IBS - How Do You Treat Yours?

**MomToTwoBoys** · 05-07-2010, 03:07 PM

I have had IBS for a long time now. At first, I thought that it was something else. Then I had some tests done and sure enough, I have it.

I've gone through diet changes and the elimination of many foods. I figured out some and/or all of my trigger foods and either tried to cut back or get rid of them all together. However, over the last two weeks, I've been pretty unsuccessful with it.

My trigger foods:

Onions
Eggs
Beans
Spicy Foods (mostly hot chili sauce, jalapeno peppers, salsa, etc.)

I also started taking CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) as a hunger reducer and body shaper. It's been pretty much at the same time that I started the CLA that I have been experiencing the symptoms. However, I also changed up my diet a bit and started eating more of the trigger foods.

Outside of eating Activia (because I don't believe that a flavoured probiotic yogurt is going to do any good), what are ways that you've treated your IBS?

**Jamielane** · 05-07-2010, 03:41 PM

Well IBS has a lot of different symptoms for different people. My main one was and still is diarehha. I took many different prescription medications for that and none work so well as three immodium (costco brand) in the morning rather I need it or not and two at night rather I need it or not. This was suggested by my specialist after my last colonostopy. He said if it works there certainly arent nearly as many side effects to that then there are to prescription medicines. I do that now and my symptoms are far better although as I am sure you know it comes in waves and I can go for quite some time feeling pretty good and then have periods of days or weeks where I feel quite bad . I have trigger foods to. Some of mine are

Eggs (very bad)
Popcorn ( and I LOVE it but boy do I pay the price)
green beans
corn
anything very spicy ( we had thai once and I paid dearly)

The other major symptom I have is nausea. Vernors helps with that. So does peppermint tea. I love coffee more then I could put in words but it kills my stomach . I have found that flavored coffee hurts less then plain coffee. I did lose about 70 pounds since this really kicked in which was great since I needed to lose it but a bad way to lose it. I hope you find some relief .

**savvy_sniper** · 05-07-2010, 03:53 PM

I would suggest you stop taking the CLA and go back NOT eating your trigger foods. When everything is settled down add the CLA back to your diet and stay off the trigger foods. That should help you determine if the CLA is causing you problems.

IF the CLA doesn't bother you, then you should start adding ONE trigger food at a time. That is pretty much the only way you are going to identify what helps/hurts.

Good Luck!

Originally Posted by MomToTwoBoys

I also started taking CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) as a hunger reducer and body shaper. It's been pretty much at the same time that I started the CLA that I have been experiencing the symptoms. However, I also changed up my diet a bit and started eating more of the trigger foods.

**pat in east texas** · 05-07-2010, 08:59 PM

I had what I thought was IBS for most of my life. Didn't have any special trigger foods, it would just act up (diarrhea) every once in a while. But since I had an appendectomy well over a year ago, I've had no IBS.

**Debbie-cat** · 05-07-2010, 09:06 PM

My son was just diagnosed with IBS and it is so difficult to find foods he can eat. He is on Dicocel (prescription) and it has helped the attacks. He has lost over 100 pounds and we are trying to put some weight on. He is 6'7" and now weights 185 pounds.

His trigger foods are

Eggs
Dairy
Red meats
Fat (butter, cheese, ect)
Fried foods
Oranges, juices
Spicy foods

He takes Boost once a day and lives off rice, chicken, bread, pasta.

If anyone has great recipes for IBS I would love them. He is getting awfully tired of eating chicken.

**valerian** · 05-10-2010, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

My son was just diagnosed with IBS and it is so difficult to find foods he can eat. He is on Dicocel (prescription) and it has helped the attacks. He has lost over 100 pounds and we are trying to put some weight on. He is 6'7" and now weights 185 pounds.

His trigger foods are

Eggs
Dairy
Red meats
Fat (butter, cheese, ect)
Fried foods
Oranges, juices
Spicy foods

He takes Boost once a day and lives off rice, chicken, bread, pasta.

If anyone has great recipes for IBS I would love them. He is getting awfully tired of eating chicken.

