[pebs]

I can be perfectly fine, but then as soon as I put something in my mouth, I get instant cramps. I know there is no way the food I have just taken a bite of has reached my intestines, so what is going on. Why do I get cramps when eating? Also, after I have eaten I get very dizzy. Is this a sign of IBS?

 

[jlfc]

I believe you are experiencing the gastrocolic reflex. As soon as you start chewing and swallowing food, a wave of muscle contractions travel down your esophogus, your stomach, and through your small and large intestines. This is a normal thing that most people can't feel, except in the form of needing to have a normal bowel movement after eating a meal. In patients with IBS, hypersensitivity in the gut leads to an overreaction to these waves of smooth muscle contractions, causing sudden cramping and sometimes urgent D. There are two things I find that help relieve this: 1. Peppermint oil capsules one hour before eating. Be sure to get ones that are enteric coated so they digest in the small intestine, not in the stomach. 2. A low dose of Immodium helps prevents cramping, at least for me. I only take a half dose because my weight is low (115lbs) and I don't want to end up constipated. I hope this helps.

 

[pebs]

thank you very much for the reply. i will try both and see if they work.