not "CURE" anything..........all they r, r stopgaps, band-aids, band-aids don't last forever...........when i talked about my stomach acid, serotonin deficiency & there r other things that help, these r purely homeopathic remedies..........having longtime sub-optimal levels of serotonin, i mean for yrs or decades, causes all sorts of symptoms that we, myself included, have spent alot of time & misery trying to find out how to fix it...........but there is always some basic function, some deficiency in hormone production, something genetic, probably from birth, brewing!!..........i can track all of my health problems from the time i was a very small child..........& i was not deficient in anything pharmaceutically devised.........if u know ur parents health history, u can c where ur problems come from, altho it's not always apparent at first.........for example, my mother got TB in her 30's........now up until i was 50, i had no lung problems, at all.........but when other things finally caught up with me & i started going down a slow hill to my death........a slow, painful, miserable death........ with no help from the medical community!!!!.......i saw 6 & when i found the dr i have now, it was my last attempt to get the med help i desperately needed.........i had no more energy to try anymore.........my health problems caused me to have auto-immune diseases of my thyroid & adrenals..........my own body started attacking them.......as i said, pharmaceuticals r only a stopgap, not a "CURE"..........& don't delude urself into thinking that they r..........they may work for a while, maybe even month's or yrs, but "U WILL END UP WITH SOMETHING WORSE", sometimes much worse.......there is always a worse health problem...........and if u don't treat the problem itself, ur body "WILL" find a way to make u take notice..........example: i've always had problems with headaches, not all the time, but i got them & took something for it, aspirin, motrin, vicodin, whatever........but after yrs of alot of issues, i ended up with migraines so bad i couldn't move, i couldn't get up to go to the bathroom & when i was forced to go, i screemed the whole time, cause it was so bad..........if i had found the base cause, i wouldn't have had to get to that point............& dr's r no help..........i've asked them what causes various things & they don't know..........clueless...........find out how ur body works, the body chemicals & hormones & hormonal pathways & what happens when even one of these essential things is at sub-optimal levels.........it takes alot of research, time & brain exhaustion...........lots of time.........sometimes it takes me months or yrs to find what i've been looking for..............i always look for things that make sense & for more than one reference to whatever seems to b the thing i'm looking for..........all i'm saying about all this is, no matter how desperate u get, only use drugs as a band-aid to give u more time to find out what's really going on..........try stopping the drugs u r taking & see if u r "CURED".........with the stomach acid supplements, serotonin precursors & other minor things, i've gotten help with D, joint aches that almost crippled me, migraines, insomnia, exhaustion, brain fog, cognitive problems, bad memory & my weight, just to name a few...........so by finding something natural for the D, i also helped other health problems............hope u all find out what's going on, life is about living pain free, with enough energy so u can enjoy urself, to think & interact..........mother nature designed us to live, not just b alive.........there is a big difference!!!!!


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## crstar (Jun 29, 2009)

try reading the book: Fibr Menace, by: Konstantin Monastyrsky......it's an eye opener.........on oatmeal, i put butter & some zylitol, it's delicious............no milk......& definitely not dry.........


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

Congratulations to you for all you have put into your search, crstar. I found, much to my surprise, that by strengthening my whole system and by targeting an area (cardio buildups and digestive inflammation) that I had severely abused with a long smoking addiction with just scientifically developed supplements, that I was able to return to a very satisfactory level of health and vitality. I can't say that my body has completely repaired the systems that I have damaged, but that it has at least "forgiven" me for 30 years of a self-administered poison. Supplements, nutritionists, naturopaths...when you are told you just have IBS and "Get on with it," or that you will need a lifetime of anti-depressants to address your serotonin issues, these are paths that may give you a better answer.Cheers to you.Mark


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## SuzM (May 31, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> Why is it that some people get lucky and find things that helps their IBS-D and others no matter what they try nothing helps, I know there is no cure for all and some things work for some but not others, but has anyone else, tried so many things and found none of them work, money is nearly non existant , so cant afford to keep trying everything mentioned, but i have tried lots of things and i have found only immodium to work and thats if i take 2 sometimes 3 aday every day, but then there are times when the D will strike out of the blue with so much urgency, even with taking the imodium. I wish i could find something that would work. I know i am not the only one in this situation, and good luck and great for those who have found help, I would just like my life back.Scientists get out there and work on something good for IBS-D.Sorry for the moan.


