# Almost instant relief



## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

Hi. I've suffered this ailment for years without realizing what it was, all the time getting mixed reactions from my doctor and very little help.I've been hospitalised because of the pain, among other things I have been prescribed coproxamol, pethidine and I've even been given morphine (that was the only thing that even touched it). I frequently end up with my stomach bloating after eating a meal, and often get acid reflux too. Most of the time I just avoid eating when I'm feeling stressed, and that minimises my symptoms.Anyway, after years and years of suffering, and not finding anything but morphine that would stop the pain, I stumbled upon a cure for it. I was in Lanzarote, had just eaten a meal (feeling quite relaxed) when I went to cross a road. As I was crossing, a motorbike sped from a side road and nearly hit a car, which veered off and narrowly missed me. As you can imagine, I was shocked to say the least, and within an hour I was in intense pain. I searched around for a chemist (still at the stage where I was trying to use indigestion remedies), found one, but it was closed for lunch. Barely able to stand up by this point, in a cold sweat, but flashing from hot to cold, I went into the nearest establishment where I could sit down. It was a British bar.I sat down with my wife and the publican approached us, asking what was wrong with me; I apparently looked as bad as I felt. I told him that I had a severe stomach ache, and he offered me a drink. The last thing I wanted was a drink, so I politely declined, but he insisted that this particular drink would cure my stomach ache. Feeling at this point that nothing could possibly make me feel any worse, I tried it. He and the locals all said to down it in one, otherwise if I tasted it I wouldn't drink it, and they were right. It was just a single shot, but the taste was absolutely appalling. I took it in two gulps, and I felt the warm sensation go all the way down to my stomach. To my utter disbelief I sat there for about a minute, gradually feeling better, then I started bringing up wind and within another five minutes I was feeling right as rain. My stomach went back to normal, and the pain was gone.Before returning home I searched the supermarket shelves and found a bottle to take back with me, and now whenever I'm getting an acid reflux or I've got pain I take a shot of this stuff and it stops it dead. It's called 'Fernet-Branca', and it's a distillation of herbs that I suppose the French would call a 'digestif', it's 40% proof and comes from Italy originally. Why anybody would want to drink it for pleasure defeats me, but there are some strange people in the world that must, otherwise they wouldn't make it.Like I said before, it tastes appalling, but it works for me. I'd be interested to know if it works for other people, and I hope it does.


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

Doesn't anybody have anything to say about this?







I was hoping that somebody would at least respond, even if it was to take issue with me. If anyone is disregarding my post thinking that I must have a vested interest, or I'm trying to sell something, I assure you that's not the case. Since posting I've looked into the origin of Fernet-Branca in more depth. From the information that I've found, it's brewed/distilled in both France and Italy by several different manufacturers. It's widely renowned for its curative value in gastro intestinal problems (European mainland), and its been around for at least 200 years. The French actually do call it a 'digestif', the Italians have another name for it. It's customary to drink an aperitif before eating, wine during the meal and a digestif after eating. The digestif apparently settles the stomach and aids digestion. Fernet-Branca contains around forty herbs, one of which is the much vaunted St John's Wort, and there's fennel, mint, etc., but I haven't found a full list yet. I will post a list if I find one.The alcohol content that I've found online is 80% proof, but the bottle I'm using is only 40%. The online price seems very expensive at $60 for 750ml. I only paid around ï¿½8, which equates to roughly $12, but that was abroad, and I haven't needed to buy any more since. The one I'm using is by an Italian brewer called 'Bitters', but I would have thought that they're all pretty much the same.I strongly urge you to try it; this stuff has changed my life. I no longer have to watch what I eat or worry about getting 'incurable' abdominal pain; a single tot/shot, whatever you want to call it, stops any discomfort I'm having within a few minutes. It does taste utterly disgusting, but it's worth suffering that for the relief it offers.Somebody say something...please?


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## WD40 (Jun 7, 1999)

Could you possibly elaborate as to the type of stomach pain you experienced? If I drink alcohol of any kind I get intense gastritis, as do many others, so perhaps there is skepticism because of that. Would you say you were typically IBS-D, C, or just had a lot of stomach pains? Also, you said the stomach pain episode which was relieved by the herbal was triggered by nearly being hit by a car. Could it be that the alcohol relaxed you, and that relief of the stress which caused the pain was the true remedy? I am one of those who will try anything once, so if your symptoms relate to mine at all (my symptoms don't tend to be triggered by stress), and if I can find the stuff, I would down it just to see if it works for me. Do you have the URL of the website that sells it?


