Diet and Health FAQ

Tagged As: Ibs Treatment

Question:
Drug shows promise in study of Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Some 20 percent of the Western population suffer from irritable bowel syndrome.  Relief may be on the way in the form of a new drug called Zelmac (tegaserod). Studies of the drug, made by Novartis, indicate it can reduce the main symptoms of IBS, including abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating and irregular bowel function, within a week of treatment. The results were presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Phoenix. The lack of a satisfactory treatment for IBS has been frustrating for doctors and distressing to patients who have to live with this chronic illness, said study investigator Dr. Colleen Schmitt of Southeastern Clinical Research in Tennessee. These data suggest that Zelmac may offer patients an effective way to better manage the debilitating symptoms of IBS.

Answer:
Zelmac?  Isn't that the planet The Coneheads are from? I just thought I'd mention here, that recently I've been trying Milk Thistle, to see if it helped my p any.  It doesn't have any clear and immediate effects on my p, but I think it does have a subtle effect on general well-being.  But, to the point, I think it has helped reduce my few IBS symptoms. I had one serious bout with IBS about a year before I first got p. More recently, I've had the minor variation where you have to eliminate about thirty minutes after any meal.  Evening primrose oil reduced this problem by about 90%.  The milk thistle seems to have reduced the remainder to almost nothing. I found peppermint to be a huge help as well. I take peppermint capsules before meals and drink peppermint tea every evening. That and avoiding the more severe trigger foods seems to keep the IBS at bay. I've even used peppermint moisturizers on the p (doesn't help the p, but feels nice). Hmm, I've been drinking some peppermint tea recently, too. It's SOOO hard to try to isolate effects of dietary stuff! Or…You can just read the book Breaking the Vicious Cycle by Elaine Gottschall and change your diet and change your life without drugs. It's more difficult, but in doing so, one takes away the CAUSE and not just the symptoms. EXCUSE ME? Are you saying that the decision to take drugs is easier than a DIET?  I beg to differ. It is a very difficult decision, and I doubt seriously that anybody who has studied the facts, including causes for ps and pa, probable outcome from diet vs. drugs, risks and side effects of drugs finds it at all easy!  It is a life threatening decision! One does not risk their lives and their families happiness in this way just so they can eat bon-bons and bread. How can you be so insulting? I sit here crippled, disabled, in pain 24/7 and you imply that I would rather take drugs than cut out sugar and carbs? I've never found your posts to be insensitive before, though we often disagree. This time, I think you have crossed the line. Its fine to suggest diet as a TRIGGER, not a  CAUSE and to say that it has worked for you, but please do not insinuate that all sufferers can be cured by diet. There is no data to support your claim. In comparison to what we suffer and risks we take, a diet is, and pardon the expression, a cake walk!  Please, get real. Diets are the hardest to implement; otherwise, we wouldn't have too many people moaning about their lousy diet. And if it doesn't work they blame it on other or say they tried hard but just can't get a grip on the strict routine. I wouldn't recommend any quitters and whiners who lack commitment to maintaining a modified diet to pursue this route because they are just bringing themselves to failure. Any bozos can swallow the drug pills without thinking, or should I say a no-brainer approach, but one must have the stamina, commitment, and self-control to take on the diet approach. A new kid on the block who is committed to minimizing reliance on drug, Thanks Ava, I applaud you. Now I'm off to a bag of chocolate, sure beats any other diet I've tried. Then a nice big bottle of pretty little pills...In all seriousness, diet does not seem to be a factor for mine. Physical stress such as illness does. I wish a few dietary restrictions would fix this. I haven't posted here in a while, just looking at the subject headings and wanted to pass some personal info along. I had debilitating IBS for years.  I got on the low carb diet three years ago and the symptoms went away immediately.  No cramps, diarrhea, bloating, and NO pain after eating. The secret for me was no bread.  Of course I stopped sugar also, but for me it was the bread. Please e-mail me privately if this helps as it is a bit off subject here in P land.  And BTW, my p is diminishing, no new outbreaks, but I quit aspartame as was thinking that the effects were causing my P to worsen. My P outbreak was extreme when I started my low carb diet, but after eliminating certain foods, I had the best luck eliminating the artificial sweetener. I hope this helps. (My IBS was so bad that I had trouble making it home from dinner.  It was a huge problem for me.)