# Welcome: Help for Dealing with IBS



## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

This is just a little note to Welcome you all to the forum. I hope you all find the help and support you need here- that is our aim after all!If you have any questions, thoughts or problem do not hesitate to contact me via Private message or nikki###ibsgroup.org Please ensure that you look through all the pages on the forum so we do not have repeats of popular topics too often.I also think it is important to mention that you should see a doctor and be officially diagnosed. There are many other, more serious conditions that can mimic IBS and you dont want to mess around with your health.Remember that these forums can not be a substitute for proper medical advice and if in doubt always consult your doctor. I, and the others who post to these threads are only qualified to give support, a shoulder to cry on and adivce. What works for one person may not work for another.Just a few things before you run riot- please stick to the general message board guidelines, which I will outline briefly now.


> quote:*You agree, through your use of this service, that you will not use this BB to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, inappropriate for a young adult or child, or otherwise violative of any law. This BB enforces a zero tolerance policy for hate. Those propagating hate about an individual, group, religion or belief will lose their posting privileges.You agree, that failure to comply with these Rules, Policies and Disclaimers may result in your suspension or the removal of your posting privileges.* http://www.ibsgroup.org/cgi-local/ubbcgi/u...bb=agree_review


Lastly, enjoy your time here (although sometimes It might be hard given the nature of IBS) and make sure you check all the forums- they are an absolute gold mine of information.Also remember, you CAN post replies to the sticky topics!!!Nikki- Moderator of Young Adults Issues*Molly's Brochure*1) WHAT ISNï¿½T IBSWhen my doctor informed me that I had IBS I thought all my problems were over. At last! There was an actual reason why I was experiencing all those miserable symptoms. Symptoms that ranged from inconveniencing to incapacitating. Symptoms that didnï¿½t follow any rules and could pop up at any time of day to throw a monkey wrench in a plan, or ruin a social event. Well, all those icky medical tests were worth it because the mystery was over. Let the curing begin!Then I asked my doctor what IBS was. He told me it stood for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. ï¿½How excitingï¿½, I said. ï¿½And what is that exactly?ï¿½He said, "IBS is a functional bowel disorder of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, characterized by abdominal pain and alterations in diarrhea and/or constipation."A diagnosis of IBS has been reported by 10 to 20% of adults and symptoms of IBS obvious thought, ï¿½If they canï¿½t figure out whatï¿½s are responsible for over 3 million yearly visits to physicians. Research suggests that IBS is one of the most common functional GI disorders.IBS exhibits a predominance in women, representing over 70% of IBS sufferers.Irritable Bowel Syndrome is the catch-all diagnosis that is given to people who are experiencing symptoms, usually chronic, with their gastro-intestinal system that are not being caused by a known GI condition or disease. A large percentage of people who suffer from IBS have found that they canï¿½t cure it, or make it go away. The best they can do is make changes, through trial and error, in their diets and lifestyle to tone down the symptoms as much as possible.Now, youï¿½re probably thinking, ï¿½Ooooh, I want to hear the details of those symptoms about a much as I want to hear my mother describe going into labor with me.ï¿½ Relax. We want to tell you the details of our symptoms about as much as we want to hear your mother describe going into labor with you. This brochure is not about IBS symptoms, itï¿½s about how living with these symptoms impacts a personï¿½s life. Besides, there isnï¿½t enough room in this brochure. Two people who have both been diagnosed with IBS could be experiencing symptoms that are exactly the opposite from each other. One of them might only be able to eat certain types of foods that, if the other person ate them, would trigger a severe IBS attack. One of the frustrations and dangers of having IBS is that whenever you get advice, thereï¿½s a real chance that it could be bad advice for you. IBS is not a true diagnosis, itï¿½s a catch-all term the medical community uses when theyï¿½ve ruled out everything else. And it really should stand for, ï¿½Iï¿½m Basically Stumpedï¿½.2) WHAT THIS BROCHURE ISOne thing that most IBS sufferers have in common is that itï¿½s hard to communicate to the people in their life about what itï¿½s like to live with IBS. There are several reasons for this. First of all, talking about problems with your GI system is socially taboo. I mean, yuck! Itï¿½s a topic youï¿½d associate with an infantile comedy routine, not with a conversation between two coworkers, or two people out on a first date. Secondly, like many chronic conditions, it changes how a person gets through their day. It makes simple daily routines, like going to the bathroom, or ordering food, complicated and difficult. And different. And when your day is different from everyoneï¿½s around you, it can be very isolating and hard to explain. Unfortunately, people with IBS often find that they have to explain over and over again. In restaurants, in the office, on trips, and at home. Because even though 20% of the population suffer from some form of GI difficulty, the other 80% have a mental block about believing that itï¿½s really real. Or that itï¿½s really as bad as people say; that thereï¿½s a genuine difference between having a ï¿½bad stomachï¿½ for a few days and having a chronic condition that effects your whole life.3) THE TOP 5 LIST This brochure was put together with feedback from an IBS Self Help Group website. A question was posted on the IBS Self Help Group Bulletin Board, ï¿½What are the top 5 things you wish people who didnï¿½t have IBS could understandï¿½The following list has more than 5 items, but many people listed similar things and agreed with what other people posted.Now, as you read this list please keep in mind, whoever gave you this brochure didnï¿½t do it to accuse you of everything on this list. They gave you this brochure to communicate with you the day to day issues of living