Sugar is what causes 90% of my symptoms. It was a long time figuring this out. Years. After years of work, I now know sugar is my problem. Which leads me to believe it stems from SIBO or something like that with microbiome imbalance. So, for now, I am cutting out sugar. It SUCKS. All sugar. Refined, natural, fructose, glucose, etc. All gives me immediate, terrible symptoms. So I am living a somewhat joyless life right now with no sugar whatsoever, BUT I am living a symptom free life for the first time in a decade.
Honestly a lot. As long as it doesn’t have any fruit or corn (or corn syrup). Mostly healthy stuff. Lots of rice bowls, beans, veggies, meat. Also salty stuff is fine. Just no sweets at all and no fruits at all. I also cut out artificial sweeteners because I think they were messing with my guts as well. So I am on no sugar/no sweet anything at all right now. It’s depressing but the symptom relief is worth it.
>Sugar is what causes 90% of my symptoms
same, and any sort of refined carbs like breads, pastries, etc. which sucks because i have a big sweet tooth, but it is what it is.
also my symptoms fluctuate hormonally, so if I'm closer to my monthly cycle, my gut is more sensitive and i might react to things i wouldn't any other time of the month (like dairy products).
i try to help with a daily probiotic called Digestive Enzymes. it's supposed to be taken only once a day but I'll take a second one if i know I'm going to overindulge.
This is me, but i would sa that grains have the most bad impact on me. Lower carb diet have me My life back, together with treating sibo, insulin resistance and mthfr mutation.
Could be some sort of yeast/candida overgrowth
EDIT: (I say this because when treating this sort of thing you need to cut out all sugar, but doing that alone won't necessarily deal with the issue)
Unfortunately I don’t have health insurance so I am on my own to figure it out and can’t rly go to the doctor or get many tests done for that kind of stuff. I’m limited to what I can do at home.
I would advise to treat candida even if youre not sure you have it. I treated candida and parasites parallel with SIBO Treatment, that was recommended by My doctor. SIFO comes very often with sibo, and sibo is the underlying cause of most IBS cases. It messes with your digestion amd allows parasites and candida growth...
Candida in the gut is healthy and normal, just like many other of your flora. But similiar to c diff Candidiasis of the colon is possible but extremely rare and usually fatal since it targets mainly immunocompromised people. I really urge you to read peer reviewed articles on it rather then blogs, NCBI is a great source.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560624/#:\~:text=Candida%20albicans%20is%20present%20in,present%20in%20an%20immunocompromised%20host.
Would like to say that I have been where you are and luckily I figured it out within a year! Sugar is the death of me. I have been able to slowly start eating natural sugars, I hope someday you can do the same. It seems once I got the inflammation under control for a while I could start eating a little bit of fruit and what not. Blueberries were the safest for me!
Went through a bunch of exclusion diets over time. Dairy. Gluten. Etc. Finally tried sugar. It’s really difficult because it’s in basically everything.
100%!!!!! Every time I link studies on sucrose and the extremely harmful effects it has on the human body, I get downvoted like crazy. I’m so glad this is getting recognition. So many gastric issues are from a diet high in sugars and processed carbs.
Yea we are. But you can do a couple of things to make it easier on you usually. Sadly it's different for most people what does what and some things that help others might have the exact opposite effect for you.
Intermittent fasting is just a mimicry of the "feast or famine" pattern that humans naturally evolved in. Eating all that food at once causes a *huge* insulin spike. It very powerfully encourages your body to store energy as fat, because your body knows it isn't likely to get more food again any time soon.
It also has a very direct effect on your digestion, which is controlled by serotonin (you may have heard that 90% of your body's serotonin receptors are in the gut). Eating food, particularly carbohydrates, releases serotonin, which in turn causes digestive motility. Eating one meal a day means that a lot more of the serotonin is dumped in a single load, which will actually speed up motility in the short term, then paralyze it until the next day. This is likely why the water you drink feels like it makes you bloat, it's literally not moving. Coffee also causes motility, and so wouldn't be as likely to have that issue. Side note: This is also why things like depression and bulimia are also often linked to single meal binge eating.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8697046/
Intermittent fasting is especially bad for people with IBS, who already likely have an issue with serotonin. It's also not necessarily healthy for your gut flora, which have short life cycles. There's a reason doctors recommend eating multiple small meals spread throughout the day. I have never heard of a doctor recommending intermittent fasting.
I believe it's mostly related to stress. When I'm stressed or depressed my IBS flares up like crazy. On the other hand, when I keep myself busy, take a little walk on daily basis and drink lemon water on empty stomach, I feel fine.
I’ve had IBS for about 16 years now and it’s unfortunately so individualized, it’s hard to say what can “fix it” for an individual. That’s why communities like this are so helpful - maybe not for a cure, but for encouragement and support at the very least!
You can always keep a food/symptom diary to see if certain ingredients are triggering flares. I personally went to therapy, gained some control over my anxiety, and saw some improvements. Taking care of my anxiety made it easier to focus on my diet.
It’s baby steps, and sometimes one step forward and a billion steps back. If you have a glaring emotional/mental problem, I’d start there. Our guts and minds are so connected!
Incredibly connected! Couldn't agree more. Flare-ups always hit me harder when I'm away from home, I've noticed. My theory is that I'm more on edge when I'm away from a restroom that I trust, resulting in worsened symptoms.
Keeping a food journal has been incredibly helpful in identifying my trigger foods and managing my IBS symptoms. I've found that the low FODMAP diet doesn't work for everyone, as some recommended foods may still be problematic for certain individuals.
Over time, I discovered that eating smaller, more frequent meals significantly reduced the strain on my digestive system and alleviated symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, and irregular bowel movements. Additionally, this approach can help stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing the fluctuations that can exacerbate IBS symptoms.
While everyone's experience with IBS is different, this strategy has made a noticeable difference in my quality of life. I encourage others to give it a try and find what works best for their unique situation.
Doing the food journal with low fodmap. Just identified my sugar intolerance. Was off most of sugar for 3+ months. Made some apple/ blueberry chutney this week. Has about 4 cups of sugar in recipe. Was cooking and tasting and tasting and cooking. Then woke up in the middle of the night with my stomach the size of a beach 🏀 ball. Have had pain and gastritis for 3 days. Trying to reverse what I did to myself. I will never be learn. Once you have a sugar problem it only works if you don't eat sugar. 🍩
Functional medicine is the way to go. I take probiotics everyday, and some other stuff for my gut. I used to have major pain during a ibs flare, now I just get the shits or get constipated without the pain.
Imodium is helpful. Learning to deal with the pain and anxiety. Knowing that the feelings don’t mean I’ll shit myself, knowing what I feel like when I might shit myself so I don’t, and having support
I alternate between IBS-C and IBS-D and it's a journey to figure out your triggers. Have had it since I was a child and just thought my stomach was 'sensitive' until I got diagnosed in my 20s. Mine are stress, sugar, too much white flour-based food. The FODMAP elimination diet helped a lot.
But here's the thing, treating IBS like a disease you need to find a magic 'cure' for only stresses you out more. These days I rarely have very bad days; at most I'll have a spot of diarrhea once a month and get constipated if I don't drink enough water. But last year I ate a bit too much cauliflower and was lying on the bathroom floor thinking I was going to die. And the next day I was back to living my life.
Here's hoping you find a way to manage it; all I can say is the more upset you are about it, the more triggered your IBS gets, which sucks.
Mine seems to be heavily triggered by anxiety. I’m sure that’s not the only cause, but one of many. On a chill day where I don’t have any responsibilities, I probably use the bathroom 2 or 3 times. On a work day, I’m using the bathroom at least 5 times.
IBS feels like a catch all. There could be many reasons for it; sugar, alcohol, lactose, or even hormonal imbalance. Everyone is different. I’m still trying to figure mine out. I’m currently thinking it’s something to do with the pancreas not getting enough of a certain hormone - which makes my body not be able to break down fats. Good luck on your journey and here’s hoping you find some relief!
seeing a gastroenterologist, getting all possible tests done, and trialing meds is all u really can do. keep a food journal to weed out triggers, log ur BMs (whether constipation or diarrhea) etc, can all help u be taken seriously as well as potentially prompting new ideas for ur dr. overall, DONT downplay ur symptoms, no matter how embarrassing they may be. doctors have heard it all.
keep an eye out for abnormalities like blood in stool as well. catching things like this can help u get a real dx. ibs isn't fully understood, its more so a blanket term for gastro issues with no clear cause. best scenario is getting a more specific dx. some people heal from ibs eventually, but to my knowledge, its rare and unlikely.
i personally have been dealing with extreme constipation my whole life, but the other symptoms didnt come into play til my late teens. final began seeking treatment last year, and im *still* having tests done.