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## susaloh (Dec 28, 2002)

Hi,I didn't see your topic at the time - but I laughed when I read your post: Fernet Branca is well known by name to me, it seems you can get it in any supermarket here in Germany. It's reputation is that of being a very cheap type of alcohol consumed by a certain stereotype of people (don't know exactly, got out of touch as I have lived in the UK for too long). Anyway, there are lots of jokes which involve Fernet Branca. But that's not to say it doesn't work!! I agree with WD40 that it probably doesn't work for many IBS sufferers - with me any tiny sip of alcohol seems to speed up the peristaltic movements of my colon which is overactive anyway. But there must be a reason why people have developed these digestifs over the centuries. I know several people here in Germany who drink these 'bitters' (there are many German varieties, too) for exactly the reasons you describe. They are actually an obligatory part of a number of traditional meals here in Germany (often when a lot of fat and cabbage is involved...). Don't you have anything equivalent in the UK or US? Aren't you lucky to have found such a simple cure!! I think I might give it a little try when I'm feeling brave (or desperate) enough!!Susaloh


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

Hi WD40. Thanks for responding.The pain that I experienced (on many occasions over the years) is extreme. On a scale of one to ten itï¿½s off the scale, and after suffering it for 24hours I once told a surgeon that Iï¿½d rather be dead ï¿½ and I meant it. My stomach distends, then I get a nagging pain that gradually gets worse until Iï¿½m doubled up and donï¿½t know where to put myself. Absolutely nothing touches it, none of the painkillers work except morphine. I cannot tolerate lager or beer in any quantity, but can occasionally have a bottle or two without any consequences. Initially, and for several years, I would have a few pints in an evening, and then spend all night being sick, plus the ï¿½hangoverï¿½ would last a week. This wasnï¿½t through excessive consumption; it would happen after only consuming three or four pints. I used to wonder if it was bad beer, or if the publican hadnï¿½t rinsed the pipes properly. I can now drink red wine without worrying, but I stay away from beer and lager, just in case.The last episode that ended with me being in hospital with a suspected appendicitis (at one point being half an hour away from an emergency operation) had no discernable trigger; I wasnï¿½t particularly stressed, and I hadnï¿½t been drinking. It started at 2PM with a mild stomach ache, like hunger pain, which gradually got worse with acid reflux and stomach bloating within a couple of hours. As the night went on, I couldnï¿½t sleep and was just rolling around in agony. The pain came in waves of intensity, then by about 4AM I was vomiting bile. By 9AM I was hospitalized, with severe dehydration and still in intense pain. I was given pethidine, but it didnï¿½t work, and by midday they decided to give me morphine, which at last ended the pain. Talking to the surgeon, he said that it wasnï¿½t likely to be appendicitis because the pain was too intense and generalized around the abdomen, plus the X-Ray showed nothing untoward. I also get heart palpitations, bouts of nausea, acid reflux and constipation. My doctor, after years upon years of prescribing antacids, anti helica bacter antibiotics and painkillers, finally told me after all of the usual tests, barium enema, etc., that the consultant gastro enteroligist had diagnosed IBS. They never said anything about there being a ï¿½Dï¿½ or a ï¿½Cï¿½, but Iï¿½d say Iï¿½m a ï¿½Cï¿½ ï¿½ not that Iï¿½m used to discussing my toilet habits with total strangers, you understand







The Fernet-Branca works for me, and I mean without fail, every time I use it. It cures the following symptoms for me:Indigestion.Bloating.Acid reflux.Pain.Nausea.And thatï¿½s the biggest part of the problem solved ï¿½ the rest seem to sort themselves out soon after, within hours rather than days. Iï¿½m the biggest skeptic that ever walked the earth, and Iï¿½m pretty sure I wouldnï¿½t believe me either if the roles were reversed, but this stuff has improved my life so much, Iï¿½m telling you itï¿½s worth a try. I only take about an egg-cup full if Iï¿½m starting to feel uncomfortable, which is about the same amount as when I was on holiday that time, so I doubt very much if such a small quantity of alcohol would have been enough to relax me through intoxication or the effect of the alcohol alone.I can get you a website url for an online supplier if you want, but I all I did was search Google using the term ï¿½Fernet-Brancaï¿½, there are a few reviews from the point of view of alcohol connoisseurs, and several suppliers. Itï¿½s probably best to shop around for the best price, or go to a decent high street off-licence or wine merchant ï¿½ I thought that $60 was very expensive compared to what I paid. You might even find that a decent restaurant stocks it, so that you can just try a glass?Thanks again for responding, and I hope it works for you too. Why shouldnï¿½t it though, if it works for me?


