My med helps...BUT unfortunately what happens is it must numb the intestines so much that you don't know you have to go until you have that feeling at the "back door" and you need to find a restroom immediately. But there is definetly less pain and less visits to the bathroom. Don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing???
CCW! So glad you had a wonderful trip and a joyous Thanksgiving! I'm so happy for you. I chuckled over the part about your wife 'having to go'. That was a switch huh? I'm sure your family was thrilled to see you back home and I'm sure Kitty loved the ride! What color is Kitty?
LouAnn, I'm happy that your test results came back okay and that the meds are helping with the pain. Have you tried restricting your diet to certain foods? I really hope you will try acacia fiber...I honestly believe that was the crucial turning point in my IBS recovery. I think IBS sufferers have to realize that there is no magic pill that will cure us, and that health professionals just don't have a clue what to do with us, so its up to us to figure out what works best for our bodies.
Since my tummy troubles started all those many years ago, I have gone to at least 5 different doctors, had every test imaginable, and had so many prescriptions filled, but never found anything that 'worked'. I remember reading that antidepressants could help someone with IBS by inhibiting seratonin in your gut. I discussed it with my GI doctor, who gave me a sample pack to try. I waited until a Saturday to take one just in case I had a weird reaction..and I'm so glad I did. Within 20 minutes of swallowing it, I had what I referred to as "fire hydrant hinney". But the worse part was how I felt emotionally/mentally. That med just freaked me out. I remember just pacing repeating to myself "I'm okay, I'll be ok"...
Went back to the doctor Monday because I was still so freaked out. He tried joking saying that I was the only person he knew that got depressed on antidepressants. When I told my gyn what had happened, we realized that the dosage of the sample pack was much too strong for a first time user.
Anyway...
My Thanksgiving was wonderful. We went to a very nice restaurant and had a delicous dinner. It was so nice not to have to wrestle with a turkey and have all the food shopping, preparing...and cleanup taken care of. I think we started a new 'tradition'. Eating out on Turkey Day. Next year we are hoping to get into NYC for the Macy's Parade! Oh, how my life has changed!!
I hope this finds you both doing better with your IBS symptoms and finds you having fun gearing up for the holidays. We've been busy here doing all sorts of things and my tummy has been behaving for me. I'm enjoying seeing all the Christmas lights while we drive around at night, running here and there, getting shopping/errands done.
Wishing everyone and happy and healthy Holiday and a wonderful New Year!
Well, ironically tonite I was suffering pretty bad after almost a month with no problems due to my new meds....really disappointed I had an attack today. I quickly though of what I may have eaten to trigger this and today I had an egg and tomato sandwich on WW multi grain bread, and a turkey pot pie for dinner. A peach yogurt and couple toll house cookies. Hoping I can sleep tonite.....as I write this I have a heating pad on my belly. Everyone have a great holiday and hope we all stay well for it!!!!
Truth is....I've been waiting for LouAnn to post her response, cause I didn't want to break in the middle and muddle things up for her!
LouAnn....Almost a whole month before an attack....that is really great! I'm so glad the new meds have worked well. Please do not feel discouraged because of one attack....remember the previous 4 weeks and be sooooo encouraged! And you are doing the right thing...keeping exact track of what you might have eaten just before that might have triggered the attack. For me, I would never have been able to eat an egg and tomato sandwhich without first taking my ACACIA FIBER to help with the consequences! So, Seabell and I are going to continue to encourage you to try this because it truly has been a miracle product for both of us...and we take it every day without fail...because it works! Oh, and please remember this...we love hearing from you and finding out how you are doing and most important....we are here for you, and we want to be a help for you! Post daily, post weekly (but monthly is killing me..lol!)
Anyway, I pray for All of us daily that we might grow in our discernment and wisdom concerning our IBS issues
Seabell....The family was thrilled to have me back home. Last year I was "sick to my stomach" , remember that's all I could call it last year. Now life is truly so much different and the ability to travel home to see them is the miracle you gave me! Thank you for this year's early Christmas present!
"Kitty" is a very rare two-tone: Upper half is a deep carnival red, lower half is dark maroon, hand painted gold pin stripes seperating them. She sports a rear spoiler, chrome wheels, lots of extra burled maple on the inside with natural tan leather: is fun, fun,fun...0 to 60 in 6 flat! Really!
