# Help, IBS is ruining my life!



## Guest (Feb 12, 2008)

To all who read this I am 25 years old and have been diagnosed with IBS for 13 years now. I have a hard time working and a hard time with things I always enjoyed in my life. Like going out and going to the mall for fear and anxiety of having to stop and find a bathroom. By now I know where the bathrooms all are due to the fact that my mom has had IBS since before I can even remember. I have just recently had my second colonoscopy and my first endoscopy, pretty scary. When I was 11 years old I had an upper GI and all I could be diagnosed with from then until now is IBS and GERD. What is going on here? I am scared. I am getting married in 32 days to the love of my life and I am going to have to make sure I am on top of my stomach that day. Immodium ADs are going to have to be my middle name that day. You guys know what it is like when you get nervous about something and then you have to go to the bathroom because your stomach acts up. I have trouble working, I get maybe 3-9 hours a week at 25 years old at a grocergy store with a Criminal Justice degree. Thank goodness for my loving Fiancee if it weren't for her, I don't know where I would be...What about foods...red meat doesn't bother me, I drain it and it is fine for me. Ice cream kills my stomach, I just had my fiancee get me those lactaid pills (I'll try 'em) but I had ice cream and I paid for it that nite into the next whole day. My stomach felt like the worst pain ever.Also I am emetophobic and that means I have a phobia of vomiting. I am consistantly nausaus and feeling sick. Has anyone tried anything for that? I have tried Tigan, Reglan, Mecklezene, Phenergan and nothing seems to work. Does anyone know what I can try becasue that is one thing I need help with. My GI doctor wants to put me on Domperidone which isn't even legal in the US and you have to go get it through Canada and I did some research and the pill is not anything that I am interested in taking plus for women it makes you lactate. If it isn't legal in the US I don't want it!!!Well thank you for reading this and I hope to get a lot of responses...Stefanie


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## kujayhawks88 (Feb 12, 2008)

I am a 41 yr old male who has been diagnosed with IBS and GERD. I have tried all kinds of meds and have had numerous upper and lower scopes. I have the acid study done with the monitor, esophogial(sp) motility test and stool studies done. I have tried Lotronex before and after it was pulled, Paxil, Leviten, Prilosec, Nexium,Levbid, and several others to no avail. Nexuim controls the GERD very well but I take 40mg 2x a day. Well a few weeks ago I took the Lactose Breath test and came back positive for bacteria in my small intestine. So the Dr. started me on Xifaxan 200 mg 2 pills 3x a day for 10 days. Well went to the Dr today after I finished my cycle of pills and they gave me a different anti-biotic to take not sure of the name, it was a compound I know that only one Pharmacy could fill it. Well I have had nothing but solid stools for several days now. I don't really know what has changed it. I still get that feeling that it is going to be diarrhea but have a solid stool. Have noticed I have been having more gas but that's it. Been able to go to eat and not worry about flying home to use the bathroom. Like I said I have had several scopes, tests, x-rays.......tons of diff meds and this is the first time I have had solid stools for a long long time.


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## Guest (Feb 12, 2008)

Thanks for your support, I am on Prilosec too and it helps although it needs time to build in my system. I have also tried dysclomine and donitol, lomital and my GI doctor gave me hyocyiamine and it helps somewhat. Does anyone know about any Nausea meds? I am struggling with nausea everyday and it is so hard to live this way. So what do I ask the GI Doc? I also had a nuclear gastric empting testing and it came back fine. It is so hard when things come back fine







!!! I want a name so they can give me the right meds and call it a day. It is so hard becasue IBS is so uncertain and it hurts. They don't understand and it can ruin your daily life....







Thanks for all your help,Stefanie


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## Ravenous (Oct 25, 2007)

Check out my post here regarding the clinical trial I am in. After taking the study drug for 6 months I can happily report that I am symptom free and have my life back. If Averapamil is approved, and I think it will be, look for it to be on the market around 2010. There is hope. For now, try loperamide it is the only hope for most here.


