Hey everyone. I am new to this site and so I apologize if I am wasting space with a new thread. I am 22 years old and have had IBS for about 3-4 years. I was diagnosed with it about 2 years ago and then re-confirmed about 2 months ago. My IBS has gotten progressively worse throughout the years. Like most of you, it controls my life. Any time I am going out or away from an area that I am comfortable with, I am nervous about my stomach and how I feel and if I will have an "episode". My symptoms are simple: cramping and diarrhea. I have learned that garlic, surprisingly, immediately upsets my stomach. So far, that is the only sure thing that I know upsets me. I know of the "triggers", which include fatty and spicy foods, beans or other gas-producing foods, alcohol and caffeine, food allergies (like garlic for me), and stress. All of these things, besides garlic, affects me sometimes and doesn't other times.The biggest issue I am having now deals with the fact that I am a collge soccer player. One thing that REALLY upsets my stomach to the point where I can do nothing but lie down, is vigorous exercise. It is weird in that I will feel okay to fine for a while, but once I start to get fatigued, my stomach gets a cramp and then I have to stop playing and run to the bathroom because I have diarrhea. It has come to the point where I was taking immodium a.d. before every game and at halftime of every game. That prevented me from going, but I still had bad cramps and was unable to play to the level I wanted to. I have tried to change my diet. I have tried to vary the times when I eat before working out/playing/running. I have tried to really hydrate myself well. Nothing has worked. I was hoping/wondering if any of you could possibly suggest anything for me. Are there any miracle drugs that could help me? Right now, my doctor has me taking Levsin. Some cramping seems to subside, but the drug does not prevent the diarrhea after/while vigorous exercise. I have become pretty good at preventing myself from having an "episode" when there is no excercise involved. For the most part, I know what I can eat and when. I would still like for me to be able to eat whatever I want whenever I want, but that may not happen. The most important thing to me is the exercise aspect. I am afraid that I will never be able to really play any sports when I am older. I am afraid that I will not be able to play with my kids without getting cramps and diarrhea. It may sound extreme to you all, but I think that the diarrhea has to do with fatigue and the more in shape I am in, the more it will take to trigger the IBS. So, as I get older and am in worse shape, it will take less to trigger the IBS.I also want to mention that I have Gilbert's syndrome, which is supposed to be benign and asymptomatic. However, I have read that one can experience "bouts of abdominal pain" from "vigorous exercise" or "missed meals". So, I was also wondering if anyone knew of any connection between Gilbert's syndrome and IBS.Thank you all very much. I need a place like this to talk out my problems. I really appreciate any advice you can give me as I would love to help out any of you who need it as well.
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Hi Fresh and Welcome to the BB.My son is 22 also, so I know how hard it is to have IBS at a young age. To give you a bit of background - I have had IBS since 1983 - when MY son was born!) I have been on Levsin, Donnatal, Belladonna, two SSRI's, Elavil, etc. you name it, I've been on it - nothing helped - I was to the point where I would eat only crackers and water, because I had severe D and cramping almost every day, for hours a day - I did my parenting through the bathroom door. When I came to this BB in 2000, I was desperate - even having been to Mayo Clinic. As far as miracle drugs, many have had success with aloestron, but you will need to talk to your doc about that.IBS is not caused by foods - the triggers are foods that the body has "learned" will give you an attack - however, just as anyone can have food allergies or indiscretions, you can have this alongside IBS - so you could have say, frucose or lactose intolerance, or other conditions, in addition to IBS that give similar symptoms.I have some health field experience, and after having IBS so long, my docs told me to investigate IBS treatment methods on my own and report back to him. So coming to this BB I found out about clinical hypnotherapy as an adjunct to helping IBS symptoms, since nothing else had worked for me.I now work with the clinical hypnotherapist in England, Michael Mahoney, (I am in the US) who has helped many of us on this BB through his recorded program. Mike worked with a soccer player who had very severe IBS and actually had an "accident" while playing in a professional match - wearing a white kit - and having to walk the length of the field in full view of the spectators. Mike worked with this player and got him back on the field.Since he works in a medical centre alongside gastroenterologists and physicians, I would be happy to ask him if there he has come across a connection between Gilbert's syndrome and IBS. If I find anything in the research literature, I will get back to you as well.Also remember, that this is a self-help BB, and we are all here to support and give our experiences and opinions, and sometimes they vary - so research and ask your doc about anything you learn here to make sure what would be best for you.You mention a lot of very valid points of concern. If you can break that connection of exercise = D, it may prove very helpful to you. Read the links below if you want more info - many young people are using CHT to combat and alleviate their IBS symptoms.Let me know if you have any questions, I would be most happy to help you.Take care.
