Ibs - tmi.....

[Blossom9]

Possible TMI !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hi All

Since I had my baby last year, i've had problems with my erm.... bowels!

I have always been quiet regular, a 1 - 3 times a day girl. However since having my daughter 14 months ago, every now and again I flare up and can go up to 6 times a day! Always in the morning, as soon as I get up. and lasts till about lunchtime.

Its sooooo annoying and I don't know what to do to help me stop getting these flare ups. I can be fine and normal for a couple of months, and then I eat something (so far has been cottage cheese, or ice cream or too much sugar) and I get what I call one of my attacks. These always happen in the evening after dinner, and I end up on the loo for an hour...until I've had a right clear out (TMI SORRY). Go to bed and then the next day wake up fine. Apart from my bowels are unhappy for a week or so.....

And then the pattern starts again

I went to the doctors, had all the blood tests done etc. All fine. They've suggested I don't eat dairy for a month and uptake my fibre. But I've done this for 4 days, and I feel really bad!!!!

Anyone have any advice as what I can do to calm everything down?

I had a very stressful pregnancy (gestational diabetes, on tablets for that, anaemia, so iron tablets for that and then a tough labour). Doctor thinks all this stress to my tummy has caused the ibs???

Thanks all

 

[Housewife83]

Hello,

I have suffered from IBS for years. Stress can be a big cause for it so your doctor may be correct.

I would suggest you buy this book. It was brilliant for me and explained all about the different bowel and stomach issues very clearly.

Good Gut Healing

One important note about fibre. You may already know this but it isn't clear from your post. There are two types of fibre insoluble and soluble fibre.

Net Doctor - fibre

It's common to be recommended to increase your insoluble fibre by eating more wholemeal stuff and so on. However, for unknown reasons, some people with IBS find that insoluble fibre actually aggravates them and makes the IBS symptoms worse. You may find that focusing on increasing your soluble fibre is more helpful to you.

You could also try these websites as they have supportive information.

https://www.theibsnetwork.org/whatisibs.asp

https://www.patient.co.uk/health/Irritable-Bowel-Syndrome.htm

I hope you find something that works for you.

 

[Blossom9]

Thank you I will be getting that book. I didn't realise that about the different types of fibre, and it seems that I have been increasing the wrong one for me. Thanks so much for your advice. x

 

[misshopefull]

I found out I had ibs when I was 18. It settled down until I was pregnant with ds in 2008. After his birth it was back worse than i'd ever had it before.

I kept a food diary, had blood tests and tried various medications. It was the worrying about going back to work that was really stressing me out. I have a long commute on a train and I was worried that i have have an 'urgent' need to go.

In the end I got buscopan and imodium on prescription. The buscopan helps with the really bad attacks [stomach pains comparable to being in labour!] as does a hot water bottle. I take imodium several times a week and I know the amount that works for me with out making me constipated.

I have recently been to the doctors to see if I can take my medication in pregnancy and i was told to keep it to a minimum but the amount I take should be ok. I don't really want to so I have just started taking calcium supplements which I have heard can help people with my sort of IBS.

I really hope your situation improves soon because I know how much it can rule your life. It was so bad for me that last year I wouldn't even go out for a meal for fear of a bad attack. Thankfully it has been much better this year.

Good luck

 

[Jellycat]

I'm having exactly the same issue at the moment

I've always suffered from upset stomach couple of years ago went on a candida diet no yeast or sugars , I also needed to cut out dairy, wheat and pork. At first my stomach was terrible and couldn't leave the house for a week. However it eventually settled into a manageable routine where I may need imodium once a week.

Since having Lo 10 monthsxago my symptoms have gradually been coming back to the point now I'm needing imodium every other day (only 1 tablet usually). I'm considering going back to the above diet to see if it helps again but it is very restrictive and hard to maintain.

I'm having blood checked to see if there maybe another cause to this and other symptoms I currently have (dizzy, tired, dry skin, absent periods, heavy periods).

 

[Blossom9]

Thanks for all your replies. It really is awful isn't it. Kinda controls your life. I have to be so careful of what I eat. Touch wood - I seem to have it under control again. Im avoiding too much diary and fatty foods, as these seem to be the foods that upset me. But its all trial and error. I wish the doctors could do blood tests to find out what foods i shouldn't eat.

I see a couple of you take imodium when you are bad. What is this? How does it help?

Have any of you had a colonoscpy? My doctor says he can not say for sure that i got IBS (even though it is very likely) unless they do one of these to rule out everything else. I really don't fancy it, and my doctor says its fine not to have one as i don't have any worrying symptoms like blood in stools, or pain when he presses my tummy. Its just that they can't say I deffo have IBS, just that its likely. I had blood tests done, and they all came back normal.

Thanks all

 

[Arisa]

I feel you
I have not cr**ped in six days SIX days
Usually when my period comes everything loosens and its the one time of the month when it all flows so to speak

I eat healthy stewed fruit, swim and walk daily
I drink heaps of water but nothing seems to work

constipation is painful too :S
thats the one concern with getting pregnant for me, the chronic constipation ahead

Anyone else suffered IBS for a long time? I mean pre TTC and childbirth?

Enimas and certain laxatives help but nothing gets rid of the problem GRRR

 

[tallybee]

everyone!

IBS is rough... it seems to be such an individual thing as to what triggers and what helps it too, so it's hard to give advice.

I find white bread gives me terrible cramps and constipation, dairy's not a problem but fatty, greasy foods go right through me. It really is just trial and error, keeping a log of what you eat and how you then feel is a good idea.

In general I have just had to get used to the fact that I sometimes go to the loo loads of times a day, sometimes not at all for a couple of days... that's OK as long as I can control the pain. It's 10 times worse around AF.

xx

 

[Arisa]

Is there anything out there you guys have used to loosen the bowels even briefly?
i took a water enema and drank plenty of water and exercised over the weekend and nothing, usually enemas work in ten minutes

the constipation pain is chronic
please help!!!

big hugs to everyone, i know what you are going through
oh and lets not even get started on the haemorrhoids OUCH!!!!

 

[twinkle1975]

I've had colonoscopy - when I was about 22. It wasnt too bad, I had it without sedation as I didn't want to spend time in the hospital recovering. The worst bit about it was having my arse out in front of a load of nurses! I now know what causes mine to flare up - fatty foods, cheese on toast etc & I usually avoid them (although sometimes cheese on toast is worth the risk!) Stress also makes it much worse. I took buscopan for several years too. Hope you get it sorted, it is nasty!

 

[Blossom9]

Thanks for your replies. Touch wood mine seems ok at the moment. I'm trying to avoid the foods I think flares it up. It's still not great, I get the odd tummy ache etc And I deffo take on board what you all say about stress making it worse. The doctor thinks thats what triggered mine off to start with.

I think If I relax about it all more, and try not to think about it as much, then hopefully it will really calm down like before.

Thanks for explaining about the colonoscpy.