Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards | Some questions from new reader/poster with a dilemna !!

For years, junior high age, I've been told my stomach/digestive problems were 'spastic colon' and was told by every doctor just to learn to deal with it, its a fact of life for mostly women. The bouts usually seemed to be triggered by illness or extreme stress and I had the usual naseau, bloating, horrid gas and then would bounce between constipation and diarrhea for a number of days. For some reason I seem prone to stomach/intestinal flu vs the upper respiratory and that ALWAYS triggers a bout. Once my system settles it can be months before the next episode and I learned to live with it.

At 17 I was diagonsed as Hypoglycemic when it was still something relatively 'new' and unknown' since most people at that time (early 70's) were thought to be either 'normal' or diabetic. My doctor was a pioneer in the field of high and low blood sugar and insulin resistance and had me on a strict diet of many small meals a day with protein plus fiber in form of fresh fruit and veggies and some nuts etc. I was suppose to be on a low to NO refined sugar diet as much as possible. Once I felt good I'd be inconsistent about sticking to what I knew worked and that caused horrid weight fluxations up and down. As well as triggering the boating, gas and usually diarrhea more often than the constipation. Being teenager and then into college it was too much soda, fast foods, pizza and the usual junk we do at that age. But as I got older, married, had kids I turned more to a sensible adult diet for myself as well as family.

Pregnancy didn't help either the spastic colon or the hypoglycemia nor did advanced cervical cancer in my mid 30's or the treatments until I finally had a hysterectomy to cure it (hopefully) once and for all. The hysterectomy and early menopause at age 38 threw my body into complete turmoil between hormones, weight problems, digestive problems etc. For 10 years I fought battles with weight etc.. only thing I found I could control was the menopause symptoms with soy isoflavones vs synthetic hormone replacement due to breast cancer risks. I went from 168 after losing the baby fat with my last to 310 pounds as of 18 months ago over a period of 11 years.

I looked horrid, felt horrid, was in a horrid mental state and nothing any of the doctors and specialists they sent me to worked. They put me on diets that made no sense to me but everyone claimed it was the cure.. hardly, I kept gaining weight and the gas and bloating with each new "miracle diet and doctor" increased. I was told it was the spastic colon and to eat more fiber and take some antigas medication and quit complaining.

Out of total frustration and my husband worried I was going to drop dead due to the weight causing my blood pressure to sky rocket and flip flop me between hypoglycemia and type 2 diabetes back and forth I went to "another" doctor. Wrong referral he was not a specialist but a GP but the ONLY one that really listened and took notes and called a few days later after confering my own doctor and my oncologist. He sent me to the sleep lab first... and I was diagonsed with severe sleep apnea and fitted for the equipment to use. 10 months later for the first time in years I not only slept without waking up hundreds of times grasping for breath but I woke up refreshed and not exhausted as I had been for years and years each morning and I had lost 6 pounds. The doctor had told me one of the side effects of untreated apnea is weight gain and since I was gaining about the same amount each and every year. That little bit of loss helped my blood pressure to come down, my cholesterol had always been and still was normal as were most test except for my blood sugar which now seemed to stay in the T2Diabetes range just above normal. So my family doctor insisted I take medication to stabilize my blood sugar.

Since I already took soy supplments for the menopause symptoms my daugther pleaded with me to try the herbalife soy system for dieting along with the vitamin,mineral and fiber supplements and diet recommendation, which was very similar to the diet from highschool for the hypoglycemia. I read the info over, my doctor said it looked good, could I stick to it. I did.. and in 4 more months took off another 12 pounds.

About January last year I came across a book by a Lady PHD in diet and nutrition for people with true insulin resistance, which could be either hypoglycemic, diabetic or BOTH (myself). Everything she wrote about experiencing it herself as well as patients was me.. so I combined her low carb/smart carb, NO refined sugar or white flour diet with the herbalife soy protein shakes and supplements I had been successfully using for months now. I had an occassional bout with the gas and then a day of diarrhea but really didn't think much of it since it seemed to have all but disappeard between the apena equipment usage and the new strict diet I adhered to.