I'm so glad your tummy is behaving and can report that mine is too! Yes, I'm watching what I am baking (breads, pies, and such) and eating (breads, pies, and such, lol!) and I am quite sure I'm gonna get those ten pounds back. I am so thankful heading into this Christmas season I'm almost speechless. We go tomorrow to the airport to pick up our son Joshua for Christmas break from "Basic Training" from Fort Jackson, South Carolina. It will be so good to have him back home for awhile....
Blesssing's to you both and to your families....and healthy tummies to us all!
Truth is....I've been waiting for LouAnn to post her response, cause I didn't want to break in the middle and muddle things up for her!
LouAnn....Almost a whole month before an attack....that is really great! I'm so glad the new meds have worked well. Please do not feel discouraged because of one attack....remember the previous 4 weeks and be sooooo encouraged! And you are doing the right thing...keeping exact track of what you might have eaten just before that might have triggered the attack. For me, I would never have been able to eat an egg and tomato sandwhich without first taking my ACACIA FIBER to help with the consequences! So, Seabell and I are going to continue to encourage you to try this because it truly has been a miracle product for both of us...and we take it every day without fail...because it works! Oh, and please remember this...we love hearing from you and finding out how you are doing and most important....we are here for you, and we want to be a help for you! Post daily, post weekly (but monthly is killing me..lol!)
Anyway, I pray for All of us daily that we might grow in our discernment and wisdom concerning our IBS issues
Seabell....The family was thrilled to have me back home. Last year I was "sick to my stomach" , remember that's all I could call it last year. Now life is truly so much different and the ability to travel home to see them is the miracle you gave me! Thank you for this year's early Christmas present!
"Kitty" is a very rare two-tone: Upper half is a deep carnival red, lower half is dark maroon, hand painted gold pin stripes seperating them. She sports a rear spoiler, chrome wheels, lots of extra burled maple on the inside with natural tan leather: is fun, fun,fun...0 to 60 in 6 flat! Really!
I'm so glad your tummy is behaving and can report that mine is too! Yes, I'm watching what I am baking (breads, pies, and such) and eating (breads, pies, and such, lol!) and I am quite sure I'm gonna get those ten pounds back. I am so thankful heading into this Christmas season I'm almost speechless. We go tomorrow to the airport to pick up our son Joshua for Christmas break from "Basic Training" from Fort Jackson, South Carolina. It will be so good to have him back home for awhile....
Blesssing's to you both and to your families....and healthy tummies to us all!
CCW
So sorry I have not responded in awhile....busy time of the year! Thank you so much for your encouragement and yes I will eventually get around to the ACACIA FIBER. I have been taking Acacia with green tea supplements. The new med is Hyoscyamine.I take one every morning which is 3.75 milligrams, then during an attack I take one under the tongue every six hours.
Read below.
Hyoscyamine produces many effects in the body, including relief from muscle spasms.
Hyoscyamine also reduces the fluid secretions of many organs and glands in the body, such as the stomach, pancreas, lungs, saliva glands, sweat glands, and nasal passages.
Hyoscyamine is used to treat many different stomach and intestinal disorders, including peptic ulcer and irritable bowel syndrome. It is also used to control muscle spasms in the bladder, kidneys, or digestive tract, and to reduce stomach acid. Hyoscyamine is sometimes used to reduce tremors and rigid muscles in people with symptoms of Parkinson's disease.
Hyoscyamine is also used as a drying agent to control excessive salivation, runny nose, or excessive sweating.
One of my side effects is dry mouth....AND drowsiness. The dry mouth I can live with, but the constant dowsiness is not a lot of fun.....constantly feeling tired. I was considering filing for social security disability but am pretty sure I would be denied. Well, if you don't hear from me, don't fret, just caught up in the holidays......enjoy them and thanks for caring!!!!
YooHoo CCW... where art thou? I hope your absence means you are just too busy with life to be on line posting!
And LouAnn...how are you feeling these days? How is the med working? I hope you've found relief from those painful cramps.
Things here are good. I had my one year post op visit with my breast surgeon yesterday (one year out from my mastectomy) and got the thumbs up sign! All is looking good (happy dancing for sure!)
My stomach continues to behave. Of course, during the holiday season, I ate probably what I shouldn't have eaten, drank what I shouldn't have drunk, so I had little episodes here and there of tummy issues. Key word is little. By adjusting my fiber, imodium, and food, my tummy quickly settled down and I was able to keep on enjoying all the fun.
You know what made me smile? Yesterday, when I was in the doc office filling out all those forms they give you, I actually placed a check mark next to NO for digestive problems!! Woot Woot!