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2008)

Thanks but I take Immodium AD and it doesn't do much...I wish that someone could suggest a really good Anti-Nausea med...I have taken a whole bunch of meds for nausea but most don't help...SOMEONE HELP!!!!


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## Cherrie (Sep 1, 2006)

Hi Stefanie A side effect of Prilosec is D, which may be why your antidiarrheal doesn't work that well -- is it possible to ask your dr for Prevacid instead? Prevacid has C as a side effect which has actually helped me with my D.I'm sorry I don't know any anti nausea meds... Cherrie


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## Guest (Feb 13, 2008)

Hey Cherrie,Thank you, although I have tried Previcid it didn't make me feel any better or worse or help the GERD. My PCP (beore the new GI) told me to just stick to Prilosec as did my GI...But do you think you could ask around about Nausea Meds??? It would be a great help, I fee like noone is responding to the Nausea question...do you get nausea associated with this?







Thank you so much...Stefanie


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## overitnow (Nov 25, 2001)

If this is the reflux nausea, I did get that, but only at night when the indigestion/burning wouldn't stop. If this is like a flu, then I don't know.Mark


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## Guest (Feb 14, 2008)

No No No, it isn't like the flu at all, well only when the D is bad...I have nausea during the morning, afternoon and night and it isn't always associated with heartburn. I don't know what to do and don't know what Meds help becasue I have been on a lot of Anti-Nausea medications that didn't do ANYTHING for me







thus being frustrated...is there anything you know about what I could do or say to the GI doctor...they all think it is in my head and I was diagnosed 14 years ago with IBS....







Stefanie


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## TexasMom (May 27, 2006)

Stefanie, I am a dietitian and have helped over 400 IBS patients recover their life. I am not supposed to advertise or promote my services on this site which is frustrating. To show you an example, I had a patient who had been on sick leave for 9 months because he had to be close to the commode all of the time. He found out about my services and gave me a call one day. Through food sensitivity testing, I found out what his food triggers were and within 2 weeks, he was back at work working 57 hours a week. That was a year ago.... I called him up the other day just to see how he was doing and he is still doing great! WIthout testing, it's very very difficult to find out what your triggers are, because it could be something you ingested 72 hours ago (delayed food sensitivities). It could be a spice like vanilla or mustard or basil......... or very frequently, natural chemicals like solanine, salicylates, capsaicin, etc, or other chemicals like polysorbate 80, dyes, MSG or whatever. Those are all included in the food sensitivity testing I do. The problem with most food sensitivity tests out there, is that they test for IgG testing only, which is an antibody reaction. However, most IBS is a type 4 or cell mediated reaction. Since I can't advertise here, I would encourage you to find a doctor who tests for food sensitivities and hopefully you'll find one that does the right kind of testing. Or , search for dietitians who offer that kind of testing. Other than that , you could try an elimination diet......... eat foods cooked from scratch. Have you looked at the ingredients in just the chicken at Chick-Fil-A for example? You can get on their website (or Wendy's or whatever) and it will blow your mind! Just their chicken patty has soy, corn, milk, polysorbate 80 , preservatives, dyes, etc etc etc............ no wonder some people can eat chicken one day and be fine, and then eat what they think is just chicken another day and get diarrhea! I would eliminate all dairy products for a trial period of 10 days with any elimination diet too. You can drink rice milk in the meantime (although if you have a food sensitivity to rice that won't help either, which is why a blood test helps). Congratulations on your wedding and I hope you find the answers you and so many others so desperately need. Susan


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## Ashers86 (Dec 31, 2007)

sm1982 said:


> Thanks but I take Immodium AD and it doesn't do much...I wish that someone could suggest a really good Anti-Nausea med...I have taken a whole bunch of meds for nausea but most don't help...SOMEONE HELP!!!!


Does Gravol or Pepto help with the nausea? I'm not sure only because I'm in Canada, but Gravol is over the counter and so good that you get it with your IV in ER if you're feeling nauseous.


