# Diets and treatment



## Guest (Oct 2, 2001)

my grandmother has just been diagnosed with ibs. shes in severe pain and has asked me to find some information. would it be possible for you to tell me about diets and treatment.Craig


----------



## Jeffrey Roberts (Apr 15, 1987)

Hello, There is no specific diet or treatment for IBS. There is not one particular food which causes or IBS or can be attributed to all cases of IBS. Some foods are known to aggrevate symptoms, namely fatty foods, foods containing caffeine, alcohol and foods high in fructose like oranges and grapefruits. These foods tend to cause contractions in the large bowel, which are normal, however they seem to contribute to the pain that some people feel. Depending on whether your grandmother suffers from diarrhea or constipation with the pain there are specific medicines. You might want to refer to this web page for medicines that might be helpful. http://www.ibsgroup.org/main/drugs.html Good luck. Jeffrey Roberts, Founder IBS Self Help Group http://www.ibsgroup.org


----------



## Heather Van Vorous (Oct 2, 2001)

Hi Craig - Your grandmother might try soluble fiber supplements, such as Citrucel or Metamucil or Fibercon, which can be very soothing to the gut and help prevent the painful spasms she's having. Basing her diet on soluble fiber foods can have the same result - these foods are rice, pasta, potatoes, oatmeal, and white bread. She might also be very careful with insoluble fiber, which can cause painful spasms in the bowel. Insoluble fiber is found in foods like whole grains, bran, raw fruits and veggies, greens, and popcorn. Although these are very healthy, eating them on an empty stomach or in large quantities at one sitting can cause problems. Having some soluble fiber first, either the supplement or a food, can then make eating insoluble fiber much more tolerable.Following a low fat diet can also help, as can avoiding red meats, dairy products, and fried foods, as well as coffee, carbonated drinks, and alcohol. These are some basic guidelines for dietary help for IBS - there are many personal variations that can be found as well through trial and error, but I hope this gets you started.Please give your grandmother my best wishes. I hope she's feeling much better soon.------------------Authorized Expert for IBS Self Help Group - Ask the Specialist forumHeather Van Vorous is a cookbook author specializing in healthy gourmet recipes for IBS. She has had the disorder since childhood, teaches classes on eating for IBS, and works with corporate HR departments to offer employee IBS education programs. She currently has an IBS cooking show in development for broadcast on both the web and cable access television.


----------



## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

Anonymous:You ask: ___________________________________my grandmother has just been diagnosed with ibs. shes in severe pain and has asked me to find some information. would it be possible for you to tell me about diets and treatment. ___________________________________"IBS" is a syndrome which is comprised of different multiple symptom sets which overlap, and there are multiple tiologies involved depending upon the specific symptoms sets with which the patient presents.There are some very specific distinctions in the way practitioners who specialize in dietary manipulation approach each symptom set, as certain modifications are appropriate for one symptom set but contraindicated in another.Heather has provided some good general guidelines. If you post the specific symptoms, a short history, and information about any precurosr events (and whether or not you have tried dietaryu intoake logging and symptom surveying or tracking time-matched to the log)we may be able to provide more specific guidelines and recommendations (specific to grandmas particualr symptom patterns).Eat well. Think well. be well.MNL________________ www.leapallergy.com


----------

