don't know what to do
#252661 - 03/17/06 08:02 AM
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I have had my IBS under control for many years and it has recently flared up over the last year. I've been in school and trying to find a new job which is stressful, but there's nothing I can do about it until school's over in 2 months! I've tried a variety of diet changes and nothing seems to work. I've also tried fiber supplements (Benefiber) and Probiotics (Primal Defense) and Calcium supplements. These things work for a few days and then I'm back to being constipated and gassy for a day or two then having frequent diarrhea/loose stools for a few days. The urges to use the restroom are urgent and it's sometimes hard to hold it, it's getting annoying! I'm tired of worrying about where the bathroom is all the time and worrying about getting attacks while I'm in the middle of things. I want my life back but am not sure what to do, I'm still young! I'd appreciate any help!
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help appreciated
You should look into the Hypnotherapy forum information. Hypnotherapy has an excellent track record and can not only help the symptoms, but also the associated anxiety and emotions along with IBS.
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My website on IBS is www.ibshealth.com
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Are you sure this is just a regular IBS flare-up and not some other sort of infection? Have you been to your doctor recently for a check up?
If you're sure it's just IBS acting up due to stress, how about starting over with the EFI diet? I would begin with the BTC diet again and after a few days work in some IF and protein. I would also recommend drinking lots of peppermint tea to help with the spasms and taking 1/2 - 1 Imodium in the morning to help with that feeling of urgency. I can also switch to C, but this dosage of Imodium doesn't bother me. If you continue to take Benefiber and gradually up the dose, this should keep you from getting constipated.
HTH. I'm sorry to hear you're in a flare-up after being stable for so long! That's happened to me too and it's so frustrating. 
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I have been to the doctor, they did blood work and everything looked OK. Also, if it were an infection wouldn't the symptoms be constant and have gotten worse over the last year?
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Quote:
I have been to the doctor, they did blood work and everything looked OK. Also, if it were an infection wouldn't the symptoms be constant and have gotten worse over the last year? Yes, you're right. I was wondering about a parasitic infection, like giardia or something, which isn't always present in a stool sample but can cause symptoms similar to IBS. But if you had that, you'd probably be losing weight and be suffering from fatigue or other non-IBS symptoms. It sounds like you've taken all the right steps in seeing your doctor.  I wish there was some other way I could help. I also agree with Shawneric's recommendation on trying hypnotherapy - it should help you manage the stress that's causing your IBS symptoms to flare up.
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How long did you take the fibre and probiotics for? There are some probiotics that are prescribed by doctors so you might like to talk to him or her about it. I'm not sure what the difference is to the regular heath food store bought kind, maybe higher dosage, but some people have luck with a different probiotic. For example I've tried many probiotics, but the one I found works best for me so far is Primal Defense, but some others here had a hard time with it.
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