# What I did to cure my IBS-D!



## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

Hi,I'm new to the IBS forum. This is my first time posting here. I'm not new though to the disease IBS-D. To mention a little about me, I began to first have symptoms of my stomach condition at the age of 16. By the time I was 20 years old, the symptoms had progressed to where I was becoming sick to my stomach every day. And the older I got, the more severe the symptoms became. By the time I was in my middle thirties I needed to stay close to a toilet at all times. I would go from doctor to doctor looking for relief. Unfortunately none of the medications or treatments prescribed where of much help. It was always depressing to see the doctors too, as it was the same old, same old each time - lets do GI exams and see what you have basically. I figured at some point if I spent enough money the doctors would name the disease after me! Happily as I say in the title of the post, today I've cured myself of IBS-D. I have not been sick for around 3 years now. I've also mentioned to a couple other people I know with IBS-D of what I did. And these ideas worked for them too. So with that it in mind, it was suggested to me that I mention these ideas onto the internet to help others. And so that is what I thought to do. Before posting I did a quick search to see if these ideas have been talked about in detail. I did not see anything mentioned. In a nut shell what I did was begin looking at natural supplements to reduce inflammation. Doctors had never mentioned natural supplements to me before. It had always been prescription drugs. So I took the initiative and began reading. The first product I added to my diet was a little fish oil. I began taking 1 capsule of fish oil a day. And to my surprise fish oil helped my gut. I was still ill, but not as severe as I had been before. Later, after doing internet searching, I discovered Dr Davis's blog. Dr Davis is a practicing cardiologist who has found that vitamin D3 and fish oil are greatly beneficial to reducing inflammation in his heart patients. So I began to follow the doctor's advice. I upped my fish oil dose to 2000mgs of EPA/DHA a day. To reach that dose I began taking 9 capsules of the extra strength fish oil a day - 3 capsules with each meal. I also added vitamin D3 to my diet. Wow! Now that combo of supplements made a HUGE difference. My gut all but reverted to normalNext I modified my diet to follow Dr. Davis's low carb diet plan. The low carb/ paleo diet lowers inflammation even further. Basically I cut out sugars from my diet. And that was it, my gut went back to normal. Matter of fact, there for awhile I had reverted from IBS-D to a slight bit of constipation - or as I call it "the dream disease." It was unreal. I would have never imagined this possible. Thought to mention that it seems many people are not familiar with how to take vitamin D3. Even some doctors are confused. For starters D3 is misnamed, it really isn't a vitamin - D3 is a hormone. And like other hormones testing is required to make sure enough product is being consumed. For optimal results you want your blood circulating vitamin D3 levels to be between 60 to 70ng/ml. To reach optimal levels year round I take 8000ius of D3 a day. Other guys I know take anywhere from 6000 to 10,000ius a day. Once you begin taking vitamin D3, you want to test 3 months later. It takes that long for optimal levels to be reached. D3 also comes in different forms. I've found that the best form to buy is in oil softgels. The powder form of D3 is poorly absorbed by the body for some reason and should be avoided. D2 is another form of vitamin D for sale in health food stores but this should be avoided also. D2 is the plant form of vitamin D and our bodies have a difficult time utilizing this. Well, hope that helps others. These 3 ideas or fish oil, vitamin D3, and low carb diet, have certainly have helped me tremendously. At this point my life has been given back to me. It's a wonderful feeling to have the confidence of being able to travel anywhere I want, at anytime, and not planning on a map where every toilet is along the way. For referencer Davis's heart healthy blog can be seen at: http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com/Many, many other health web sights have been of help too, but the main ones to mention: Dr Eades blog web sight on low carb eating: http://www.proteinpower.com/drmike/Dr. Cannell's vitamin D3 information web sight: http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/Professor's Cordain's web sight: http://www.thepaleodiet.com/Dr BG's heart healthy web sight: http://www.drbganimalpharm.blogspot.com/Good luck everyone! Hope these ideas and web sights help others.


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## BQ (May 22, 2000)

Congrats to you on finding things to manage your symptoms! And thanks _very much_ for sharing this info with us!All the best for continued success!BQ


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## crstar (Jun 29, 2009)

