# 12 with IBS + alone



## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

Hi.... I have had IBS since I was about ten years old... Now I am twelve. It is NOT fun thing to have. I have like spazz attacks everytime I have REALLY bad tummy aches or diarrhea. I had (and may still have) "Functional Stool Retention" where I was contstapted all the time, and now I have IBS. I feel so alone and different then anyone else. When people say their stomache hurts I think "Well, it definitly isn't as bad as what I go through!" That sounds rude, I know...... but I feel like no one knows what I go through... except for other people with IBS may.I need to learn how except the pain when I feel terrible and now FREAK OUT. I also need to learn how to not feel so alone. Maybe there is an organization out there that has pen-pals, where people with IBS write to eachother! Ha!It's hard for me since I am still pretty young, and I will most likely have all this pain when I am older. But the good new is: as I get older there will be more medicines and ways to help IBS.I know millions of people have IBS, and some of them may just know what I am going through.You can e-mail if you have questions or comments.


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## kschultz (Jul 8, 2004)

This bulletin board has a pen-pal section. http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=forum;f=6 There is also a forum especially for young adults. They might make you feel less "alone". I developed IBS in my late twenties, so I can only imagine what it must be like coping with IBS on top of all the other stresses and pressures of growing up.There's lots of information on this site, such as diet modification, lifestyle changes (increasing exercise, etc) which could help your symptoms.My thoughts are with you.


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## kschultz (Jul 8, 2004)

Sorry, just realised you are already posting in the right place !


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## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

Thank you so much! You made me feel better! I will check out that pen-pal section.I hate feeling so different and weird. Right now I am sitting at my computer with a hot water bottle on my tummy. I am having a sharp pain. Sometimes the pains I go through are terrible. Any body have any tips, advise, words of wisdom, comments, questions, or anything to say at all... please post it or e-mail me.I feel better knowing other people know what I go through (i hope that doesn't sound selfish)


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## kschultz (Jul 8, 2004)

A problem shared is a problem halved. (Old Proverb)I used to get sharp pain, I think from gas (although it was hard to tell and you never believed gas could be responsible for the pain as it felt more like a knife in your gut !). I read several books on the the effect your diet could have on your digestive system, and made several changes which have improved my symptoms immenseley.Although I thought I was eating pretty healthy beforehand, I started reading the fat content of some of the food I had been consuming - some up to 40% fat !! So I now eat a really low fat diet, I have eliminated dairy (as I have been tested for lactose intolerance) and am careful to eat indigestible fibre foods (such as skin on fruit and vegetables, raw celery, etc) only after I have eaten IBS safe foods. I don't have coffee, (even decaf and tea can be a trigger), or chocolate (high in fat) and try and keep my fat intake below 15%.Immediately after these changes I stopped getting painful gas, and feel pain from my symptoms, just occasional discomfort and diarrhea. Ask your doctor to refer you to someone who can test you for food allergies and intolerances, so you can find out if there is anything you should avoid.I also started taking acidophilous tablets to increase the good bacteria in my digestive system, and Omega 3 tablets (fish oil) which the modern western diet is often deficient in. I now suffer very rarely from diarrhea (usually when I cheat and indulge in a "trigger food !" which I regret later).There are lots of supplements that IBS sufferers have found to help relieve their symptoms. As you are still growing I would definitely consult a professional before taking supplements, and supplements can only help where your diet is lacking in that vitamin or mineral.Be aware though that some doctors will just prescribe medications and will just recommend a "balanced diet" rather than avoidance of certain foods, but I do not want to rely on preventative medications for the rest of my life, so have tried to identify my symptom triggers and eliminate the problem.My advice would be to read read read, and try one thing at a time (otherwise you won't know what it is that worked !) and hopefully soon you will be on your road to controlling your symptoms.


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## kschultz (Jul 8, 2004)

Eating several small meals rather than 3 big meals can also help. Try to make sure your stomach is never completely empty for a couple of days and see if that helps.Fibre will help diarrhea IBS, but it needs to be soluble fibre. This website explains the difference between soluble and insoluble fibre ../diet/fiber1.asp and lists safe foods and trigger foods. However it also claims you can have as much sugar as you want, and some IBS sufferers cannot eat sugar. The writer also suggests you don't need calcium for strong bones. With everything you read, keep an open mind and try and find a couple of sources that say the same thing.Basically the important thing is to work out what works and doesn't work for YOU !Good luck, and don't give up !


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## kschultz (Jul 8, 2004)

One other thing ! Asprin and Ibuprofen (Advil, etc) have also been found to trigger IBS symptoms.So although it is tempting it is best not to use these for IBS pain ! as it can just make it worse.