Debbie-cat, what about turkey and fish? Can Luke eat those? I don't have IBS, but GERD and a lot of Luke's trigger foods are mine as well.

**craftypam** · 05-10-2010, 03:12 PM

Originally Posted by Debbie-cat

My son was just diagnosed with IBS and it is so difficult to find foods he can eat. He is on Dicocel (prescription) and it has helped the attacks. He has lost over 100 pounds and we are trying to put some weight on. He is 6'7" and now weights 185 pounds.

His trigger foods are

Eggs
Dairy
Red meats
Fat (butter, cheese, ect)
Fried foods
Oranges, juices
Spicy foods

He takes Boost once a day and lives off rice, chicken, bread, pasta.

If anyone has great recipes for IBS I would love them. He is getting awfully tired of eating chicken.

Hi,

I just googled ibs cookbook and some cookbooks came up specifically for ibs. Can you get them at a library. Do you have one near you? If you do have one and they don't have the book they can get it for you even going out of state.
Pam

**Debbie-cat** · 05-10-2010, 03:16 PM

Originally Posted by valerian

Debbie-cat, what about turkey and fish? Can Luke eat those? I don't have IBS, but GERD and a lot of Luke's trigger foods are mine as well.

no, he doesn't have GERD and he can eat fish and turkey. He has turkey sandwiches everyday for lunch and fish occasionally but I have to bake the fish.

**Debbie-cat** · 05-10-2010, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by craftypam

Hi,

I just googled ibs cookbook and some cookbooks came up specifically for ibs. Can you get them at a library. Do you have one near you? If you do have one and they don't have the book they can get it for you even going out of state.
Pam

Great idea craftypam! I just checked my library website and they do have some books so I will be checking them out tomorrow. Thanks!

**MomToTwoBoys** · 05-30-2010, 11:56 AM

I figured that I would update this thread with some developments.

I discovered that spicy foods and coffee were my banes. I started myself on an elimination diet a few days ago with the spicy foods, but discovered that even without it I was getting the extreme pains and gas.

Then yesterday, I started omitting coffee. Ugh... what a day. I switched to green tea and B 100 complex vitamins. I had two cups of green tea and the vitamin when I woke up, but was tired by 4pm. I guess it's something that I have to get used to. People had suggested that I drink more items that have caffeine in it still, but if caffeine is the trigger item, then what good would that do?

I know that some people say that teas have more caffeine in them than coffee, but the excruciating pains went away yesterday. It was my first pain free day ever. I looked at the side of the non-dairy creamer and found there's milk protein in the creamer. Perhaps that could have done it? My only way of telling is by having some pop/soda and seeing if the pains persist. However, I am not willing to go back to being in pain just to see if it's a sound theory.

I am saddened that I can't have spicy foods because they were a huge part of my diet. I'm also saddened about the coffee thing and it'll be hard, especially since DH has it around the house. It'll take me time to adjust, I guess.

**marlas1too** · 05-30-2010, 12:05 PM

my SO had bad IBS and then she started to take mineral twice a day -1 cap- and her IBS is much better -don't take my word for it look it up but it does work

**Libby** · 05-30-2010, 12:23 PM

Have you tried stopping the CLA and trying to do your food elimination tests? I found a coffee like drink here - its instant - and it tastes just like coffee but not made from coffee. Made from: extracts of roasted barley, rye, chicory, beet roots. It's Polish. Maybe you can find this where you are to help you replace your coffee urges?

Krakus Coffee Substitute

The only diff is I find mine in glass jar just like the regular instant coffee's - same section - and I bought it at RCSS/Loblaws.

**Zabe** · 05-30-2010, 12:32 PM

My trigger foods:

Milk
Onions
Fried foods
Caffeine
Spicy foods

First and foremost, I make sure that I drink water all day long.
I try and avoid bread products, I love pizza so every once in a while
I take the chance of suffering a day of toilet reading. LOL

My IBS tends to happen in 3 week cycles. I make sure to have
my readers digest and cell phone during my throne "H### Weeks". LOL
Good old Petmol Bismo works very well for my IBS.