# How I cured my IBS



## Sgali

Hello all,

Your stories sound too familiar as I have suffered with this condition for 3 years. However ,I have been symptom free since Jan. '13 and am ever so thankful. My life was miserable, travel, friends, family all bore the consequences of this in one way or another. It is my hope that what I am about to tell you will improve your quality of life.

I believe this was caused by over use of antibiotics due to two case of Lymes disease, two bouts of Giardia, some dental work and a bad burn , all within a period of about 2-3 years. The constant pain and rumbling began shortly after and escalated to endless D , bloating, loss of appetite, severe abdominal pain and horrible smelling gas. After tests for everything, (H. Pylori,Parasites,Hep C,Pyroluria, C Diff, 2 MRI's, ultrasound etc), all came back negative, I began to lose hope. That is when I began talking about it with friends. This is not an easy subject to broach but , with time one can learn a dialogue that is more comfortable to others. Two things happened when I did this. First I learned that I was not alone. In fact, almost every time the subject came up, someone in the group had or knew someone with a similar condition. Secondly, people gave me ideas of what to try.

The first suggestion came from my Yoga teacher when she suggested I drink Aloe Juice ( Aloe Life, Aloe Gold to be specific). I am certain that she was as eager to clear this up as I was - Hah! ( The 'Plow' was notorious for well , you know ) . I bought some that day and began sipping away( 1-3 onces/day). By that evening I noticed a reduction in abdominable pain and by the next day it was nearly gone. Aloe juice will never win any culinary awards, so I would mix it with coconut juice (the thick creamy kind, not the water). I should mention too that I am gluten intolerant and had eliminated it from my diet previous to the onset of these symptoms. I also restrict dairy to Goat milk and unpasturised Cows milk (misspelled ,I know. The last letter of the alphabet does not work on this keyboard) . It is important that you rule out any food allergies as soon as possible. The pain was gone but the constant D , bloating , loss of appetite were not. Then I began taking probiotics in many forms. VSL#3, S. Boulardi were very helpful but did not solve the problem. After spending quite a bit of time on the internet researching probiotics, I began brewing Kombucha, water kefir and making saurkraut. The results were immediate. The gas and bloating diminished and my appetite began to return . Life was steadily improving but I still had to deal with constant D. The bouts were less severe and didn't keep me up all night. Then one morning, I drank a cup of coffee on an empty stomach and it just erupted into a cacaphony of rumbling followed by a rapid trip to the bathroom and explosive results. That was it for coffee. On Dec. 10 ,2012 I drank my second to last cup of it ( I tested the theory a month later and had the same result ). My health has improved steadily and by Jan. my GI tract was actually forming stools.

It has now been about seven months and I can say that my appetite has returned, GI tract functioning correctly , energy level are up and my social life has improved. Travel is no longer anxiety producing ( I formerly carried TP and spare clothes in the car) and I have returned to exercising as before. My diet remains Gluten and dairy free (the exception being RAW cows milk and an occational lobster roll ). I also eat Yogurt made from raw milk ( It is heated during the process, so it may be pasteurised to some extent). Kombucha ( GT dave's,Reeds ), Water Kefir and real fermented saurkraut ( Bubbies) are all available at health food stores if you lack the time to make it. Coconut water kefir is excellent as is coconut oil (NOT palm oil). The coconut oil is said to repair damage to the intestine, contains no cholesterol, does not produce free radicals when heated (cancerous) and tastes delicious. It is loaded with medium chain fatty acids and has a low glycemic index.

It would be naive to think all cases are the same and that everyone with this syndrome will react to these changes similarly. I am relating my experiences with the hope that you will begin to explore the working of your GI tract and how it responds to various foods and stress .Also, I want to give you and others who may read this a valuable tool. Hope . Without it you stand little chance of recovery. Be patient, experiment ,keep a food log, read about it, use your intuition (gut feeling?), talk to people and most importantly, don't let ANYONE tell you this is incurable. Good luck.

PS. Most alopathic doctors are clueless about this syndrome. Restoring gut flora and eliminating offending foods is the solution, not drugs. Hope this helps.


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## Sgali

After rereading my post, there are a few things I would like to elaborate on. It wasn't clear that I continue to drink Aloe Juice. The relief came quickly but returned when I stopped drinking it. The first time I stopped was when my Dr. asked that I stop during testing. I did and those gnawing hungerlike pains came back. Once I had the OK to start Aloe again, the pains subsided. The second time, I didn't actually stop drinking it, but rather switched to another brand , Georges. It looks like water, tastes like water and works like water , which is to say, it doesn't. The pain returned and I went back to Aloe Life which worked once again. The third time was on a kayak trip that I forgot to bring some with me. The pain returned but was relieved when the trip was over and I was able to buy some juice. That won't happen again.

Aloe juice comes in several forms, juice, gel,entire leaf or just the inside filet. In it's natural state , the inside filet is a gel , however after 48 hrs separated from the leaf, it becomes liquid. Therefore , all 'gel' products have added thickeners to make them appear more authentic. Not only is the deceptive but it is absolutely disgusting to drink! Don't waste your money. I have tried many brands of Aloe and made my reccomendations based on experience. I have absolutely NO ties to that company or stand to gain in any way whatsoever by advocating their products. Find one that works for you. I still drink aloe juice but not the Medicinal strength Aloe Life. There is a company called Alo (with a hyphen over the 'O' ) that is appearing in health store and even in some convenience stores that tastes great, really. It is diluted and is a good maitainance level drink.