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

Thanks for posting too, Susaloh. I had never heard of the stuff before, let alone that there was a social stigma involved anywhere along the line







I'm guessing you mean that tramps drink it, because to my mind it tastes like I'd expect methylated spirits to, and if they'll drink that and cough medicine they'll drink anything.Sometimes the old and simple things are the best I think. I've thrown away all of my presciptions now; I don't need them and they were never very effective anyway. It's amazing to me that this drink has been around for over two centuries, with known benefits for digestion, and yet nobody that I know has ever heard of it, let alone drank it. There's no equivalent that I know of in the UK, but I don't know about the US.


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## mysterytome (Jan 7, 2003)

memyselfandeye,







I for one, and I doubt anyone else on this board, would disparage anything that you say works to alleviate your symptoms. If it works for you, fantastic!







Not all of us respond to the same treatments, but I think we all know that everyone is different. We all share what works for us, in the hopes that it will help someone else. We also want other people to share what works for them, in the hopes that we might find something that works for us, too.The symptoms you experienced with drinking beer could be caused by IBS, as many people are intolerant of alcohol. However, it could also be an allergic reaction, independent of IBS. If you are able to tolerate wine, but not beer, you could have an allergy. As for Fernet-Branca, I have not ever tried it myself. But the use of "digestif" products is fairly common the world over. Many different cultures have their own concoctions, created to alleviate distress from overindulgence, and from high fat foods. I myself have used baking soda, angostura bitters, plain soda water, ginger tea and gingerale, ginger cookies, and any number of other concoctions to alleviate digestive distress. Some work better than others for me.I found the web site for the North American distributor of Fernet-Branca, and found a list of some of the herbs used to make this particular concoction. There are over 40 altogether, and some of the ones listed are known for aiding digestion. These include chamomile, peppermint, wormwood.Here's the information http://www.brancaproducts.com/pages/frameset.html This should be available in most liquor stores in the US. If you want to try it, and can't find it, you can ask the store to special order it.


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## bellyknot (Jul 24, 2000)

My husband used to be in the liquor business and says this is Anise. Also it says right on the bottle to watch out for the big D. He said that in the old days this stuff was an excellent painkiller but that they've taken all the good stuff out by law. Maybe you got some of the real thing?


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

Hi Mysterytome. Thanks for the link; I'm only just starting to find information on this stuff myself, so it was interesting to see this page on the site you mention: http://www.brancaproducts.com/pages/frameset.html It's encouraging to read about all of the herbs in it that are historically renowned for soothing the stomach, and I was surprised to see that a couple of them are supposed to cure heart palpitations too. It's doubly good to find these things out 'after' finding that this substance works on the ailments mentioned - if it had happened the other way around I might have dismissed it as hype or salesmanship.Bellyknot, hi







I did a quick Google on Anise, and from what I could make out it's something completely different. It might be a mistake to dismiss Fernet-Branca before finding out more about it; it might well be what everyone's been looking for, including those with 'D' type IBS?Wouldn't that be great though? If a simple thing like this answered everybody's problems? Just a sip of this horrible tasting stuff after dinner to cure everybody's symptoms. That would be fantastic. Too good to be true in all probability, but stranger things have happened







The innoculation for smallpox was found by a simple observation that milkmaids never got it


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

Sorry; that link should have been: http://www.brancaproducts.com/pages/herbs.html


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## merekat20 (Jan 11, 2003)

hi I live in florida and I cant find this product. Can you help me? I would do anything to make the pain go away the doctors seem clueless. I loved what you had to say about it and it gave me hope but I cant seem to find any relief in the states. please help me I dont know what to do about the pain...