By this January I had lost over a total of 50 pounds, my blood pressure was slightly into the high normal range my blood sugar being tested every 3 months was back to normal or bordering on slightly hypoglycemic, I had no more sweet and carb cravings that would drive me crazy and I would then binge on the "low fat" snacks like pretzels and the likes. I ate my 3 meals a day plus snacks in between of apple slices, blueberries, celery sticks, carrot sticks, snap peas etc and use the soy based protein bars from both herbalife and Atkins. I allowed myself the one day a week of anything I wanted so it would not be monotomy in eating and I felt good, looked good dropping 3 clothing sizes.

Then End of February I got hit with the worst case of intestinal flu I have ever had in my life. Both my husband and daugther at home had the upper respiratory flu which I figured I'd catch but as usual it hit me in the gut and hit hard. Took almost 5 days for my fever to break and I spent most of that time in the bathroom between diarrhea and vomiting no stop. Once fever broke and I felt better my appetitite came back slowly and I began to eat small meals ever few hours and was feeling much better. Suddenly I was bent over one night with the most horrible pain and cramps I have ever had in my colon (which I had never experienced before). It was worst than any period or labor pains I'd ever had and I have a very high pain tolerance ! By the end of week 2 I still had horrid gas and diarrhea, no problems eating, no fever but the bloating, the gas, the cramping and the diarrhea would not cease. So I called my doctor. His nurse told me the intestinal flu going around our area was so severe they were hospitalizing people for it - could last as long as 3 - 4 weeks. So told me to take this and that and eat a bland diet with plenty of herbal teas and water. At start of week 5 it was starting to subside but would come and go.. normal one day... sick for a day or two, back to normal and back and forth like this for another 10 days. Called the doctor again and they asked if I was solid enough for a stool sample and I laughed.. they got the hint and transferred me to one of the gastro specialists.

That doctor asked me 1001 questions and history to which I pretty much advised per above. His comment .. sounds like IBS brought on by the severe flu you had. I asked about the "spastic colon" and he replied.. same thing just old name vs new. Drink herbal tea, eat toast, applesauce and banannas and call me in a week to 10 days if you still have it I might want you to come in.

His "diet" helped to slow things down a bit but not enough for my satisfaction so I started to research online and came across a few medical sites with updated info and then this one. I stayed on the bland diet and added the water soluble l-glutamine 3 times a day before foods and also the fennel tea and in about 4 days I was almost normal. Following week I was normal and had been up until last week.

I have NO clue what triggered it since I have been back on the herbalife soy protein diet with my normal low carb/no sugar diet and all was fine. No bloating, no gas, no problems. Nothing then suddenly it was back in full force.

The ONLY thing I can think of is that my job is very very high stress and the past 2 weeks have been unbearable.. don't tell me quit and look for something else.. I own my own business so I AM the boss but that makes me the go-to person for everything, espeically when thing go wrong or business is slow !! I am usually a one cup of coffe if that a day person, but the last week I realized I had been drinking CUPS of coffee and not realizing it and probably too much alcohol at night to wind down to go to bed.

Put myself BACK onto the bland diet with NO caffine and no alcohol and using the fennel tea, the l-glutamine and ordered the items from the website here along with the books. 3 days of that and my gut seemed to be almost normal yesterday. I woke up at 2AM and I was having gas and cramps and diarrhea again and I've not had any of the trigger foods. My husband said all he can think of is the fresh fish he grilled for dinner for us last night since it made him gassy also. ?????

The ONLY way to keep my blood sugar stable as well as other things where they should be means my diet must have meat protein and lots of veggies and fruits but as little to no carbs in the from of breads and pasta's and sugar as possible. Those type of carbs are an Instant trigger for my hypoglycemia.

Sorry about being so long BUT I am totally frustrated at this point - I have 2 very different problems here that both have seperate needs to be addressed and often the best for one conflicts with the other. And one often upsets the other. Any comments, suggestions appreciated.

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*There are 2 theories toward victory if arguing with women. Neither one works*

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