hey! i have been suffering with IBS now for 4 years but it took them ages to find out what it was going through a specialist and having numerous blood tests etc done! its such a horrid thing to have i find it difficult to get to college everyday because i cant seem to leave on time because im stuck on the loo! i try to leave early to miss the rush hour traffic but this isnt always possible! and if i get stuck in the traffic i find my self panicing because im affraid that i may need to go to the toilet but obviously there isnt one around. the doctor has given me numerous tablets to stop the pain but just have horrid side effects. i have been taking imodium plus for two years now and i think it may be making it worse because i have been on it for so long would this be possible? i find myslself not wanting to go out because of my IBS its far easier to stay in than have to explain to everyone im with why i keep rushing to the toilet. it seems to have got worse as time has gone on. i seem to be struggling with it everyday! im going to uni in september but im living at home and will be driving there which is worrying me because of my IBS i want to try and settle it down before september. any suggestions?help!

Yes, unfortunately, Immodium would definitely be making your IBS worse.

There are lot of natural alternatives that you can try and yes, meds that your doc will give you do sometimes have lots of side effects, such as headaches with Colofac and the like.

You should start off by taking some Metamucil. This is a water soluble fiber supplement and is as good for diarrhea as it is for constipation. You should take it twice daily with plenty of water. Your GI tract needs fiber to function.

Next, you should consider taking some Acidophilus. This is friendly bacteria that live in the gut and it can be useful for topping it up and re-balancing it. You should keep them in the fridge and take them on an empty stomach twice daily. You can eat live yogurt too. You can get them from heathfood stores, but be sure to buy them out of the cold cabinet.

If you get stomach cramps and an upset stomach generally, then Chamomile tea is very good for settling an upset stomach. Also, if you have diarrhea badly, then the herb Slippery Elm in conjunction with the Chamile tea can be very helpful to both help cramps and diarrhea.

If you have predominanty stomach cramps, then Peppermint tea is very good, as it has antispasmodic properties.

Next, take a look at your diet. You could consider cutting out dairy produce if you eat it and wheat, as lots of IBS sufferers have problems eating these foods and can even have intolerances to them. Try not to drink coffee and soda, as this also aggravates IBS. Try to include fruit and veg, potatoes and rice that will give you natural fiber.

I see you live in England? Whereabouts and what Uni are you going to? What are you going to study? I only ask, as I was born and brought up in England in Tunbridge Wells in Kent and laterly London, where I worked as a nurse. I have now lived in Boston for the past 9 years or so, having fallen in love with it following a holiday there several years ago now. When I first moved there, I could not work as an RN, so decided to go back to studying and went to the colleges there to train in acupuncture and homeopathy. They have lots of great colleges and great courses and I think we have a lot of catching up to do in the UK to be on the same level. I am now thinking of going on to try and gain my ND qualification from one of the University's here. That is a naturopath, as there does seem to be a complete lack and it is easier to practice alternative therapies over here if you have that qualification.

Anyway, I was also going to recommend acupuncture treatment or homeopathic treatment as being very good for IBS too. If the energetic forms of treatment do not suit you and they don't suit everyone, then try the more physical such as herbal medicine. Herbal remedies can work just as well.

There are acupuncturists and homeopaths in England who are very good and you can ask the British Acupuncture Council or the Society of Homeopaths for a practitioner list or look on the internet. There is also the Register of Medical Herbalists too that you can request a practitioner list from and you should be able to find practitioners in your area with no problem.

Good luck anyway and I hope this helps and that you can find something from all this lot that will help your stomach problems?

Hi there. I agree with Sarah - try the fiber and acidophilus. Some people also have good luck by adding 2 calcium supplementst daily - the calcium may bind you up.

If you're suffering psychologically from all the IBS stress, consider asking your doc for a low dose of anti-anxiety or anti-depressant medication. Sometimes low doses of Elavil (10-25 mg) help.

