# My IBS is gone!



## Owen FitzSimons (Mar 10, 2003)

This is Dro. I used to post here a lot, but I just got used to putting up with IBS, and this site was not doing much for me. I feel for you all that suffer from this curse. I visit this site only occasion now. I am a 21 year suffferer. My IBS started DEC, 1983 after two doses of very strong, long term antibiotics. I decided to post again if:1. Someone found some sort of significant cure/relief from IBS, or2. I found something that would potentially benefit the IBS sufferers on this site.#2 has occured.I went dove hunting over 2 weeks ago. Got into something (plant, bug bite, ?), and noticed a brownish-black dot on my arm two days after I got home. The dot got itchy and pussie, and began to spread. It slowly began to take over my body. After several days it spread more quickly, and was present on most body parts. I went to the doctor. I am on several meds now, which are greatly helping my skin rash. I noticed that after two days on the meds, and several days into my skin rash, my IBS went away. It has been gone for over 10 days. I have had other times in my IBS 'career' went my IBS was gone, but not anything close to this long or consistently. I feel a like $1,000,000. I have been eating/drinking anything as much as I want. No stress, no symptoms of IBS at all. I forgot what it was like to feel like a normal, happy, life loving human. Went running 6.5 miles last week with my partner, and kicked his ass (first time in years). My blood pressure is the lowest it has been in over 20 years. Not sure what is going on, and I have many questions:1. Are the meds curing my IBS, or just relieving the symptoms?2. Did my illness get rid of the IBS?3. Will the IBS come back when I quit taking the meds, or when my rash is totally cured?As soon I have some answers and have something to report of what I think is going on here, I will do so. I do not want to report what meds I am taking until I figure out if they are helping, as I do not want to lead others in the wrong direction.If I am still feeling great, or my IBS comes back, but not sure what is causing it, I'll report that also in a little while. Even if my IBS is cured (I'm still not hopeful due to past failures), I'll be on a mission to figure out why, so I can give you people some positive direction. I hope I can help.


----------



## 21918 (May 16, 2005)

Were You IBS C or D? What meds are you on?


----------



## Owen FitzSimons (Mar 10, 2003)

slm,I was/am IBS-D. No report on the meds until I get more time as to what is getting rid of my IBS. I am not going to report of potential reflief/cure of IBS with prescription and non-prescription meds which may not be doing anything for my IBS. If my IBS remains truly gone, then I will talk with my doc as to why, and then report on this site. Hang loose...My skin is still red, itchy, and oozing pus, which still has me concerned.dro


----------



## h8ibs (Oct 24, 2004)

Dro--I know the feeling of meds helping IBS. I am also IBS-D and lately was prescribed some meds for a swollen gland in my throat. Doc thought possible infection, so he prescribed Augmentin. I had a 10 day supply of the meds. After a day or so of taking the meds, my IBS went away. No D, no cramping, no nothing. It was GREAT. I ate whatever I wanted, drnk, and had NO IBS symptoms the whole time. And after the 10 days was up and I had taken all the meds, the IBS stayed away for over a week. Then......blam! IBS again. I was sooooooo disappointed. And that's my story. I hope your experience is better than mine in the long run. I really do. Be sure to post again once you've stopped the meds. It sure is a good feeling to feel "normal." I'm so envious of all those people out there who can do what they want; when they want without having IBS getting in the way.


----------



## SpAsMaN* (May 11, 2002)

Hi Ih8.







I had the same improvement with Cefuroxime but i had diarrhea.In my case this side effect was benefic apparently beeing C type.


----------



## 21918 (May 16, 2005)

The reason I asked about the meds is because some meds that are given for itchy rashes (such as atarax) are also used for anxiety. Sometimes alleviating the anxiety can also resolve the D issue. On the other hand, if the original antibiotics caused C. difficile, a new antibiotic may kill off that organism.Regardless, hope your new-found relief is permanent.


