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IBS - I need some advice

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
My illness took a major turn for the worse about a year ago, and I've now developed quite nasty persistent IBS over a period of about a month.
At the moment it's a constant problem and I can only eat small amounts of food each day, which is problematic.
I've got very loose bowels, with undigested food passing through.
When the symptoms flare I also feel more ill with the ME symptoms in general.

My diet has been cut down to bananas, tomatoes, potato crisps, and a few vegetables such as potato, mushroom, onion, spinach. But it's all happened so quickly that I haven't had a chance to experiment with a proper elimination diet. These foods are the ones that seemed to be the safest from an already limited diet. (I assume that onion isn't a wise food to have? But it happens to be in my ready made microwave meals. I'll really struggle if I can't have these meals.)

I can't take any probiotics, and I'm not aware of any medications that might help.

So my question is: are there any foods that are generally considered fairly safe for everyone with IBS, or does it have to be a case of trial and error for every person because everyone different? e.g. what about boiled brown rice?

Also, are there any meds or supplements (apart from probiotics and prebiotics) that can be really helpful?

Thanks for any advice.
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Have you had your stool checked for pathogens recently?
I did about a year ago, when this major relapse started, but not recently. But i don't think the IBS is caused by a pathogen. I think it's a symptom of my illness. I've had minor IBS issues in the past, so this is familiar but much more extreme.
 

minkeygirl

But I Look So Good.
Messages
4,678
Location
Left Coast
There is something called Heather's Tummy Fiber.

It's acacia fiber which is supposed to be good for IBS with C, which I have and D.

Her website is helpforibs.com I think.

You can get info there about foods you should and shouldn't eat but you can get the fiber on iherb and other places. There's forums too.

I do know rice binds so if you can eat that maybe it'll help

Trial and error is the only way if nothing else is going on.
 

Never Give Up

Collecting improvements, until there's a cure.
Messages
971
I did about a year ago, when this major relapse started, but not recently. But i don't think the IBS is caused by a pathogen. I think it's a symptom of my illness. I've had minor IBS issues in the past, so this is familiar but much more extreme.
I don't think IBS is caused by a pathogen either, and I know this disease causes all kinds of symptoms to come and go, worsen and get better, but, there is always the possibility of a new, treatable bug mucking up the works.

Raw fruits and vegetables, especially those with thick membranes, stir up my mother's IBS, my sister's has been greatly improved with the FODMAPS diet. Neither of them have ME.
 

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
Sorry to hear you're struggling with this Bob. i don't have IBS but I do have IBD and food intollerances so there may be some overlap in my experiences. My ME gets worse when my bowels are worse as well.

I found I just had to cut my diet right down and introduce foods (and drinks) one at a time. It is so frustrating and difficult but ultimately it is the only way. I found that what worked for me was the opposite of what my dietician recommended. But you have to find what works for you. Onions are fine for me, by the way, no reason why you shouldnt get on with them necessarily. Unfortunately though I found that I had to make 80% of my food from scratch as most ready made foods have additives and ingredients that make my gut worse. Even small amounts of soya lecithin for instance are a problem for me, yet it is added to many foods now.

In terms of medications for IBS I know you can get antispasmodics that some find helpful. There may be others, so worth asking your doctor probably.
 

Oberon

Senior Member
Messages
214
For me it's been a rollercoaster of trial and error. I found that I react to wheat, dairy, soy, eggs (the major allergens) and next I'll be trialing an elimination of nightshades. The best I've felt was when I went on a strict chicken and vegetables diet, but it's hard to keep that going forever.

Are you taking any supplements? I find certain supplements aggravate my IBS, especially ones that have antibacterial properties like oregano oil, etc.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
I've got very loose bowels, with undigested food passing through.

Might the undigested food be due to low stomach acid? If so, then taking a stomach acid supplement like betaine HCl should help that aspect.

When you say very loose, are you saying you have diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D)?



I'm not aware of any medications that might help.

I had very severe IBS-D, but found a number of supplements and herbs that were very helpful. If you are interested, I will fish out my list. There are also IBS drugs like Imodium (loperamide) and Buscopan (hyoscine butylbromide).



I don't think IBS is caused by a pathogen either,

IBS can be caused by pathogens in some cases, where it is known as post infectious IBS, and this can be triggered by Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella, Shigella and Echerichia coli.

ISB is also linked to the parasites Giardia lamblia, and pathogenic strains of Blastocystis hominis.
 

barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
I would think it prudent to see a doctor as your symptoms could be from many things. I would worry about electrolyte imbalances which can happen suddenly and even be life threatening.

I had low sodium and chloride for a while. I tried supplementing with salt but that was a short term solution. It turned out this happened from a medication I was taking and this resolved quickly. I may also be one of those persons who usually has lower sodium levels but still in range, so any medicine or supplement that might have this side effect affected me more than most people.

Good luck!:)

Barb

ETA IBS is considered to have a large neurological component and is often seen with our illness in general and according to my doctor, particularly with Fibromyalgia.
 
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barbc56

Senior Member
Messages
3,657
If you do a search IBS neurological, there is a PDF from Johns Hopkins University that looks helpful. I could not get the url to work.

Barb
 

mango

Senior Member
Messages
905
following ayurvedic guidelines is the only thing, so far, that has helped me deal with my very weak and sensitive digestion. makes it easier to figure out what (not) to eat, without having to do trial and error... (one has to follow the guidelines for the current imbalance, not one's constitution.)
 

