Help!, I have just been diagnosed with chronic IBS!?
Question:
I have been prescribed Colofac by my GP and take Codeine as well as I find this really helps me cope with the pain. However what I really need some help with is my diet, does anyone know what foods are best to avoid etc.
My IBS is definately brought on by stress, so I am looking into ways of trying to relax and have booked myself a Reflexology session, which I have always enjoyed and which I believe may help.
Any other advice what be so appreciated.
Thanks so much xx
Answers:
Hi! I have so many patients with this it is a sad fact. I live near the Twin Towers in NYC and the area is still affected by the terrorists attacks. A lot of people are still upset when we have a orange or red alert.
The pain meds will help, but most important is diet and reducing stress and learning to stop putting so much emotional pressure on yourself.
Massage and yoga will help a lot as well.
Diet should be very bland and easy to digest. Alcohol, excess sugars and low carb foods are a disaster. Nuts or small seeds and lots of soda or caffeine do not help relax the bowel. Their are many diets on the web and all you need to look up is Diets for IBS. It will list too many for me to mention here. I found that most of patients started on oatmeal, lots of pasta and chicken. Nothing fried or heavy in fats except olive oil. Exercises like long walks in the park or on the beach are calming and help relax the bowel. Talk to a support group on line and that will also help. If you have any other questions, please ask. M
Take a fiber supplement and eat lots of fruits and veggies. Stay away from foods that seem to trigger it. With most people, it tends to be dairy. Mine is foods that are high in salt or fat, so I stay away from fast food when I can. Try breathing exercises to help you relax and listening to music--that helps me.
i have coeliac disease (IBS with a gluten allergy!!) i take spasmonal, imodium to treat symptons and i find i can only eat small meals - i tend to eat half portions thru the day rather than sit down and eat 3 meals.. the other thing that really does help are those yoghurts (and of course my minds gone blank on the name grrr) you know the ones they keep advertising on telly.
drink 2L of water every day & wlk 5 km every morning early.dont think about it to much i.e.think yourself healthy
When I was diagnosed last year, I was watching everything I ate and never found a "trigger" food. I could eat one thing one day and it wouldn't affect me and the next, I could have exactly the same and I would be in agony all night. I was put on Colofac aswell but was told by a doctor that it works best if you take 2 tablets when you feel a niggle, rather than wait for the pain to start, as I used to do. After a few agonising months, I saw a different GP, who noticed that I was suffering from stress and allowed me to talk to her about what was bothering me and so on. i was prescribed a drug for anxiety and was on it for 6 months. Since I came off of this drug, I have had no IBS symptoms. I eat what I want, when I want and never have to watch my diet. In my case, almost certainly, the stress/anxiety was the only trigger and now that this is sorted, so is the IBS. So don't think that you will definitely have this for the rest of your life. Get a good doctor, who listens to you and find the route of the problem and treat that-not just the symptoms it causes. Good luck, the Colofac will help with the spasms but hope you get "destressed" as well.
I have had IBS for years first of all stop taking codeine it causes more pain than it stops, most pain killers cause me pain in my stomach and bowels.
as far as food goes it seems to be different for each person what they can eat and how it affects them, most people i know with IBS have to avoid all fruit but i find melon and papaya don't upset it at all, avoid any acidic foods. I also have a big problem with dairy products, i can't drink milk at all but sometimes i can have a small amount of cheese or ice cream if i am careful.
I don't find so much of a problem with wheat and other bread products as some others tend to but i do suffer greatly from nausea and lack of appetite. I eat melon or papaya when i have nausea and when i have no appetite i eat pizza. i also keep snacks like unsalted peanuts and raisins to stop me snacking on things that my stomach doesn't like.
Try adding and removing suspect things from your diet until you know exactly what you can and can't eat, you can control the pain with your diet once you are familiar with your stomachs needs.
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