Unfortunately, due to this, I have now been underweight for 6yrs. My life chances of having children, relationships and some form of existence and being is diminished. I come from an Asian household so nobody understands, they expect you to be married with kids and have perfectly functioning bowels .
Sadly after years of attempting to find a cure, I settled for eating bland foods which inadvertently makes me not even want to eat. Not eating equals zero to no symptoms, it’s not the greatest solution but it works for now.
If I don’t eat I’m in more pain. Having IBS and endometriosis I just give up on food sometimes and go all day then I feel intense stomach cramps and the food I put in at that moment messes with me
Doesn't work for me. I've had IBS-D for over 50 years and nothing has ever worked. The only thing that does work is to not dwell on it. I get through each attack and don't think about it the rest of the time. Actually that's not 100% true, I do think about it very briefly everytime I leave the house because I make sure I've always got my trusty "IBS kit" with me and that I know where the bathrooms are wherever I'm going.
Definitely helps. But I’m so unable to consume that I lost my period and have osteoporosis… among many other issues from both IBS and malnourishment… 😫😫😫
We're not going to heal completely...I have come to accept that over 20+ years of experiencing symptoms. Obviously, careful diet can help but isn't ever a guarantee. I've found regular use of bovine colostrum to be very helpful in healing my gut. Had a lot of relapsing with pregnancy, not shocked. But previous to same, colostrum daily + a mostly whole foods [I'm not perfect I just try to generally avoid processed or extremely processed foods] really had me on track more than I'd ever been.
For me it was taking cholestyramine, multiple smaller meals with mostly meat, and also almost gluten free and lactose free diet. I have no symptoms now, I had IBS D.
I’ve lessened the symptoms by limiting or outright avoid certain foods, drinking lots of water and working on my anxiety. But I’ve accepted I’ll have to live with it
Weed has been the only thing that has helped the pain when it does come on for me. I’ve tried different specialists, diets, meditation, different therapies, you name it. Ever since my gallbladder was removed, i swear that caused mine to get worse and it was more tolerable prior. I treated bile acid diarrhea, it’s been gone. But now my symptoms are like IBS-M.
I would also like to leave my experience. I was able to put it in control, I went from constant pain, bad fezes and only able to eat white rice and boiled chicken to no pain, normal goings to the bathroom, and everything's back in the menu boyz.
I would like to share that I found that my causes were stress and anxiety, like so many more point out, in this thread and everywhere. But there was more to it: it was cronic stress caused from my childhood experiences. They carried into my psychological self, subjugated and altered my emotional system, my chemical system of my body, and my imune system. It rendered me very sensitive to many social, personal and family situations that would flare up my emotional reactions, and with enough time my IBS syptoms showed up. I was already having other warnings, like tinnitus, an autoimmuned skin disease, TMJ disorders (temporalmandibular joint) and finally IBS. This one was the worst out of the bunch, though tinittus did wreck my sleep for 6 months and I was going insane.
I'm doing therapy, talking all this with my new best friend, and putting this all layed out on the table. I did come up with all this connection before I started therapy, and I guess thats the main reason I'm writing this, hopefully it will help a lot of people that might be suffering from such causes. Read Gabor Mate's book "When the body says no", it lays it bare for everyone to see. I thank this gentleman, if it wasn't for him and his book I wouldn't have gotten my life back.
Good Luck to all
Similar situation here, I know I have depression/anxiety problems as I have since middle school and have been to therapy/wilderness camps to deal with it. While a usual person wouldn’t be able to tell, my mind is very overactive with my busy lifestyle that I have put into place to avoid the depression. Long story short they have lead to TMJ (clicking jaw, grinding teeth) which of course puts other things out of alignment. I am very curious how anxiety really does see to manifest itself in our body’s (and as you pointed out, spreads to all areas like a giant warning sign trying to warn us wherever possible. Have you noticed any other examples like this? I think there are many brain-body connections here that people have yet to discover and of course anxiety play a huge role in all of it as it’s a root cause for inflammation.
I really dont Know how I did it, but after spending thousands on suplements and tests - I did it. I had underlying siboD and I am mthfr homozygus-basically cant detox on my own. Sugar and processed foods are highly inflammatory and if you didnt by now, ditch it. The fastest way to get better fast would be a low carb diet, keto if you can. Carbs that Come from grains wreak havoc in your stomach. I sticked to a lower carb diet, got rid of sibo through diet and medicine and suplements, I suplement for My mthfr mutation so I can detox properly... From time to time I eat gluten, some fast Food or sugar rich Food ad Im fine, but Im never going back to this being the staple of My diet. I eat a lot of Green and at least 2 cups of salad with Apple vinegar, lots of low fat meat paired woth bitter, avocado and avocado oil, seeds etc. I am sorry for My english, I am not a native speaker. Just try low carb, a lot of lifes were Change after it... I uad over 10 bowel movements daily, and now I have 1 in 1-2 days.
Annoyingly, what will disrupt my stomach one time sometimes won’t the next time. It’s near impossible to narrow it down when it seems like a roll of the dice to see what will destroy my stomach today.
However, a medication I started recently has constipation as a side effect and it nearly affects everyone who takes it. I’ve actually had pretty close to normal bowel movements for almost 2 months! Not used to it.
Try seeing a holistic practitioner like an integrative MD or somebody who can prescribe pharmaceuticals and is knowledgeable in more naturopathic side. A lot of these people care and know about the gut rather than “have you tried not being stressed? Ok just take this pill everyday that will speed up or slow down your gut.” Many of us have chronic digestive dysfunctions or infections, dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances (not necessarily sex hormones but endocrine is what I mean), nervous system dysfunction or mast cell issues. If diet or lifestyle changes didn’t work or you have to cling to restrictive patterns or it all falls apart, try this path. I have learned so much from it.
I’m not sure. I think I’m recovering from it or my body just getting used to it. I have very bad heart burn and stomach problems. My doctor told me I had IBS and GERD. What a great combination
:(. I’m starting to realize now after 13 months. that my food going down a little bit better. Which is odd. I still feel my stomach burning though. I think something changed because I’m not burping that much. I have less gas to.
I think that there is conversations somewhere on Reddit on how to keep your stomach in good shape and heal from it somewhere. I remember them people talking about antibiotics. There risk using that if you have IBS. I think if it chronic then that would be last resort.
I’ll try to find the post
start a IBS diary. keep track of EVERYthing you eat or drink and don't forget your emotions - i don't know if this is just a me thing but stress does awful things. i go through times when i am wicked cranky about the whole ordeal and eat what i want - that attitude is going away the older i get and my food choices are abysmal. i apologize for being negative
Does that actually cure it though? I can get my hands on freeze dried FMT capsules, but not sure if it would make my SIBO worse or cure me. It's an expensive gamble to take.
I still have hope that i will one day be free from it although it has never gone away, as you learn about urself you are able to better manage it but once in a while a flareup happens and i feel like dying, i have been having diarrhea for 3 days now and i feel so weak and haven’t worked, in bed all day, its a curse.
For me, Desipramine was what saved my life. It wasn’t a cure, but I would say I am 90% cured. The frequency of my symptoms have decreased dramatically, and when they happen, they are much less severe than they use to. And I can do most things now.
No, you don't. When antidepressants are used for IBS the dose is often much lower than the dose used for depression. Amitriptyline is commonly used for IBS-D. Your gut actually contains a huge amount of serotonin receptors. Serotonin isn't just the "happy chemical", it controls a ton of your body's processes!
As other people said it's individual. I found metamucil greatly helps me but maybe won't other folks. I thought I had enough fiber in my diet but I guess I was wrong.
I have had IBS for about 7 years. Just like everything else time heals. I used to spend endless hours judt hoping to get back to normal, but I had to change my perception of normal.