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## mysterytome (Jan 7, 2003)

Turns out I did post the link to the wrong page -- sorry!







merekat, you could probably call the number listed on the site, and ask if there are any distributors in your area. The distributor can then tell you what retail stores carry the product.


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## bellyknot (Jul 24, 2000)

You're right! I shouldn't ask my hubby questions when the game is on. The magic ingrediant here I believe is the oil from the wormwood tree.


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## hiprise (Nov 19, 2002)

Sorry memyselfandeye that I didn't write sooner. I read your post several times and decided to research this before commenting. I found a couple of on-line liquor stores that sells fernet-branca and are pretty reasonable. I hope the links work: http://www.liquorama.net/subcatmfgprod.asp?0=281&1=282&2=-1 http://www.internetwines.com/rws17424.html It seems the Europeans & Asians are more up on herbal ways of treating the bodies ailments. We, Americans want drugs to cure us. It seems reasonable to me that this could help. Take a shot after meals for better digestion. I agree that alcohol and IBS don't mix but there is some validity to taking herbs especially menthal type to soothe the stomach.You know, it's worth a try. Most of us are desperate to find anything that can relieve our pain. But what works for one, doesn't mean it will work for another. I'm glad it helps you but it may do nothing for me but give me a nice buzz







That's okay too.


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## WD40 (Jun 7, 1999)

Oil of wormwood? No wonder it's yucky and bitter! Well, memyselfandeye, your symptoms greatly mimic mine, only I don't tend to get a lot of pain in my lower regions. Mine is normally confined to my upper gastric area along with the bloating, nausea and acid reflux. I was also treated to H. Pylori and checked for everything under the sun. Do you also get chest pains? I get severe ones, they say from esophageal spasms. I also tend towards C. The only time I get bad pain in the lower abs is when I'm about ready to have a D bout, which happens infrequently. I have also had periods when I have begged God to take me home as I could not tolerate the pain and especially the nausea mixed with the pain. I seem to be 80% fine again right now but I am curious about this stuff. I'll check the websites provided (thank you to the other posters!).I hope you are still well!_


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## susaloh (Dec 28, 2002)

MemyselfandI,I went to the supermarket in our village and as expected, there was the Fernet Branca, two varieties (along with 10 other bitters) for 11 Euros the big bottle. I bought a set of three miniature bottles, though, all the bitters are sold in that form, too, probably for people to be able to take them on trips to horrible fatty pub meals (this is envy speaking). Anyway, haven't had a go yet, not brave enough! But the idea has cheered me up...All the bestSusaloh


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## ohnometo (Sep 20, 2001)

WD40 I just wanted to say Hi to you







I checked out the website and read about the drink







Thanks memyselfandeye for the information..I cant say that I know what the pain is you are talking about because there has been many times the morphine was the only thing that knocked the pain out...







Glad it is helping you


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## LDanna (Apr 13, 1999)

My family is originally from Italy and when I was growing up here in the US, we always had a bottle of Fernet-Branca. My mother often suffered from indigestion, especially upper gastro symptoms such as you describe, and this digestifo always rectified the problem within hours. Yes, it tastes absolutely vile and I often refused to take it when I had a tummy ache as a child.Nowadays, I'm IBS-D and don't really have symptoms that would be helped by this Old World remedy, but would recommend it to all those with C-type symptoms.


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

WD40; I have had the occasional chest pain, and also stitch pain, but it's hard to know where the IBS starts and ordinary indigestion ends. Both can be symptomatic of plain old indigestion. I suppose the difference is in the severity of the pain; as with migrane compared to headache.In any case, I find this stuff stops it dead in its tracks; a few times I've come home from work with intense pain, taken a shot, and it's gone within minutes. I don't take it after every meal, I just take it when I'm feeling uncomfortable. Perhaps I'll buy a bottle of the menthol flavoured stuff for that purpose. It's got to taste better than the Fernet, and it's still got over forty herbs in it. The only thing you'd have to watch is if you got into the habit of doing it there might come a time when you have a glass of wine and find yourself unintentionally over the drink drive limit.Susaloh; I'm glad you've been able to find it easily. Did you wear a hat and dark glasses, then take it home hidden from view in a brown paper bag?







