# IBS... 5 years and counting



## annofalltrades (Sep 17, 2017)

I am determined to one day find a great solution for IBS. But until we get there.... here's my story.

Prior to 2012, my stomach was a rock and I ate and drank everything. I had traveled to some countries before visiting Brazil in 2012. Per usual, I freely drank water from a waterfall, drank unfiltered water, and ate street food. Bad idea. My life has changed since then.

I came back having traveller's diarrhea. The diarrhea didn't let up after a few weeks at home so I began my doctor's visits. A whole host of tests was performed on my stool and blood. I was assigned a gastroenterologist. I had a colonoscopy performed. Through the process of elimination, my doctor determined I had IBS. I got a second opinion that confirmed the result.

That was 5 years ago and I have returned to see doctors here and there when the IBS really acts up and I can't manage it. They sometimes prescribe things to help manage the bloating, heartburn, or diarrhea, but these are just medicines that help me cope with the symptoms. They don't address the root cause.

I have also greatly modified my once wonderful diet of everything edible under the sun to the low FODMAP diet. It generally "works."

My next step in this journey is to try FMT within a clinical trial. I'm a little hesitant though because after reading the posts in this forum, I may have it better than most.


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