I am so happy for your post op visit report and am awed and "happy dancing" for you, too! For the last 6 months we have focused on what's been current with us...our IBS issues....and how that has changed for me, my life, and the "living" of it. And yet, you, have been dealing with some "way bigger" issues along the way that make IBS seem miniscule in comparison. But there you are....helping others to have life changing encounters of their own....thanx for being being a Survivor!!!
Time has gotten away from me. I missed your post for 6 days....please accept my apologies and a promise to do better. We were so happy to have our youngest son home for the holidays that we did run him everywhere and were busy every day. Three more weeks and he graduates from basic training at Fort Jackson in S. Carolina. We plan to fly there for his grad ceremony because it will be 7 more months before we see him again.
But now I know that I can travel without difficulty. Now I know that I can be prepared because I now know how to be prepared. This year started a whole new way of living from the previous 30yrs. After 6 months....has it really been that long?....my meals are now automatic, my gut is intact and together and my expectations positive. I eat a light IBS breakfast with all my medicine and acacia...go walk for 2 miles...come back for hot tea (either rooibos or fennel!) and maybe a slice of my special pumpkin pie bread...its oooh sooo goood! I make all my school runs with kids. By lunchtime I feel like I'm starving to death! Yes, I did put those pounds back on thru the holidays....but, you know, I know how to get them back off, too! So that's what I'm doing.
So glad your tummy is behaving...you,ve got that down and then some...I laughed at the check mark, too...hoot, hoot! CCW
Wow, has it been six months since we started 'talking'? And look at all you accomplished and all you're doing now that your tummy is behaving. Isn't it AWESOME!?!
It must have been wonderful having your son home for the holidays. I can't imagine going 7 months w/o seeing my daughter. Thank your son for his service to our country from me and mine, will you please.
Things here continue to be great. Hubby and I spent a few (frigid) days at Atlantic City. It was wonderful being able to a) be in the car almost 4 hours w/o worrying about needing a bathroom NOW! b) being able to grab a bite to eat or a cup of coffee anytime/anywhere w/o worrying about needing a bathroom NOW! c) seeing a show (after eating) w/o worrying about needing a bathroom NOW! d) eating a delicious dinner from soup to nuts out and ... well, you know what I'm going to say
Thank you for your kind words about me being a survivor. It's a part of my life that I want to (and hopefully am able to) put completely behind me. Along with IBS!
I didn't accomplish anything!!!!! But what I did do was awesome....I found and followed very good advice. And that advice has made my life AWSOME!!
After six months of tuning and fine tuning my regular "item" schedule is working well. I still take my acacia fiber in the am along with the imodium AD and fennel or rooibos tea. I mix my acacia fiber either in my tea or my oatmeal. I've found that I can NOW throw in 1 day of bacon, eggs, fried potatoes and onions for breakfast by taking just a little more acacia fiber to help the "balance"! Yes, I live for this breakfast.
Lunch for me has almost simply become the "pasta " meal. I have found a wonderful brand of frozen Italian pasta with vegetables....takes three minutes to steam in the bag and voila!...quick, simple pasta lunch. If I really need "quick"...you just can't beat PB&J!
SO....breakfast is easy, lunch is simple, and dinner has become my hardest meal. Its at dinner that i'm my most "man-hungry"! And you know what that means.....almost everything not good for an IBS'er. If I never see a chicken again...it would be ok! But I'm working on it.
We also have been touched by cancer. Our yougest son, Joseph, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia at 6 months. After 18 months, 19 major surgeries, thousands of doses of chemo, radiation therapy, blood transfusions and a bone marrow transplant.... God ended his suffering and took him home. As a pastor at the time and with God's grace, I did my son's funeral. It is "behind" us....and we have moved on...yet I sit here typing this to you with tears streaming down my face...and I can't help it. It is always "just " under the surface. That's why I'm so happy for you! Being a survivor is nothing short of a miracle and it is a gift. And I have been touched and blessed by your survivorship....and hope by now that I'm not the only one.
Blessings to you CCW
The following user gives a hug of support to counterclockwys: seabell (02-04-2013)
(((CCW))) I want to offer my deepest and most heartfelt sympathy to you and your family on the loss of little warrior Joseph. To fight such a battle at such a young age is ... I'm at a loss for words. Just know that I'm sending hugs!
Good for you for your once a week special breakfast. As more time goes on and your tummy continues to heal, you'll find that you will be able to add more and more 'bad' foods to your diet. I still shy away from breakfast. I was never a big breakfast eater, in fact, I remember my Mom forcing me to drink Carnation Instant Breakfast in the morning before school. I love breakfast food: eggs, bacon, home fries... but just not in the morning!
