# My Story



## Here2Help (Oct 4, 2016)

I developed IBS at around 18 yrs old. I still suffer from it today but I have found some things that help a lot. You Guys should definitely give this stuff a try, if you haven't already. I try and avoid having dairy in my diet because I have a milk allergy and dairy causes me to become constipated and have gas. I had this allergy as a baby but then it went away during my childhood only to reappear in my late teens. Things like Ranch dressing and ice cream cause havoc on my stomach/intestines. When I do suffer from constipation, I use Miralax if I am sort of backed up as it is a gentler laxative. However, If I am really constipated, I use Yogi Get Regular Senna Tea and that is a laxative drink that is a little more harsher than Miralax but I 100% recommend it. Just don't take it if you have somewhere to be that day or at least give yourself 12 hours. All of that being said, as many with IBS-C know, the disorder can cause seemingly loud embarrassing intestinal noises. This really affected me if I had to go to a college class or any other place where it is really quiet and you have to sit for a long period of time. For this I HIGHLY recommend, taking peppermint oil pills such as Heather's Tummy Tamers or IBgard. These are available at CVS drug store for about 15 bucks. These calm your gut and get rid of any gas.

Now for people with IBS-D, if you are experiencing a ton of anxiety that can make your condition worse. I personally recommend solving your anxiety issues. Anti-Depressants and Regular Exercise can do wonders for anxiety as well as meditation. The only problem with Anti-depressants is that when you first start taking them you may experience side effects that affect your intestines such as diarrhea, but after your body gets used to the drug those go away. Now that you dealt with any anxiety, your condition should improve. Also, if you are having to eliminate real frequently I recommend Imodium.

Anyway, I hope this helped somebody. If you have any questions or recommendations just reply with them.


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