# TIPS AND TRICKS TO COPE WITH IBS-C-D



## 17328 (Sep 7, 2005)

HELLO TO EVERYONE. AS BEING A NEW MEMBER TO THIS SITE, I HAVE TO SAY I THOUGHT I WOULD NOT FIND ANY ANSWERS. FOR TWO DAYS I HAVE BEEN READING NUMEROUS ARTICLES ON ALL TYPES OF IBS. I HAVE BEEN A SUFFERER OF IBS FOR ABOUT 1 YEAR AND AS EVERYBODY KNOWS ITS NO PICNIC IN THE PARK. IN FACT, I THINK I RATHER HAVE THE BUBONIC PLAGUE THAN THIS. IN THE FALL OF 2004 DURING MY JUNIOR YEAR IN COLLEGE I BEGAN SUFFERING WITH IBS. WHICH LEAD ME TO EVENTUALLY DROP OUT OF SCHOOL WHICH IS MY GREATEST CONCERN. SO FOR THE PAST YEAR EVERDAY I HAVE BEEN RECORDING EVERY LITTLE MAJOR DETAIL OF IBS I CAN COME UP WITH. I HAVE BEEN THROUGH DIFFERENT TESTS, INCLUDING UPPER GI AND COLONOSCAPHY AND EVERYTHING CAME UP CLEAR. MY BIGGEST CONCERN WITH IBS IS THE GAS. NOT THE I'M HUNGRY GAS BUT AS MANY REFERED TO IT ON THIS SITE AS THE INTERNAL FART GAS. IT SOUNDS LIKE A ROCK BAND PLAYING A 24 HOUR CONCERT IN MY STOMACHE. I HAVE SPOKE TTO MY DOCTOR ABOUT THIS PROBLEM AND HE STARTED ME OUT WITH FIBER WHICH IS A GREAT HELP TO ME FOR CONSTIPATION. I HAVE TRIED NUMEROUS GAS PILLS AND ANTACIDS. MY DOCTOR TOLD ME I HAD TO MAKE A BIG LIFE CHANGE TO MAYBE RELIEVE MY SYMPTOMS. SO IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS I QUIT DRINKING ( WHICH SUCKS! ) I QUIT SMOKING. I BEGAN EXERCISING NOW RUNNING 3 MILES EVERYDAY. I BEGAN READING ALOT. I ALSO LISTEN TO ORIENTAL AND CLASSICAL MUSIC, TO TRY TO RELAX THE STRESS, AND ALSO I HAVE CHANGED MY WHOLE DIET AND LOST 30 POUNDS OVER THE MONTHS. SOME OF THE TRICKS I HAVE LEARNED IF ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO TRY THEM ARE AS FOLLOWS. EXERCISE AND READING ARE ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO CLEAR MY THOUGHTS AND RELIEVE STRESS YOU JUST HAVE TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND ARE GOOD FOR YOU. DO NOT DRINK BEER. BEER TO ME IS LIKE A FIGHT WITH THE DEVIL FOR THREE DAYS, I CRINGE AND SUFFER AFTERWARDS. A GOOD BLAND MEAL THAT HAS NEVER HURT ME AND ACTUALLY SOOTHED MY STOMACHE IS BOILED HAMBURG IN PAN WITH MASH POTAOES AND CARROTS AND TOAST. ALSO DRINK PLENTY OF WATER I AM SURE AT ONE POINT EVERYBODY HERE HAS GONE D SO MUCH THAT IT JUST DEHYDRATED YOU TO THE MAX WHERE YOU FELT LIKE BLACKING OUT. ONE NEW THING THAT I AM TRYING RIGHT NOW THAT I HAVE NOT FOUND ANY WHERE ON THIS SITE IS A CUP OF PLAIN OR VANILLA YOGURT IN THE MORNING THERE IS A LIVE GERM IN IT THAT NUETRALIZES THE BACTERIA IN YOUR BODY TO SLOW DOWN BOWLE MOVEMENTS AND SOOTHE THE BELLY. JUST YESTERDAY I WAS IN SO MUCH PAIN IN MY STOMACHE WENT TO THE BATHROOM ABOUT 25 TIMES IN TWO HOURS, THAT I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA PASS OUT. I HAD A CUP OF YOGURT AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT I FELT LIKE I NEVER HERD OF IBS BEFORE. IT WORKED GREAT. ANOTHER TRICK I PICKED UP IS FOR ALL YOU PEOPLE THAT HAVE TROUBLE DIGESTING SAUCE, I FOUND THAT IF YOU PUT ABOUT A HALF OF TSP OF SUGAR IN IT IT WILL NUETROLIZE THE ACIDS IN IT WHICH WILL NOT MAKE YOU GO D WITHIN MINUTES OF EATING IT. ALSO FOR GREASE EATERS I FOUND THE BEST WAY TO RID IT IS TO TAKE THE GREASY FOOD AND WASH IT OFF IN HOT WATER BEFORE YOU EAT IT I KNOW IT SOUNDS GROSS BUT IT DOES WORK FOR ME. AND IF YOUR GONNA FRY FOODS LIKE EGGS IN THE FRYING PAN OR HASH BROWNS, PANCAKES, ETC NEVER USE BUTTER USE PAM. I HAVE NOW BEEN GAS FREE FOR TWO FULL DAYS BY TRYING THAT YOGURT KICK. I THINK FOR THE MOST PART OF IBS IT IS YOUR STOMACHE THAT CANT BALANCE THE ENZYMES AND BACTERIA WHICH CAUSES OUR GRIEF SO NOW I AM NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE BOWLS I AM GONNA WORK ON SOME THINGS TO KEEP THE STOMACH RELAXED. ALSO IF ANYBODY GETS THAT BAD ANXIETY WERE THEY DONT WANNA LEAVE THE HOUSE BECASUE THEY THINK D WILL FOLLOW THEM TRY TAKING A ZANAX I HAD A VERY BAD PANIC ATTATCK TODAY WITH MY IBS AND I FOUND THAT ZANAX WORKED WONDERS I AM SORRY IF THIS IS LONG BUT I NEEDED TO VENT. I HOPE SOME OF MY TRICKS WILL HELP AND I BEG IF ANYBODY HAS ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR ME WITH THE GAS AND STOMACHE RELAXTION REMEDIES PLEASE EVEN IF THERE ONE WORD WRITE BACK ANY BIT OF INFO WILL BE USEFULL TO ME.


