Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Simple Self-Help Tips

If you have been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), you will know how difficult it is to treat. Doctors can be dismissive of IBS symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation and bloating, and when treatment is offered it may only help for a short while before the distressing symptoms return.

Sufferers often find that they have to deal with the symptoms themselves, through self-help methods and supplements, rather than by using conventional medicines. However, this does not mean that there is no hope of improvement. By sharing their experiences, sufferers can learn a lot about what really helps to ease IBS.

All the self-help tips in this article have come from IBS sufferers who have found a way to control their irritable bowels. Before trying any form of self-help, please make sure that you have your doctor's approval, and do check that anything you try will not interfere with any medication you are taking.

Calcium tablets

Linda, who suffers from severe diarrhea, says: "What has helped me for more than two years is calcium carbonate, an over-the-counter supplement. I take three tablets a day, one at each meal. The most success has come from using any formula of calcium supplement that is like Caltrate 600 Plus with vitamin D and minerals. The only side effect is at the beginning of taking the calcium you may have some gas or indigestion, but this usually goes away after taking a regular dose for a few days."

If you suffer from constipation rather than diarrhea, you could try magnesium supplements instead, as these can have a slight laxative effect.

Digestive enzymes and probiotics

Kim, who also suffers from bad diarrhea, says: "I tried taking digestive enzymes with acidophilus and found significant relief within three days. I am not afraid to eat now, but find that I still cannot eat very much refined sugar or high fibre vegetables. I have also added a cup or two per day of peppermint and chamomile tea. When I do have an episode it occurs late in the day and by the next morning I am feeling back to normal."

Looking at your diet

Laura describes how a close examination of her diet helped her IBS: "I was placed on every kind of medication, and sometimes they worked in the short term, sometimes they didn't work at all. The doctor finally suggested trying to alter my diet in cycles, and we discovered that eating meat was my problem. I became a vegetarian and no longer have constant problems. Sometimes I even go years without any pain at all. It's worth all the effort you put into it when you finally feel better."

Mina also found that dietary change helped control her symptoms, alongside traditional medication: "I've made a number of changes to my diet. I've eliminated milk and mostly any dairy, fried foods, sugar for the most part, pop, alcohol, potato chips, spicy food, rice, pasta and bread. Most recently I'm eliminating flour. But my best friend for the last couple of years has been Imodium Quick Dissolve tablets. I don't ever leave home without them. I just have to make sure I don't overdo it. If I ever become immune to the wonder drug I am gonna be a real mess!"

Flaxseed

Watching your diet is sometimes not enough to completely control the symptoms, and natural or herbal supplements can help, as Marion discovered: "After about six months of a horrendously restrictive diet (ultra low-fat vegan with no raw veggies or fruit except banana) and a lot of Metamucil, I managed to get it sort of under control. But if I deviated from the diet, the chronic diarrhea would come back. Someone I met told me that she had helped her IBS by taking a tablespoon of freshly ground flaxseed with a glass of water or juice every morning.

I thought it was another crackpot cure, but eventually I decided to try it. She had told me that pre-ground flaxseed didn't work because flax seed starts to oxidize as soon as you grind it and that whole flax seeds are no good either, because they cannot be digested properly. After years of IBS, in about two weeks it just went away. I cannot believe that I now have perfectly normal, regular bowel movements."

Fiber, water and yoga

Pam, who struggles with constipation, has developed a combination of things which work for her: "I drink Metamucil (psyllium fibre) every day and try to relax, pray or meditate, even do a little yoga. The more I make myself relax and take time to de-stress the better I can manage my problem. I know time for yourself is very hard to come by sometimes but I have to if I'm going to manage this. I try to drink at least three bottles of water a day. This is also hard sometimes but I have to take care of me the best I can. I also take a mild anti-depressant. This has helped a bunch in my stress department and in turn has helped my IBS."

Stress and IBS

Daniel believes that his symptoms are related to his emotions and stress: "I thought that when I was stuck on the toilet, experiencing the most severe cramps, thinking I was about to pass out from the pain, feeling like I was about to throw up, I was the only one. I'm still trying to work it out but I believe it has a lot to do with my psychological state. I say this because although I don't get too stressed out at any one moment, I do have general worries about money and life. I tend to find when I'm not worrying about these things I don't get the pain as much, if at all.