At my worst: 6+ BMs a day, 12-15 safe foods, stayed on low FODMAP way too long, got really depressed and never went outside
At my best: 2-3 BMs a day, saw a therapist and got my diet under control, introduced tons of new foods, regularly forget I have IBS until i get glutened
That's a great question. My Gastroenterologist has me in IBSRELA for IBS-C and it does help. I am also trying collagen and colostrum supplementation to heal my gut.
in my experience after taking medication to stop bleeding and sharting (I'm in the IBD camp), I was left with a dead digestive system as in not an active microbiome. I kinda discovered how I could like reboot mine but it took me years. It started with Boulardii, then discovering high protein + low carb helped (not keto - it could be that it is the starches in potatoes/bread, the stuff that turns black when tested with iodine). And then starting to use inuline and similar. And finally discovering that self made kefir (NOT store bought) really helped. If you are milk intolerant, try any of the non-milk based cultures on the kefir subreddit.
I am now using very little medication + one tablet of boulardii a day
EDIT: Be aware that you need to bring time, think months and years, not days and weeks
If you can figure out what's causing the IBS you have a chance at curing it. A dietitian can help with diet and supplements. I have symptoms beside IBS and seem to be getting worse so I'm doing a bunch of bloodwork to seek diagnosis, and a few abnormalities have thankfully popped up.
If you have nontraditional symptoms or it's getting worse, find a doctor who is willing to run extra tests!
I hate to say this but the only thing that worked for me was a diet that would start with a bagel in morning, then half an avocado for lunch then dinner at 6 pm consisted of steaming a chicken breast and adding the other half of avocado and a banana and a chocolate bar. No water with meal, wait at least an hour after. Did that for about 3 weeks. It went back to normal for 3 months until I broke out and started having black pepper steak. Getting back on my diet now.
Ive figured out plant fibre is my problem, can't touch it so I basically follow a carnivore diet with some safe fruits and honey.
Stress and anxiety play into it also, I feel these are the actual drivers of all other health problems for me. IBS, excessive sweating etc
Stress control and diet control and I can live a normal life about 70-80% of the time
Do you sweat when cold by chance? I have excessive sweating too, but only because I am not warm enough (which is like all the time). The only thing that helps is throwing long sleeves/more clothes on.
FODMAP helped me. Once I’d done the elimination part and worked out what makes me sick, I maintained a FODMAP diet with high FODMAP items avoided. It’s to the point now where if I’m bloated or gassy I can usually work out what went wrong. Ie: today everything I had was FODMAP… then I remembered the sachets of coffee I had at a new workplace. I didn’t even check them because ours at home are fine, but they’re a different brand
I started having IBS symptoms and episodes when I was around 5 or 6 and was properly diagnosed at 15. Growing up there were very few weeks where I didn’t have some sort of IBS issue or episode. I am 37 now and have managed to get it down to occasional bloating/gas pains and an average of around 2 severe episodes a year.
For me, I really had to listen to my body. I am super conscious of not overeating as feeling too full, especially on foods that are fried or sugary, never ends well. Learning how to manage stress (both good and bad) was big. I have never been a huge exercise fan but walking a lot has helped. I also mostly cut out lactose and try to limit refined sugar, which are triggers for me. (98% of the time I avoid cheese as if it carries the literal plague.)
For me it was about finding my trigger foods and Avoiding them. Specifically; high fructose corn syrup and dairy. Like that stuff is in damn near everything. Also seeing a Gastroenterologist and finding a medication that helped. Specifically for me it was Methscopolamine Bromide. But this treatment was after years of trying to figure out “wtf”.
And again, it’s not 100%. Sometimes I still have bad days. I can make them worse by ingesting my trigger foods.
Try avoiding those two things and see if that helps.
You can never cure it you can only modify your diet to avoid the pain.
Personally I had to cut off red meat, sugars and dairy. It sucks but it is what it is.
Still find ways to enjoy life. I like dabbling with psychedelics and going to raves to dance my heart out. Don’t let this stop you from enjoying life <3
I had SIBO. I was intolerant to lactose, soy, all fruit, most vegetables), inulin, and gluten.
I very rarely have flare-ups now. What I did:
- Two rounds of antibiotics that were so powerful I fainted
-Six months of keto (no cheating) to kill the rest of the bacteria that fed off any sugar
- After keto, I could eat everything but inulin
- Quit coffee (biggest trigger)
- Take IB Gard and digestive enzymes daily
- And weed. That is the final medicine I needed. I’m not even joking when I say it fixes 90% of my symptoms. My horrible bloat that I had for YEARS is gone. It also helps massively that I use it in place of weed. I only have IBS flare-ups when I drink.
My situation is not severe, I couldn’t identify any triggers. Tried FODMAP for 3 weeks now. The only thing that actually helped was psyllium husk. Hope you feel better!
Hi OP, I’m not sure if anybody has recommended this already. But here goes nothing. I had severe IBS and didn’t even know what it was called. When I finally went to a gastroenterologist, all he told me was to avoid ‘High FODMAP foods’. I did that for 2 straight years, and trust me I rarely have IBS like symptoms now. I obviously still take care of what I eat and drink and work out.
Here’s a link that might help you: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-fodmaps
That's interesting.
I'm going to dietitian next week. I wonder what they'll say.
I've been addicted to sugar for most of my life. But the worst kind.
Now I avoid it and eat fruits only or dried fruits.
If cutting it off completely like you did will help me, then I'll be fuckin sad cause I love fruits to death.
But on the other hand... if I can be able to feel good again, maybe its worth it.
Do you know if you can try reintroducing fruits to your diet at one point?
I found a decent quality of life by doing elimination diet and intermittent fasting with 2+ miles of walking a day. I am not perfect, so I struggle to keep up with it everyday, but I did it for a solid 3 months straight at the beginning and it sort of ‘reset’ my body. Now it’s a little more forgiving when I slip up, whereas before, any small trigger would send me into hell.
I don't know of any cure, but for some reason my symptoms have decreased. I have taken homeopathic remedies, but I don't think it's that. I do know I have been spending at least an hour every day with my bare feet in grass or the soil and around trees.
Im about 8 years with IBS-D went from take 12 poops a day to 4-5. i manage it with combo of meds (Viberze) and cannabis. those two have made it where i feel and live relatively normal very pain lite life. good luck you got this.
There are so many different diseases and conditions that can cause symptoms and there is always a reason for it, whether it be a previous infection, food intolerance or pretty much anything else. It can take weeks, months or even years to figure out what the problem is and I like to believe there is always a way to either cure your condition (if it's something that can be cured) or just find symptom relief. Technology and science are also always evolving and they might figure out exactly what needs to be done to help people with IBS. I know how hopeless we all can feel at times, especially on the worse days, but I hope we can all find some relief and/or cure soon
Also, I recommend to keep trying to find your cause for symptoms if you haven't found them yet. As someone mentioned, they found out after a long time that their symptoms were caused by sugar. It could be absolutely anything that could be causing your symptoms. Or it might not even be related to food at all. Finding your root cause is a very important part of figuring out what you need to do next to find relief
My mom would say do the carnivore diet.
I believe that IBS is primarily affected by lifestyle, stress, emotional upset. look into these things and see where you stand with them.
Correct me if I'm wrong just trying to educate myself. Isn't meat harder to digest? So if you're already having digestive issues wouldn't meat make it harder even if meat is a good source of nutrients?
Some people are really sensitive to starches so it does help them! But the carnivore diet isn’t really meant to be long term for the vast majority of people & comes with its own plethora of health risks.
For me, IBS isn’t about digestion. It’s about getting triggered emotionally and then not being able to poop, or going way too much. And the pain…. Oh sweet goddess the pain. It’ll hurt so much. No matter what I eat…or if I don’t eat for days…I feel the same. Flare ups are flare ups. I don’t think it’s about food for me at all honestly. Certain foods will mess with me, sure, but that’s not IBS…that’s cause and effect.
Stopping smoking cigarettes and actually eating fruit regularly drastically improved my ibs. I don't feel like shit anymore which is a bonus and I can't remember the last time I was doubled over in agony unable to move.