When you posted this, I thought I was one of the lucky ones. My symptoms all seemed to be responding to probiotics and fiber drink. Then things started getting worse again, and unrelated symptoms caused my doctor to order an ultrasound. It turns out I have a tumor the size of a flattened volleyball in my left ovary. I'm now headed for major surgery, with only a 20% chance it isn't cancer. So, you are one of the lucky ones after all.PLEASE, ALL WOMEN WITH PERSISTANT BLOATING, SEE YOUR GYN AND GET A SIMPLE, NON-INVASION ULTRASOUND -- IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!


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## crstar (Jun 29, 2009)

it sounds like what i had happen to me for most my life & then the last 6yrs were a nitemare............ur diet sounds like u might b low in iron.........it has been a real help to me.........calcium carbonate & iron, altho not at the same time & not every day...........also read: fiber menace, it's a book & u can find it on the net, his site is really interesting.........


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## Hester (Jul 5, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> Yes, ive tried excluding foods, I only eat Rice, Potatoes, Carrotts, Peas, Bananas, Porridge, Lean chicken , Bread and Fish, also anything Gluten and Wheat Free and dairy free foods, and there doesnt seem to be any pattern with the foods i eat, i have kept a diary, and still i get loose bms every day with urgency.


Hi Cherrypie - Are you sure you were completely dairy free. Any mixes and many breads, seasonings, soups, lactose free milk and so on still contain casein or cassinate - a whey/dairy protein. I cannot digest this at all. Even "non dairy" creamers and labeled products have casein. It made my life hell twenty years ago. Even if I had one tablespoon of non dairy coffeemate, JUST ONE! I was miserable with diarrhea, gas and bloating for a week sometimes two. I had to avoid all packaged and canned products (most soups have dairy) and never ate out unless I knew there was not a premix, seasoning or sauce in the food. Bagels have dairy as do most muffins and many bread products. Porridge would have dairy and even most dry cereals. I say this all seriousness because I do not buy that our IBS-D is all anxiety or because our colons are over-active. They are over active because they are irritated by something. When I finally read the labels on every single thing, I discoverd hidden dairy in many things I was eating. My problems twenty years ago finally went away when the dairy was entirely gone. But it took about a month before I saw an improvement and then it was gone up until the SJS last year. One in four people are dairy intolerant. It takes great diligence to truly eliminate an entire food group. Here is a list of all the names of dairy: DAIRY, MILK, CHEESE, YOGURT, WHEY, CASEIN, CASSINATE. This also means no butter or margarine. In the U.S., these have to be listed on the label. I do not know if you are in the U.S. It might be tougher in the UK. Dairy is the most common food intolerance and causes chronic or alternate diarrhea, gas, pain, bloating and explosive diarrhea as well as burning and pain in a lot of people.


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Hi Hester,Thats a good point about the dairy, the bread, cheese and butter/spread all say dairy free, but the milk i have says lactose free, perhaps i should switch to soya milk instead. How do you know if you are dairy intolerant.


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## salbur (Oct 29, 2007)

yes your right theres no lotronex for us here in the uk. there is also appaerantly no refferel available for the pain clinic either,(now had worsening chronic pain for 10 years with only 1 or 2 days pain free a month, and before that had 2 pain free weeks a month). i used to be a sucessful paediatric nurse, now i'm stuck at home barely able to go out to get shopping. like many on here my social life is pretty non-existent. i'm lucky enough to have a wonderfully supportive partner.it seems to me that here in the uk i.b.s is treated as something minor. i was recently given mebeverine an anti-spasmodic and it did help slightly, sadly theside effects wern't worth it, they made me faint and woozey with blinding headaches so i had to stop taking them. but that doesn't mean they won't work for you. unless you've already tried them too?