----------



## bonniei (Jan 25, 2001)

Many people have Post infectious IBS where the EC cells are increased and in animal studies it has been shown that immunosuppression with an antiinflammatory agent like hydrocortisone prevents the increase. However I would caution that it has not been borne out in human studies perhaps because they were not carried out for a long time. I bet you are on anti-inflammatories. How long have you been taking them,dro?Also cromoglycate which affects mast cell activation has shown to be good for a group of IBS-D'ers. cromoglycate is also an an anti-inflammatory.


----------



## 19933 (Sep 19, 2005)

First a little background and then the recent info I got that I just need to share.Almost a year ago, I felt pretty sick following what I thought might be food poisoning. For about three days, I felt dizzy, stomach upset, diahrrea, etc. Everything went away except the diahrrea. Now, D in this case is the urgent, frequent variety. I would go 3-4 times a day. Went to the doctor and he said it was textbook IBS. Change my diet, no refined sugars, no processed foods, no dairy. I did all that for a couple months and it really didn't help. After a while, I figured out if I ate less, avoided fiber, coffee, and high fat foods, I could limit my 'output' to once a day.Went back to the doctor and told him that I reduced my stress, am eating better, and no relief from IBS. He says it still sounds like IBS...keep on the diet, watch the stress. I went for many more months with this thing hanging over me. I didn't hardly eat during our vacation to reduce my trips to the bathroom.Finally went back to the doc and demanded that I be tested for H. Pylori, Giardia, E. Coli, etc. Took the tests and all came back negative. This was ten months since this first started and I was at wit's end.My wife, an R.N. working in pediatric oncology, was at an oncology conference and struck up a conversation with a gastroenterologist. She described the sudden onset of my symptoms and the IBS diagnosis all within the guise of how it would apply to her job.This doctor went on to talk about his use of probiotics in treating kids going through cancer therapy. It seems that some cancer medications, antibiotics, as well as some viral infections, can destroy the flora (the bacteria that is produced in our gut naturally), causing IBS like symptoms. Flora is what breaks down the food and extracts nutrients. If there is a deficiency of flora, our systems cannot break down foods effectively, causing gas, bloating. Further, fatty foods cannot be processed at all, causing the urgency that many IBS sufferers experience. This doctor even mentioned that too many cases are diagnosed as IBS when in fact the chief cause is this Flora deficiency.The doctor recommended a probiotic therapy for treatment. Probiotics are the bacteria that make up the natural flora, available in pill form to build the bacteria count back up to normal levels. Yogurt with active yeast cultures provide this same bacteria and is prescribed when sick kids just don't want to have to take another pill. However, yogurt does not contain the same level of bacteria that the probiotic pills do.I thought I would give it a try because the IBS diagnosis just doesn't fit. I'm pretty low-key and not prone to stress even when its all around me. This also came on suddenly (10/31/2004) and has not waxed and waned. Our health plan is one where doctor's visits are limited to ten minutes, so quick diagnosis are commonplace.Anyway, I just started the probiotic regimen yesterday with 10 billion CFU's per day. This blend is from Klaire Labs and is called Vital-Plex. It's only been a day, so I shouldn't expect miracles, but I feel better. The normal cramping and roiling stomach is significantly reduced. I had a big cinnamon roll this morning and didn't pay for it later. While I'm not out of the woods and expect to be on this regimen for a few weeks, I'm psyched that I've seen some improvement this early on.Based on this thread, I've seen indications that *dro* and *slm* are seeing an alternate cause for the IBS symptoms. Do a search on probiotics on Google and read some of the research. Antibiotics are one culprit for inducing the condition, as well as viral infections that may or may not be treated. If this might help, it might be worth a try...there isn't any negative side effects.Steve


----------



## 17176 (Mar 31, 2005)

hi and welcome steve


----------



## Owen FitzSimons (Mar 10, 2003)

I have done the probiotic thing, many ways, with no effect. I am NOT taking any sort of anti-anxiety med.I was not infected, according to the dermatologist, and I am not taking anti-biotics. Still feeling great today. Note: just finished meds last nite. Fingers crossed, and hopefully my IBS does not come back. My skin rash is not all better, so that may be a more pressing issue for me next week if I am not rid of it.