Dinnertime poses no problem for me. I eat beef, chicken, pasta, pizza . Maybe once a week I'll cook pork chops (pork is hard for me to digest so I just have it once, hubby gets the left overs!). I'm back to eating veggies with every meal, salad with most (this is after years of running away in fear of any raw fruit/veggie). I avoid spicy foods and greasy/overly fatty foods just cause I don't like them that much.
Try adding more choices to your dinner meal slowly, and a little bit at a time. If you make a dynamite meat loaf and your stomach tolerates it one night, do not have it the next day (experience speaking now). But do make it again the following week. Bit by bit introduce those problem foods to your system so it gets used to them again.
For the first time in over 15 years, I went out to lunch with gal pals last week. Again, I was like a little kid in a toy store. I wanted everything! And the next day I was out and about with my daughter and we stopped for a slice of pizza and I suddenly remembered I had left my house without taking my imodium! A moment of panic...but my stomach was fine and we were able to continue our day out without any bathroom runs!
Its soooo good to hear you continuing to add to your outings and feeling "free". Because that means that I will get there too! Couple of items...back in the last storm in your area you commented on eating in diners (greasy!) and how that contributed to a return of "mucous" stools....as a sign that the intestinal tract is irritated. I still have some of that but didn't know to connect it with ibs until your comment. So my system is still needing to recover and if the mucous ends altogether it will be a really good sign....right!?
Also, I must confess that I thought IBS-D was IBS with Diarhea as opposed to IBS -C for Constipation! Wrong wasn't I. Its OK to laugh ....I was just keeping it "simple"! I was going back through some IBS boards at about a year ago and found one of yours as you responded to your type 2 "diabetes" and it hit me.......IBS-D is IBS with Diabetes! I don't know how you did it ...trying to balance and find something that would finally work for you. I'm even more amazed and soooo glad that you did!
I was up early this AM....taking all my meds, fiber, etc...preparing for the day. We leave for South Carolina to see our son Joshua graduate from Basic Training. Our flight leaves in about 5 hours....and they better not take anything away from me at the "scrutiny " sight or I'll tell them just how ugly things can get while on the plane!!! So.....I hope everything goes well going and coming back this weekend.
LouAnn53.....We have not heard from you in a great while. I trust things are going well for you as we conitinue to keep you in our thoughts, too!
Have a happy IBS-D and everything else week...Seabell !
How was your trip to SC? How did your tummy behave? I bet you were one proud Papa watching your son graduate from Basic Training. Where does he go from here?
You had it right the first time... IBS-D is IBS with diarrhea prominent and IBS-C constipation prominent. I guess I can say I have IBS-DD <grin>
I am continually amazed at how normal my life has become. Old habits die hard I guess because I am still not comfortable leaving my house early in the morning, but once I'm out...I'm out and about all day. I stop for a bite, or go out to lunch with family or friends, and then continue BEING OUT.
I remember being unable to go to the movie theater for years. I would wait for movies to come out on DVDs so I could see them. Then I started going to the movies in the afternoon, always sitting on the aisle close to the exit clutching my bottle of water and snapping my peppermint gum to an internal mantra 'my tummy is fine, my tummy is fine'.
Now I go to whatever movie I want to see, whenever I want to, often grabbing a slice of pizza to smuggle in, or stopping at the concession stand for something yummy. And sometimes I just sit an laugh out loud from the happiness that comes with this type of freedom (and yeah, receiving weird glances from other folks!)
This may be a long thread, but my so called IBS is 20yrs. I am 59 years old and have been suffering for about 20yrs. Here is how is goes: I get the urge to have a bowel movement, visit the bathroom and relieve myself. No pain, no problem. About 20 min to 1/2 hour later, I once again get the urge to visit the bathroom again....this time I have a little intestinal pain, and bowels are a little softer. I finish this visit and again about 1/2 hour later I visit the bathroom again, intestinal pain is growing more intense with each visit. To make a long story short, I visit the bathroom every half hour for around three to four hours, BUT have no more bowels to pass, and my intestinal track is having extremely intense spasms trying to pass bowel that is no longer there. The pain is my lower stomach is as severe as childbirth, my rectum is trying to push out something that is NOT there. The pain is enough to make me want to scream as though I am having a baby. I know the pain of childbirth. I had a colonoscopy 9 years ago and they removed two non-cancerous polyps and told me to come back in 10yrs. I currently am taking 60mg of dicyclomine when I get an attack. I have lost no weight. I do have bright red blood in the toilet and blame this on hemmorids. Does anyone have any of these severe spastic colon symptoms??
hi louann.this is old fashioned but it works well and at the time you really need . charcoal , either in a tablet or out of the fire place , makes no diff if you burning good wood.i have seen it do wonders even though it sounds a little quirkey haha.gastro gone in mate 15minutes.a new farm worker started on the farm.nice girl , 20 years old with really bad ibs sympoms anyway i clicked on an told her , she tried it.LOVE it so much its become what she reaches for.haha you cant just pop to the loo out on the farm .good on ya mate.
