[Forge]

hi allfirst post here. my family suffers from IBS and I'm pretty sure I do too. since my mid-teens I have been likely to have upset stomachs before I go out to a party or any kind of event, but as I've got older the symptoms have worsened and restricted me more so. every morning I have an upset stomach before I leave to go to university. more often than not i have a very lively and unhappy stomach if i'm going for a night out or even going to the cinema with my girlfriend and its all really starting to fry me!i've got a doctors appointment on monday because I've been having increasing amounts of mucus appearing when I visit the toilet over the past 5 months. this week has been particularly bad for me also. in the past I have needed to visit the loo around 4 times a day. but for the past 5 days it has been twice in the morning and no need for the rest of the day. only problem is, when i go i have symptoms of diarrhea (the cramps, cold sweats etc..) but the excrement itself takes a while to come out and is just very loose and squidgy. however this has all culminated tonight with full blown diarrhea for no good reason. now i don't know if i can drive to see my girlfriend who i haven't seen for ages and i'm getting really down about it all.i think the problem is i'm not 100% sure it is IBS, of course, with the curse of the internet i can read about a whole host of diseases or issues i may have! which probably doesn't help my state of mind or stomach!I must say though, reading some of the posts on this site, i feel lucky. i feel so much for some of the terrible things people have expressed here and how it has affected their lives so severely. I really feel for you and wish you the best. I thought I had it bad but in comparison i'm lucky.one thing i have been thinking about is carbs. do they affect IBS? I probably eat too many to be honest. and i don't currently have a great diet but I've had to try and eat a lot of calorie high food because 6 months ago i was 9 stone 4 lbs....i'm a 6' 2" 24 year old male. that weight is not good. i'm up to 10 stone now. but i think maybe all the fatty foods have contributed to the previously mentioned mucus, and maybe the carbs to my increasing IBS symptoms???any advice?thanks

 

[Kathleen M.]

Some IBSers do better on a lower fat dietSome IBSers do better on a lower carb diet.Either one can increase loose stools, just depends on what you are sensitive to.If you can add more lean protein into the diet and steamed/cooked veggies that may help, but some people get the same issues regardless of diet.If you have to eat lower calorie per serving food for the IBS you may need to up your portion size or add some hefty snacks to get enough calories each day.You might look into using supplements (like Calcium Carbonate) or over the counter medications (Like Imodium) to see if that helps control it, but it sounds like you may not have a clear diagnosis so if you haven't been to the doctor it probably is time if things are getting worse and you find it interferes with things you want to do.

 

[Forge]

thanks for the advice. i saw my doctor and she prescribed me Mebeverine (anti-spasm) to take 3 times a day along with 10mg Amitriptyline to take at night. see how it goes!i've got some peppermint capsules on the way too. also, got a book coming to hopefully help me with my diet!

 

[prabax]

And i thought i had a bad day because of reading this thread.