----------



## kateandtink (Sep 1, 2004)

well if not anti biotic for a rash must be steroid which i was given in the being of my IBS and can stop INS symptoms for some when they take them... truth will be when your meds stop and 2/3weeks later







tho im failing to understand why the meds you are on are being guarded by cloak and dagger?mke sure you get tests for is it lymes disease that you get from ticks when out running sorry people got a ocld and y head is all confused


----------



## Owen FitzSimons (Mar 10, 2003)

kateandtink,Meds are not being guarded. Please read my posts above, as I don't want to lead people in the wrong direction with false hopes. I'm not sure the meds are doing anything to my IBS, as it could be the rash, or neither, or may be just one of the meds, or all of the above, or none of the above. You're right though: time will tell. My IBS has gone and come back before, so I am not super optimistic; although this is, by triple, the longest single amount of time in 21 years I have been IBS free, with no symptoms at all.


----------



## 14988 (Aug 10, 2005)

I use probiotics. My IBS is full of many "close calls", & freaking out. Before the probiotics, I remember having to 'go' about 4 to 5 times a day. However this was during a very stressful move to a new state/new job/got rid of the boyfriend/graduated college, etc. Dicyclomine helped for a while, but when I switched to probiotics, it had the same effect. I take the pills because I am lactose intolerant and my pills come with both acidophilus and lactase enzyme, so they serve 2 purposes. Since I'm lactose intolerant, and get a little icky feeling with yogurt, I only eat it one or two times a week. But I watched a study done by the news to check the validity of probiotic claims. there were good and bad pills. The interesting thing was, every yogurt they tested contained at least 10 billion cells of acidophilus. Better than most of the pills. Just FYI for those who don't feel like taking pills.


----------



## 18360 (Apr 28, 2005)

Response to Drorior to taking the below noted supplements suffered from alternating C&D,bloating, gas, pain in lower stomach, pain on my left side, irritability, sleeplessness, irritability, fatigue to the point of exhaustion. Have had tremendous success with, which I took in mega doses(2/3 times daily recommend amount) for 2 months, now on daily recommend amount. Acidophilus - Friendly BacteriaAloe Vera Gel - soothing agent - Non- laxativeRecently started Slippery Elm - to compliment the abovePurchased on web: go to google.Do not purchase GNC very poor product, keep refrigerated.Good luckBill


----------



## Owen FitzSimons (Mar 10, 2003)

WLHX,I have tried all the stuff you're on, also. For most of IBS career I was looking for symptom relief, since I resigned myself to the belief that 'cure' was too optimistic.I would take fiber, V8 for breadfast, yogurt, probiotics, and exercise a lot for symptom relief. Take Bentyl on trips due to less control of my food intake.What has happend now, though, is I am doing none of the above. My IBS is just plain gone, all symptoms, and I'm not exactly sure as to why. I have to go out of town for the next week, and I'll post after that how I'm doing. If my IBS is truly gone (not holding my breath) after a couple of more weeks, then I will talk with my doc, and put my best guess(es) on this post as to why.


----------



## 23492 (Oct 1, 2005)

I am dealing with the same thing. I have been dealing with IBS for about 15 years now. I went to a new gastroenterologist last Thursday and he advised me that my only hope was Lotronex. I was very upset after having to literally sign my life away in order to be able to take the drug. I wasn't sure I was going to take it due to all the possible side effects. Now on Friday night I was having awful pains unrelated to the IBS. I went to the ER and found I had a Urinary tract infection and was prescribed Cipro. On Sunday my IBS symptoms were gone!! I normally have the cramping and urge to go to the bathroom 24 hours 7 days a week. Now nothing! I have been able to go shopping for long periods of time. I have worked overtime this week. I ended the antibiotics yesterday, so I am bracing myself for the symptoms to return. I just can't figure out why the change. The only other thing I have changed is that I drink only water now and have laid off chocolate. Any ideas anyone??? I just love this feeling and I don't want it to end.