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welcome to the boards. i'm kind of the opposite of you. i get the pain before and after i execise. i deal with the cramps as just part of it. i'd definitely talk to your doctor.
Thanks everyone. My doctor has been trying for a while, but nothing has changed so far. I am looking into CHT and am thinking about purchasing the Audio Program 100. I have read a lot of good reviews and for 89 dollars, I figure, "why not?". I will also do some research about aloestron and I will talk to my doctor about that. Thanks again.
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That's great, Fresh - and you know you can contact me or Mike and his staff for help along the way if needed. I have looked at the research and info on Gilbert's Syndrome, and some of it does indeed say that exercise can trigger problems - however, Mike has found that the CHT program can help you cope and deal with other illnesses alongside the IBS - that doesn't mean that the other illness will be healed - it just means that you will be better relaxed, have the best state of mind, create positive thought processes which in turn can help to create a healthier chemical balance in the brain for overall health. So it is like an added bonus in a way - you still of course, will have Gilbert's, but you will be in better physical/mental form to cope with it.Keep in touch if there is anything I can do to help. All the best to you.
Hi FreshI'm coming up to 22 (at the end of August) and was also first diagnosed 2 years ago. It's hard to cope with as well as going to University/college. If you know what foods do or sometimes upset you, stay clear of them. It sounds like they are not massive groups of food, as some people cannot have anything with wheat in etc. They should be easier to cut out. Keep a list of foods which have irritated you and stop eating them. At least that way you'll feel much more confident about eating, knowing what does and doesn't upset you.I'm from England so I don't know Levsin, but I've tried a lot of anti spasmodics and am currently taking MerBentyl (called Bentyl in America). It's been, by far, the best one I've taken. When you have a big game, could you perhaps take immodium before the game, so you know you're "safe"? Do you suffer from any anxiety from the pain?xox
I have taken Imodium before games and even at half time of games. It helps, but not enough really. It is hard to explain, but I still worry about how I feel while playing and I can still get pains. I do feel like the chances of me having to go to the bathroom are reduced, but I am still unable to play at full strength and my stomach seems to be a little off afterward as well.I will ask my doctor about Bentyl. I found out that that aloestron thing is for women, so that wouldn't work for me.I am unsure about the anxiety. I do not have any panic attacks, like some do on the BB. There does seem to be a vicous cycle though where I don't feel great, so I think about how I don't feel great and it worsens, etc. I do think about my stomach pretty much 90% of the time I am awake, which doesn't help. I hardly ever don't notice my stomach and hardly ever feel perfect. Also, like others, I have been afraid of going out. My friends have constantly tried to get me to go out and it has become a running gag that I don't go out. But, with most of them, they understand. They just wish that I would try to go out more and have fun and not think about my stomach and that everything will be fine. They are good guys really. I am still very apprehensive about going out. I also get nervous when I am in a situation that I am not familiar with. When I am in a new area, I try to see where the bathrooms are and if they are private and if I can get away if I need to without causing a scene. I feel like my IBS is not that bad, but mentally, I need help. I am starting to think, based on the posts on this board and the reviews and information about the Audio Program, that if I can train my mind to think positively, then my IBS will be better. I am still a believe in medication however, so I will still try to pursue that. I don't really have episodes that often. But, I rarely feel great. I just know what to do or what not to do in order to prevent myself from having an episode. So, I don't do as much as I want to do, playing soccer or running or any athletic activity being one of those things.Sorry for writing so much. As you may know, once you start talking about your health, you can just write and write and write. And it is hard for me to explain things, so it takes me more words to explain. HAHA. Anyway, I appreciate all of the help.
