# Help ! My 16 year old daughter has been diagnosed with IBS.



## 21799

Is there any advice you can help me with for my sixteen year old daughter that has cronic diarrhea, extreme pain, gas and bloating...She cannot live a normal life and her acdemic life is suffering as well...Do you think a high fiber diet works ? How can we deal with the pain, the constant diarrhea...I am sooo sad and I feel sooo helpless as a mother...


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## 22443

Has she been prescribed any medication? She might want to look into taking some meds for anxiety/depression because symptoms are brought on by stress...and the worse things get, the more stressed out she will be...it's a bad cycle to get stuck in, so you might want to look into it.


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## ziggystardust00

It's not the case for everyone but I was 16 when my symptoms started to get worse (I'm 19 now) and had a food intolerance test done and found I was wheat intolerant. Am still on a wheat free diet now and it helps loads. Obviously some people's IBS has nothing to do with food- mine still flares up without wheat mainly due to stress.Perhaps your daughter could join this group too-I find it so much better having people to talk to who are dealing with similar issues.


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## 17309

I would definitely recommend having your daughter see a therapist. The IBS symptoms are awful, and the depression/anxiety that comes with them makes everything so much worse.Books I'd recommend for her to read are Worry, by Edward Hallowell (to handle the stress) and The First Year: IBS, by Heather Van Vorous. You can find them both in the bookstore in the Health section. (Isn't it nice that they don't call it "self help" anymore?)


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## cookies4marilyn

Hi Cincimom - We have had some teens/pre-teens here on the BB use the IBS Audio Program 100 - This is a series of clinical hypnotherapy sessions used to mitigate IBS symptoms - The developer of the program, Michael Mahoney, has worked with many young persons who had IBS symptoms so severe that they were unable to attend school - one of his patients was out of school for two years due to IBS, and his program helped her reduce her symptoms and she was able to return to school with no problems.For more information, take a look at www.ibscds.com and also the forum link below for success stories.Make sure your daughter has been diagnosed by a doc for IBS - food intolerances and indiscretions can exist alongside IBS, but are not IBS by themselves.


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## H. Lacey

as a 15 year old, i would say the only way she can deal with IBS is to just accept that her life is unlikely to ever be normal. sorry, it's a sad fact and i'll probably get shot down for saying this. i haven't had a 'normal life' in about 18 months because my IBS is ruling my life. i can't go to dinner round friends, i can't eat anything but a ham sandwich and a drink of water if i dare eat anything round someone's 'just in case'. i've had numerous days off school, and i won't be able to drink alcohol when everyone else can at age 18.you need to find out what foods are making her really bad and what foods she's safe with, and stick to them. try and get her to identify when she's worse (for me it's mornings, and so i might get up a few minutes earlier so i can go toilet), and eat in moderation. for me the foods are greasy foods, fatty foods, dairy foods (ice cream, cheese, etc.), i can't have a roast dinner with my family on a sunday.i can't drink anything but water (and 1 can of coke on a good day), no fruit juice, soft drinks, no coffee or tea







, definitely no alcohol (although i never drink it anyway). let her know that she is not alone, and that she shouldn't feel like she's 'special' because she's got this, and i won't say it's easy to control, but if you find something that works and she's better, then stick to it for definite.hope this helps







H


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## cookies4marilyn

Hi H!Firstly, let me say, I am so sorry you are suffering as you are - it isn't easy. I have had IBS for many years, and having been helped I now help others.The food is not causing your IBS. Yeah, I thought it was too - I was down to crackers and water and all sorts of stuff I could or could not eat. But as soon as I had an attack with a certain food, then that food became forbidden and so on until there were few left.Eliminating foods is basically a coping skill with IBS. First you must be certain that you do in fact have IBS, and not any other conditions which have similar symptoms.We have had many teens who have been helped, are now back at school, and eat as any teenager would - and yes - drink







(as a mom of a 17 year old and older son, I know what goes...) but there is light at the end of the tunnel.Nikki is the moderator of the young adults forum on this BB and is in her early 20's and is in London - she has done the IBS Audio Program. Lots of teens have done it and now feel better. If you have any questions, I can help you - or you can print out info for your parents to look at... you can be better - don't despair, hon. As a mum, I understand what you go through - take care.


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## Loz88

hi, it makes me feel sad to read this, because i can empathise with everyone on here. IBS is terrible, i have suffered everyday for years now and i've found out im intolerant to food, and it is most foods im intolerant to nrly everything. I have to eat a very strict diet which is an inconvenience especially when i eat out. IBS does control your life, you find your life revolving around food and the toilet and the constant worry of the attacks. See a consultant, he may suggest tablets, food allergy tests, or further investigations.