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## IBD/IBS Author (May 24, 2007)

Well, the old wives tale says lemon is good for nausea - maybe try lemon drops, lemon in tea, NOT lemonade - too acidic on you stomach. Herbal remedies that are recommended for nauseous women during pregnancy but may help for all kind of nausea include: Ginger - taken in capsule form or tea form.Peppermint teaNux vomica is a homeopathic remedy said to be good for nausea - find it a health food store?They also say to eat small, frequent meals as keeping something in the stomach at all times keeps nausea at bay.Good luck, hope something helps.Elizabeth


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## Guest (Feb 21, 2008)

Thanks to everyone...I am sorry for not getting back...just been really ill...~stefanie


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## samc_302 (Feb 21, 2008)

I've been suffering needlessly for 2 years untill I found this article on the net that changed my life.All I have to say is question your toilet. Did you know that 2/3 of the human population squat rather than sit on the lou?visit my blog @ http://overibs.blogspot.com/When your free of ibs and unable to sleep from the joy of being free ( like I was) all I ask for is for you to click some "google ads" around my page.This cured me, I'm not guaranteeing it will work for you, at the very least it will improve your situation! Relief is on it's way http://overibs.blogspot.com/


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## shirleyibs (Feb 12, 2008)

Yes, IBS-D can make havoc of your life. I am 59 and I have been trying to live with IBS since the birth of my first child 36 years ago. I know about everything there is to know about IBS and what it does to your life. My GI doctors had me on the list of older meds that were available in the 80's and 90's. I finally had to go on disability because of if in 1995. I left a very successful career as a HS Choral Director. I found out that it was not very smart to eat a few tablespoons of food per day to keep yourself from going to the bathroom so much. I had 240 students involved in the production of the musical "George M" and I had no time for the bathroom life. Sad thing was that I still had to go to the bathroom even with that small amount of food as soon as it hit my stomach. I lived off of my "extra pounds" for 3 months, lost 50 pounds, and ended up in the hospital close to death due to potassium lose. I was in much pain during that time. Somehow I pulled out of it, but I could not return to my career. I did learn that in my case, it was not what I ate, it was the response to what went into my mouth and stomach. When Lotronex came along, I finally had some control of my life back; it was a miracle drug for me. Since the drug was pulled from the market I have dealt with much distress. I am trying to get Lotronex again, but it is my experience that many in the medical profession have little understanding of IBS. It is very difficult for many of us to travel to a research center in order to find a doctor who will really be interested in listening to what we already know about our own digestive system and how it responds to food. But, if IBS rules what you do, that probably is your best option if you want a life. I am widening my travel time to 3-5 hours each way to get some help. I do not like the bathroom life and I hate wearing diapers in order to go out of my house. I also hate the many times that I have not made it to a bathroom and the humiliation and tears with every one of those messes. The standard medications do not work for me, as the food response is still there, and more painful due to the effects of the meds. Yes, IBS has ruined my life for a number of years; I just do what I can to get through each day. I understand what many of you are going through. Just remember, there are those of us who have been there, done that. I have been able to renew my strength during my most trying hours by reading the post on this forum.Shirley at home with IBS-D


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## blastocystishominis.com (Feb 25, 2008)

New line of thought www.blastocystishominis.com


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## newenglander2 (Feb 25, 2008)