with IBS. Itï¿½s an embarrassing condition to describe, and itï¿½s a difficult lifestyle to explain. This brochure is a way of helping you to help whoever gave you this brochure find ways to live as normal and uncomplicated lifestyle as possible. To not let IBS run their life, or ruin it.1) IBS IS A HIGH MAINTENANCE CONDITION. You canï¿½t simply take a pill and make it go away. And it takes a constant effort to keep it from getting worse. Things like questioning a waiter about the ingredients of of every dish or always checking to make sure there is a bathroom nearby may seem like an inconvenience. But theyï¿½re nothing compared to the inconvenience of triggering an IBS attack because you ate the wrong food, or not being able to get to a bathroom in time. 2) IBS IS NOT TEMPORARY. It's not something you get over in a few days or even weeks. You may never get over it.3) Iï¿½M NOT A PICKY EATER, I JUST DONï¿½T WANT TO GET SICK. Please don't push me to eat foods I have already said "no thanks" to. I know what my stomach can and can't handle. 4) WHEN Iï¿½M HAVING AN ATTACK, I NEED SPACE. Please give me my space when Iï¿½m in the bathroom. I appreciate your concern, but you can't help, and your hovering just compounds my embarrassment. 5) THE RULES ARE ALWAYS CHANGING. And so are the symptoms. Medicines, or herbs, or a special diet that was helping to keep a personï¿½s IBS symptoms toned down may suddenly stop working. New symptoms often appear out of nowhere. Foods that didnï¿½t bother a person with IBS for years could suddenly trigger a vicious attack. One of the reasons IBS is so difficult to explain is that it keeps changing.6) Iï¿½M NOT USING IBS AS AN EXCUSE NOT TO DO THINGS. Making plans to go out can be really scary when the symptoms (and the rules) can change at anytime. Please respect that there are times when I canï¿½t go out, even if I want to. And please don't look at me funny when I ask if the place we're going has a bathroom. Understand that this condition is completely unpredictable. If we go out together, be prepared for me to run off at any moment to find a bathroom.7) PEOPLE WITH IBS DONï¿½T TALK ABOUT IT TOO MUCH. There is nothing a person with IBS would love more than to only have to explain their health condition, and their health needs, once and only once. Unfortunately, most people donï¿½t get it the first time. Or they think itï¿½s just a temporary problem that will go away by next time. And so IBS sufferers find themselves having to bring up the subject the next time. And the next time. 8) PEOPLE WITH IBS ARE NOT OBSESSED WITH THEIR BOWELS. Have you ever heard of an asthma sufferer who was trying to explain their condition being called ï¿½respiratory obsessedï¿½? And youï¿½d never hear of someone describing their heart condition being called, ï¿½cardiovascularly obsessedï¿½. But because our GI systems are such a taboo subject, people who try to explain their GI problems are labeled, ï¿½Bowel obsessedï¿½. And sometimes by their own doctors! 9) IBS IS NOT CONTAGIOUS. I'm not going to make you sick. And if Iï¿½m in a relationship with you I still need you to hug me and love me.10) IBS IS NOT ï¿½ALL IN OUR HEADSï¿½. Itï¿½s true that stress can compound the symptoms. But the "all in my head" routine makes us feel like weï¿½re being called crazy. Believe us, weï¿½re not crazy, weï¿½re just not feeling well.11) THERE ARE MANY IBS SYMPTOMS. Some not even related to sitting on the toilet. And for many people with IBS, the symptoms are frequently changing. 12) DONï¿½T TAKE MY CONDITION PERSONALLY. Just because I don't want to go out doesn't mean I don't want to spend time with you. I can't always go places where there are no bathrooms, but maybe we could go someplace that does.13) I CANï¿½T ALWAYS HELP BEING LATE. If I'm late, its not because I didn't plan or didn't care, I just can't help it. If I'm not where I said I'd be when I was supposed to, I might be around the corner in the bathroom, but trying to get there.14) I CANï¿½T CONTROL HOW OFTEN I GET SICK. And if I wasnï¿½t putting in a constant effort to keep my symptoms toned down, I would be getting sick even more often. Please donï¿½t make me feel worse than I already do by accusing me of ï¿½Always being sickï¿½.15) SOMETIMES, THE ONLY THING THAT HELPS IS SPACE. If I don't feel like being with anybody, that means *anybody*, not just you.16) ITï¿½S NOT FUNNY WHEN YOU HAVE TO LIVE WITH IT EVERYDAY. You know, everyone should be able to laugh at themselves, but there is a limit. To quote someone from the IBS Self Help Group Bulletin Board: ï¿½ If I hear another "spastic colon" joke I may totally lose it!ï¿½ Sometimes the best way to show a little compassion, is to show a little tact.4) THANKS FOR YOUR UNDERSTANDINGThanks for taking the time to read this brochure and understand what itï¿½s like to live with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Whether you are a family member, friend, or coworker of someone with IBS, your understanding is very important to them.When a person develops IBS, their body becomes a very difficult place to live in. By taking the time to understand IBS, you have helped to make their environment an easier place to live in.*10 questions to ask your doctor*These were posted by Eric in the main forum a while ago. Hope this is helpful. 
What do you think is causing my problem?
Is there more than one condition (disease) that could be causing my problem?
What tests will you do to diagnose the problem and which of the conditions is present?
How good are the tests for diagnosing the problem and the conditions?
How safe are the tests?
What is the likely course of this condition?
What is the long-term outlook with and without treatment?
What are my treatment options? How effective is each treatment option? What are the benefits versus risks of each treatment option?
If my symptoms worsen, what should I do on my own? When should I contact you?
Are you aware of each of the medications that I am taking? Can they adversely interact with the medications you are prescribing for me?Should we monitor for side effects of the medications that you are prescribing or for their interactions with other medications I am taking?
 *Hypnotherapy*Just a little bit of info about hypno, hopefully some of you will find this helpful!Hypno successes: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c;f=11;t=000017 Learn About Hypnosis for IBS HERE! And for all the info visit Mike Mahoney's website- www.ibsaudioprogram.com You can also buy the CDs online there.