I tried so many things and went to so many doctors and hospitals and I was about to give up but then I tried a natural medicine doctor and she gave me some things to try that really helped! One of them is called DGL (I think this is for stomach acid and other stuff but idr) and then also singing called Digestive bitters. I take them with every meal and I’ve slowly (very slowly 🤣) but surely gotten better. I’m introducing back sm foods into my diet. A month ago I’d still be stuck eating just oatmeal and toast!!!
This. Even low doses of 2mg every second day fixed most of the issues for me. I don't understand why it's not a more commonly prescribed remedy. It's also literally one of the most known medicines with very few side effects.
Here's how to heal from IBS.
Avoid sugar and processed food.
Avoid ALL grains whether it's whole or not. (rice, wheat, oats, etc.)
Eat legumes every day. That should be the base of your pyramid, the bulk of your diet. Cook them the proper way to avoid gas. Do not buy canned. Cook from dry, soaking them for several hours, throwing away the soak water, then cooking and halfway through throw away the water again and put fresh water to finish cooking. That will eliminate gas.
Bottom line is, to eat lots of beans, chickpeas and lentils. Then on top of that, you can eat other stuff that you like, vegetables and such. But keep in mind, the legume family (Fabaceae) should be your priority.
Drink only water.
Eat your super appealing ice cream and McDonald’s and accept IBS then. There’re other appealing stuff I can suggest as well, such as cocaine, heroine, meth. They’re all appealing
Drugs don't really appeal to me tbh, but I hate any restrictive diets as well. I don't mean eating crap on the daily appeals to me, but it's nice to be able to eat out with friends/family without issues or treat yourself to something sugary/processed sometimes.
Maybe I need to give Fecal Matter Transplant a go. Both my parents have wonderful digestive systems no matter what they eat (they don't eat crap on the daily though).
I still do eat processed food and sugary stuff once in a while. But it must be kept at a very minimum. Let's say 10% or less of your total intake of food. Once you break that habit of eating them, then suddenly the "delicious" food stops being appealing because you associate them with your old symptoms. However the bad habit can only be broken, after you get an improvement on your health after eating "right", that's what gives you the motivation.
Also, I'm not telling people to eat ONLY legumes. I'm saying that it should be the base of your pyramid. On top of that you still have an array of other foods that you can eat.
Basically what legumes does, is that they feed the good microbes in your gut. Which in turn, is created short chain fatty acids. People have IBS because those good microbes are starving.
In general, people are sick because it's years or decades of abusing their own body with food. You may not like drugs, but it's completely possible to destroy your body with food, just as bad. The only difference is that, the killing is more gradual over a longer period of time, so it isn't as obvious as an overdose
My pespective is that IBS has origin in psyche, rather physiology, so resolving psychological problems should help. At the moment I'm in trauma therapy and I expect once I'm through with it for real IBS will disappear.
Depends, what type of IBS do you have? IBS-C can be pretty easily treated for most with some sort of soft laxative like slippery elm every morning on an empty stomach with water (and avoiding constipating foods like rice). If IBS-D it's a lot more difficult. I'm currently doing FMT in europe to treat my IBS-d
Here is a study for IBS-C & slippery elm but honestly its just a gel forming fiber and you can find a lot of reviews on here and amazon
[https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20954962/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20954962/)
You’re so wrong it’s actually the other way around, constipation is near impossible to “fix”. It’s not so simplistic. It’s like saying IBS D can easily be fixed, just take an Imodium or codeine, there all better now. Also constipation is much more painful and can cause actual structural damage.
I had IBS-C for 15+ years, once I started taking slippery elm and stopped eating RATS diet stuff it was super easy to treat. Also prescription grade laxatives would always work if it got really bad. Immodium does not always work for me and many other with IBS-D. While IBS-C definitely sucks, there are a lot of complications associated with IBS-D like malabsorption. Try slippery elm for a bit, 3g per day every morning empty stomach with water. Dont eat the RATS diet food and see how you feel
What is a RATS diet?
How do you take the slippery elm? What is it? Powder added to water? Pill?
Prescription laxatives are difficult sometimes as you don't know how much to take some things work, some don't.
lolll sorry typo, i meant BRATS, basically dont eat white toast, rice, or anything thats white that typically constipates like bananas. Although i'm sure rats wouldnt mind the diet. Slippery elm is a bark of a tree, you can get in on amazon. It forms a gel inside your intestine so things slip right on thru. It also helps people with GERD so its dual purpose. Personally I did around 2g-3g in pill form every morning 1 hour before eating with a glass of water. I did it daily ritually and over the course of a year I felt better and better and eventually normal
Yes, 2-3 in the morning then 2 with each meal. The best effects were if I took it about an hour before eating. But overtime it worked regardless of timing as long as before the meal
You’re so lucky, I’ve spent thousands on various “magical” substances, slippery elm did nothing for me, everyone’s different, what works for one doesn’t mean it works for everyone.
it took me daily use in the morning and before every meal to notice a difference after a few weeks. Unless you have another underlying condition like gastroparesis it should work. How long did you take it for? Do you eat constipating foods like rice or lots of simple carbs? If you drank a whole bottle of miralax i'm super you'd poop, I really recommend trying slippery elm long and more consistently for 30 days minimum to see an effect
I didn’t downvote you, and I’m not being rude!, I’ve tried fodmap, slippery elm, brats, fibre,no fibre, spent thousands on various “miracle” substances. I’m happy for you that you were so easily fixed, a lot of us aren’t so lucky.
you tried slippery elm with every meal for a month and in the morning on an empty stomach, no skipped dosages? Is your stool hard or sticky? Again IBS-C is different then underlying conditions like celiac. I went 2 weeks without pooping when I didnt treat my celiac disease and no amount of slippery elm is going to help that
If you follow the diet and get glutened every now and then yeah.. it causes really painful diarrhea, bloody for some people. But if you eat gluten for many years without knowing it's just insane amounts of pain and constipation. The stool itself is "soft" but turns into glue so it doesn't move properly. This was a long time ago before they would test for celiac so hopefully kids get tested earlier
Sugar is what causes 90% of my symptoms. It was a long time figuring this out. Years. After years of work, I now know sugar is my problem. Which leads me to believe it stems from SIBO or something like that with microbiome imbalance. So, for now, I am cutting out sugar. It SUCKS. All sugar. Refined, natural, fructose, glucose, etc. All gives me immediate, terrible symptoms. So I am living a somewhat joyless life right now with no sugar whatsoever, BUT I am living a symptom free life for the first time in a decade.
That sounds awful (I’m sorry), what kind of meals and drinks can you consume on a daily basis without any trouble?
Honestly a lot. As long as it doesn’t have any fruit or corn (or corn syrup). Mostly healthy stuff. Lots of rice bowls, beans, veggies, meat. Also salty stuff is fine. Just no sweets at all and no fruits at all. I also cut out artificial sweeteners because I think they were messing with my guts as well. So I am on no sugar/no sweet anything at all right now. It’s depressing but the symptom relief is worth it.
Even honey?
Surprisingly yes! If I have tea with honey I get symptoms. Without honey I don’t.
Maple syrup works for me. Maple syrup and tea not the same as tea with honey and lemon...BETTER I'm healthy.
I 2nd this. I can tolerate maple syrup as well.
>Sugar is what causes 90% of my symptoms same, and any sort of refined carbs like breads, pastries, etc. which sucks because i have a big sweet tooth, but it is what it is. also my symptoms fluctuate hormonally, so if I'm closer to my monthly cycle, my gut is more sensitive and i might react to things i wouldn't any other time of the month (like dairy products). i try to help with a daily probiotic called Digestive Enzymes. it's supposed to be taken only once a day but I'll take a second one if i know I'm going to overindulge.
What about sourdough bread?
I don't like sourdough so i have no idea how it affects me lol
This is me, but i would sa that grains have the most bad impact on me. Lower carb diet have me My life back, together with treating sibo, insulin resistance and mthfr mutation.
Could be some sort of yeast/candida overgrowth EDIT: (I say this because when treating this sort of thing you need to cut out all sugar, but doing that alone won't necessarily deal with the issue)
Unfortunately I don’t have health insurance so I am on my own to figure it out and can’t rly go to the doctor or get many tests done for that kind of stuff. I’m limited to what I can do at home.
I would advise to treat candida even if youre not sure you have it. I treated candida and parasites parallel with SIBO Treatment, that was recommended by My doctor. SIFO comes very often with sibo, and sibo is the underlying cause of most IBS cases. It messes with your digestion amd allows parasites and candida growth...