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## mlggibson (Aug 5, 2004)

Hey, I am 13 and found out a year ago that I have the symtoms of IBS. I get diareah and have acid reflux a lot. My doctor told me that one in 5 people have IBS, some have it bad while others have it mild and never say anything about it. Even though the statistics say many people have it, sometimes I feel really alone and embarassed. I feel like iBS runs my life! I know what you are going through, and I hope that you get better over time. : )


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## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

Thank you thank you! You all are wonderful! Has anyone here ever used "Magnaseum Citrate" (I have no clue how to spell it). Well, I have taken it three times. I am taking it once more with "Senocote" (can't spell that either)... It makes you have non-stop direhha (VERY LIQUIDY) and clears you out if you are "backed up"... The Senocote has given me very bad cramps.... If anyone has good things to say about these two things I would love it! I am nervous to do it for the fourth time...I have to do it before because I was so backed up, my colin was stretched out three times the size it is suppose to be.I am sick now ... possibily with strep, so I am not doing it this second. If anybody else has anything else to say that would be great


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## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

Also... does anyone know of a type of yoga, breathing , thinking, or physical excersize to help relieve the pain for kids while they are having pain.... ?????? Is there such a thing?


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## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

I am done with the Magnaseum Citrate now, but you can still comment on it if you would like


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## gownowoften (Dec 5, 2003)

SH&DR Please dont take Senocote. It comes from a very strong purgative plant called Senna. It along with Cascara & other purgatives irritate the bowel & cause it to move in un-natural ways that will give you pain. In desperation to overcome constipation when I was a teenager, I too, took all of these "laxatives" ,& as with drugs & alcohol I ended up taking more & more to get the same results until the gut became so used to them it wouldnt work anymore. None of us want that to happen to you! There are some natural things available which may help to you get better, & as Tropigal says you may have to give up certain things that you love to eat. Some people cannot eat milk products which unfortunately includes Ice cream, & milk chocolate, & cheese. If you feel worse after eating or drinking any of these foods or even after a milkshake ,you are probably, like many of us lactose(milk sugar) intolerant. There are substitutes tho, (they take time to get used to),such as Soymilk, rice milk, there is also lactose free milk available too. There are also some tablets called Lactaid which lessen the effects if you cannot resist an icecream once in a while.There are also very natural ways to make your poor tummy work properly. If you can train yourself to drink lots of water ,& eat plenty of raw fruit every day you will start to notice a difference. In the local Health store you will find a natural product called PSYLLIUM HUSKS, & a tea spoonfull scattered over your cereal or toast every morning helps your colon have something bulky to work on, & get your tummy movements back to normal.Because of what you have described about your colon being stretched ,I would say it is pretty upset about the ordeal, & may need something to soothe the lining. So I dont know if you have ever heard of SLIPPERY ELM, but it comes in a powder, is very nutritious (Native American Indians ate it),& you can also find it an the Health store. Each heaped teaspoon mixed to a paste with a little milk (or substitute) then mixed with hot water, & maybe a little honey willsoothe your whole digestive system from your "Entry" to your "exit" for up to 36 hrs. Do keep posting on your progress as we have other things that may help. Good luck ,Dave.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Magnesium (an osmotic agent) is much safer than senna and cascara. I don't know the dose in the magensium citrate you are taking (sounds like one of the bowel prep forumlations?? which might be a pretty large dose) but 400-750 mgs of magnesium supplements (usually Mag oxide is what people take) each day can sometimes keep things moving so you don't need to do a big clean out.For very occasional use you can use a stimulatory laxative (senna or cascara) but we are talking like once or twice a month, and I would avoid adding much osmotic on top of it...if you over do the laxatives you can dehydrate yourself.K.


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

PS any sort of yoga or relaxation tape can be helpful.I don't know if ones geared for kids would be different from the usual ones.K.


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## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

gownowoften/ Dave : I am not lactose and tolerant I have taken the test about two times before. Everyone:I took the Sena-C ( same as Senocote, but possibly not as strog... yet I have had Senocote before) The Sena-C was reccomended by my doctor, so I have to say I think I should take it. It also worked for me. It only gave me a couple of cramps right before my first one or two bowl movements. And it only made me make two or three... I think because the Magnesium "cleared me out" and I wasn't so backed up. My colon hasn't been strectched out for a while Dave.You all are wonderful! I had an IBS attack this morning and was late for school... but then I got better... I hate it when that happens!Any other ideas.... I love them all! You guys are the best!


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## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

sorry i posted it twice


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## Gassylassy (May 28, 2004)

I completely understand what it is like to be twelve with IBS. I have had IBS since I was seven, and can remember very well missing school because of attacks, and always feeling alone and different. I am now 18, but over the years I have learned to manage my diet so I don't have to take any drugs and my attacks have become less frequent. five years ago I gave up chocolate and I found this made the biggest difference in my life. I had much fewer attacks and I felt better all around. I have also given up milk and beef too, which have also made a huge difference. If you have any questions feel free to ask me.


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## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

GasslyLassy.... Are you lactose and tolerant? I am not but I take my medicine in my milk..... I also eat chocolate and beef all the time.... Did your doctor tell you to stop eating those things? Do you think I should?


