# Looking for informed advice (IBS-A)



## Gobi-san X (May 24, 2012)

Hello, after a period of confusion about what was occurring to me and several medical consultations, it seems very likely that I somehow developed IBS-A. I include a basic profile below. I am currently on medication (stool softeners, gas reduction, anti acids) and have made changed in my diet and lifestyle including :-avoiding hard to digest foods, mildly increasing fibre intake, avioding fatty/greasy, very spicy foods, drinking more water / ion sports drinks, drinking less coffee (from 2-3 expresso to 1 in the a.m.), I am eating more rice. -I have started to exercise regularly and now run 35 mins most mornings before breakfast. Started to play tennis on the weekends. I try to walk whenever possible. -I am also doing my best to avoid stressful situations and think about underlying psych. factors that might be affecting me in general and trying to address them. However:I still must take medications 3x a day.I get mild headaches accompanied by fever (ish) symptoms quite regularly (getting hot, heat around the forehead and ears, sometimes throat also) even every day and especially in the late afternoons. I have a sense of lethargy (admittedly I have had this for years and thought of it as depression up to now)Bowel movements now quite regular but I still suffer from from gas/ bloating (which is also something I had had regularly in the past but always thought it was related to stress/ anxiety). If I stop medication I quickly become ill again - I do not want to get used to or accustomed to regular, long term, medication and am seeking ways to improve my chances of addressing the causes and habits that are conducive to IBS. Profile ________________________________________m. 39.PhD,Mixed European back-ground, Have had various digestive problems through adult life, including peptic and duadenal uclers (16-22 yrs old) and bloating/ gas. Suffering from acute IBS-A symptoms for last 3 months before medication, including gut pain, lethargy, depression, muscle aches, fevers. Recently moved to Japan, (also have lived in UK, Mexico in the last few years). Recently married.Recently had a change of diet -(Japan) and experienced substantial weight loss.Recently completed PhD (high stress for 5 years)Have a history of mild -medium depression/ anxiety.I am taking medication but am also looking for expert advice for longer term strategies and solutions. -Thank you in advance for any help and advice you can give. Gobi san


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## Hen (Apr 19, 2012)

Gobi-san X said:


> Hello, after a period of confusion about what was occurring to me and several medical consultations, it seems very likely that I somehow developed IBS-A. I include a basic profile below. I am currently on medication (stool softeners, gas reduction, anti acids) and have made changed in my diet and lifestyle including :-avoiding hard to digest foods, mildly increasing fibre intake, avioding fatty/greasy, very spicy foods, drinking more water / ion sports drinks, drinking less coffee (from 2-3 expresso to 1 in the a.m.), I am eating more rice. -I have started to exercise regularly and now run 35 mins most mornings before breakfast. Started to play tennis on the weekends. I try to walk whenever possible. -I am also doing my best to avoid stressful situations and think about underlying psych. factors that might be affecting me in general and trying to address them. However:I still must take medications 3x a day.I get mild headaches accompanied by fever (ish) symptoms quite regularly (getting hot, heat around the forehead and ears, sometimes throat also) even every day and especially in the late afternoons. I have a sense of lethargy (admittedly I have had this for years and thought of it as depression up to now)Bowel movements now quite regular but I still suffer from from gas/ bloating (which is also something I had had regularly in the past but always thought it was related to stress/ anxiety). If I stop medication I quickly become ill again - I do not want to get used to or accustomed to regular, long term, medication and am seeking ways to improve my chances of addressing the causes and habits that are conducive to IBS. Profile ________________________________________m. 39.PhD,Mixed European back-ground, Have had various digestive problems through adult life, including peptic and duadenal uclers (16-22 yrs old) and bloating/ gas. Suffering from acute IBS-A symptoms for last 3 months before medication, including gut pain, lethargy, depression, muscle aches, fevers. Recently moved to Japan, (also have lived in UK, Mexico in the last few years). Recently married.Recently had a change of diet -(Japan) and experienced substantial weight loss.Recently completed PhD (high stress for 5 years)Have a history of mild -medium depression/ anxiety.I am taking medication but am also looking for expert advice for longer term strategies and solutions. -Thank you in advance for any help and advice you can give. Gobi san