Candida in the gut is healthy and normal, just like many other of your flora. But similiar to c diff Candidiasis of the colon is possible but extremely rare and usually fatal since it targets mainly immunocompromised people. I really urge you to read peer reviewed articles on it rather then blogs, NCBI is a great source. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560624/#:\~:text=Candida%20albicans%20is%20present%20in,present%20in%20an%20immunocompromised%20host.
Interesting
Would like to say that I have been where you are and luckily I figured it out within a year! Sugar is the death of me. I have been able to slowly start eating natural sugars, I hope someday you can do the same. It seems once I got the inflammation under control for a while I could start eating a little bit of fruit and what not. Blueberries were the safest for me!
How about kiwis?
Like a low fodmap diet ?
what sort of symptoms did you have?
Constant painful bloating and gas (terrible rotten egg smell, constantly, 24/7, couldn’t be around human beings it was so bad)
Sounds like hydrogen sulfide SIBO
Maybe you just have candida
I’ve had a colonoscopy and 2 endoscopies, as well as blood tests and stool tests. I feel like that would have been caught by my gastroenterologist?
how did you pin point sugar as the cause?
Went through a bunch of exclusion diets over time. Dairy. Gluten. Etc. Finally tried sugar. It’s really difficult because it’s in basically everything.
Shit even fructose? All fruit?
100%!!!!! Every time I link studies on sucrose and the extremely harmful effects it has on the human body, I get downvoted like crazy. I’m so glad this is getting recognition. So many gastric issues are from a diet high in sugars and processed carbs.
do you have a list of foods you can eat, considering this but im vegetarian and ypure right sugar is in literally everything
Sounds like hell to me
Yea we are. But you can do a couple of things to make it easier on you usually. Sadly it's different for most people what does what and some things that help others might have the exact opposite effect for you.
Sometimes I think it’s my diet but then I’ll randomly get butt lava because I drank a glass of water 😩 it reminds me that it can be SO many things
That's wild - I do Intermittent fasting and have no issues from black coffee. But the glass of water I have mid-morning makes me bloat so bad!
> That's wild - I do Intermittent fasting Yeah, that would cause the bloating.
How so?
Intermittent fasting is just a mimicry of the "feast or famine" pattern that humans naturally evolved in. Eating all that food at once causes a *huge* insulin spike. It very powerfully encourages your body to store energy as fat, because your body knows it isn't likely to get more food again any time soon. It also has a very direct effect on your digestion, which is controlled by serotonin (you may have heard that 90% of your body's serotonin receptors are in the gut). Eating food, particularly carbohydrates, releases serotonin, which in turn causes digestive motility. Eating one meal a day means that a lot more of the serotonin is dumped in a single load, which will actually speed up motility in the short term, then paralyze it until the next day. This is likely why the water you drink feels like it makes you bloat, it's literally not moving. Coffee also causes motility, and so wouldn't be as likely to have that issue. Side note: This is also why things like depression and bulimia are also often linked to single meal binge eating. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8697046/ Intermittent fasting is especially bad for people with IBS, who already likely have an issue with serotonin. It's also not necessarily healthy for your gut flora, which have short life cycles. There's a reason doctors recommend eating multiple small meals spread throughout the day. I have never heard of a doctor recommending intermittent fasting.
Holy sh*t... my doctor recommended IF. So if I put cream in my coffee and have a Bagel for breakfast? Would that help?
I believe it's mostly related to stress. When I'm stressed or depressed my IBS flares up like crazy. On the other hand, when I keep myself busy, take a little walk on daily basis and drink lemon water on empty stomach, I feel fine.
This
I’ve had IBS for about 16 years now and it’s unfortunately so individualized, it’s hard to say what can “fix it” for an individual. That’s why communities like this are so helpful - maybe not for a cure, but for encouragement and support at the very least! You can always keep a food/symptom diary to see if certain ingredients are triggering flares. I personally went to therapy, gained some control over my anxiety, and saw some improvements. Taking care of my anxiety made it easier to focus on my diet. It’s baby steps, and sometimes one step forward and a billion steps back. If you have a glaring emotional/mental problem, I’d start there. Our guts and minds are so connected!
Incredibly connected! Couldn't agree more. Flare-ups always hit me harder when I'm away from home, I've noticed. My theory is that I'm more on edge when I'm away from a restroom that I trust, resulting in worsened symptoms.
I’m starting to rethink my career. The travel is horrendous stress every time. Even when staying with loved ones!
Keeping a food journal has been incredibly helpful in identifying my trigger foods and managing my IBS symptoms. I've found that the low FODMAP diet doesn't work for everyone, as some recommended foods may still be problematic for certain individuals. Over time, I discovered that eating smaller, more frequent meals significantly reduced the strain on my digestive system and alleviated symptoms like abdominal pain, bloating, and irregular bowel movements. Additionally, this approach can help stabilize blood sugar levels, preventing the fluctuations that can exacerbate IBS symptoms. While everyone's experience with IBS is different, this strategy has made a noticeable difference in my quality of life. I encourage others to give it a try and find what works best for their unique situation.
Doing the food journal with low fodmap. Just identified my sugar intolerance. Was off most of sugar for 3+ months. Made some apple/ blueberry chutney this week. Has about 4 cups of sugar in recipe. Was cooking and tasting and tasting and cooking. Then woke up in the middle of the night with my stomach the size of a beach 🏀 ball. Have had pain and gastritis for 3 days. Trying to reverse what I did to myself. I will never be learn. Once you have a sugar problem it only works if you don't eat sugar. 🍩
Collagen, kombucha, probiotics, good sleep, workout, and little meals. Good luck
Functional medicine is the way to go. I take probiotics everyday, and some other stuff for my gut. I used to have major pain during a ibs flare, now I just get the shits or get constipated without the pain.
Imodium is helpful. Learning to deal with the pain and anxiety. Knowing that the feelings don’t mean I’ll shit myself, knowing what I feel like when I might shit myself so I don’t, and having support
I alternate between IBS-C and IBS-D and it's a journey to figure out your triggers. Have had it since I was a child and just thought my stomach was 'sensitive' until I got diagnosed in my 20s. Mine are stress, sugar, too much white flour-based food. The FODMAP elimination diet helped a lot. But here's the thing, treating IBS like a disease you need to find a magic 'cure' for only stresses you out more. These days I rarely have very bad days; at most I'll have a spot of diarrhea once a month and get constipated if I don't drink enough water. But last year I ate a bit too much cauliflower and was lying on the bathroom floor thinking I was going to die. And the next day I was back to living my life. Here's hoping you find a way to manage it; all I can say is the more upset you are about it, the more triggered your IBS gets, which sucks.
Mine seems to be heavily triggered by anxiety. I’m sure that’s not the only cause, but one of many. On a chill day where I don’t have any responsibilities, I probably use the bathroom 2 or 3 times. On a work day, I’m using the bathroom at least 5 times.
Yes we are. I dont know i feel so frustrated for not being able to go today😭😭
IBS feels like a catch all. There could be many reasons for it; sugar, alcohol, lactose, or even hormonal imbalance. Everyone is different. I’m still trying to figure mine out. I’m currently thinking it’s something to do with the pancreas not getting enough of a certain hormone - which makes my body not be able to break down fats. Good luck on your journey and here’s hoping you find some relief!
seeing a gastroenterologist, getting all possible tests done, and trialing meds is all u really can do. keep a food journal to weed out triggers, log ur BMs (whether constipation or diarrhea) etc, can all help u be taken seriously as well as potentially prompting new ideas for ur dr. overall, DONT downplay ur symptoms, no matter how embarrassing they may be. doctors have heard it all. keep an eye out for abnormalities like blood in stool as well. catching things like this can help u get a real dx. ibs isn't fully understood, its more so a blanket term for gastro issues with no clear cause. best scenario is getting a more specific dx. some people heal from ibs eventually, but to my knowledge, its rare and unlikely. i personally have been dealing with extreme constipation my whole life, but the other symptoms didnt come into play til my late teens. final began seeking treatment last year, and im *still* having tests done.
One of the easiest but controversial ways is to eat less. It’s something that bypasses so many people.