it's wonderful for u that u found out what ur issues were.......u obviously had some specific deficiencies & pancreatic issues........anyone who has pancreatic issues can't handle alot of carbs, i'm 57 & welcome to my family' genetics.......i cut carb down about 20yrs ago.........D3 i've been taking for over 8yrs & did u know that for some, alot of D3 can cause diarrhea, so however people take this & in what quantities, they need to go slowly........EPA & DHA i've been taking for more than 20yrs.........EPA & DHA need to b taken with GLA & FLAX oil cause these oils r the precursors to all of our hormones, sex & others that control everything in our bodies........we can hope that others who r deficient in these things & eat too many carbs get help from this.........but i gotta tell u, this is a very simplistic view of things........up until about a month ago, i had D so bad i could not leave the house for anything w/o taking a whole boat load of stuff just to get some tiny bit of relief for a couple of hrs & then the backlash was really awful.........for days.........here's a couple of books for u: Fiber Menace & hypothyroidism by dr broda barnes, look up hydrochloric acid (HCl) & all the things it does........everyone has to find what works for them & how their particular body works.......genetics play such a huge role........eicosinoids r another.........then u need to b able to apply what u have read, how it pertains to u & others u know........it is such a balancing act........there's a tern for a certain type of diabetic, called a brittle diabetic........this means they have a very hard type of diabetes to maintain.......they walk a tightrope.........well, alot of people, myself included, have brittle health & it's such a hard thing to treat.........if i take too much EPA & DHA, all of my skin turns into something that feels & looks like a dried out fish, with the scales all dried & curled up around the edges.........it doesn't flake & just feels so awful.........the only way i get rid of it, is to stop taking the EPA & let my stores get used up, then my skin gets like it was b 4 taking as much as i was.........there r many others just like this for me.........it's just not as simple as u have outlined.........D3 needs to b taken with vitamin A, zinc, manganese, calcium, magnesium & other minerals...........these others need to b in sufficient amounts to b able to assimilate the D3............everything is tied to everything else..........for many of these things, u have to produce enough HCl in ur stomach, to breakdown those minerals & vitamins, to get them in a size in which ur body can absorb them...........and here's something else, w/o enough HCl in ur stomach, protein doesn't get completely digested, sometimes not at all......... sorry about the soap box, but it's just not that simple.........


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## Thai (Aug 22, 2007)

Well, it may not be that simple but it sure seems to have worked for BlueBerry and THAT's what counts!!!Sounds like he/she is more than happy with the outcome of their research and consequent treatment.Way to go BBHill and thanks for sharing...........I am going to write this down and look in to it to see if I think it can be of help to me.Thai


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## fluff (Jul 19, 2009)

Sounds good, but being as all are different - what would you suggest i start on and where can you buy this ?


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## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

Thanks everyone for the upbeat, supportive replies! Needless to say it's been wonderful being liberated from the bathroom the last couple years. crstar, I appreciate the information. Sorry to read these ideas I talked about did not work for you. That is of interest to me. It has obviously made a world of difference for myself and my GI condition. And the ideas have worked well for a couple others that I know. So with that knowledge it has made me wonder are we unique? I imagine we are not, that the ideas will help others, but who knows. Best of luck finding out what helps your GI system. fluff - well, I'm not selling anything. But to help I will mention what and where I buy my vitamin D3 softgels, testing kit, and fish oil. The vitamin D3 that I have been using is: http://www.iherb.com/Carlson-Labs-Vitamin-...-Gels/8743?at=0 Any vitamin D3 in oil form should work though. In America D3 can be found in most drug and health food stores.For D3 testing, I use a finger prick home testing kit. The kits can be bought at a couple web sights:http://typ.trackyourplaque.com/products/default.aspx?skip=1&http://www.zrtlab.com/Page.aspx?nid=12&amp...aminD%20CouncilFYI - The tests are not a typical home test. You prick your finger, dab some blood onto the paper, and then mail the paper to the lab. Results are reported two weeks later. Your doctor can also arrange for a D3 test to be done. I buy my fish oil at the local health food store. And the product I buy is listed as having 360mgs of EPA and 240mgs of DHA per 2 softgels. Right now I'm taking 15 capsules a day. I take 5 with each meal (and I haven't grown gills yet). My understanding is to take at least 2000mgs of EPA/DHA a day. You can take more, as I am, but wouldn't want to get carried away. The paleo/ low carb diet can be learned from several places. The two books that I personally found most informative were:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/055357475...ASIN=0553574752 & http://www.thepaleodiet.com/paleo_books/Dr Davis on his web sight Track Your Plaque also has a heart healthy diet for members that is excellent. http://trackyourplaque.com/The basics of the paleo diet are to avoid sugars, milk products, and wheat. Just about everything else is permitted. Hope that helps.


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## keycat (Apr 6, 2009)

My mother, who has IBS, takes fish oil. I was interested and pleased to hear about your success using it, as I'd never heard of anyone else using fish oil for IBS before (other than my mother, of course). It's my understanding that it has many other health benefits as well. My mother has been trying to get me to try fish oil, but I was skeptical; the last time she had recommended something to me (Cilium tablets) it made me very bloated. Maybe now I'll try it, though. Thanks for sharing your story.


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## Borrellifan (May 5, 2009)

Great story, im glad you found something that is working and giving you your life back! I'm curious though, how did you come about realizing that a whole lot of omega 3 fish oil was the answer? I take 1000mg of Omega 3 each day along with 1000mg of Flaxseed oil (which also contains Omega 3) yet i don't feel much if any benefit at all. Did you start taking it slowley and realize that it was this that was keeping you stable and then increased your dosage? Or did you just hear about its benefits and started taking 8000mg right off the bat? Seems like an excessive amount to have to take daily, oh well, as long as its giving you your life back. I would probably start smoking crack if it cured my IBS!Good Luck and thanks for filling us in.