You remind me of when I first got a bottle. Just because it had worked once, I wasn't certain it would work again, and I used to see it in the wine rack and think "urgh..." Then the day came when I needed something to stop the pain and I unscrewed the cap, poured some out and pensively drank it, praying that it would help, but doubting I would be that lucky. Before the grimace had gone from my face the pain had melted away, and I haven't looked back since.







I sincerely hope that everybody finds it as effective as I have.


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

hiprise; I think you might be right about mainland Europe and Asia being more inclined to rely on herbal remedies. I prefer taking modern medicines to traditional ones for almost everything. I've tried using homeopathic medicines for things before, such as hayfever, but they've never worked for me.LDanna; How do you know that it won't help with your condition? It's all part of the same tract in the body, so if you're keeping the top end happy it might follow that you'll help things lower down the line? You never know, you might get lucky.


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## WD40 (Jun 7, 1999)

Hi ohonometo!







Hey memyselfandeye, I'm going to see if they sell this stuff around here and if not I'll order a bottle off of the internet. It sounds intriguing, and the scientist in me wants to experiment. I'll do it on a Friday night so that if it hurts me I can sleep in on Saturday.







I am one of those people who is curious about everything and I just have to see how this stuff works on me!susaloh - let me know what it does to you when you get it down the hatch.


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## mamamia (Jan 21, 2000)

If I took it for all my symptoms, I'd be drunk 'round the clock!!!!Glad if it helps some of you guys though. Hey, WHATEVER works!!!!love and light to all, m-


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## hiprise (Nov 19, 2002)

Susaloh, I noticed you are from Kiel, Germany. My best friend just moved from there to Lubeck. If it's easy to get Fernet branca there and maybe it's cheaper? I could get her to get me some before she comes to visit me this Spring. Nothing embarrases her. She probably won't need the dark glasses.







Anyway, I would like to try this. When you have IBS, you'd eat dirt if it could save you some pain. Let me know if it's cheaper in Germany. But wait, would she have problems getting it through customs. She could say it's medicine for herself and then she could grab her stomach and double over, make a few unpleasant noises and they would hussle her through.


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

Good luck, WD40, I hope you find it useful. It does taste absolutely repulsive though; a bit like Corsoldyl mouthwash. (however you spell it)Above all else I hope it doesn't make you worse, but I don't think for a minute it will. I'll be looking out for your post


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

A friend just mailed me; she has IBS too. She came over to us this afternoon still suffering stomach pain, I gave her a tot of Fernet before they left (they live 5 minutes away). Thought I'd share what she had to say:Quote-The tot really worked! Had had a pain since Saturday night which woke me at 4 Saturday am excrutiating and still stomach ache at your house. Thank you - had worked as we got home. - did go to my head though!-End quoteGood stuff!!!


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## susaloh (Dec 28, 2002)

MemyselfandI -Bad news - I've given it a try, and it felt nice in my stomach and for a bit seemed to dim the pains, but then my over active bowel peristalsis seemed to accelerate even more, very unpleasant. I've had the same effect twice after drinking ginger tea lately, and that felt good on my stomach, too, but that's another remedy that doesn't work for me... Sad, because I liked it (both)...Susaloh


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## memyselfandeye (Jan 10, 2003)

I'm really sorry to hear that, Susaloh







I would have liked to have found something that worked for everybody. The last thing I want is to add to anybody's misery.It looks as if it only works for IBS-C type symptoms then? The friend that I mentioned in my last post is IBS-C and suffers a lot of stomach pain.I think I'll post another thread warning IBS-D sufferers not to try it. Sorry again


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## WD40 (Jun 7, 1999)

Hmm, now I'm not sure what to do as I am a C/D swinger. Today was a D phase, my own fault. We made a 7-layer dip for Sunday's football games and I think it got to me today. So if I try it I'll be sure I'm on a C phase. So far I haven't found it in my area so I'll probably have to get it on the internet somewhere.


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## babygirl143 (Jan 21, 2003)

I have not tried it yet, but when I was a baby my dad used to give me a couple of drops of Brandy because I had collic. I will try anything my pain gets so severe sometimes that I just cry and I can't function at all!! Thanks I will try it and let you know.


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## PK6 (Jan 21, 2003)

If you're having trouble finding any of these "bitters" being referred to, try a German or European deli, they often carry them in little bottles. That's pretty much the only place I've ever seen them for sale, never in a liquor store or grocer


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