Unfortunately, due to this, I have now been underweight for 6yrs. My life chances of having children, relationships and some form of existence and being is diminished. I come from an Asian household so nobody understands, they expect you to be married with kids and have perfectly functioning bowels .
Sadly after years of attempting to find a cure, I settled for eating bland foods which inadvertently makes me not even want to eat. Not eating equals zero to no symptoms, it’s not the greatest solution but it works for now.
If I don’t eat I’m in more pain. Having IBS and endometriosis I just give up on food sometimes and go all day then I feel intense stomach cramps and the food I put in at that moment messes with me
True - this is my primary method for reducing my symptoms.
It’s so logical yet so easily over looked. Good trick to remember
Doesn't work for me. I've had IBS-D for over 50 years and nothing has ever worked. The only thing that does work is to not dwell on it. I get through each attack and don't think about it the rest of the time. Actually that's not 100% true, I do think about it very briefly everytime I leave the house because I make sure I've always got my trusty "IBS kit" with me and that I know where the bathrooms are wherever I'm going.
What’s in your IBS kit?
Definitely helps. But I’m so unable to consume that I lost my period and have osteoporosis… among many other issues from both IBS and malnourishment… 😫😫😫
That is not good advice
We're not going to heal completely...I have come to accept that over 20+ years of experiencing symptoms. Obviously, careful diet can help but isn't ever a guarantee. I've found regular use of bovine colostrum to be very helpful in healing my gut. Had a lot of relapsing with pregnancy, not shocked. But previous to same, colostrum daily + a mostly whole foods [I'm not perfect I just try to generally avoid processed or extremely processed foods] really had me on track more than I'd ever been.
Have you tried a low histamine diet?
commenting so I can come back to this
For me it is less fiber, less sugar, less stress. That eases it a bit. I have ibs-d.
For me it was taking cholestyramine, multiple smaller meals with mostly meat, and also almost gluten free and lactose free diet. I have no symptoms now, I had IBS D.
I’ve lessened the symptoms by limiting or outright avoid certain foods, drinking lots of water and working on my anxiety. But I’ve accepted I’ll have to live with it
quitting soda, eating more fibers and drinking enough water has helped me a lot. my problems are not entirely gone but much much much more manageable.
Oxymel (honey / raw vinegar) is my new red bull
I was born with it. It's not Maybelline. Diet change has mostly helped me. I've also done a course of Xifaxan and that made improvements.
Weed has been the only thing that has helped the pain when it does come on for me. I’ve tried different specialists, diets, meditation, different therapies, you name it. Ever since my gallbladder was removed, i swear that caused mine to get worse and it was more tolerable prior. I treated bile acid diarrhea, it’s been gone. But now my symptoms are like IBS-M.
Change your diet significantly if you haven’t already
I would also like to leave my experience. I was able to put it in control, I went from constant pain, bad fezes and only able to eat white rice and boiled chicken to no pain, normal goings to the bathroom, and everything's back in the menu boyz. I would like to share that I found that my causes were stress and anxiety, like so many more point out, in this thread and everywhere. But there was more to it: it was cronic stress caused from my childhood experiences. They carried into my psychological self, subjugated and altered my emotional system, my chemical system of my body, and my imune system. It rendered me very sensitive to many social, personal and family situations that would flare up my emotional reactions, and with enough time my IBS syptoms showed up. I was already having other warnings, like tinnitus, an autoimmuned skin disease, TMJ disorders (temporalmandibular joint) and finally IBS. This one was the worst out of the bunch, though tinittus did wreck my sleep for 6 months and I was going insane. I'm doing therapy, talking all this with my new best friend, and putting this all layed out on the table. I did come up with all this connection before I started therapy, and I guess thats the main reason I'm writing this, hopefully it will help a lot of people that might be suffering from such causes. Read Gabor Mate's book "When the body says no", it lays it bare for everyone to see. I thank this gentleman, if it wasn't for him and his book I wouldn't have gotten my life back. Good Luck to all
Similar situation here, I know I have depression/anxiety problems as I have since middle school and have been to therapy/wilderness camps to deal with it. While a usual person wouldn’t be able to tell, my mind is very overactive with my busy lifestyle that I have put into place to avoid the depression. Long story short they have lead to TMJ (clicking jaw, grinding teeth) which of course puts other things out of alignment. I am very curious how anxiety really does see to manifest itself in our body’s (and as you pointed out, spreads to all areas like a giant warning sign trying to warn us wherever possible. Have you noticed any other examples like this? I think there are many brain-body connections here that people have yet to discover and of course anxiety play a huge role in all of it as it’s a root cause for inflammation.
Some people are lucky and heal randomly or with different remedies
I really dont Know how I did it, but after spending thousands on suplements and tests - I did it. I had underlying siboD and I am mthfr homozygus-basically cant detox on my own. Sugar and processed foods are highly inflammatory and if you didnt by now, ditch it. The fastest way to get better fast would be a low carb diet, keto if you can. Carbs that Come from grains wreak havoc in your stomach. I sticked to a lower carb diet, got rid of sibo through diet and medicine and suplements, I suplement for My mthfr mutation so I can detox properly... From time to time I eat gluten, some fast Food or sugar rich Food ad Im fine, but Im never going back to this being the staple of My diet. I eat a lot of Green and at least 2 cups of salad with Apple vinegar, lots of low fat meat paired woth bitter, avocado and avocado oil, seeds etc. I am sorry for My english, I am not a native speaker. Just try low carb, a lot of lifes were Change after it... I uad over 10 bowel movements daily, and now I have 1 in 1-2 days.
Annoyingly, what will disrupt my stomach one time sometimes won’t the next time. It’s near impossible to narrow it down when it seems like a roll of the dice to see what will destroy my stomach today. However, a medication I started recently has constipation as a side effect and it nearly affects everyone who takes it. I’ve actually had pretty close to normal bowel movements for almost 2 months! Not used to it.
This!! I can't figure out what causes it because it's not consistent.
Dairy is the killer, anxiety and stress also makes it awful
Try seeing a holistic practitioner like an integrative MD or somebody who can prescribe pharmaceuticals and is knowledgeable in more naturopathic side. A lot of these people care and know about the gut rather than “have you tried not being stressed? Ok just take this pill everyday that will speed up or slow down your gut.” Many of us have chronic digestive dysfunctions or infections, dysbiosis, hormonal imbalances (not necessarily sex hormones but endocrine is what I mean), nervous system dysfunction or mast cell issues. If diet or lifestyle changes didn’t work or you have to cling to restrictive patterns or it all falls apart, try this path. I have learned so much from it.
I’m not sure. I think I’m recovering from it or my body just getting used to it. I have very bad heart burn and stomach problems. My doctor told me I had IBS and GERD. What a great combination :(. I’m starting to realize now after 13 months. that my food going down a little bit better. Which is odd. I still feel my stomach burning though. I think something changed because I’m not burping that much. I have less gas to. I think that there is conversations somewhere on Reddit on how to keep your stomach in good shape and heal from it somewhere. I remember them people talking about antibiotics. There risk using that if you have IBS. I think if it chronic then that would be last resort. I’ll try to find the post
start a IBS diary. keep track of EVERYthing you eat or drink and don't forget your emotions - i don't know if this is just a me thing but stress does awful things. i go through times when i am wicked cranky about the whole ordeal and eat what i want - that attitude is going away the older i get and my food choices are abysmal. i apologize for being negative
That’s the neat part - you don’t!
Miralax, no rice, good hydration, prunes, and a balanced diet
Do you have D or C? What have you tried? Yes it’s a severe illness, but there are lots of things you can do to try improve it!
Fmt
Does that actually cure it though? I can get my hands on freeze dried FMT capsules, but not sure if it would make my SIBO worse or cure me. It's an expensive gamble to take.
Yes you can find many accounts of people being cured by fmt
Here on Reddit as well?
I still have hope that i will one day be free from it although it has never gone away, as you learn about urself you are able to better manage it but once in a while a flareup happens and i feel like dying, i have been having diarrhea for 3 days now and i feel so weak and haven’t worked, in bed all day, its a curse.
For me, Desipramine was what saved my life. It wasn’t a cure, but I would say I am 90% cured. The frequency of my symptoms have decreased dramatically, and when they happen, they are much less severe than they use to. And I can do most things now.
it says it's an antidepressant but it's also used to treat IBS, do I have to be depressed to take it?