Probiotics. My strategy here was to get as diverse a population as possible. The are hundreds (maybe thousands) of species in a healthy gut. I used the RAW types that had the most species. Additionally, the Kombucha ,Water Kefir and Sauerkraut draw bacteria and yeast from the environment thus, I believe, increasing diversity. Raw milk with it's live ensymes (sp. I know) added to this mix. Making Kombucha can be a bit daunting, I would advise you to start with water kefir. It is far easier to make and takes way less time (4 days ). You can flavor it like soda pop and kids will be begging for it. Not so with Kombucha, it's kind of an aquired 'adult' taste. Yes, there is a small amount of alcohol in it but not enough to become impaired.

I also neglected to mention that the coconut oil must be the unrefined version. The refined lacks flavor and ,I'm sure ,other healing factors. My diet consists of protein,salad and some vegs. Beans, rice, potatoes are very low on the menu. Though I never implemented it, the FODMAPS diet seems to address this well and many of you have experience success with it.

Another area that needs to be addressed is nutrition. After spending so much time on the Throne (wink), one can expect to be dehydrated and malnourished. Food transits your system so quickly that there is little chance to absorb nutrient. And all that water lost. After a bout of D lasting several days, I ask , where did all that water come from? I know I didn't drink that much ! I supplement with liquid vitamins ( Buried Treasure 55 plus) for better absorbtion. Transdermal (Magesium Oil) is good too as it bypasses the GI tract. In addition I make bone broth in the tradition of the Weston Price Foundation. There is alot of great health info there.

I know how much you all are suffering and it breaks my heart to read that there are people wanting to end their lives over this. Please don't ever give up hope. There is a solution out there , but it will probably be up to you to find it. Having supportive people in your life is invaluable. Lacking that, using this forum and others is the next best thing. Some Dr's and family members will say 'it's all in your head ' which is frustrating and aggravating but you may want to read about the GAPS diet. Gut and Psychology syndrome. For some of us, it may not just be the foods we are eating, but our thoughts and moods may be contributing as well.

If anyone would like help with making Water Kefir , Kombucha or Sauerkraut, please ask. If I could help just one person regain their health , it would be worth any effort on my part. Please don't give up. Keep an open mind and know you are not alone. Don't be ashamed of this, it's not your fault that you have this awful, debilitating condition. Talking about with oth others is not easy or pleasant but it can be helpful. Develope a rapport that takes the 'Ick ' out of the conversation. Let people use their imagination a little bit, you don't have to be too graphic. Hang in there , be patient, stay focused, and know there is a solution out there and people willing to help you find it .


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## Sgali

oops


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## onyx

Sgali just wanted to say thanks for your detailed and informative posts. I'm desperate and open to anything. I will look into trying some of your ideas.


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## Sgali

Onyx,

I truly empathise with your situation and I hope you find some success. I am grateful for every day I have without IBS and wish for the same for all of you. Best of luck , if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask. Most importantly, hang in there, never give up, find a way to be positive .


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## Sgali

Bump


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## ClaireBee

Thank you for the information, I'm considering adding kombucha to my probiotic regimen and I'm glad to have read that it helped you. Might try the Aloe Juice too. So fed up with this darn IBS!


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## Lillian2014

Hi,

I want to try making Kombucha, but it seems so hard for me. Can you let me know how you make it step by step?

Also, is the one that's sold in health store also works for you? if so, I will buy one first and see how it works for me.

I have been having IBS-D for 6 months now and desperate to try anything that can help me.

Thank you.


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## Sgali

Hi Lillian,

Sorry for the slow response time, I haven't been on this site for a while. Hopefully you have found the information on making Kombucha or are buying it commercially made. GT Daves is good but I really like the flavors Reeds has. If you are still interested in making your own, I would suggest you try Water Kefir. it takes about 4 days to make it. Kombucha takes about a month. You will need pure non flouridated spring water1/4 cup water kefir grains ( I can send some if you can't find them locally), 1/4 cup raw sugar, 1- 1/2 gallon mason jar , 4 Grolsch bottles and some juice as a flavoring agent. Heat 1 cup of the water and dissolve the sugar in it. Add the rest of the water to cool the mixture and add the kefir grains ( tibicos, japanese water crystals , all the same ) . Add an unsulphured organic fig or a lemon to the jar , cover with cloth and place it where the temperature is about 70 deg. Allow to ferment for about 2 days. When the outgassing starts to slow, it is time to bottle. First drink the Grolch if you have not already done so , then clean and sterilize the bottles in the dishwasher. Then 'charge' each bottle with fruit juice (about a1/4 cup). I have been using apple cider lately. Place on the counter to allow secondary fermentation (this makes the fizz) for 2 days. Refridgerate and drink.

Some notes. Don't use honey as a food source , it will kill the Tibicos.Honey naturally kills yeast and bacteria, the Tibi's are made of yeast and bacteria. Any other sugar will do but some are better than others. Generally , the less pure the sugar the better. The whiter the sugar , the less minerals. Tibis want the minerals. I often spray some Magnesium oil into the brewing jar.

Good luck, and I will check back more often in the future.


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