As the pheonix rises from the ashes.....so, finally, do I.
Our trip to S. Carolina went through 6 airports in 4 days and, because I took all my "stuff"" with me , my tummy was just fine. Coming back home not soooo. I diligently kept my hands sanitized, etc., but it wasn't enough. I must have picked up about 11 bugs shared by 10,000 people......and have been so sick the last couple of weeks I haven't been able to stand up. None of my tummy stuff helped until the last couple of days and I'm just now feeling like I might still want to go on living! However......I don't think I'll be flyng again for 3 or 4 decades!!!!
Yes, we were so proud of Joshua graduating from basic training and it was great to see him in his new uniform....handsome dude. He is now at Fort Lee in Virginia where he'll be for the next six months. By the time he comes home he will have been gone 10 months...and I know he'll be quite the different young man from the one that left last Nov. 7th. Oh, yeah, we took him out to celebrate and he ordered a $50 filet mignon(we better start saving for when he comes home!)
Hey,.....I am now in my 8th month of post IBS captivity! It is amazing how things have changed!
Did you and your "girl friends" go on a skying trip and decide to stay until the snow melts? (Ah-ha moments galore !)
I am soooo glad the snow has finally all gone here in KansasLand. All the yard work that now must be done will help my digestive "juices" to regulate even better....and maybe I'll lose the extra pounds gained this winter.
Hope you are doing well and experiencing the freedom of a new spring and a renewed sense of "living" and blooming again, too!
Hello, Hello! I am here! Finally snow free and actually we are expecting warmer temps today (in the low 50s). I am so ready for spring. It's been freezing here at night.
My tummy is still doing great. I've met a local woman who suffers from IBS and I got her on the fiber, and just last week while I was OUT having PIZZA, I met a young man that suffers from IBS-D and we had quite a discussion over lunch (lovely topic). I gave him all the info on the fiber, what I eat and don't eat, etc, and am hoping he'll see an improvement in his life soon.
But...I have to do a study...I loved twizzlers which I discovered to be a trigger. You liked gummy bears...did you give them up? He likes licorice gummies. I wonder if whatever goop is in that type of candy causes reactions in IBS folks.
I hope I'm safe to assume that your stomach issues are still good and improving?? I've gained so much weight from finally being able to eat out that when I go for my physical this month, I'm sure my doc is going to yell at me! But it's been soooooo worth it!
Enjoy the spring!! Soon we'll be complaining about the heat!!
Lou Ann...if you are still reading this...how are you? Still on the med and feeling better? I hope so.
SB
Last edited by moderator2; 04-05-2013 at 06:15 AM.
So good to hear from you again! And, your mission continues in helping others....I'm so proud of you.
A study on "gummy bear " candy....goody, goody...I'm all in. I haven't had any for some time since your sage advice. So, do we start with a certain color, size, flavor, type, amount to eat at one time? Since "one" twizzler is about 8 times longer than an average gummy bear or gummy piece, I get more pieces to eat...I mean..we've got to do this right and make it fair.....right? OK, you make the rules and let me know..or do we all eat the same thing at the same time and share the results we each experience? When do we start?
My stomach issues are really getting better each day. However, I can count on immediate, serious trouble if I miss taking acacia fiber just one day. The impact acacia fiber has on my system is direct, immediate, and totally controlling. I'm still in awe that this one thing has made my digestive and bowel systems finally opperate "normally" after 30 yrs. of suffering. And,yes, I am continuing to ferret out other food "triggers". Two weeks ago I desperatley wanted a glass of milk with some home made pumpkin bread which I handle easily. The milk killed me even after not drinking any for months. Sooooo, while my system continues to heal and normalize there are going to be things that just won't work at all...right?
Your doc can yell all he wants to....you are right...to be able to do things we haven't been able to do for years and years...I'll gladly pack on a few more pounds....and hope the school system doesn't find out!
LouAnn, we have missed hearing from you...yet trust and continue to pray for you that things are getting better!
Re: IBS 20yr Misery 
Re: IBS 20yr Misery 