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Hi SalburI live in Gloucester, England.I know what you mean about IBS in the uk, it doesnt seem to be treated very seriously, and not much is done or given to us to help it, once all the tests are out of the way and the IBS label has been put on you, you seem to be on your own to cope. I have IBS with Diarrhoea which IBS do you have. What do you take to help your symptoms. Imodium is the best thing ive used, and ive tried many things, over the counter and prescription.


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## salbur (Oct 29, 2007)

i keep immodium for high days and holidays, as you can easily build up a tolerance to it. the rest of the time i just use painkillers, brufen, paracetamol, codiene and my ever trusty friend the hot water bottle! i have ibsd. sorry for the delay in reply i was putting the washing out, no doubt i'll have to get it back in when it tips down here again in bristol.


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

SalburI dont work, do you, ?? i cant leave the house very much, i am so frightened i will mess myself if i am too far away from the toilet, the diarrhoea comes with such urgency.


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## Hester (Jul 5, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> Hi Hester,Thats a good point about the dairy, the bread, cheese and butter/spread all say dairy free, but the milk i have says lactose free, perhaps i should switch to soya milk instead. How do you know if you are dairy intolerant.


Good morning, Cherrypie, Yes Soya or Rice products are perfect. Lactose free just will not do it. There is no specific test for intolerances although some say the breath test can tell but it is pretty non-specific. Others say they can do extensive skin testing from an allergist. (I am not sure about that; mine was a called a Hydrogen Breath Test.)There is a stool sample lab in Texas that claims to be able to tell if you have a food allergy by testing your stool. It costs about $400. I pretty much think the elimination diet for a couple of weeks is your best bet. Switch to all soy or rice-based products. I do use margarine but very sparingly. Really be careful of casein and cassinate it is in most soups, anything creamy, and all mixes such as a rice with a seasoning mix. It is not usually found in powdered herbs used to season food. I buy whole foods and plain grains and even eat pizza without the cheese. I eat rice ice cream and rice milk on my cereal which is usually steel cut oats or a rice cereal. Dairy is the most common intolerance in the world and it is more than just the lactose (that is sugar). Casein is the protein in dairy and it is very hard to break down. So, products can say "dairy free" but all they did was remove the lactose or add lactaid. This does not address the casein issue. There is no calcium advantage in dairy. (You may have noticed the industry can no long say "A great source of calcium" It is unabsorbable because of the dairy protein. Hence, excreted!) A better source of calcium is found in broccli and fortified orange juice. I cannot eat any kind of cheese except the fake soy cheese and even some of those contain casein. I recently found a website that has true dairy free, casein free cookies and cakes. They cost a fortune but I love them! (I don't bake.) Carob can replace chocolate! Good luck.


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## Hester (Jul 5, 2009)

I am on leave from work until my weight loss is figured out.


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## salbur (Oct 29, 2007)

try keeping a diarrhoea diary, i did this for a few weeks and noticed that its mostley the first couple of hours after i've woken up that i need to be as close to the loo as possible. if by mid morning i'm not exhausted and needing to be on all fours with a hot water bottle clamped to me then i can think about getting stuff done. life becomes much more sporadic though and friends and family often find it hard to understand when i have to miss out on bbq's etc and it is sometimes hard having to patiently explain for the umpteenth time why you cant be somewhere. however its worth perservering,and at least you find out who your real friends are.i tend to invite friends round then at least i have the comfort of home around me. if your D does follow a pattern (and fully expect it to change every so often) then you can plan taking your immodium around it. good luck with everything and remember your not on your own.