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## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

Ha-ha, yeah I know what you mean about the crack comment. I remember one time talking with a butt and gut doctor about drugs. He mentioned that he can tell when a person is likely to be taking illegal drugs because that causes constipation and a larger bowel. My reply was to sign me up! Can we shot up in the hospital doc?Just to clarify the amount to take is 2000mgs of EPA/DHA from fish oil each day. This is different than 2000mgs of fish oil. That 2000mgs amount comes from Dr Davis and his work in cardiology. To be exact, apparently from studies 1800mgs of fish oil EPA/DHA is the amount to take to be effective for heart disease prevention. Any less and the fish oil might not work its magic. Flax oil is something that Dr Davis harps on to his patients to not consider for their Omega 3s. ALA omega 3 from flax oil is poorly utilized by the body. Changing subjects but along the lines on vegetables oils, going more advanced, something that I avoid is omega 6 fatty acids found in several vegetable oils. While omega 3s are anti inflammatory, omega 6s can cause inflammation. ( A little bit of omega 6 GLA might be OK according to Dr Sears in his Zone Series of books) So in general I avoid vegetable oils as these are typically a good source for omega 6. I go so far as to eat grass fed animals as their meat is high in omega 3s. Corn fed animals will be higher in omega 6s. The paleo books talked about earlier go into detail about this. I take 8000ius of vitamin D3 a day. This is how much D3 I need a day to reach testing levels of 60 to 70ng/ml. Great product. Can't say enough good about what D3 has done for me. It not only helped my gut I believe, but also gave energy, helped with my minds focus, and in general it is a good feeling to be taking something good at preventing heart attacks, cancers, and strengthening bones.


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## Patman75 (Mar 9, 2008)

Great ot hear your doing so well Blueberry hill.It sounds like you have your Omega3 and Omega 6 all figured out.I too take Omega 3 supplements with vitamen D and consume a low carbohydrate diet. It is nearly impossible to get enough vitamen D if you living in a Northern Cimates and todays modern diet is full of too much Omega 6 and complex carbohydrates that also increased inflamation. Keep up the good work!!


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## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

Thanks Patman75! Good to meet another living the low carb life.


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## wellthissucks (Jul 14, 2009)

That's great BlueBerryHill! I always love reading success stories, it gives me hope. You say your case was fairly severe, so do you have a certain dosage recommendation for someone who's is only moderate? My IBS-D is only severe sometimes, most of the time I consider myself to have moderate IBS.


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## Thai (Aug 22, 2007)

Sometimes all this terminology befuddles this senior brain....







So to put in nice simple terms, your answer is how much Omega 3 and how much Vit D3?I do have the names right....right??Thai


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## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

Hey wellthissucks,Yeah, as I would jokingly call it, I used to belong to the "Heaven is a dry fart club." I have a friend Denny that was helped with the ideas of fish oil, vitamin D3, and improved diet. Denny's GI big D problem was less severe than mine. What he did was being taking "a handful" of fish oil a day, and 1 capsule of Now Foods vitamin D3 at a strength of 5000ius. A cheap internet place to buy the Now Foods D3 is: http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Vitamin-D-3...gels/10421?at=0Denny is not good with the diet part. He improved his diet, but still eats wheat, and sugars. What Denny did improved his condition considerable he tells me. But he still becomes ill every once in awhile. Not that we talk about diarrhea much but last time we talked Denny had been sick one time that week. Before the fish oil, and D3 he had been making the dash to the john one time a day apparently.


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## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

Hey Thai,you did OK with the names. Be sure to study up though, there will be a quiz later! (joking)To keep it simple, fish oil is high in the omega 3's that you want. There are other sources for omega 3, but what you want is omega 3s from fish oil. In simple terms:* I suggest starting with 9 fish oil capsules a day. * try taking 1 capsule of 5000ius vitamin D3 a day. You might purchase Now Foods D3 at: http://www.iherb.com/Now-Foods-Vitamin-D-3...gels/10421?at=0Once the bottle of vitamin D3 is empty ask your doctor to test your vitamin D3 levels. Getting technical but to help the doctor the test to order is called:25-hydroxyvitamin D test, also called a 25(OH)DGood luck, hope it helps! Let me know if it does you good.


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## Lookin'foraLife (Jan 2, 2009)

Hi, thanks for sharing this info!If I understand correctly, what helped were the anti-inflammatory properties of the supplements? Were you ever diagnosed with inflammation? I thought inflammation was present only in IBD or Crohns. I underwent extensive testing for inflammation and none was found, yet avocado helps me some, and it's well known for it's anti-inflammatory properties.


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## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

Thank you, happy to post it. I only hope that it helps others. To be honest I don't know why the fish oil, D3, and paleo diet have helped me. I assume that it is because of the anti inflammatory properties. I was diagnosed with severe IBS-D.


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## BlueBerry Hill (Jul 19, 2009)

Since I have been writing about vitamin D3, saw this short video on how vitamin D3 helps prevents colorectal cancer along with other cancers. Thought to post the video web sight for others to see. http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#2Npxw3/www.u...x?showID=16941/


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