If you're having urgency and diarrhea related to meal intake, Colestid or Questran may be for you. Do some web searches on bile salt diarrhea or Habba syndrome to see if the symptoms fit you. I suffer from IBS-D (20+ years), and in the last 5-6 years was having daily urgent diarrhea (following 2 different abdominal surgeries). The only thing that's given me my life back was a combination of fiber, calcium supplements, acidophilus, and Colestid.

Relieving stress via counseling and/or other alternative methods is a must. The mind/gut cycle of IBS is a viscious one, and you need to find relief through many different sources. All IBS sufferers are unique, and what works for one may or may not work for someone else.

Good luck to you,
Katie G

wow thank you very much i didnt think someone would reply so quickly! it scares me coming off the imodium though because i feel it will get lots worse before it gets any better?!? i am planning to go to either huddersfield or warrington as i live about half an hour away from manchester. i went for a food alergy test a while back and they told me that my gut is highly sensitive to potato and tomatoe! which is really what the british diet is made up of no pizza no chips no nothing so i thought i may as well give it a go! at first it was really hard but now i dont care and it did make my tummy a lot easier for a week but then as i have said before i think the imodium is not helping as it seems to get worse after i take it i do drink a lot of peppermint tea as i do find it helps and i used to take the acidophulis (cant spell it sorry!) when i was younger and im sure it helped because it wa smuch better then than it is now i can tell you! its just a pain because it stops me doing things i want to and some times i just cannot find a toilet and i get in to a right state if im out and about! i asked my doctor if the imodium would have any lasting affects and he said no so i hope he is right and it hasnt damaged me in anyway from taking it for so long!but with the summer holidays coming up i feel it would be the best time for me to get off the tablets and start taking more natural things. I went for a massage the other week which was nice and i have a book on managing stress and have lavendar in my bath and in my car. i also try to concentrate on my breathing if i panic. i am going to uni to study media and would love to be a tv presenter and work behind the cameras and one day write a script for a film a produce and direct it that would be my ultimate goal!i have read good reviews about warrington and one girl went to LA and worked with the film stars which i would love to do but my IBS would stop me going that far i think. it annoys me because i used to do everything and go everywhere and with me only being 17 my friends want to go out and stay out all night which i cannot do it just wouldnt be possible at the moment. it seems really strange to have some one to talk to about it because up to now iv had no help and was told of this site by some one i chat to on the net. and most people get a bit funny when you try to talk about going to the toilet! where do i get the metamucil, colestid and questran from are they all natural? or owuld i have to go to the doctors? thank you so much for your help, nichola xx

Hi again. Metamucil is psyillum fiber which can be purchased here in the States at any pharmacy or supermarket. I guess it would have the same name in England?

Colestid (pill form) and Questran (powder form) are prescription drugs called cholestyramine resin. Be careful of it however; the most significant side effect is constipation, so if you have any tendency towards constipation, this is not the drug for you. It works best for those who have diarrhea related to eating. Try the fiber and calcium supplements first as a more natural approach. After a few weeks, if no relief, post again, and I'll tell you more about Colestid. It's been a real lifesaver for me, but it only works for specific types of diarrhea.

Good luck to you and keep us posted,
Katie G

Try and come off the Immodium if you can. It can give you stomach cramps due to the way that it stops the diarrea and Calcium supplements as Katie mentioned are a more natural way of stopping it. It allows your bowel to absorb back more water naturally. That in combination with the fiber therapy and it should be a lot better. Also, I would start the Acidophilus again to rebalance the gut bacteria, especially as you said that you felt better last time.

Keep up with the Peppermint and Chamomile tea and do not dismiss my suggesitons about acupuncture and homeopathy. They really could help you. Acupuncture can make you feel more relaxed and control your tendency to panic.

hey thanx for your quicky replies i went shopping today and got some acidophilus, some peppermint capsules some chamomile tea which tastes vile!but i shall stick with it and some evenig primrose tablets because iv heard that is good for balancing your hormones. I think i would have to look further in to acupuncture if i was to go and have it done. i shall try to get off the imodium once i have finished college that way if it gets worse before it gets better then i have time to be ill and wont stop me doing my exmas. i never knew that calcium could help but i shall give it a go too. thank you again for your help and i shall keep you posted to how it is going!which will hopefully be well!