Have you tried a low FODMAP diet and probiotics? Do you have any food allergies? A lot of your symptoms could be food related. I have also experienced a lot of the symptoms you have and through trial and error have improved substantially. I live in Canada and my diet was terrible. Yours can't be too bad as you now live in Japan, but I guess that is quickly getting westernized. You probably took a serious dose of antibiotics to treat your ulcers which also destroyed your gut flora. I went through this a year ago and had to rebuild my gut flora. I was diagnosed with IBS 3 months ago and have only take a couple different meds that did not help. Like yourself, I did not want to get dependent on meds as all meds have side effects. You are on the right track. Everyone has different triggers and through trial and error you have to find yours. Keep a daily food diary. The Low FODMAP diet is a good start, but you will have to modify it. Remember, everyone has different triggers. Exercising is good, but you also need to learn to just relax. I mean just "chill". Apparently a high percentage of type A personality has IBS. I used to be a classic type A, not anymore, it's not worth it. Being diagnosed with IBS forced me to clean up my diet and I actually feel better in some ways. I don't feel lethargic all the time and have more energy. My muscle aches and pains are mostly gone. For a while my doctor thought I was developing arthritis in my joints. For the most part, I am taking my life back, but IBS is a work in progress. I feel pretty good most of the time, but still have a flare up every 3 to 4 weeks. I hope this helps you. Good luck.


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## Gobi-san X (May 24, 2012)

Hen said:


> Have you tried a low FODMAP diet and probiotics? Do you have any food allergies? A lot of your symptoms could be food related. I have also experienced a lot of the symptoms you have and through trial and error have improved substantially. I live in Canada and my diet was terrible. Yours can't be too bad as you now live in Japan, but I guess that is quickly getting westernized. You probably took a serious dose of antibiotics to treat your ulcers which also destroyed your gut flora. I went through this a year ago and had to rebuild my gut flora. I was diagnosed with IBS 3 months ago and have only take a couple different meds that did not help. Like yourself, I did not want to get dependent on meds as all meds have side effects. You are on the right track. Everyone has different triggers and through trial and error you have to find yours. Keep a daily food diary. The Low FODMAP diet is a good start, but you will have to modify it. Remember, everyone has different triggers. Exercising is good, but you also need to learn to just relax. I mean just "chill". Apparently a high percentage of type A personality has IBS. I used to be a classic type A, not anymore, it's not worth it. Being diagnosed with IBS forced me to clean up my diet and I actually feel better in some ways. I don't feel lethargic all the time and have more energy. My muscle aches and pains are mostly gone. For a while my doctor thought I was developing arthritis in my joints. For the most part, I am taking my life back, but IBS is a work in progress. I feel pretty good most of the time, but still have a flare up every 3 to 4 weeks. I hope this helps you. Good luck.


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## Gobi-san X (May 24, 2012)

Thank you 'Edmonton', for your encouragement and suggestions. To answer your question about probiotics - the only thing of that type that I have been taking has been a liquid yogurt (with something called LB81 here in Jp). About FODMAP - I have downloaded a nice chart from this site and am doing my best to follow it -however as my social life revolves around coffee and beer/wine it is difficult to give these up entirely. That said, I am committed to regulating them so as to make their potential impacts much less. Concerning my history of stomach/ sm intestine ulceration. At 16-18(smoking, coffee, bingeing, not eating or sleeping enough)these became very serious, even debilitating at times. I got wiser and healthier after a period of national service (19-20) at 23 I had a minor operation for a hernia. This also affected (it appeared to me) my stomach issues and I felt much relieved. Lingering gut problems did not compare. Your question about anti-biotic use (and potential gut flora destruction)is perhaps more relevant to the last few years living in the UK and finishing a doctoral course when I was repeatedly using mild antibiotics (amoxcillin) for a recurring sinus infection. I now believe that the combination of high stress, self-discipline/ focus, lack of sunlight and poor diet as well as a general muscular weakening, had an altogether suppressing effect on my immune system. Despite a vigorous 1 hour daily walk I was in terrible shape. In addition to this I have a long history of digestive / gas problems that remained bad and got worse with the terrible food in the UK -where I gained an extra 5-7 kgs. (now mostly gone at 91ks / 183cm )WHAT pro-biotics / other gut flora rebuilders would you recommend ?Also their seems to be some conjecture about the potential for surplus gut flora to also cause IBS (somewhat oddly -their is also medical literature that supports taking antibiotics such as Refaximin to regulate this excess). What do you make of this seeming contradiction. Also,I am interested in the potential use of identifying allergies and trigger foods (I believe in my case pasta and maybe other wheat food)any advice about how to go about doing this effectively ?Again I would like to thank everyone who responds in advance. Gobisan


