Gas, Bloating, PAIN I am soo annoyed

I am so happy to see a message board of people who understand!  I was diagnosed with IBM at freaking 22!! It's been 8 years of off and on gas /stomach problems.  I've had all GI tests which are normal and the only thing I hear is "it's IBS".. WHAT exactly are we suppose to do? I mean I know we can change our diets, but man I just can't take it sometimes.. Yep we have to go to the bathroom pretty much every time we eat, or just get real bloated.. Does anyone just get so bloated you don't even want to eat? Sat night you can't go out on a date or if you do you have to worry about your stomach bloating up after dinner?  I've got phazyme, beano, gas-x all handy but..... man how ridiculous is this?

it's a way of life I've gotten use to but does anyone have any tips on how to just live life like a normal person and more importantly how do you handle the bloated stomach???

Tonight for eg: I went to CPK , had some pizza and a salad, and then a movie, where I ate popcorn-- ofcourse now i'm totally gassy and prob. shouldn't have eaten the popcorn...... It's just so frustrating at times.. Sorry I had to vent, i'm just so sick of this problem and i'm ONLY 30!

:/

Post Edited (stmchprblms) : 12/9/2006 12:43:06 AM (GMT-7)

Yes, I have sat thru and entire thanksgiving dinner without eating because I got so bloated from eating the wrong thing earlier in the day plus a bad case of nerves which causes air swallowing. If you have intestinal problems you have to learn what you can eat, pizza, salad and popcorn is not really a diet for anytong with stomach problems. I love them all especailly pizza but I know I just can't have it very often and I know that salad is just too hard to digest not to mention the popcorn. You just might have to weigh out which is more important. Eating everything you want or suffering cause we can 't have it both ways. Hard advice but something most of us have to live with. Keep up with the probiotics and make sure you don't gulp your food with soft drinks,etc. Best not to drink anything while eating as it increase air going into stomach. It is trial and error.

Thanks guys! haha 'fat' jeans or shall i add 'oversized shirt' :)

i can identify with you--and i'm only 29. i don't have any tips though--it sucks though not being able to enjoy a normal outing without your stomach hurting--i really envy those who don't have to deal with it.

Hi stmchprblms & nicole,
Welcome to HealingWell!
(I'm going to add a bit to what everyone has already mentioned....)
I'm 28 and I have the same problems too. The trick to managing it, however, is to be consistant. Make sure you take your fiber & probiotic supplements daily. Make sure to eat healthy(healthier) daily. Keeping a food diary for a few weeks consistantly will also help pinpoint exactly what gives you problems.
Over the years I've learned to manage my stomach issues through trial and error. Never eat quickly or too much; always chew thoroughly. Staying away from gassy foods, such as beans, cauliflower, broccoli, onions, bell peppers, brussel sprouts, cabbage, APPLES, carbonated drinks, fake sugar (Equal, etc.), sugar alcohols (manitol, sorbitol, etc.), caffeine & alcohol. Of course you can't stay away from all of them all the time, but if you cut back drastically you will feel better. I capitalized apples because apples in every form (juice, sauce, etc.) seem to give people with gut problems gas. Also try staying away from raw fruits & vegetables. They are hard to digest. When you do eat something (or drink) that you know might give your problems, try taking a Beano before hand, and/or a probiotic. Or drink some peppermint or fennel tea; or take a Gas-X.
For those nights out on the town - I take 1/2 and Imodium before heading out. Of course you'd never want to take Imodium on a daily basis, but it works to get you through an important night. I also don't recommend taking Imodium and going out eating and drinking everything on the "things I should avoid" list. Try to eat MUCH healthier on these days you have a date or are partying it up with friends.
Lastly, who cares about what meds you have to take? Most friends don't care anyway. I started telling people that I have "stomach issues" and they pretty much leave me alone and don't push the issue. I have now become the person my family, friends and coworkers run to if they have stomach problems. Would you like some Imodium - I got it right here! How about Tums - Got it! I've got Gas-X too! Need some tea - which flavor would you like? That last one usually only works at work because I don't normally carry tea around in my purse.
Well, that's pretty much all I can think of at the moment.... Welcome to the site!

Hi, I'm glad I finally found someone people with the same problems I'm going through this may help me out alot! I'm only 18 yrs old and was just told that I have IBS. My doctor put me on medication called Dicetel, Pinaverium Bromide...I see everyone saying take fibre pills and probiotics daily to help with all the pain after eating. I just wondered should you take anything else with prescribed medication? Or would it matter, and should I take the fibre pills at different times? I just really need something to take the pain away, I realize how annoying the stomach pains are, and when you dont have those its back pains headaches tiredness constipation and anything else I guess IBS can throw at ya...If anyone can help that'd be great!

I havent been actually diagnosed by a doctor but I am pretty sure I have IBS, usually the first thing I eat( seems to be just about anything) it causes me to have extreme amount of pain, like labor pains, sometimes it causes me to have diarhea, other times just extreme amount of gas. I have been taking anti-gas pills for years. I am so embarassed about this and its so annoying. I cant even enjoy a meal out. But I will take the tips offered and see if they work for me. It would be so nice to do away with this annoying problem. By the way, what can you eat??? or drink?? there is alot of my favorites on the do not eat list. Thanks any info would be grand!

Ok thanks thats great. Metamucil tablets would I just go to any Pharmacy to get those? I feel like Im going to be on so many drugs lol, this is crazy just for relief eh! Oh well, thank you for the advice!

And don't forget that some fiber products don't work for some people (a certain chewable fiber pill manages to make both my constipation and my diarrhea worse--figure that one out!); if Metamucil seems to make your symptoms worse, try some other brand. They're all made with different ingredients and different combinations of soluable and insoluable fibers, so it may take some experimenting to figure out which fiber type your body needs. I see a lot of people on here recommending pysillum husks as well.