----------



## 18941 (Jul 21, 2006)

Hi Dro,Just wondering what medications you're on...prednizone by chance? What else?


----------



## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

You might want to be tested for SIBO.That can clear up with antibiotics, but may require repeated treatments and some other drugs can be used to extend the period before relapse.There is a specialized SIBO forum. Pimental's book may also be helpful in looking into this http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097743560...ie=UTF8&s=booksK.


----------



## betterthroughscience (Jan 13, 2006)

All the discussion about probiotics is interesting. However, I want to point out that probiotics perform a specific function. You only need to take them to repopulate your gut if your gut is deficient. A simple stool test can tell you if you have a deficit in the good bacteria, as well as telling you if you have an infection of something (like salmonella) that shouldn't be there. Just taking probiotics because you have IBS symptoms is really a shot in the dark. They are not a cure-all. They replace the flora that you lost and need. If you don't have a deficit in the good flora it is not likely that probiotics will help. Get tested!Note to MELKATCAR33: Any doctor who tells you your only hope is a drug and hasn't tested you for everything (food allergies by ELISA, parasites, celiac disease, bacterial issues, SIBO, etc.) is not using western science but is rather just doing what is easiest for him (or perhaps your insurance company).


----------



## Owen FitzSimons (Mar 10, 2003)

Update from dro:IBS is basically gone, but my new problem, now that I can actually eat 3 meals a day, is: I am turning into a fat big pig. IBS kept me slender because I couldn't eat that much. Now I am close to 200 lbs, but only 5'10" tall. I work out every day, and have a lot of muscle, but I'm still way too heavy.I never got a sample of the plant that gave me the rash. I am also not going hunting for dove the Sept 1 in the place that gave me the rash, but my buddy is, so I'll see if he gets it, and figures out what the plant is.I have gotten iritis (inflamed iris) since I last posted. I tested positive for an antibody that unfortunately makes me susceptible to iritis, and also that rash, which may have lead to my iritis. I wonder if the antibody has something in common with IBS?If I figure out what the plant is, I'll report. If you want to infect yourself, that's your business. The rash is nasty, but so is IBS. Although you may have to have the antibody in order to get the rash: one of my buddies gets the rash like me, the other does not.Maybe the best way to do it is to tell you where to go to get the rash. Strip down, and walk through the bushes. That may give you the rash, and then get on prednisone to get rid of it. Of course, I am worried about getting sued. Maybe I should talk to a lawyer, and get a liability waverâ€¦..


----------



## 23394 (Jul 14, 2006)

I wish my IBS was gone. For weeks I will not have any problems, I watch what I eat, how much I eat, etc. And then BAM, I have a bowel of oatmeal in the morning and I am running to the bathroom. People will tell you cut this out, cut that out, if you cut everything out you thought was causing flareups you wouldn't have time to do anything else. My GI told me that as you get older, IBS decreases. I have noticed that my flare ups aren't as bad as they were 3 years ago. Good luck


----------



## Sandeera (Apr 21, 2006)

I'm not sure about IBS getting better with age. I'm only 35, and I hope it is true, but I know alot of other people who are in this board are older and still suffering.


----------



## Nick65 (May 29, 2006)

> quote:IBS is basically gone, but my new problem, now that I can actually eat 3 meals a day, is: I am turning into a fat big pig. IBS kept me slender because I couldn't eat that much.


Ok Dro I want that problem instead please - If you don't want it I'll have it - Go on please, I'll be your best mate if you do


----------