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Hi Vicky,Just wanted to mention something about IBS - some people have food intolerances or allergies and cannot eat them because they get a reaction - for example -wheat would be gluten intolerance, dairy products, lactose intolerance, and so forth - but folks can have these conditions - which have symptoms similar to IBS - either independent of IBS or alongside it.What makes this tricky is that the true IBS patient does not necessarily have food related problems - food does not cause IBS, but the triggers are foods that become connected with an IBS attack. The reason we know this is because either the food doesn't always bring on an attack - or - after treatment, the food no longer brings on an attack - as in my case.But to make it even more tricky, the mind can make it so you have an attack everytime you eat a particular food (as long as there hasn't been a food allergy or intolerance diagnosed, then this is IBS).For now, cutting out foods that you know will bring on an attack is a good measure to getting through for now, but for life long measures, it is best to get it sorted as to true indescretions, and learned food triggers. Diets work for two reasons: either the person has food intolerances or allergies - OR the placebo effect has taken place. It is complicated, I know, but after going through this for 17 years - searching the facts, the more you learn the more there is to learn! LOL - there is also a subset of persons who have IBS symptoms due to bacterial overgrowth in the small bowel - though it is termed as IBS sometimes, it really is a condition unto itself.That is why all of us stress on the BB to get yourself checked out by the doc to rule out every other cause for the symptoms- when nothing else can be found, then it is IBS.But again, foods do not cause IBS in and of themselves.Also, Imodium is a good precautionary measure to use before games - the docs say it is safe and usually doesn't have any side effects- you do however, have to play around with the dosage that is right for you - and even then, that can change with situations, eating habits, etc.Be sure to investigate other medical sources and always check things out. But it can be overwhelming - I know!
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I have a quick question for you. I have mentioned that I found out that garlic is a trigger for me. A little amount, like the last ingrediant in something is garlic poweder, will just make me feel a little off. The more the garlic, the worse I feel. If I actually have something with garlic cloves in it or a fair amount of garlic, I get D within 45 minutes.I have never really heard of anyone being allergic to garlic. Is this something that could be overcome with CHT or am I actually allergic to garlic? Also, this only really started happening when I was 16-18. It got progressively worse during that time period. Thanks again.quote:Originally posted by cookies4marilyn:Hi Vicky,Just wanted to mention something about IBS - some people have food intolerances or allergies and cannot eat them because they get a reaction - for example -wheat would be gluten intolerance, dairy products, lactose intolerance, and so forth - but folks can have these conditions - which have symptoms similar to IBS - either independent of IBS or alongside it.What makes this tricky is that the true IBS patient does not necessarily have food related problems - food does not cause IBS, but the triggers are foods that become connected with an IBS attack. The reason we know this is because either the food doesn't always bring on an attack - or - after treatment, the food no longer brings on an attack - as in my case.But to make it even more tricky, the mind can make it so you have an attack everytime you eat a particular food (as long as there hasn't been a food allergy or intolerance diagnosed, then this is IBS).For now, cutting out foods that you know will bring on an attack is a good measure to getting through for now, but for life long measures, it is best to get it sorted as to true indescretions, and learned food triggers. Diets work for two reasons: either the person has food intolerances or allergies - OR the placebo effect has taken place. It is complicated, I know, but after going through this for 17 years - searching the facts, the more you learn the more there is to learn! LOL - there is also a subset of persons who have IBS symptoms due to bacterial overgrowth in the small bowel - though it is termed as IBS sometimes, it really is a condition unto itself.That is why all of us stress on the BB to get yourself checked out by the doc to rule out every other cause for the symptoms- when nothing else can be found, then it is IBS.But again, foods do not cause IBS in and of themselves.Also, Imodium is a good precautionary measure to use before games - the docs say it is safe and usually doesn't have any side effects- you do however, have to play around with the dosage that is right for you - and even then, that can change with situations, eating habits, etc.Be sure to investigate other medical sources and always check things out. But it can be overwhelming - I know!![]()
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Hi Fresh -We were posting at the same time!Yes, aloestron is rec for women, but I do know that men have taken it. But it was pulled off the market for awhile, and now it is very restrictive in terms of getting it.Levsin is similar to Bentyl - there are two forms - one a pill, the other SL for sub-lingual which you dissolve under your tongue. The side effect is a very dry mouth - which, the doc says has to be there if it is going to work at all - if you have too low a dosage and you don't get the dry mouth side effect, you won't get the benefits. I was on that, and it did little, but for the short term it is worth a try for you - anything is worth a try.Just from what you have written in your second post, I do think the CHT will help you, but certainly do whatever it takes in the meantime. But that constant thinking about not feeling great -that is a primary thing to IBS - it just reinforces the neural pathway and your body comes to expect not to feel great. It is learned. You weren't born with IBS - and these patterns can be unlearned - but it is nothing you are doing on purpose or on a conscious level. Just like if you hear a loud noise, you automatically will jump, and your heart will beat faster. This is normal. Well, over time, your mind-gut connection has made similar automatic respsonses, and clinical research has shown that these can be broken. I can't stress this enough, because of the hell I was in - it is science, it is proven. I used to have horrible attacks, once thinking about them, they would get worse. Now, if I do feel a twinge, I am usually able to get rid of it in a few minutes - sometimes even seconds, and get on with my day. Usually happens in the car or where there might not be access to a bathroom - now I have traveled and not had any attacks - I couldn't do that for 17 years.No need to apologize for writing so much (my son is an apologizer too!) You are not well, and you need support - only natural. You explain yourself very well - Anyway, I am very certain you can get some relief. If needed, you can even contact Mike in England himself - he has worked with over 3000 IBS patients - and really know all the variants to the disorder as he works with the gastros in his medical centre practice.You are welcome for the help - feel free to ask away again if needed.