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## eternalpain (Apr 3, 2009)

Hello SalburI have IBS C but like you I have constant severe pain. Some days I can hardly stand up & walking even around the house is painful. Have you fond anything to help your pain? Sometimes I find a hot water bottle helps other times it makes it worse. I've even tried ice packs to deaden the pain & now stick "migraine" strips on my abdomin!! Where is your pain & what does it feel like? I know I'm lucky not to have D, but, the pain is overwhelming & I'm just so fed up with my life. I was diagnosed with H pylori following a gastroscopy biopsy & started the "triple pack of 2 antibiotics & omeprazole yesterday & so far I feel worse. The pain is horrendous & I feel sick & dizzy! The gastro consultant said it was usual to feel worse before you feel better!Best wishesPatsy


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Hi SalburI keep a diary of what food i eat, but i eat a particular food one day and its sets the D off and i can it again and have no problem. I dont think i can have a problem with dairy, as when we have been to greece on holiday i have eaten lots of fresh fruit and cream and very rich foods and i dont have a problem.Yes mornings are the worst for me, very loose bms, i8 cant plan to do anything until after at leat 11am in the morning.EternalpainI hope this lot of meds will make you feel better, give them a few days to settle down, then hopefully you will see a benefit.


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## Hester (Jul 5, 2009)

Well, Cherrypie, if you can eat cream and not double over, your issue is not dairy. I wish it could be that simple. Somehow this problem never is easy to figure out.


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

I know , its so annoying, if only we could say i cant eat certain foods, so i wont eat them and the IBS-D will be better, but that doesnt happen with alot of people, unfortunately, there are some, like me, that cant find what triggers it off, as it can vary so much.


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## Alucard (Jul 22, 2009)

I keep posting this I know, but for really bad attacks of diarrhoea - try J Collis Brownes mixture - many doctors are not aware it exists and it is an OTC product in the UK. This has the most rapid onset, and strongest effect of any OTC antidiarrhoeal (it contains morphine). If this works - go back to your doctor and explain.Scientists do not need to work on something to prevent diarrhoea - opium tincture is as effective as it gets - what they need to do is prescribe the right drug for the right job without being worried about what the government will say about them prescribing opiate medications. Tolerance and addiction are not going to be problems if the medications are prescribed and used correctly.You can build a tolerance to loperamide with daily use, so its efect may diminish over time. Loperamide is used because it has less addiction potential, however when used responsibly to treat symptoms, codeine and morphine are very effective.


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

I am using Codeine Phosphate 30mg Tablets, 2 tablets 4 times a day and 1 imodium plus caplet. When i saw my doctor on friday she said i had to stick to this regeime for 4 weeks to see if it works and then maybe if i am not swapping and changing meds, the bowels, ibs-d might get used to the regeime and settle down. Heres hoping.


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## Borrellifan (May 5, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> I am using Codeine Phosphate 30mg Tablets, 2 tablets 4 times a day and 1 imodium plus caplet. When i saw my doctor on friday she said i had to stick to this regeime for 4 weeks to see if it works and then maybe if i am not swapping and changing meds, the bowels, ibs-d might get used to the regeime and settle down. Heres hoping.


I used to take a ton of Immodium to try and suppress my D untill my body got used to it and the immodium wouldn't work anymore. I think it did more harm then good unfortunetly. Im now trying to get to the bottom of whats causing my symptoms so that i can treat that rather then just keep covering up the symptoms with suppressents. This has been the most difficult thing for me because during this time my D has been really awefull to deal with on a day to day basis without those suppressents.Good Luck to you, i hope it works.


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## Nothappy (Jul 9, 2009)

I think the 5htp is what caused my diareah! I was taking that for it's intended use but a side effect is losing weight. I saw someone recommended it but ASK YOUR DOC BEFORE TAKING IT just in case. As for your IBSD i hope you find the answer, i am also still looking for mine. All i want to do is curl up in a ball and wait it out. BUT life must go on. You have to suffer in silence because it's not something you "chat" about at work. YES IT SUCKS. I'm insisting my GI does a test on my galdbladder to make sure I do no have HABBA syndrome. It's simple test and i'm tired of the trial and error my life has become. Hope you find something that works. Good luck to you.