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## Hen (Apr 19, 2012)

Gobi-san X said:


> Thank you 'Edmonton', for your encouragement and suggestions. To answer your question about probiotics - the only thing of that type that I have been taking has been a liquid yogurt (with something called LB81 here in Jp). About FODMAP - I have downloaded a nice chart from this site and am doing my best to follow it -however as my social life revolves around coffee and beer/wine it is difficult to give these up entirely. That said, I am committed to regulating them so as to make their potential impacts much less. Concerning my history of stomach/ sm intestine ulceration. At 16-18(smoking, coffee, bingeing, not eating or sleeping enough)these became very serious, even debilitating at times. I got wiser and healthier after a period of national service (19-20) at 23 I had a minor operation for a hernia. This also affected (it appeared to me) my stomach issues and I felt much relieved. Lingering gut problems did not compare. Your question about anti-biotic use (and potential gut flora destruction)is perhaps more relevant to the last few years living in the UK and finishing a doctoral course when I was repeatedly using mild antibiotics (amoxcillin) for a recurring sinus infection. I now believe that the combination of high stress, self-discipline/ focus, lack of sunlight and poor diet as well as a general muscular weakening, had an altogether suppressing effect on my immune system. Despite a vigorous 1 hour daily walk I was in terrible shape. In addition to this I have a long history of digestive / gas problems that remained bad and got worse with the terrible food in the UK -where I gained an extra 5-7 kgs. (now mostly gone at 91ks / 183cm )WHAT pro-biotics / other gut flora rebuilders would you recommend ?Also their seems to be some conjecture about the potential for surplus gut flora to also cause IBS (somewhat oddly -their is also medical literature that supports taking antibiotics such as Refaximin to regulate this excess). What do you make of this seeming contradiction. Also,I am interested in the potential use of identifying allergies and trigger foods (I believe in my case pasta and maybe other wheat food)any advice about how to go about doing this effectively ?Again I would like to thank everyone who responds in advance. Gobisan


I'm not a big fan of getting your probiotics from yogurt. If you plan to take yogurt, make sure it is lactose free. Go to a health food store and get a good quality probiotic (lactobacillus, bifidobacteria etc). You will have to try different ones and quantity of cells (in billions) that best works for you. From my research, it is more common to have not enough bacteria in you gut rather than too much. There is overwhelming research about the overuse of antibiotics. You mentioned the repeated use of amoxicillin. This probably killed a lot of your good bacteria which through off the fine balance of good/bad bacteria in your gut. This probably also allowed the Helicobacter pylori bacteria to flourish which caused your ulcer. I'm pretty sure this is what happened to me. You might also want to try prebiotic foods.I had an ulcer a year ago. The doctors found H-Pylori in my gut and treated me with a mega dose of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors for two weeks. My IBS symptoms started immediately after I finished the 2 weeks of antibiotics. Coincidence? Oh, I almost forgot to mention, my doctor used to treat me with amoxicillin whenever I went to see him with flu-like symptoms. The last time I went to see my doctor with flu-like symptoms, he gave me amoxicillin. I didn't take the pills right away. Instead I waited a few days, the flu symptoms peaked and then broke the next day. The flu symptoms were gone and I never did need to take the pills. I was a classic case of doctors over prescribing antibiotics that weren't needed. The Low FODMAP diet helped me a lot, but keep in mind that everyone has some different trigger foods. Some good foods on the list actually triggered my IBS. You really have to keep a daily food diary to personalize your own list. I'm sure you already know alcohol and coffee/caffeine are not good for IBS.There is a lot of controversy regarding the most effective testing for allergies. You may want to see a doctor who specializes in allergies (allergist) to see what he has to offer. For severe allergies, you could keep a daily diary of what you eat and check it when you have an allergic reaction to see if there is a connection. The problem is a lot of allergies are not so obvious and some don't react until a few days after you have eaten the suspect food. In my case I have a low allergy to wheat so there is no obvious immediate reaction when I eat wheat. I only discovered it through a blood test for allergies. I'll tell you, once I cut out the wheat, my health improved substantially. No more joint and muscle pains, no more lethargy, less eczema. I still eat wheat once a week, but not every other day like I used to. From what I have researched, there is no immediate cause/effect with allergies and IBS. Some foods that you are allergic to may not trigger your IBS. Some foods that you are not allergic to may trigger your IBS. I don't get into deep detail about subjects such as probiotics, allergies etc because I have no medical background. I was diagnosed with IBS almost 4 months ago and can only speak from what has worked for me. Through a lot of research, trial and error, my health has improved substantially and I have a good understanding and control of my IBS. I just know what has worked for me and am willing to share it with anyone who will listen.Good luck.