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## Screamer (Aug 16, 2005)

Hey there. I'm glad you are doing so well and welcome to the boards







I guess I can really only tell you what is working for me. With 3 kids, no money my stress levels are always high, then there's the anxiety on top of it so my GP decided to put me on an antidepressant 2 months ago. It has worked wonders. I actually walked to my eldest daughters school this afternoon and didn't worry about where the loo was! I also sat through a car wash this morning without a problem (yes, I was proud of myself







). Ummm I also take a refridgerated acidopholous pill once a day specifically designed for IBS. I guess that's my equivilent to 25 tubs of yoghurt, he he. Although I do also eat yoghurt sometimes.I take slippery elm powder 3 times a day before food. It helps to coat the intesttinal lining and bulk up stools and has been great!For gas I take charcoal tablets and have found them wonderful but not everyone has found them helpful. Gentle exercise if possible also helps me.Finally I am about to try a digestive enzyme which I will take before dinner, but I can't report on that one cause I haven't started yet.I don't have any major dietry restrictions. I do eat low fat pretty much all the time as it doesn't hurt me as much. I also aviod cheese, tuna, red wine (well all alcohol really, it just hates me too much) and I should avoid chocolate and cocoa but I just can't do it (all these are from the histamine family which I have an intolerance to) oh and yeast. Bread without yeast goes down just great but if I have normal bread I'm doubled over within half an hour. This probably isn't that helpful to you but thought I'd share what is currently working for me. Good luck, I hope you continue to feel good!


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## 16507 (Sep 7, 2005)

Hi there! I'm glad something is working for you  I already follow some of your suggestions, can't follow others. I'm vegan (for animal right) and lactose intollerant - so even if I got small farm obtained goats milk I wouldn't be able to tolerate it! I'm also deathly allergic to wheat. (And rye, and barley). I've been a long term classical, neoclassical and jazz fan, and have loved certain opera's since I was a little kid. I'd add ballet to the list...I find watching it very, very soothing indeed. I LOVE to read...you are right, it's such a stress reliever. I love to computer program, work on sites, net surf, work in dark rooms (<3 photography), go on road trips.I find, for me, eating semi-liquidy foods is best during a bad attack. I can tolerate applesauce, unsweetened, but not whole apples and no sugar. I can tolerate VERY SMALL amounts of splenda, but not much of the other artificial sweetners. I cannot tolerate any coffee (cry!), but I'm allergic to alcohol so have never consummed alcohol anyway.By going on an elimination diet, I've slowly learned a bit more about what I can tollerate.


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## 17328 (Sep 7, 2005)

thank you all for your suggestions i never really thought of cutting my sugar out as we will try for the next few weeks and also that slippery elm powder were can i get it i would like to try some of that thank again i greatly appreciate it


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## Screamer (Aug 16, 2005)

You just get slippery elm powder from the health food store. You can also get capsules which don't taste as bad but aren't really quite as good as the powder. Just be sure you take the slippery elm 2 hours either side of your other supplements as it stops the absorbtion of them. Good luck with it


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