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[despair]

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im looking for some herbal answers for my ibs. I have the alternating ibs and horrible gas. IM SO TIRED of trying stuff that doesnt help or helps only for awhile.

[Kathleen M.]

Well, generally the opinion of most herbal medicines if you look in the overall on the board is the same as you find with prescriptions, some work for some people, and some people find they only work some of the time.IBS tends to wax and wane so what may be enough on the good IBS days will not control it on the bad IBS days. So you can get that "doesn't always work, or doesn't work consistently" thing with every single thing you can take.That being said the usual things people try arePeppermintProbioticsFennelChamomileSlippery ElmAloe (whole leaf as a laxative, otherwise just the gel)Digestive Enzymes.Senna and Cascara as laxatives, as well as a few other things like rhubarb and some other herbs.Various Chinese Herbal Formulations.As well as the minerals Calcium (to firm things up) and magnesium (to loosen things up)That covers most of the basics from the health food/supplement store.

[despair]

Well, generally the opinion of most herbal medicines if you look in the overall on the board is the same as you find with prescriptions, some work for some people, and some people find they only work some of the time.IBS tends to wax and wane so what may be enough on the good IBS days will not control it on the bad IBS days. So you can get that "doesn't always work, or doesn't work consistently" thing with every single thing you can take.That being said the usual things people try arePeppermintProbioticsFennelChamomileSlippery ElmAloe (whole leaf as a laxative, otherwise just the gel)Digestive Enzymes.Senna and Cascara as laxatives, as well as a few other things like rhubarb and some other herbs.Various Chinese Herbal Formulations.As well as the minerals Calcium (to firm things up) and magnesium (to loosen things up)That covers most of the basics from the health food/supplement store.

[despair]

I havent found a probiotic I can take well.

[Kathleen M.]

A lot of IBSers are sensitive to fodmaps and "prebiotics" like inulin and FOS can set off gas for people as they are made from fodmaps."Fermentable, Oligo-, Di-, Mono-saccharides and PolyolS" is what FODMAPS stands forAnd it can take finding the right one that suits your particular ecosystem in there.How about any of the other things?

[despair]

i have tried most of the herbal teas. they only seem to help while im drinkin them.

[Kathleen M.]

Well if you are hoping to take an herb once or twice (tea or capsule) and have the symptoms either go away forever, or at least go away for more than a few hours it probably isn't going to happen.They aren't insta-cures, they just reduce one or more symptoms like the drugs do.There isn't much you can take in a pill that has any sort of long lasting effect against IBS. Some of the mind-body therapies do have lasting effects (may not be a total cure, but often it drops the level of symptoms for much longer than the time you are actively doing the treatment)

[despair]

Well if you are hoping to take an herb once or twice (tea or capsule) and have the symptoms either go away forever, or at least go away for more than a few hours it probably isn't going to happen.They aren't insta-cures, they just reduce one or more symptoms like the drugs do.There isn't much you can take in a pill that has any sort of long lasting effect against IBS. Some of the mind-body therapies do have lasting effects (may not be a total cure, but often it drops the level of symptoms for much longer than the time you are actively doing the treatment)

[despair]

no i know its an ongoing battle. was thinking more of a mixture of herbs and supplements is what im working on. i know the mind needs work as well. thank you for tour reply.