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## Hen (Apr 19, 2012)

Gobi-san X said:


> Thank you 'Edmonton', for your encouragement and suggestions. To answer your question about probiotics - the only thing of that type that I have been taking has been a liquid yogurt (with something called LB81 here in Jp). About FODMAP - I have downloaded a nice chart from this site and am doing my best to follow it -however as my social life revolves around coffee and beer/wine it is difficult to give these up entirely. That said, I am committed to regulating them so as to make their potential impacts much less. Concerning my history of stomach/ sm intestine ulceration. At 16-18(smoking, coffee, bingeing, not eating or sleeping enough)these became very serious, even debilitating at times. I got wiser and healthier after a period of national service (19-20) at 23 I had a minor operation for a hernia. This also affected (it appeared to me) my stomach issues and I felt much relieved. Lingering gut problems did not compare. Your question about anti-biotic use (and potential gut flora destruction)is perhaps more relevant to the last few years living in the UK and finishing a doctoral course when I was repeatedly using mild antibiotics (amoxcillin) for a recurring sinus infection. I now believe that the combination of high stress, self-discipline/ focus, lack of sunlight and poor diet as well as a general muscular weakening, had an altogether suppressing effect on my immune system. Despite a vigorous 1 hour daily walk I was in terrible shape. In addition to this I have a long history of digestive / gas problems that remained bad and got worse with the terrible food in the UK -where I gained an extra 5-7 kgs. (now mostly gone at 91ks / 183cm )WHAT pro-biotics / other gut flora rebuilders would you recommend ?Also their seems to be some conjecture about the potential for surplus gut flora to also cause IBS (somewhat oddly -their is also medical literature that supports taking antibiotics such as Refaximin to regulate this excess). What do you make of this seeming contradiction. Also,I am interested in the potential use of identifying allergies and trigger foods (I believe in my case pasta and maybe other wheat food)any advice about how to go about doing this effectively ?Again I would like to thank everyone who responds in advance. Gobisan


