[20111]

I figure if I wouldn't eat, I wouldn't be having the IBS problems I have. My IBS is a morning problem. About 99% of the time it's in the morning. And I can spend 1-2 hours in there (I get alot of reading done!)- that time is all at once or several trips back and forth. I know the foods that trigger it: spinach, blueberries, nuts, garlic, onions, etc. If I ate just meat and potatoes and rice I guess I wouldn't have problems. But I love food!! Chocolate is also very hard on my stomach. Garlic is a huge problem now- it didn't use to be but it sure is now. In fact right now I don't know if I have the flu or a bad reaction to eating some chocolate last weekend and some garlic (not mixed together). But it has been a terrible, bad week. But it's every morning that I spend at least an hour in the bathroom. I go from D to C- no set pattern (although chocolate causes me more C). I do have some meds that I take: hyoscyamine (under the tongue), dicyclomine (take during the day) and chlordiaz/clidinium which I take at night since it makes me sleepy. They all help to some degree but like this week has been a bad week and I am very achy- is it the flu or just residuals from my IBS??? I don't know. But I have lived with this forever and a day. It rules my life. Hoping for a better tomorrow, Judy

 

[20848]

I know what you mean. My triggers seem to be greasy food,nuts,milk, whole wheat to name a few. I wonder why garlic bothers you? Hang in there!

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

A short posting on this thread my be of interest to you as it relates directly to the latest understanding of loss of oral tolerance to benign food antigens and IBS symptomologyhttp://ibsgroup.org/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/75110261/m/88610863Hopefully pasting these links still works like "in the old days" of the IBS Group.If not I will come back another day and put that text in here.MNL

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

PSGarlic and onion are (2) of the benign antigens (foods) to which I long ago lost oral tolerance and which are basically depth-charges to my GI tract when ingested.Loss of tolerance to these (2) is quite common among the D-IBS population, partially due to the high exposure to them in our American diet...(the whole foods as well as garlic and onion extracts used widely for flavoring in prepared and/or processed foods).MNL

 

[overitnow]

Mike,Is this at all related to the food sensitivity tests that Naturepaths perform? My wife went through that recently for her own GI issues and it certainly helped resolve them, although fiber powder has ended up being the silver bullet for her.I had that done for eczema years ago and always have wondered why it was so effective and why my regular doctor would not have known about it. (Adherence to the food restrictions also stopped a lifelong case of snoring/apnea for that period.)Mark

 

[Mike NoLomotil]

Hi MarkThe answer is "it depends"...some "food sensitivity tests" are innately worthless, as they are not physiologically relaible due to limitations of the method.Sometimes even these can appear to be effective to some degree, as they often result in a similar profile of "reactivity" as does flipping a coin for each food or additive tested.You will be right at least half the time and if you do it for enough foods you will eliminate enough positive (sensitive) foods that the person eats frequently enough that some degree of relief can be observed...though symptoms tend to persist as you have also missed some and they are still being eaten, and you have also eliminated some that you do not need to eliminate etc etc... so the person is not on a very patient-specific diet and it is needlessly restrictive. BAH! as a famous physician (allergy and immunology) expert and author in these matters once expressed to me on the subject.Since the type of loss of oral tolerance to antigens seen in IBS is not a process which involved the immunocytes of the epidermis (skin) but the gut mucosa (small bowel) and the lymphatics and even systemic circulation skin-type tests are not effective for diet therapy in IBS (the correlation is very poor between them and the actual offending foods).You really have to test the adaptive immune system...starting with the type of lymphocytes (T Cells) which are key to the oral tolerance mecahnism.Sometimes, the person does not have IBS but has Oral Allergy Syndrome, or suffers GI symptoms from cross-reactivity to foods which is linked to their environmental allergy (inhalants or contact antigens)...Tyoe I Gell & Coombs reactions...in this case then standardf allergy tests will be morr reliable in ridding the patient of some or all of their GI symptoms.What most closely differentiates the type of food sensitivities seen in IBS from food allergy is dose-dependency and time-lapse between antigen expsoure and symptom onset.Food allergies are highly reproducible with oral challenge as the provoking dose is very small and the onset rapid (since IgE antibodies are circulating around everywhere once sensitized and this is a rapid onset reaction).Specific immunoglobulins are not implicated in the loss of oral tolerance seen in d-IBS victims, the reaction is delayed-onset (up to 72 hours depending upon dose-exposure and which of 7 or 8 possible mechansisms are involved) and is not very reproduciblke by oral challenge as the provoking dose may be large or may vary from day to day.Oh hell look at the timeGotta run suppsoed to be painting the kicthen today and I know who that is ringing and ringing the office phone "Come Home Now!!!"Sheesh...just when it was getting interestingAnother day, or feel free to email any timeSorry no time to fix the typos above...hope you can get past themMNL

 

[17308]

I'm a newbie to the board also. I've been suffering for 10 yrs now. I don't think it's just the food, I think it's also stress that plays a huge part in this disorder. I could eat tea and toast for breakfast or oatmeal and still be in the worst pain, back and forth to the bathroom with C & D. I take hyoscyamine also and that's it. Maybe the meds that you mentioned can help me also. Any other advice would be deeply appreciated. I am truly suffering, but trying to work a 40 hr week. I'm thisclose to quitting my job because of this and really don't want to do that. I am truly miserable. And have to live like this for the rest of my life! Because I know that there is no cure. Please, any advice would be helpful.Ebony

 

[marrieanne]

Hi, there i've started taking a whey protein shake in the morning.I put in some greens plus a half of a banana and 2oz.of omega3 6 9 oil in water also i've used aloe vera juice and i mix it in a blender.This is my breakfast Then for lunch i'll have the same shake but omitting the oil,the greens.I've been doing pretty good on this .you still have to watch what you eat at dinner and snacks.Maybe this might help somebody.I hope.

 

[marrieanne]

I also take L-Tyrosine.Three capsuls a day .It seems to calm me on the inside.

 

[15763]

MikeI emailed you on one of your other post

YEA ! Food intolerance was my main trigger...I have been symptom free for a very long time nowDonna