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Ive tried addressing the cause and not the symptoms, but other than anxiety and depression which only makes ibs worse not causes it, i dont know what is casuing it, ive tried food elimination, trial and error, but some days i will eat the same foods and one of those days i will be fine and another i will get D, i can not pin point it to any foods in particular. I have loose bms every day and eat different foods, i cant identify any one food as a culprit.


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## Borrellifan (May 5, 2009)

Nothappy said:


> I think the 5htp is what caused my diareah! I was taking that for it's intended use but a side effect is losing weight. I saw someone recommended it but ASK YOUR DOC BEFORE TAKING IT just in case. As for your IBSD i hope you find the answer, i am also still looking for mine. All i want to do is curl up in a ball and wait it out. BUT life must go on. You have to suffer in silence because it's not something you "chat" about at work. YES IT SUCKS. I'm insisting my GI does a test on my galdbladder to make sure I do no have HABBA syndrome. It's simple test and i'm tired of the trial and error my life has become. Hope you find something that works. Good luck to you.


Hmm, i was taking the 5-HTP And L-Tryptophan for a few weeks and allthough it calmed my nerves and made me feel more relaxed (i felt sedated) it did nothing for my D. I guess i now know that its not nerves, or atleast seratonin production is not the cause of my D.I too thought that maybe it was galdbladder and had my GI prescribe cholestrymine but that didn't work at all so i have ruled that out as well.


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## Borrellifan (May 5, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> Ive tried addressing the cause and not the symptoms, but other than anxiety and depression which only makes ibs worse not causes it, i dont know what is casuing it, ive tried food elimination, trial and error, but some days i will eat the same foods and one of those days i will be fine and another i will get D, i can not pin point it to any foods in particular. I have loose bms every day and eat different foods, i cant identify any one food as a culprit.


Yep, same boat. unfortunetly for some of us diet has little or nothing to do with our cause. I know for a fact that i could drink ten milkshakes and my D wouldn't be any worse then it normally is. Or whether i eat a cheeseburger or a bowl of white rice, my stomach is bad regardless of what i eat. Which tells me there must be something else wrong or going on with my body thats causing this problem NOT related to food/diet.I've never been depressed in my life untill this IBS came along. That tells me that the deppression i feel from this IBS is not what brought it on but simply a bi-product of the IBS and that if the IBS ever goes away so will the depression.


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## cherrypie09 (Jan 20, 2009)

Thats true, if the ibs-d clears up the anxiety will go away, but the same goes for if you can stop the anxiety then the IBS-D will get better. Vicious circle. Its hard to treat.


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## Tom Topolinski (Jul 24, 2009)

cherrypie09 said:


> Yes, ive tried excluding foods, I only eat Rice, Potatoes, Carrotts, Peas, Bananas, Porridge, Lean chicken , Bread and Fish, also anything Gluten and Wheat Free and dairy free foods, and there doesnt seem to be any pattern with the foods i eat, i have kept a diary, and still i get loose bms every day with urgency.


I have done the same, with NO success.







I am going in for a colonoscopy and endoscopy next month.....if I can last that long. I also have has a history of ulcers. I have no appetite too.Is anyone "going" like 3-6 times a day?I am.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

3-6 times a day is common in IBS.A lot of the "not IBS" things cause even more BM's than that a day. Although IBS can also get people in the 12-15 times a day range that is more common with some other disorders and pretty rare in IBS.Food is NOT the only thing that triggers IBS. Mental/emotional stress as well as physical stress can really do a number on your IBS. Some of us are mis-reacting or over-reacting to normal signals (like after meals the colon is always more active in all people) and food plays very little, if any, role in that.


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