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LOL - we are overlapping our posts!Garlic was indeed a trigger for me. When I was your age I ate it in powder form, and used it a lot - then I started using fresh form as well - no problems. When I got IBS, I then became sick with garlic powder - so I avoided it. Now I can eat whole garlic, either fresh, cooked, or dehydrated - whereas I couldn't eat it before. I will sometimes have the garlic powder when I make garlic bread, and usually have no problems, but I noticed it depended upon the brand. This could be that there may be MSG in it - now MSG (monosodium glutamate) is in lots of seasonings, and in oriental cooking, and many people (non IBS ers) have problems with it. So look at the brand and see if it is in there. I also could never eat onions, and now I do. So that is my case. I would say since this started at age 16 or so, you probably aren't allergic, because you would have had reactions when you first took it - though I suppose reactions could be built up over time. Try cooking a garlic clove, and spread it on a slice of bread - just a little clove - along with your meal, and see what happens. If you do get a discomfort, take a chewable papaya tablet or two,which may help. It is important to remember that everyone gets food indiscretions from time to time, but if this is ongoing, then it could be IBS trigger. Do you have problems with onions, peppers, etc. as well?
No offense at all, but I am NOT going to try putting garlic on a piece of bread and eating it. LOL. I know that I will be in trouble for days if I do that. I can handle some onions. I think that when they are cooked, I do better. But, yes, onions are not great for me either, but no where NEAR as bad as garlic. My mom has told me that I may be allergic to sulfur or something like that, which is in onions, garlic, and scallions. This may be true, but scallions and onions do not affect me as bad as garlic. I do not feel GREAT after I eat them, but I don't feel terribly either. I try to not have much of them, so I do not know the severity of it. But, I believe that I can have a certain amount without having an episode. I also try to stay away from peppers. I try to stay away from spicy foods in general. I know that some peppers are not spicy, but I still get scared. I think that peppers are similar to onions and scallions for me in that I can tolerate a small amount - I may not feel GREAT, but I do not have an episode.But, seriously, I am EXTREMELY scared of garlic. I have become paranoid really. I get nervous of eating anything really. I constantly check labels and when I go out, I am obnoxiously persistant. It is also REALLY difficult to avoid garlic. You would be surprised how many things it is in. TRUST me. I have heard that it is possible to obtain an allergy over time, but it sounds weird to me. I used to eat Italian food and spicy foods and a lot of garlic when I was young. It is weird to me that all of a sudden, I couldn't. So, I was just wondering if it IS indeed an allergy, or if it is a trigger and CHT could help overcome that. I am 99% sure that I will be ordering those tapes anyway tonight, so your answer won't affect that. I know that many of the people on this site have suffered worse and longer than me, but I am already at the point where I am willing to try anything.
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LOL - No problem on not trying the cooked garlic if you already know - but that was the one way I could tolerate it, but don't make yourself hurt!
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I have heard also of allergies being built up over time - the only way to really know is to have the patch test for it - but it sounds more like a food intolerance - I think with intolerances you have the gastro symptoms, with allergies, it is more like your throat closes up, itching, rashes, that sort of thing. Hot peppers bother me, but they bother lots of persons - Like you, ate lots of Italian - my ex is Italian, and we had the sausage, beefs, guardinara - I know I spelled that wrong, but the peppers relish - that put everyone out of commission the day after!! LOL So you could have something going on with garlic in addition to the IBS. But what a lot of Mike's patients did, was to gradually add tiny bits of past trigger foods to see if the could tolerate it. Most added them gradually and over a short period of time, then reintroduced these foods back into the diet. There's no way to know for certain on every single food, but I say do whatever it takes to feel better and lay off that garlic until you have completed the program, and then take it from there.It doesn't matter how long you have suffered - pain is pain and I was like you, willing to try anything - mine was a last ditch effort, so I always figure, the sooner the sufferer finds what works for them, the better.
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