I'm not a big fan of getting your probiotics from yogurt. If you plan to take yogurt, make sure it is lactose free. Go to a health food store and get a good quality probiotic (lactobacillus, bifidobacteria etc). You will have to try different ones and quantity of cells (in billions) that best works for you. From my research, it is more common to have not enough bacteria in you gut rather than too much. There is overwhelming research about the overuse of antibiotics. You mentioned the repeated use of amoxicillin. This probably killed a lot of your good bacteria which through off the fine balance of good/bad bacteria in your gut. This probably also allowed the Helicobacter pylori bacteria to flourish which caused your ulcer. I'm pretty sure this is what happened to me. You might also want to try prebiotic foods.I had an ulcer a year ago. The doctors found H-Pylori in my gut and treated me with a mega dose of antibiotics and proton pump inhibitors for two weeks. My IBS symptoms started immediately after I finished the 2 weeks of antibiotics. Coincidence? Oh, I almost forgot to mention, my doctor used to treat me with amoxicillin whenever I went to see him with flu-like symptoms. The last time I went to see my doctor with flu-like symptoms, he gave me amoxicillin. I didn't take the pills right away. Instead I waited a few days, the flu symptoms peaked and then broke the next day. The flu symptoms were gone and I never did need to take the pills. I was a classic case of doctors over prescribing antibiotics that weren't needed. The Low FODMAP diet helped me a lot, but keep in mind that everyone has some different trigger foods. Some good foods on the list actually triggered my IBS. You really have to keep a daily food diary to personalize your own list. I'm sure you already know alcohol and coffee/caffeine are not good for IBS.There is a lot of controversy regarding the most effective testing for allergies. You may want to see a doctor who specializes in allergies (allergist) to see what he has to offer. For severe allergies, you could keep a daily diary of what you eat and check it when you have an allergic reaction to see if there is a connection. The problem is a lot of allergies are not so obvious and some don't react until a few days after you have eaten the suspect food. In my case I have a low allergy to wheat so there is no obvious immediate reaction when I eat wheat. I only discovered it through a blood test for allergies. I'll tell you, once I cut out the wheat, my health improved substantially. No more joint and muscle pains, no more lethargy, less eczema. I still eat wheat once a week, but not every other day like I used to. From what I have researched, there is no immediate cause/effect with allergies and IBS. Some foods that you are allergic to may not trigger your IBS. Some foods that you are not allergic to may trigger your IBS. I don't get into deep detail about subjects such as probiotics, allergies etc because I have no medical background. I was diagnosed with IBS almost 4 months ago and can only speak from what has worked for me. Through a lot of research, trial and error, my health has improved substantially and I have a good understanding and control of my IBS. I just know what has worked for me and am willing to share it with anyone who will listen.Good luck.


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## Gobi-san X (May 24, 2012)

THanks again Hen - I am doing a bit better now by avoiding lactose and wheat, generally following a low carb and FodMap diet, using probiotics 2x a day , using magnesium / calcium supplement, avoiding caffeine -though this is very hard to do and I go get an expresso every 2-3 days- and am now going to look into prebiotic foods. I am having a blood allergy test done this week. Colonoscopy also showed nothing unusual (no signs of IBD)as I predicted it would. G


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## smartypantstemple (Aug 1, 2012)

Gobi-san X said:


> Hello, after a period of confusion about what was occurring to me and several medical consultations, it seems very likely that I somehow developed IBS-A. I include a basic profile below. I am currently on medication (stool softeners, gas reduction, anti acids) and have made changed in my diet and lifestyle including :-avoiding hard to digest foods, mildly increasing fibre intake, avioding fatty/greasy, very spicy foods, drinking more water / ion sports drinks, drinking less coffee (from 2-3 expresso to 1 in the a.m.), I am eating more rice. -I have started to exercise regularly and now run 35 mins most mornings before breakfast. Started to play tennis on the weekends. I try to walk whenever possible. -I am also doing my best to avoid stressful situations and think about underlying psych. factors that might be affecting me in general and trying to address them. However:I still must take medications 3x a day.I get mild headaches accompanied by fever (ish) symptoms quite regularly (getting hot, heat around the forehead and ears, sometimes throat also) even every day and especially in the late afternoons. I have a sense of lethargy (admittedly I have had this for years and thought of it as depression up to now)Bowel movements now quite regular but I still suffer from from gas/ bloating (which is also something I had had regularly in the past but always thought it was related to stress/ anxiety). If I stop medication I quickly become ill again - I do not want to get used to or accustomed to regular, long term, medication and am seeking ways to improve my chances of addressing the causes and habits that are conducive to IBS. Profile ________________________________________m. 39.PhD,Mixed European back-ground, Have had various digestive problems through adult life, including peptic and duadenal uclers (16-22 yrs old) and bloating/ gas. Suffering from acute IBS-A symptoms for last 3 months before medication, including gut pain, lethargy, depression, muscle aches, fevers. Recently moved to Japan, (also have lived in UK, Mexico in the last few years). Recently married.Recently had a change of diet -(Japan) and experienced substantial weight loss.Recently completed PhD (high stress for 5 years)Have a history of mild -medium depression/ anxiety.I am taking medication but am also looking for expert advice for longer term strategies and solutions. -Thank you in advance for any help and advice you can give. Gobi san


I have, from experience, found doctors quite helpful. Especially going to a psychiatrist. They helped me figure out the anxiety related to IBS and how to keep those from flaring up again.


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