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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 3/9/2010 11:18 PM (GMT 0)
If anyone has any information or remedies to help me it would almost feel like a complete miracle. I am starting to feel like I can not lead a "normal" life anymore due to my IBS issues. I feel like it has completely deteriorated my quality of life. I am afraid to do anything for fear that I am going to have a problem! I want to figure out something that will work for me so I can get back to living my life. So PLEASE; anyone that is willing to throw some good advice or remedies my way would be so appreciated!

I have not officially been diagnosed with IBS however I experience most symptoms that an IBS sufferer does. The primary symptoms I experience are diarrhea with very painful cramping in my lower abdomen, gas, and bloating. I do not have these symptoms everyday however within the last year I have had more frequent problems than I normally did. I tend to have more problems when my menstrual cycle is going to be starting (usually a week before) and when I am near the end of it. I also notice that stress and certain foods I eat give me problems. I have not really pinpointed all of the foods because I can eat something one day and be completely fine; the next time I may not be. I have actually altered my diet and taken so many different foods out to avoid problems that it is probably worse off for me.

I have chronic allergy and sinus problems with a cough that never seems to want to go away. At one time my doctor told me I had asthma however I do not as several testing procedures proved that. Then my doctor told me the chronic coughing problems could be due to silent acid reflux or heartburn. The reason for bringing this up is because I wasn't sure if anyone else may be experiencing any of these combination of things like me. Maybe all of my problems are linked together.

I have been taking Align (probiotic with bifantis) as this is supposed to help build and maintain a healthy digestion system. This alone did not seem to give me good results so I started Isotonix OPC-3 which is supposed to help several different things (heart, immune system, flush your body, energy, etc). Then 2-months ago, I added Ultimate Aloe Juice to the mix because that is supposed to help with stomach issues. It does seem like since I have started the Aloe Juice I haven't had as many problems however I do not feel peace of mind so I can go on my life like a 30 year old should. I spend about $100.00 on these items to give me semi-relief.

Does anyone have any different suggestions on supplements, vitamins, probiotics, or medicines that will help me? Is there a certain diet regimen I should be trying to see if that will help relieve me of problems? I am to the point where I am willing to give it my all so I can get back to living.
Posted 3/10/2010 12:04 AM (GMT 0)
Have you been to see a doctor yet??? How old are you? Have you seen any blood in your stool? You need to have your stool checked at the very least to make sure you don't have a parasite or bacteria, which seems unlikely given your symptoms. Sometimes antidepressants help with IBS. Also make sure you aren't lactose intolerant. Try to order some VSL#3 off the internet. You also need to get checked to make sure you don't have inflammatory bowel disease, these need to be ruled out before they give you the diagnosis of IBS.
Posted 3/10/2010 10:44 PM (GMT 0)
No, I haven't seen a doctor as I try to stay away from them. I am 30 years old and no I haven't seen any blood in my stool ever.

When this problem first started a long time ago; I often wondered if it had anything to do with lactose intolerance. I tried taking lactaid (I think that is what it is called) when I was going to be consuming dairy items and well after a couple of hours of taking the pills; I would get sick. I do know for sure that I can not eat ice cream or drink milk. It seems that I can eat most other dairy products without noticing a consistent problem with them. Like I said; my problems are very inconsistent and I do not experience these issues everyday.

I looked at the VSL#3 and it looks very interesting so I may give it a shot. Anything is worth a try at this point! How long have you been taking it and does it really make a noticeable difference for you?

I appreciate your suggestions and hopefully something will work for me. If anyone else would like to give me advise; please feel free.
Posted 3/11/2010 12:53 AM (GMT 0)
The chronic sinus and allergy symptoms you mention lead me to believe the underlying cause for your IBS symptoms could be fungus related. The Mayo Clinic has even said that chronic sinusitis is caused by fungus. GERD, acid reflux...again, fungus has been implicated. You probably have been taking antibiotics at some point in your life...recently even? They are by nature, fungal toxins (poisons) and cause a myriad of disease and ill-health problems. Perhaps antifungals would help you. Would your doc prescribe diflucan for systemic fungal overgrowth, or even nystatin for gut overgrowth? Natural antifungals have helped me, like olive leaf extract, caprylic acid.

I also need to stay away from any foods with yeast/yeast extract listed in the ingredients. Causes D and bloating big time, especially if I have been eating a lot of higher /sugar foods, as well. Think about yeast rising in bread. What causes bread to rise? More info you can read, that helped me, can be found on www.knowthecause.com.  Click Resources tab at the top, then on next page- Resource Categories on left sidebar- look under FAQ's. There are 3 pages there you can read about the phase one diet, and other info about fungus. Actually, browse the website and learn a bit more about fungus. I never actually thought I had a fungal problem until I experimented with the diet and felt so much better. If you do have a yeast/fungus overgrowth, only a low carb diet will help, along with antifungals. I also recommend probiotics.

Posted 3/11/2010 5:52 AM (GMT 0)
Dear to_the_bars,

You asked for suggestions.....here's mine: try following a strictly gluten-free diet for a couple of weeks and see how you feel, then try eating your "normal" gluten-y diet and see how that makes you feel.

I am willing to bet that you will feel better gluten free.

Here is a VERY helpful blog post that will help you get started on a gluten free diet if you decide to try it:

How to start living gluten-free, Karina's Kitchen

It's a LONG post, so please be patient, because every single word is worth reading, at least once.