> quote: Designed and performed by Michael Mahoney one of the United Kingdom's leading Clinical Hypnotherapist in this field. The program is the culmination of over 15 years clinical experience. His services are also regularly used by gastroenterologists, doctors and other medical professionals. Michael is an associate member of the Primary Care Society for Gastroenterology.Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a functional disorder of the digestive system and is diagnosed through the absence of any organic disease. Symptoms include, but are not limited to: diarrhea, which may be sudden or watery and explosive, many times a day, pain, gas, nausea, constipation, pains in back passage, lack of sex drive, pain during or after intercourse, headache, cramps, stomach distension, bloating, swelling, frequency in passing urine, constant tiredness, and other symptoms. IBS affects up to 1 in 5 of the population at some time in their lives. The medical profession does not have a solution to this problem. Some sufferers have had symptoms for over 40 years! The majority of sufferers know that the symptoms and frequency can become progressively worse. Both men and women can have IBS, but it appears to be more prevalent in women. Symptoms can begin at any age, though they appear most commonly between 15 to 40 years of age.The IBS Audio Program 100 was designed after many years of experience in hypnotherapy processes and a knowledge of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. We have created IBS SPECIFIC hypnotherapy processes, which when listened to as advised, help to create a structured approach to dealing with this most troublesome of complaints. The IBS Audio Program is designed to be listened to over a period of 100 days (however regular "rest" days of non listening are included in this time), enabling the client to learn new methods of coping with the condition, while working towards mitigating the symptoms. Clinical hypnotherapist, Michael Mahoney, has successfully specialized in treating IBS since 1993. In the UK, hospital gastroenterology departments have invested in their own hypnotherapy programs.The IBS Audio Program 100 effectively converts one-to-one sessions in the clinical environment, to a unique home based, discreet, affordable, easy to follow program for the IBS sufferer.


What is Hypnotherapy http://www.ibsaudioprogram.com/ibsandhypnotherapy.htm How and why Hypnosis Works http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/ultimatebb.php...c&f=11&t=000039 Mikes email address: TimeLineServices###aol.comErics email address: Falcon###webpotential.com


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## 0_cryingshame_0 (Apr 4, 2003)

wow so helpful. thanks


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## WARRAVEN (Mar 11, 2004)

It is IBS awareness month isn't it? Does this brochure have something to do with that?I like it, my own physician ignored my symptoms for several(3) years before referring me to a GI. It really lays out what we want others to know, even better than most of us can. Raven


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## peardrops (Jan 3, 2004)

When a Dr tells you that you have IBS what he really means is I'm Basically Stumped"!


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## peardrops (Jan 3, 2004)

Whoops! I'm in the wrong forum. Thought it strange that I hadn't read any of the topics before.....I must be having a senior moment!!


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## Nikki (Jul 11, 2000)

No, it doen't have to do with IBS awareness month. I just thought it was a good thing to out it up there on the forum for everyone to see it.IBS is a catch all diagnosis for something they dont really know how to treat. Its a very confusing thing to have.Hence "Im basically Stumped"


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## PSprecker (Jul 11, 2004)

Any thoughts on a 23 year old with IBS for one year. I've recently realized I can't eat anything. It's all about popcorn and rice. Any suggestions?


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## palma (Aug 2, 2004)

This brochure really helped. I just made my fiancee read it and I think it really got to him. He is always supportive, but I think he does have a hard time understanding the whole deal. Thanks again.


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