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## 19194

Hello,My 12 yr old son has been diagnosed with IBS. He has has chronic issues since he was 7. He has been hospitalized many times. From what I understand wheat and many high fiber diets are triggers. Have you found anything that help with the discomfort for your daughter? I have been trying everthing and my son still has pain and misses alot of school. Any suggestion would be apprciated!


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## 14855

I suffer with IBS and i know with being at school and all its hard to deal with. the best thing you (or your son/daughter) can do is find out what is mainly causing the IBS by trying different foods, it may sound difficult but it helps. Try avoiding wheat and gluten to start with (i found bread is the worst thing i can eat) and carry on from here. I was told fibre is a great help with IBS as it helps with the digestive system, and for me, cutting out wheat means i would miss a lot of fibre and so it was necessary for me to eat as much fibre as possible and was prescribed fibogel! This is not the case for everyone but its worth a try!


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## cookies4marilyn

Hi again -I have worked with many folks who have IBS - as a result of having IBS myself - and so I have access to research and information on what IBS is and is not.Please know that IBS is NOT food allergies or intolerance to wheat, gluclose, etc. Those are food allergies and not IBS. If your child has symptoms of food allergies and intolerances, than that should be diagnosed - but with true IBS, avoidance of various foods, fiber, etc. may help short-term, but it is not the cause for true IBS.Please do consider the information in my links below - truly - it has helped so many children and teens who have IBS to get better , get back to school, and live more normal lives.Feel free to email me with specific questions - I also have a toll free number you can call if you need to talk about this.Again, food does not cause IBS. Food intolerances to wheat, etc. are not IBS, though you may have BOTH IBS and food intolerances. Trigger foods are foods that are linked with having an IBS attack, and that is different from a biological intolerance.Let me know if I can be of help - I know of several young teens that have been helped.


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## 23682

I have had IBS basically all my life, I'm 25 now. I really find for myself that medication really helps me. I first started taking medicine when I was about 17 a psychiatrist prescribed Librax, it helped and calmed my anxieties down so I was more in control. Then for a few years 18-24 I just basically dealt with the pain. My GI felt I didn't need medication and suggested a therapist or biofeedback. I was mad so I wrote him off my list, my GP didn't really know much and basically told me I'm the only one who can control it, he gave me an antispasmotic NuLev, it's really good but I find you need to take it after the pain starts. Finally, last summer I was going through hell, skipping out on my college classes and miserable. My mom had started going to a new doctor and she told her to get me come in because she wanted to talk to me. I made an appointment and she was very nice and helpful. She herself suffers from it so she understands. She found through her experience and patient experience that antidepressants and antianxiety drugs really help for some reason. She said there is seratonin in your brain but it is also in your gut and that's why these medicines work. First she put me on Cellexa, it really helped,but she thought that Lexapro would be better the only drawback with it was I gained weight so she then prescribed Wellbutrin because one of it's side effects is appetite supressant. So now I take both of them. To be honest I really don't have much pain anymore, I do have bad days sometimes but in comparison I now have more good days than bad.


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## 23682

Sorry about my long tangent. Since your daughter is in school notify the school nurse of her problem. I wasn't the best student in high school so my wouldn't let me stay home when I was sick. My mom and the nurse came up with the idea if I was sick,she would give me some medicine, in my case back then I used Immodium she would let me lie down on the cot in her office for about 30-45 mins until the medicine started to work. I didn't mind the nurse's office because she had private bathrooms. Once I was feeling better I got sent back to class, that way I'd only be missing one class instead of all my classes.


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## 21315

hi i agree with chicakms its a good idea to let the school no ive had IBS almost throughout my whole school life and at the beggining i missed lots of school and that really got me down especally when i started falling behind sometimes i still feel like im catching up but now the school nurse knows she can help you miss as less school as possible its a great help


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## 17367

Hi Cinci Mom. My name is Peg, and my 16 year old daughter Kate has recently been diagnosed with IBS. She was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease a couple of years ago, but none of the treatment has helped her. Now they are thinking it is IBS. We started this journey five years ago. We have tried various diets (high fiber, low fiber, gluten-free, dairy-free), various medications including steroids, and very few things have helped. My daughter is now in counseling for pain management and depression, and the pediatric gastroenterologist is advocating that she be either tutored at home or homeschooled. She has missed so much school, it's amazing that she is passing. She has dreams of going to college, so missing school is upsetting everyone. I would suggest you try some of the things we have. Some IBS responds to dietary changes. Do you think your daughter may need to be tutored at home? We are setting up a meeting to initiate a medical 504 plan, and hope that eliminating the stress of going to school will help to reduce her pain. I know what you mean about feeling sad and helpless. We have all shed many tears over this. Good luck with everything!


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