Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Ibs Symptom

Question:
I was diagnosed with IBS over 2 years ago. I am 30 years old. I have the typical symptoms; bloating, tummy gurgle, tummy ache, pain in my back/side, constipation-urgency to go but little movement...The most embarrassing symptom is severe gas...I constantly have gas pain and gas in general. I rarely leave the house because I feel like I stink. I can't believe I'm talking about this it is so embarrassing. I have taken citrucel, fibercon, benefiber,charcoal, beano, lactaid and other drugs as prescribed by my doctor. I've even tried fennel tea, chamomile tea and papaya to get rid of the gas problem. It seems like nothing works...I'm about ready to scream and feel like going to a psychiatrist because I have become anti-social. I used to be the most happy-go-lucky person but now I stay depressed and shut myself off from others. I would appreciate any advice on how to rid myself of this embarrassing problem. Thanks in advance for your help!!!!

Answer:
Have you tried changing your diet? I've seen many people over those years talk about have removing the carbs from their diet has gotten rid of all their gas problems. Many have gotten rid of IBS and GERD symptoms as well. It would seem that a lot of people have trouble digesting grains and other carbohydrates. A book you might want to look at is Breaking the Vicious Cycle: Intestinal Health Through Diet by Elaine Gottschall. Would you call the flatulence silent but deadly? What tests were done before you were given the IBS label? Were you tested for celiac disease? The gastro dr. performed a colonoscopy and the throat test, can't remember the name of it. He said that I had IBS based upon my symptoms and that my white blood count ran a little high...Yes, the gas is usually silent but deadly but sometimes I can actually pass it. He explained that I develop huge gas bubbles that irritate the colon causing spasms and thus the gas is harder to pass. He prescribed metoclopramide to aid digestion and donnatal for the spasms. These medications only worked temporarily. Before going to him I had numerous tests done at the hospital cat scan, mri, etc...2 years ago was when I was first diagnosed with IBS at the hospital two diff. hospitals I had been constipated and unable to have a bowel movement for literally a month...I tried prune juice and all sorts of medicines...nothing worked, finally they gave me a 99cent bottle of magnesium citrate and I blew my gaskets...Every since that horrible time I have been unable to pass gas without trouble. Oh, a warning to all: the reason I was unable to rid myself of constipation upon visiting the hospital the first time was that the doctor prescribed me dicyclomine which is for diarrhea....Luckily the 2nd er doctor was smart enough to give me the magnesium citrate...However, when I take that now it does nothing for me...I have few bowel movements and remain gassy. There is nothing medically meaningful about gas being silent and deadly. I'm not sure what it means that you sometimes you can pass it. If don't pass it eventually, then you don't have it.Being physically active can help with gas problems. Physically active doesn't mean standing at the stove stirring food in a pan or bending over to pick up the kids' toys. �Physically active is things like riding a bike, playing sports, a nice long brisk walk, etc. Perhaps your problem is intestinal dybiosis and/or candidiasis. Who knows what intestinal dysbiosis is? Candidiasis does not exist. Dysbiosis...No such word appears in Dorland's Medical Dictionary. Candidiasis...Infection with a fungus of the genus Candida.