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## hyenaDEN5 (Sep 3, 2004)

Hey 'shopping and dropping', it sucks having IBS eh? I am unsure how long I've had it, but I dare say I've had it for a long time, much farther than when it was diagnosed. In fact, I was only diagnosed this past summer...finally a name to the suffering and problems I had been having for a long time! People would tell me it was just stress or you know, sometimes my mom would get mad when I came home from school like that. Etc. I also had my appendix taken out, if that is somehow related which now I think might be.Anyway. Yes, I know how you feel in that you like knowing there are others out there like you. And I feel the same way when someone says that they have a belly ache...I'm like, ha, try having a writhing stomach that burns, and if not that, just a bloated, always gross feeling stomach. There is never a day when I don't think about the state of my stomach...and so many people just take that for granted. We are people that have to deal with more in life, and you know....what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. So...know that you are not alone in your suffering, and that you are a stronger person than those around you who don't have IBS.


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## xxsxtxrxaxtxx (Mar 10, 2004)

hi, i know how you feel, i was diagnosed a year ago, but it still feels so new to me. I know how it felt to feel "alone", i was even jealous of my friends at one point, they were able to go out and do normal things, i was home worrying about when my next attack would be, i was always, and still am scared about when i am out, will i be ok or will i get an attack? I was diagnosed when i was 13. I'm still getting used to it. I've tried alot of things, but one thing that i have found helpful is a heating pad, and deep breathing techniques. The heating pad helps me alot with the cramping i feel when i get an attack. I hope that you feel better!


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## Gassylassy (May 28, 2004)

shopping and dropping,no I am not lactose intolerant, and I never had any problems with any foods before, but over time I noticed I was more and more sensitive to the foods I was eating, being around twelve at the time I didn't want to accept that I couldn't eat these things, but it came to a point where I was just so sick and tired of always feeling sick that I was ready to try anything. So I started with an elimination diet and found that beef, dairy and chocolate were my biggest problems. I gave up chocolate later that year and have never regreted it for a second. that probably made one of the biggest differences for me. I felt healthier, and I started being able to do things without worry. It might not be a problem for eveeryone, but an elimination diet is always worth a try, even if you don't find any trigger foods, at least you know it can't be what you are eating.


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## Arch-Angel (Aug 13, 2004)

Sh & DR I'm so sorry to hear you have IBS so young. but as you said as newer generations get it, we have more of a chance of finding better treatments (Just like cancer,, ect ect.) I had to drop out of my Senior year in Highschool(I finished this fall so i did graduate) but if you want to talk, you can always email me. =)


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## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

Did you drop out because of IBS Aron?


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## Arch-Angel (Aug 13, 2004)

Yeah, I couldn't make it through a single class. also i wouldn't use the bathrooms there.(I used to be a janitor there during the summer, ew..) so I had to finish high school a alternitive way.


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## shopping and dropping (Aug 1, 2004)

wow that's tough... now i am scared.


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## Arch-Angel (Aug 13, 2004)

Aw, I didn't mean to scare ya. I've also got a form of autism known as aspergers syndrome, so I panic very easily. so the pains in my stomach caused me to panic alot. =)


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## Arch-Angel (Aug 13, 2004)

So don't be scared, i had a few other problems that caused me to drop out of school, and don't worry. you're not alone. =)


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## sisu1308 (Sep 27, 2004)

Shopping and Dropping:I'm 24 and I've been diagnosed since I was 9. Trust me, it sucks and you get frustrated. Here are a few tips1) know your body- learn what to eat and not to eat. Bread calms my stomach down. Keep plain crackers with you when you get an attackMy stomach has changed, some things that hurt it now aren't bad, at one time I couldn't eat dairy but now I don't when I'm only sick2) you feel alone, rely on your friends and family to keep you company. This illness wears you out mentally as well, it is good to have people around to support you3) slow your breathing down and get a breathing pattern to help you relax, tensing up will make it worseFinally, it won't kill you but it's very frustrating. Email me if you want to talk sometime, I've been through it and still am, but I'm surviving.


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## kschultz (Jul 8, 2004)

Hey Shopping and DroppingYou asked about yoga, here is a site (with pictures !) on yoga poses which are specifically good for helping with IBS symptoms. Pilates and stretch classes are also good. http://www.womenfitness.net/yoga_to_manage_ibs.htm Any exercise that targets the abdominal (tummy) muscles is good for IBS symptoms, but those classes which have a "meditational" aspect are twice as good because learning good relaxation techniques will help you deal with stress and help reduce stress related IBS attacks.Just wondering if your doctor is a Gastro Specialist, or your normal general doctor. If he isn't a specialist he may not be up to date on the specific therapies available for your condition. So you might want to get a second opinion on any medical advice if it isn't having any benefit or sounds wrong.With foods, it is a very personal thing, each IBSer has their own set of triggers so it is worth avoiding things that other people say they have a problem with, and see if you feel better. You can add it back into your diet after a while and see if you feel worse, and if not, then you can eat it again !And the best thing for support is your friends and family, don't be embarassed to tell them about your condition, they will mostly be very supportive and understanding, and you will feel better not trying to "hide" your symptoms from people.I hope you are feeling better soon.


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