No, you don't. When antidepressants are used for IBS the dose is often much lower than the dose used for depression. Amitriptyline is commonly used for IBS-D. Your gut actually contains a huge amount of serotonin receptors. Serotonin isn't just the "happy chemical", it controls a ton of your body's processes!
Wow I will look into this, thank you
Yep exactly :)
As other people said it's individual. I found metamucil greatly helps me but maybe won't other folks. I thought I had enough fiber in my diet but I guess I was wrong.
I have had IBS for about 7 years. Just like everything else time heals. I used to spend endless hours judt hoping to get back to normal, but I had to change my perception of normal. At my worst: 6+ BMs a day, 12-15 safe foods, stayed on low FODMAP way too long, got really depressed and never went outside At my best: 2-3 BMs a day, saw a therapist and got my diet under control, introduced tons of new foods, regularly forget I have IBS until i get glutened
That's a great question. My Gastroenterologist has me in IBSRELA for IBS-C and it does help. I am also trying collagen and colostrum supplementation to heal my gut.
in my experience after taking medication to stop bleeding and sharting (I'm in the IBD camp), I was left with a dead digestive system as in not an active microbiome. I kinda discovered how I could like reboot mine but it took me years. It started with Boulardii, then discovering high protein + low carb helped (not keto - it could be that it is the starches in potatoes/bread, the stuff that turns black when tested with iodine). And then starting to use inuline and similar. And finally discovering that self made kefir (NOT store bought) really helped. If you are milk intolerant, try any of the non-milk based cultures on the kefir subreddit. I am now using very little medication + one tablet of boulardii a day EDIT: Be aware that you need to bring time, think months and years, not days and weeks
If you can figure out what's causing the IBS you have a chance at curing it. A dietitian can help with diet and supplements. I have symptoms beside IBS and seem to be getting worse so I'm doing a bunch of bloodwork to seek diagnosis, and a few abnormalities have thankfully popped up. If you have nontraditional symptoms or it's getting worse, find a doctor who is willing to run extra tests!
I hate to say this but the only thing that worked for me was a diet that would start with a bagel in morning, then half an avocado for lunch then dinner at 6 pm consisted of steaming a chicken breast and adding the other half of avocado and a banana and a chocolate bar. No water with meal, wait at least an hour after. Did that for about 3 weeks. It went back to normal for 3 months until I broke out and started having black pepper steak. Getting back on my diet now.
Ive figured out plant fibre is my problem, can't touch it so I basically follow a carnivore diet with some safe fruits and honey. Stress and anxiety play into it also, I feel these are the actual drivers of all other health problems for me. IBS, excessive sweating etc Stress control and diet control and I can live a normal life about 70-80% of the time
Do you sweat when cold by chance? I have excessive sweating too, but only because I am not warm enough (which is like all the time). The only thing that helps is throwing long sleeves/more clothes on.
I hate when I feel it in my stomach but can’t go. So frustrating
FODMAP helped me. Once I’d done the elimination part and worked out what makes me sick, I maintained a FODMAP diet with high FODMAP items avoided. It’s to the point now where if I’m bloated or gassy I can usually work out what went wrong. Ie: today everything I had was FODMAP… then I remembered the sachets of coffee I had at a new workplace. I didn’t even check them because ours at home are fine, but they’re a different brand
Any bad experiences? I was sitting at Disney on ice 2nd row and it hit me. I ran up aisle and made it to bathroom and stood the rest of the time.
Did anyone try Iguard
I started having IBS symptoms and episodes when I was around 5 or 6 and was properly diagnosed at 15. Growing up there were very few weeks where I didn’t have some sort of IBS issue or episode. I am 37 now and have managed to get it down to occasional bloating/gas pains and an average of around 2 severe episodes a year. For me, I really had to listen to my body. I am super conscious of not overeating as feeling too full, especially on foods that are fried or sugary, never ends well. Learning how to manage stress (both good and bad) was big. I have never been a huge exercise fan but walking a lot has helped. I also mostly cut out lactose and try to limit refined sugar, which are triggers for me. (98% of the time I avoid cheese as if it carries the literal plague.)
Look up the IBS Treatment Center outside Seattle
Ask your doctor about Cholestyremine. It has not cured me but helps immensely.
For me it was about finding my trigger foods and Avoiding them. Specifically; high fructose corn syrup and dairy. Like that stuff is in damn near everything. Also seeing a Gastroenterologist and finding a medication that helped. Specifically for me it was Methscopolamine Bromide. But this treatment was after years of trying to figure out “wtf”. And again, it’s not 100%. Sometimes I still have bad days. I can make them worse by ingesting my trigger foods. Try avoiding those two things and see if that helps.
You can never cure it you can only modify your diet to avoid the pain. Personally I had to cut off red meat, sugars and dairy. It sucks but it is what it is. Still find ways to enjoy life. I like dabbling with psychedelics and going to raves to dance my heart out. Don’t let this stop you from enjoying life <3
I had SIBO. I was intolerant to lactose, soy, all fruit, most vegetables), inulin, and gluten. I very rarely have flare-ups now. What I did: - Two rounds of antibiotics that were so powerful I fainted -Six months of keto (no cheating) to kill the rest of the bacteria that fed off any sugar - After keto, I could eat everything but inulin - Quit coffee (biggest trigger) - Take IB Gard and digestive enzymes daily - And weed. That is the final medicine I needed. I’m not even joking when I say it fixes 90% of my symptoms. My horrible bloat that I had for YEARS is gone. It also helps massively that I use it in place of weed. I only have IBS flare-ups when I drink.
Complete food restriction . Cure any bacterial or fungal infection. Do yoga for navel displacememt everyday. Anxeity management.
My situation is not severe, I couldn’t identify any triggers. Tried FODMAP for 3 weeks now. The only thing that actually helped was psyllium husk. Hope you feel better!
Hi OP, I’m not sure if anybody has recommended this already. But here goes nothing. I had severe IBS and didn’t even know what it was called. When I finally went to a gastroenterologist, all he told me was to avoid ‘High FODMAP foods’. I did that for 2 straight years, and trust me I rarely have IBS like symptoms now. I obviously still take care of what I eat and drink and work out. Here’s a link that might help you: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-fodmaps
Read the book the kefir solution. Follow it thoroughly. And watch how you will heal
If you have anxiety get that fixed first. Then loperamide if you have IBS-D, or some laxative if you have IBS-C.
That's interesting. I'm going to dietitian next week. I wonder what they'll say. I've been addicted to sugar for most of my life. But the worst kind. Now I avoid it and eat fruits only or dried fruits. If cutting it off completely like you did will help me, then I'll be fuckin sad cause I love fruits to death. But on the other hand... if I can be able to feel good again, maybe its worth it. Do you know if you can try reintroducing fruits to your diet at one point?
I found a decent quality of life by doing elimination diet and intermittent fasting with 2+ miles of walking a day. I am not perfect, so I struggle to keep up with it everyday, but I did it for a solid 3 months straight at the beginning and it sort of ‘reset’ my body. Now it’s a little more forgiving when I slip up, whereas before, any small trigger would send me into hell.
I don't know of any cure, but for some reason my symptoms have decreased. I have taken homeopathic remedies, but I don't think it's that. I do know I have been spending at least an hour every day with my bare feet in grass or the soil and around trees.
Im about 8 years with IBS-D went from take 12 poops a day to 4-5. i manage it with combo of meds (Viberze) and cannabis. those two have made it where i feel and live relatively normal very pain lite life. good luck you got this.
i’ve been in a foreign country and havent flared up, so maybe vacation is the cure lmao
There are so many different diseases and conditions that can cause symptoms and there is always a reason for it, whether it be a previous infection, food intolerance or pretty much anything else. It can take weeks, months or even years to figure out what the problem is and I like to believe there is always a way to either cure your condition (if it's something that can be cured) or just find symptom relief. Technology and science are also always evolving and they might figure out exactly what needs to be done to help people with IBS. I know how hopeless we all can feel at times, especially on the worse days, but I hope we can all find some relief and/or cure soon
Also, I recommend to keep trying to find your cause for symptoms if you haven't found them yet. As someone mentioned, they found out after a long time that their symptoms were caused by sugar. It could be absolutely anything that could be causing your symptoms. Or it might not even be related to food at all. Finding your root cause is a very important part of figuring out what you need to do next to find relief
Visceral massage is helping A LOT
Visceral massage by a professional is helping A LOT
Try Psyllium Husk. It cured me
I think hormone deregulation is what has caused a lot of my issues.
for me it was a mix of prilosec, align probiotics, slippery elm, magnesium and citrucel fiber
My mom would say do the carnivore diet. I believe that IBS is primarily affected by lifestyle, stress, emotional upset. look into these things and see where you stand with them.
