Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

Hi! I've seen your posts here and there, but I don't think I've said "welcome" yet, so... welcome!

You've probably seen me babbling in other posts and know that I'm not stable yet, but I've improved quite a bit from where I was a month ago, so I thought I'd reply. I still have bad days, but the good days are slowly increasing in number. I've been on the diet since the end of May... about 7 weeks. I was always a D, but when I started the diet and gave up caffeine, I became an A. I do still sometimes have D, but the attacks don't last as long as they used to, and I never have liquid D anymore. (I know, this is TMI, heh.) Even though I still have attacks, I do consider it an improvement. But this only happened very recently, so if you've just started the diet, do hang in there and stick with it, you WILL feel better!

If you don't want to answer this, that's fine - I don't need to know - but considering the stresses of the past year, have you (or have you considered) talking to a therapist? Honestly? The diet and everything aside, seeing a therapist has been the best thing I've ever done for the way I feel, mentally and physically. Now, my case might be a little different, of course, but if you have the means, it can't hurt to try. There's a definite connection between the brain and the gut, and stress and emotional upset (which you've certainly had!) can definitely aggravate IBS. Again, I don't mean any harm by suggesting - just a passing thought on what's working (so far!) for me. Disregard if it doesn't work for ya.

Oh, the joys of the medical community... you DO NOT even want me to get started on that one!! Even my therapist has said that pretty much every doctor I've ever gone to for gut-related ailments can be accused of malpractice, so you can just guess what my stories are like.

Anyway, right now... it worries me that you're dehydrated. (Fatigued isn't good either, but that will pass, trust me.) Are you taking any kind of pepto/imodium/etc? If your body can handle it, a dose might be a good idea to help you immediately. Keep water with you *at all times* - I find room-temperature to cool better than cold - and sip on it slowly. Peppermint tea is lovely, but if you have reflux, be careful how much you take, as mint can actually make reflux/heartburn worse - I can only handle a cup a day, so I basically only drink it immediately post-attack now. I also found that, when I was REALLY sick, I couldn't eat most of what was on the "what to eat when you can't eat anything" list - I had to stick with saltines and plain rice in small quantities, and that's IT. It's not terribly nutritious, but for a day or so, it's better than not eating anything at all - which is another bad cycle to get into (and trust me, I'm speaking from personal experience on that one).

Ok, now I'm officially rambling... I hope you're feeling a *little* better today! Get your water, or some ginger tea, grab a trashy novel, and rest up!

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