Effi

Senior Member
Messages
1,496
Location
Europe
My doctor tells people with regular bouts of diarrhea (not sure if that equals IBS) to make a kuzu drink. (Kuzu is a starch that is used as a thickener in the macrobiotic diet.) This is supposed to ease the inflamed bowel. You can get it from the health store. In the macrobiotic diet they take it a step further and make a drink called Ume-Sho-Kuzu: http://www.kushiinstitute.org/the-kitchen-apothecary/

Like @snowathlete I'm worried about the additives in ready made meals. I get sicker when I eat anything with additives...
 
Messages
15,786
So my question is: are there any foods that are generally considered fairly safe for everyone with IBS, or does it have to be a case of trial and error for every person because everyone different? e.g. what about boiled brown rice?
Rice is supposed to be a very good one to start with, in an elimination diet. But if fiber is potentially causing problems, it might be safer to start with white rice. Lamb is also supposed to be a pretty safe meat. I think the general procedure is to stick to a couple safe foods for a week or two, then introduce one new food at a time for several days. It's a pain and you're guaranteed to get fed up with your safe foods, but it's probably worth it in the long run. I also found IgG food testing to match up with reality pretty well, even though it's a somewhat alternative area of testing thus far.
Also, are there any meds or supplements (apart from probiotics and prebiotics) that can be really helpful?
Digestive enzymes help me a lot. I take Creon 150, via prescription, and my Dutch health insurance covers it.
 

brenda

Senior Member
Messages
2,266
Location
UK
Yes to the kuzu but also arrowroot mixed in a little water is very good for diahorrea.
 

South

Senior Member
Messages
466
Location
Southeastern United States
@Bob

Fiber can be insoluble (bad idea for people with IBS-D),
Or it can be:
soluble (much different, and possibly helpful for IBS-D).

Brown rice is insoluble, so NOT a good thing in this situation.
Flax meal is a mix of both, but has too much insoluble for IBS-D people, so not a good thing here.

But oatmeal, psyllium, glucomannan, kuzu (aka kudzu), and the aformentioned Healther's tummy fiber are all soluble, so might be helpful. I've heard that just because one of these soluble-fiber foods causes problems doesn't mean the others will, so it can be worth trying a few, one at a time.
Psyllium is often advertised for "regularity", but it doesnt necessarily increase bowel movements.

Big difference between insoluble and soluble fiber!

On a different subject, since you said you can eat potatoes, have you ever tried them cooked and cooled?
"Cooked and then cooled potatoes or rice, like @adreno mentioned, are good sources of resistant starch"

(I couldn't get the quote function to work for some reason)
 

snowathlete

Senior Member
Messages
5,374
Location
UK
Like @Valentijn I found IgG testing surprisingly accurate.
My starting point was really rice (including brown rice - you can get brown rice pasta that tastes almost like normal pasta), meats and root vegetables. Fairly bland until I worked out what else I could manage but totally worth it. I didn't find any patterns between different food types really, despite all the fad diets saying I would, except that unnatural additives were not good. I had some problems digesting some vegetables initially, but meat was fine. ButI know some people struggle to digest meat, so if that's you then as suggested it could be low stomach acid, perhaps. Worth exploring.
 

adreno

PR activist
Messages
4,841
I can't take any probiotics,
Have you tried Prescript Assist, AOR Probiotic-3, or Miyarisan?

So my question is: are there any foods that are generally considered fairly safe for everyone with IBS
A low FODMAP diet is considered quite safe and effective for IBS:

https://stanfordhealthcare.org/cont...nutrition-services/docs/pdf-lowfodmapdiet.pdf

Does a diet low in FODMAPs reduce symptoms associated with functional gastrointestinal disorders? A comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis

Also, are there any meds or supplements (apart from probiotics and prebiotics) that can be really helpful?
But probiotics and prebiotics are the things that are likely to help in the long term.

But i don't think the IBS is caused by a pathogen.
Probably too simplistic to say that IBS in general is caused by "a pathogen", but it's likely to involve gut dysbiosis.
 
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Effi

Senior Member
Messages
1,496
Location
Europe
But oatmeal, psyllium, glucomannan, kuzu (aka kudzu), and the aformentioned Healther's tummy fiber are all soluble, so might be helpful.
Another thing I thought of is flaxseed/linseed gel (whole seeds - these seeds oxidize on the spot when ground). It's cheap, natural and easy to make. The easiest way to take them is to soak them in a glass of water overnight. This creates a gel-like consistency that is very soothing for the digestive tract.
 

Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
When you say very loose, are you saying you have diarrhea-predominant IBS (IBS-D)?
Hi Hip, yes, exactly. But I've only had this severe episode for a short time so I thought it might be a bit early to say it is definitely IBS-D. I've had it before in mild form, so it's not entirely unfamiliar to me, and I thought it safe to refer to it as IBS. But I suppose it might not even be IBS. It's early days. But I think it is IBS.

I had very severe IBS-D, but found a number of supplements and herbs that were very helpful. If you are interested, I will fish out my list.
Yes please, if you don't mind, and it's not too much hassle for you.
 
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Bob

Senior Member
Messages
16,455
Location
England (south coast)
Have you tried Prescript Assist, AOR Probiotic-3, or Miyarisan?
But probiotics and prebiotics are the (only) things that will help in the long term.
I've not tried any of those. I'm reacting violently to ordinary probiotics and dairy products so I don't want to experiment with probiotics or prebiotics. This is unfortunate, because streptococcus thermophilus has always resolved my occasional bouts of IBS in the past, instantly. Now I can't tolerate it.