posted by dave00007_7 IBS Tips

[moderator3]

(my apologies to mod5 and dave00007_7, I deleted this one by mistake, mod3)


[url="http://www.IBS-Tips.co.uk"]www.IBS-Tips.co.uk[/url]

originaly posted 02-13-2001 03:00 PM by dave00007_7

Hi,

Early last year I was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), after suffering from it for nearly 5 years. I had the usual symptoms: diarrhoea, constipation, stomach cramps/abdominal pain, excessive gas, and heartburn; plus other symptoms: groin pain, chronic fatigue, panic attacks.

After 6 months of research and experimentation, I managed to completely cure myself of IBS – I have no symptoms whatsoever! In fact, I feel better now than I have done for many years – focused, energetic, happy, relaxed, confident.

Previously, my life was controlled and dominated by IBS. Doctors and so-called “experts” were of no help. That’s when I decided it was up to me to beat IBS, because no one else could help!

After months of research - reading dozens of books and thousands of articles – I began to change my view of IBS from an irritable or dysfunctional bowel to a strained digestive system. And this lead me to eventually curing IBS.

I’ve begun to create a Website dedicated to IBS sufferers. It contains my own articles and tips that helped me to beat IBS.
[url="http://www.IBS-Tips.co.uk"]http://www.IBS-Tips.co.uk[/url]

(Hope it’s ok to include the URL?)

I’d be interested in any feedback.

Regards,


Dave


[This message has been edited by moderator3 (edited 02-13-2001).]

[Harry]

Hi Dave,
I think your site is very good. I know it took a ALOT of time, reseach and effort to put together such a useful Web Site.

Feedback: There are several things I suggest you expand on the tips about intestinal bacteria, fiber and food. There were no Tips 13 & 14. In the USA we usually spell diarrhea not diarrhoea but I know it is correct to use an "o".I looked in a dictionary.I have seen it spelled many other wrong ways.

I am also a big believer in taking a water soluble fiber supplement like psyllium husk or methylcellulose. They are both safe and effective. Also, I think you should talk more about the foods that some people are allergic and/or intolerant to ---they cause reactions like diarrhea.
Thanks----Harry

[incoherant]

Does this honestly work??

[Ann S]

What about for people whose IBS is connected with autoimmune disorders??

What about Schuster's (Johns Hopkins) research that has proven the interplay among the nerves, hormones, & electrical activity that link the brain and the bowel. In IBS people this activity is different.

I think alot of your advice is good & will certainly help, but I don't feel you can make generalizations/guarantees that will cure all & hold true for all. Ann

[Ann S]

Dave,



What you said...



-I have not come across a single doctor that has mentioned a possible link between IBS and autoimmune disorders!-



You're right about that! In all my research and personal experience, I've never heard of it either. Also, I'm guilty of generalizing too. The connection I've found is with people that have Lupus, I don't know about the other autoimmune diseases. Again, I had never read or heard of this connection until recently either. There are just too many people with Lupus who also have developed IBS for it to be a coincidence. I'm not saying all people with IBS should be tested for Lupus, but Drs. should ask Lupus patients about IBS symptoms. The point I was trying to make was that there are other possible causes for IBS, besides just your theory of food allergies.



You also said.....



-You are misrepresenting Schuster's research. Schuster's suggests that spastic contractions may cause abdominal pain in some IBS sufferers. Period! What causes spastic contractions?-



I am not misrepresenting Schuster!!! In the study that I read, researchers using a brain imaging technique called positron emission tomography (PET) found that brain activity differed between IBS and non-IBS subjects when their guts were stimulated. "Normally, the ACC(anterior cingulate cortex) lights up, and this happens to be the part of the brain where opioid transmitters are released," Dr Schuster explains, "So people without IBS have intrinsic narcotics and don't perceive GI pain the way people with IBS do." The information I read claims that "the origin of the disorder lies in the interplay among the nerves, hormones and different electrical activity that link the bowel and the brain". It goes on to say that "IBS patients have extra-sensitive pain sensors and that these unusually sensitive and reactive nerves appear to be what cuases the muscle contractions that underlie IBS". It claims that food only triggers the IBS symptoms, it is not the cause. This research is what has led some Drs. to prescribe antidepressants, which they believe might work on calming neurotransmitters and having an analgesic effect on them.



You said....



-I don't mean to generalize or to suggest guaranteed cures. But life is too short to be controlled and dominated by IBS, especially when most sufferers can do something about it. If I had listened the medical

establishment when I was diagnosed, I would still be suffering from IBS now. -



I don't have any great love for or faith in the medical profession either!!



I think your idea is a good one and may work for some people, but in my experience, different things work for different people. Don't rule out every thing else that might work better for other people....Keep your mind open. Often a combination of things work best. Each person should keep trying different things (including yours), till they find something that works for them! Harry's water soluable fiber isn't the cure either, but it sure helps make life easier for a lot of us. Ann

[This message has been edited by Ann S (edited 02-16-2001).]