First of all-you can and will get better! When I was 25 and in grad school, for 3 years I suffered from terrible IBS. I was miserable and lost a lot of weight. I was skinny, a size 2 and miserable. I had panic attacks every time I was taking a bus, train, or had no knowledge of a bathroom in the area. The thought of not being able to control my bowls terrified me. I went to many doctors-each one recommending useless tests and medication. Nothing worked. But I did get better on my own. Here's what worked for me and what I learned from my mistakes:You may want to have a sigmoidoscopy/colonoscopy and guaiac done-to rule out inflammatory bowel, etc. Get a referral to a gastroenterologist. Don't rule out a therapist if it's stress in your life. I wished I did! Don't go to a infectious disease specialist or rn! Find ways to control stress in your life: have a regular life style. It's key.Cut out coffee/chocolate. You think it's not doing anything wrong, but it stresses your body.Exercise-you will feel so good at the end of the workout and more relaxed. It worked wonders for me.Don't drink. Drink only occasionally a glass or two. Mixed drinks are very bad. Don't use alcohol as a de-stressor.Don't eat too many carbs, especially sweets: the bacteria in your gut just thrives on that stuff. Take it easy on potatoes and pasta. Don't do any weird diets. Eat healthy, don't be afraid of fiber. It's your friend. Don't over do it at first-it'll hurt! Eat home cooked meals: they taste better, have no offending ingredients, less oil.Stay away from sauces: to this day they do a number on me. They contain so much grease that your gut rebels!Small meals may help you now. Loperamide is good for your peace of mind, but use it infrequently. It contributes to the vicious cycle.When an attack hits, learn to quiet it down best you can. Breath deeper, and keep telling yourself that it's just a panic attack. Concentrate on your hear beat slowing down. And yes you can make it through the attack. The attack will go away for 20 minutes, and come back, and go away. It buys you time. You may not realize it, but you may be under a lot of stress. Ibs is also huge stressor. It's a vicious cycle. Every day tell yourself that soon you will get better. It's only a phase. And don't think about it so much. Blastocystis is what they find in your stool. It's not really the cause. The cause is the stress in your life. You need find ways to work on that. It will not happen in a week, maybe not even a month. BUt in 3 months you will feel better, and that's all your body needs to recharge and get better and better. Good luck and don't despair!


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## newenglander2 (Feb 25, 2008)

You're right-ginger is excellent. Make a tea by cutting up slices of ginger and lemon. When done, add honey and drink. You can also add some cinnamon bark to the tea when brewing. It makes it spicy and delicious. Ginger is a powerful anti inflammatory and quiets down the stomach. Great for upset stomach and GERD. No side effects.


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## shirleyibs (Feb 12, 2008)

Hi,IBS certainly has had control of me for about the past month. It is always a difficult thing for me to deal with, but at this point, I don't even want to eat--the diarrhea is horrible. I took one pill for blood pressure this morning with about 2/3 cup of water and that really set it off. I have some pedialyte that my husband brought me, so I am going to try that. My face is flaking and I know it is because I am dehydrated. I have an app with my primary Dr tomorrow afternoon and I am going to a GI Dr that had worked with me back when I was at my worst point about 10 years ago. My last scope was about 4 years ago, so I figure he will want another one. I certainly dread that because he is about 50 miles from me. The thoughts of doing the prep and riding that far just make me sick to think about it. I went to the local GI, who has the communication skills and care of a dead roach, and I think when he told me to go to Mexico if I wanted Lotronex, that I have been worse since that app last week. He put me on pamine forte which I am trying. I guess it has not kicked in yet. I'm not so sure of some of the side effects that I have been reading about. Also, they pharmacy could not get the lower dosage for some reason so I have to cut the pills in half. I am concerned about that since there is no little dividing line on them and they crumble pretty easily. I have learned so much from this forum. I have had IBS for 35 years and at 59, I am really getting sick and tired of dealing with it. At least I can research here between the bathroom runs!Shirley in NW Fl


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## hbolender (Feb 28, 2008)

I was diagnosed when I was 16, but showd signs since I was about 13. I am now 23 and my life sucks. I have had the same job for 4 years, and feel I am in danger of loosing it because of the amount of times I have had to leave latly. I can not find anything to stop it. Dicyclimine use to help, but latly I have stopped having cramps at all. Making that medicine useless to me. To me the cramps are kind of a relief because I know when I am going to have to find a bathroom really fast. Now I hear a rumble in my tummy, and seconds later I have had an accidend. I just need some of your guyses ideas, I do not know how much more I can take this.


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