Good luck and ((((hugs))))
JoAnn

P.S. I was diagnosed with "IBS" for 30 years.....it turned out to be celiac disease.
Posted 3/11/2010 11:41 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks all for your support.

In reference to the align; I have been using it for about 6-months now. I too was hoping for better results with the product because I thought by popping a pill daily it would help me so much! I was wrong and am so frustrated because of it! I looked at VSL#3 which another member suggested and it looks like a more aggressive probiotic that I might give a shot. Does anyone have any feedback on the VSL#3 and how it worked for their problems?

Kim, very interesting what you suggested as I have always thought all my problems tied into one thing. I have had allergies almost my whole life. I am mostly allergic to molds, pollen, trees and grasses. I see an allergy specialist and get bi-weekly shots for them. He tells me the chronic allergy problems created me to have sinus problems. Proceeding both of these problems (about 2-3 years later) I developed the digestion problems. Do you still suspect it could be an underlying fungus issue?

Gluten free diet; wow that sounds hard. Isn't there an easier way to see if I am allergic to gluten? LOL! Maybe you aren't referencing an allergy but suggested taking gluten out of my diet would make me just feel better. Sorry for the confusion.

Gosh, this is so hard to deal with and pinpoint what could actually be the cause of all of this. It seems like there are so many different things it could be. It is very discouraging! I just want to feel better and get on with my life. ARGH!
Posted 3/12/2010 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
YES! I think you have an underlying fungal problem, especially since you have chronic sinus problems (caused byfungus). When the good bacteria is wiped out (from antibiotics), yeast is allowed to proliferate and cause problems. Or, fungus can be introduced into the body from wheat/corn/peanuts, commonly/universally contaminated with fungus, or from a moldy environment. Probiotics put the good bacteria back into our bowels and restore the terrain.

Don't get overwhelmed with all the information. Decide to experiment with one thing at a time...gluten-free, or antifungal program, or.... and see what results you get. Could take as long as a month to see any results, so don't give up too soon. Is it possible you live/work in a water damaged/moldy place?

Posted 3/13/2010 12:13 PM (GMT 0)
Overwhelmed?? I was to that point a long time ago! It is very hard trying to figure out what could be wrong with me as there are so many different things. Why can't it just be simple? Or better yet; why does anything have to be wrong with me at all? Why can't I be one of those people that cruises through life with no problems? It isn't fair that some get it good, some get it bad, and some get it worse.

I was thinking that I do need to focus on one thing at a time and see what is going to help me. Trying too many different things at once will confuse my system.

These probiotics; are you saying they will help if I have a fungus problem? I think that is what I gathered from that. It is funny how you mention working in a water damaged/moldy place. My current job; it is very possible I do right now but I can not confirm it. I have been there for 3-years now and within the last year my IBS type symptoms have been worse. Prior to this job; I know for a fact I worked in a place that was highly water damaged and moldy. Over the course of working there that is when I developed the more chronic sinus infections, chronic coughing, and what my doctors thought to be asthma but I didn't have it after I did test after test. I started seeing an allergy specialist and have been getting bi-weekly shots ever since.
Posted 3/13/2010 12:42 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like a probable cause of symptoms to me. I am sure mine were probably caused by a combination of living in a water damaged house, taking antibiotics, and being on the pill for a long time, as well. Are you ever away from your place of work long enough (on vacation) to see if you feel better when away from there?

Yes, I think probiotics would help you. If you really want to know for sure if your condition is fungus-related, why not experiment with the phase one diet (mentioned on knowthecause website) for a few weeks to see if you don't feel better? No one can say for sure what the outcome will be, but I'm betting you'll feel better, especially since you have other fungus-causing symptoms (sinusitus, allergies, etc.) I also took natural antifungals (olive leaf extract- which kills everything bad!) when I followed the program. It's hard to follow the diet to start, giving up sugar and grains, but you should know within a few weeks if your symptoms are caused by fungus. If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always gotten. I hope you find the path to good health!

http://www.bioactivenutrients.com/news/learn-more-fungus/110

 

Posted 3/14/2010 12:52 AM (GMT 0)
Jeanneac-Do you use the VSL#3 sachets or capsules? I went to the website and saw you can order it either way. From what I can tell; if you take two capsules you are only getting 225 billion as opposed to the sachet you get 450 billion. Does this sound right to you? I think I am going to try it.
Posted 3/15/2010 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
Yes, you are correct about the dosage. I know you are probably confused but probiotics are a staple. If you've been on antibiotics many times for your sinusitis you are probably very deficient. You can also get a prescription for double strength VSL #3 and if you have good insurance, it will cost a little less and you get more bacteria per packet too. In modern society, we've all taken antibiotics so much, it's a wonder we all don't have IBS. I had bad tonsils as a child and I think it probably started there. Let us know how you are doing with the VSL#3, ok?
Posted 3/16/2010 4:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hi! I saw this post and wanted to reiterate what another member suggested about getting tested for IBD. My primary care doctor and I really thought I had IBS for 8 years. I had fairly mild symptoms, mainly multiple bowel movements a day and off and on cramping. It was not until this october that I sought treatment from a GI when a chronic inflammation settled in my stomach and after testing was indeed diagnosed with crohns. I am lucky to have a mild case and am glad at least now I know what I have. I strongly suggesting consulting a GI dr because if you do have an IBD instead of IBS early treatment is so important to prevent damage to your intestines. Just my piece of advise. I really hope you get better soon!
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