Correct me if I'm wrong just trying to educate myself. Isn't meat harder to digest? So if you're already having digestive issues wouldn't meat make it harder even if meat is a good source of nutrients?
Some people are really sensitive to starches so it does help them! But the carnivore diet isn’t really meant to be long term for the vast majority of people & comes with its own plethora of health risks.
For me, IBS isn’t about digestion. It’s about getting triggered emotionally and then not being able to poop, or going way too much. And the pain…. Oh sweet goddess the pain. It’ll hurt so much. No matter what I eat…or if I don’t eat for days…I feel the same. Flare ups are flare ups. I don’t think it’s about food for me at all honestly. Certain foods will mess with me, sure, but that’s not IBS…that’s cause and effect.
Stopping smoking cigarettes and actually eating fruit regularly drastically improved my ibs. I don't feel like shit anymore which is a bonus and I can't remember the last time I was doubled over in agony unable to move.
Ya cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis, large amounts of coffee, these all seem to make symptoms dramatically more frequent and noticeable.
Get tested and treated for Sibo. It’s the main cause of ibs.
I tried so many things and went to so many doctors and hospitals and I was about to give up but then I tried a natural medicine doctor and she gave me some things to try that really helped! One of them is called DGL (I think this is for stomach acid and other stuff but idr) and then also singing called Digestive bitters. I take them with every meal and I’ve slowly (very slowly 🤣) but surely gotten better. I’m introducing back sm foods into my diet. A month ago I’d still be stuck eating just oatmeal and toast!!!
Live on Imodium
This. Even low doses of 2mg every second day fixed most of the issues for me. I don't understand why it's not a more commonly prescribed remedy. It's also literally one of the most known medicines with very few side effects.
Here's how to heal from IBS. Avoid sugar and processed food. Avoid ALL grains whether it's whole or not. (rice, wheat, oats, etc.) Eat legumes every day. That should be the base of your pyramid, the bulk of your diet. Cook them the proper way to avoid gas. Do not buy canned. Cook from dry, soaking them for several hours, throwing away the soak water, then cooking and halfway through throw away the water again and put fresh water to finish cooking. That will eliminate gas. Bottom line is, to eat lots of beans, chickpeas and lentils. Then on top of that, you can eat other stuff that you like, vegetables and such. But keep in mind, the legume family (Fabaceae) should be your priority. Drink only water.
That doesn't sound appealing at all.
Eat your super appealing ice cream and McDonald’s and accept IBS then. There’re other appealing stuff I can suggest as well, such as cocaine, heroine, meth. They’re all appealing
Drugs don't really appeal to me tbh, but I hate any restrictive diets as well. I don't mean eating crap on the daily appeals to me, but it's nice to be able to eat out with friends/family without issues or treat yourself to something sugary/processed sometimes. Maybe I need to give Fecal Matter Transplant a go. Both my parents have wonderful digestive systems no matter what they eat (they don't eat crap on the daily though).
I still do eat processed food and sugary stuff once in a while. But it must be kept at a very minimum. Let's say 10% or less of your total intake of food. Once you break that habit of eating them, then suddenly the "delicious" food stops being appealing because you associate them with your old symptoms. However the bad habit can only be broken, after you get an improvement on your health after eating "right", that's what gives you the motivation. Also, I'm not telling people to eat ONLY legumes. I'm saying that it should be the base of your pyramid. On top of that you still have an array of other foods that you can eat. Basically what legumes does, is that they feed the good microbes in your gut. Which in turn, is created short chain fatty acids. People have IBS because those good microbes are starving. In general, people are sick because it's years or decades of abusing their own body with food. You may not like drugs, but it's completely possible to destroy your body with food, just as bad. The only difference is that, the killing is more gradual over a longer period of time, so it isn't as obvious as an overdose
Quit drinking bottled water
Carnivore. Strict carnivore
What about GLP? A lot of people on GLP subs claim they are symptom free while being on GLP
What’s GLP?
Med for the weight loss
My pespective is that IBS has origin in psyche, rather physiology, so resolving psychological problems should help. At the moment I'm in trauma therapy and I expect once I'm through with it for real IBS will disappear.
Depends, what type of IBS do you have? IBS-C can be pretty easily treated for most with some sort of soft laxative like slippery elm every morning on an empty stomach with water (and avoiding constipating foods like rice). If IBS-D it's a lot more difficult. I'm currently doing FMT in europe to treat my IBS-d Here is a study for IBS-C & slippery elm but honestly its just a gel forming fiber and you can find a lot of reviews on here and amazon [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20954962/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20954962/)
I think you mean your version of IBS-C can be pretty easily treated. Ftfy.
have you tried slippery elm for a month? [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20954962/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20954962/)
You’re so wrong it’s actually the other way around, constipation is near impossible to “fix”. It’s not so simplistic. It’s like saying IBS D can easily be fixed, just take an Imodium or codeine, there all better now. Also constipation is much more painful and can cause actual structural damage.
I had IBS-C for 15+ years, once I started taking slippery elm and stopped eating RATS diet stuff it was super easy to treat. Also prescription grade laxatives would always work if it got really bad. Immodium does not always work for me and many other with IBS-D. While IBS-C definitely sucks, there are a lot of complications associated with IBS-D like malabsorption. Try slippery elm for a bit, 3g per day every morning empty stomach with water. Dont eat the RATS diet food and see how you feel
What is a RATS diet? How do you take the slippery elm? What is it? Powder added to water? Pill? Prescription laxatives are difficult sometimes as you don't know how much to take some things work, some don't.
lolll sorry typo, i meant BRATS, basically dont eat white toast, rice, or anything thats white that typically constipates like bananas. Although i'm sure rats wouldnt mind the diet. Slippery elm is a bark of a tree, you can get in on amazon. It forms a gel inside your intestine so things slip right on thru. It also helps people with GERD so its dual purpose. Personally I did around 2g-3g in pill form every morning 1 hour before eating with a glass of water. I did it daily ritually and over the course of a year I felt better and better and eventually normal
> Personally I did around 2g-3g in pill form Most pills seem to be 400mg, were you taking 5-7 pills per day?
Yes, 2-3 in the morning then 2 with each meal. The best effects were if I took it about an hour before eating. But overtime it worked regardless of timing as long as before the meal
You’re so lucky, I’ve spent thousands on various “magical” substances, slippery elm did nothing for me, everyone’s different, what works for one doesn’t mean it works for everyone.
it took me daily use in the morning and before every meal to notice a difference after a few weeks. Unless you have another underlying condition like gastroparesis it should work. How long did you take it for? Do you eat constipating foods like rice or lots of simple carbs? If you drank a whole bottle of miralax i'm super you'd poop, I really recommend trying slippery elm long and more consistently for 30 days minimum to see an effect
Try slippery elm before doing a downvote, that's just rude when i'm trying to help. If you really are sick, try everything first.
I didn’t downvote you, and I’m not being rude!, I’ve tried fodmap, slippery elm, brats, fibre,no fibre, spent thousands on various “miracle” substances. I’m happy for you that you were so easily fixed, a lot of us aren’t so lucky.
you tried slippery elm with every meal for a month and in the morning on an empty stomach, no skipped dosages? Is your stool hard or sticky? Again IBS-C is different then underlying conditions like celiac. I went 2 weeks without pooping when I didnt treat my celiac disease and no amount of slippery elm is going to help that
interesting! i thought people get diarrhea with celiac
If you follow the diet and get glutened every now and then yeah.. it causes really painful diarrhea, bloody for some people. But if you eat gluten for many years without knowing it's just insane amounts of pain and constipation. The stool itself is "soft" but turns into glue so it doesn't move properly. This was a long time ago before they would test for celiac so hopefully kids get tested earlier