[john maher]

I am going to hit the above 3 topics as I am condensing several months of recent experience into one posting.My IBSD had been improving through diet and supplements (which I will talk about in a minute) until I decided to try a couple of new approaches.Firstly Ibsacol - Be VERY careful in trying it. I took the dose recommended by the makers and ended up setting myself back considerably. I have acute and chroninc IBSD including all of the usual symptoms as well as loctose, gluten and insoluble fibre intolerance.Anyway after Ibsacol I recovered again through diet.Then I decided, after researching the subject, to try Chinese Herbs and acupuncture ( I'm a sucker for punishment). Same result as the ibsacol, another major setback, taking another 2 to 3 months to recover.So, diet has been the only thing that has worked for me. Now that I am not trying any new experiments I am feeling about 90% better.There are still a lot of foods I can not eat but I have banished the diarrhea and I am generally getting a good nights sleep. Even started a new job 6 weeks ago. Life is good Thank God.I am sticking devoutly to the diet and supplement regime recommended in Dr. James Scala's book - The New Eating Right for a Bad Gut. I am treating myself as if I had Chrons or Colitis and I have found it very effective.This is the only thing that has been very effective for me and I hope others can gain from my experience.

Remus

 

[dianne]

Hi Remus ... if you want to email to me I'll try to help with what went awry for you. Ibsacol can be quite dose specific for some people. What you report is very unusual among our customers -- so, please email and I'll try to give you some better and more helpful advice.Kind thoughtsDianneFor the record, I am a founding director of the New Zealand company that developed and produces Ibsacol.

 

[Talissa]

Hi Remus,Thanks for sharing your experiences & how you've improved. I'm so happy for you! I looked the book up at amazon, & wow, did it have great reviews. Just my luck, I received a huge order of books from them last week, so it'll be awhile before I order again.Anyways, since I can't get my hands on the book right now, would you mind sharing just a bit of info? It's working for you--no D at all??, and my problem used to be severe chronic D (now I'm down to mild, formed by fiber), but I want to be like you!So, what kind of supplements does he recommend in conjunction with the diet? Any specific probiotics? Specific nutrients to heal the intestinal lining like L-Glutamine?I know the diet has to go along with the supplements in order to see improvement, but I'm curious. If you come back to the bb, I hope you respond. Oh yeah, also, he recommends like most to keep a food journal--can you let us know how long it took for you to "banish the D"? I promise to keep in mind we're all biochemically unique & it won't be the same for everyone.In "Breaking the Vicious Cycle," Elaine recommends going on the diet for two years to have a completely healed intestinal wall & balanced flora (in treating IBD). Does he say the same, or is the restrictive diet forever? Like everyone, my goal is to be able to go to a party & not worry about the host's ingredients, just an example...Thanks in advance,Talissap.s. many congrats on the new job!

 

[scottyswotty]

"In "Breaking the Vicious Cycle," Elaine recommends going on the diet for two years to have a completely healed intestinal wall & balanced flora (in treating IBD)."Yegaad!!! that's a long time for the intestinal wall to take to heal. I wouldnt take that as gospel. Scott

 

[Talissa]

Hey Scott, my fav gangsta rapper, I hope she's wrong too! Her diet for IBD didn't work for me anyways--I think because of the fructose & almonds. It's a very difficult diet, so I was rather relieved when it made my condition worse...

 

[john maher]

Talissa,I'm afraid I'm going to dissapoint you in that it is impossible to summarize Dr. Scala's book in any useful way. You need to get the book and read it. Mine has been read and re-read several times and is dog eared and bookmarked, in other words it has become my dietery bible.The essence of the book is low fat plus Omega supplements (flax and fish oils). There are lists of do foods and don't foods and losts of background on the research.The book says it will take 3 months to feel a difference and thats about what it has taken with me. I kept a food diary for about 9 months.I was taking a bulk laxitive to help with stool formation but have been able to quit that completely.The diet is tough but it works for me. My advice - get tyhe book and follow it religously, no cheating and I am sure you will see a big difference.Good Luck.

 

[scottyswotty]

Talissa You've mentioned quite a bit that you have fructose problems. By chance in my legal work i drafted an "IBS" research agreement for a university and a sponsor with the hypothesis that fructose malabsorption was responsible for a number of "IBS-like" symptoms and the research programme plans to research whether a colostrum blend can help with fructose malabsorption problems.Have you tried supplementing colostrum for any period of time? I know the best source of colostrum supplement is from NZ.p.s. how lucky are you to be a Pilates Instructor in the Eastern Carribean?!! very jealous

 

[Talissa]

Scott,Ha! We're both jealous of each other. Too funny. I missed this post earlier. Can we trade islands for a while? I dream of going to New Zealand one day.I happen to have in my "collection" 2 different brands of colostrum, neither from NZ. I wasn't very good at taking them every day for some reason--my vitamins & probiotics are gospel. I think I stopped taking them because I wasn't in fact certain of their quality.I've read clinical studies of "high quality bovine colostrum" healing the intestinal wall, but the studies didn't give a specific product name.Thanks for the NZ tip. You're probably sleeping right now, with the diff time zone & all, so I'll try to find the NZ brand you mentioned.Thanks alot, TalissaRemus, thanks for responding. Will wait for the book. You learn patience living in the middle of nowhere with no stores other than for groceries & home repair....

 

[scottyswotty]

This is the brand I would use (although "I" would go to bodytalk first...) http://www.healthpost.co.nz/colostrum.htm best of luck.