It's easier said than done of course, I can't just stop worrying about money or my future, but being aware of these things seems to help - being optimistic and knowing that everything is only temporary. I have been taking Colpermin (peppermint capsules) as a preventative which often helps and for a while I took painkillers which I think helped."

Soluble versus insoluble fiber

Some nutritionists believe that IBS sufferers' intestines react differently to soluble and insoluble fiber, and this has been Stu's experience: "After trying all kinds of drugs and healthy eating, my pains were still there. I found by accident that it wasn't so much what I ate but whether I ate it on a full stomach or not. My failsafe is pasta on an empty stomach, I get no reaction - it is soluble fibre that settles the colon apparently. I quickly searched on the internet for recipes high in soluble fibre and I have improved.

Most significantly though I am on no medication and this puts me in control of the IBS, not the other way around. I think this is important as stress certainly can trigger the symptoms off. I don't avoid insoluble fibre as it is essential for the body, but I recommend that you eat it on a full stomach."

Sophie Lee has suffered from IBS for more than 15 years. She runs the IBS Tales website at http://www.ibstales.com where you can read hundreds of personal experiences of IBS and self-help tips.

---

When Your John Doe Is Homeless

The patient, known only as John Doe, was difficult to... Read More

The True Meaning of Alternative Medicine

Alternative medicine is a type of therapeutic practice that is... Read More

Rebound Headache - Stop The Cycle

You've been getting headaches. Finally, you find some medications that... Read More

Generic Drug: Its Pros and Cons

A generic drug can be defined as an identical, or... Read More

Protect Yourself Against the Flu Vaccine!

The vaccine industry insists that their vaccines against the flu... Read More

What is Bextra? (FDA Recalled Drug)

Bextra, also known as valdecoxib, is a prescribed medication used... Read More

Christopher Reeve To Have Promoted Basement Lab

Chrisopher Reeve has died. But his vision of a "Cure"... Read More

Latest Medical Spa Equipment Showcased at New York Medical Spa Expo

This year, the New York Medical Spa Expo confirmed the... Read More

Cut Your Prescription Drug Costs Without Having to Buy Foreign Drugs

Save Up to 93% by Asking for a Generic -... Read More

Top Ten Reasons Why We Hate IBS!

Irritable bowel syndrome can be a nightmare?constant diarrhea and terrible... Read More

Substance Abuse Attitude Testing by a Standardized Survey

This is a short overview of a questionnaire used for... Read More

Strong Pain Relief - Powerful & Effective Natural Pain Management Alternative

The recent removal of several high profile and popular prescription... Read More

Healthcare Providers -- Its Time for Your Physical

I think this is a good time for a checkup,... Read More

Viagra Users - Overcome NAION Fear

NAION is the latest side effect linked to Viagra and... Read More

Chicago Drug Rehab: Long Term Help For a Real Recovery

The central location of the city of Chicago has made... Read More

Lunesta Dependence

Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a... Read More

Ingrown Toe Nails Medical Treatment

Medical Care:Treatment options depend on the stage of ingrown toenails,... Read More

Implant Dentistry ? The Convenient and Safe Alternative to Dentures

If you are missing a tooth or a group of... Read More

Arthritis Pain Relief : Questions To Ask Your Healthcare Provider

A great place to begin taking charge of you arthritis... Read More

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - Steroid Injection for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

What is the role of steroid injection in carpal tunnel... Read More

CT and MRI Scans in Neurological Practice: A Quick Overview

Before computed tomographic (CT) scans became available in the 1970s,... Read More

Are You Suffering From Addiction?

Many researchers believe that addiction is a behavior that can... Read More

Finally...Affordable Prescription Medication without Insurance.

If you are like many Americans, you are without health... Read More

Naproxen Lawyer: Aleve Recall Consideration

Naproxen belongs to a class of drugs called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory... Read More

Why Drug Companies are Naughty and 5 Remedies to Cure the Symptoms

With the hum of the election campaign and the debate... Read More

How to Remove the Psychological Addiction to Smoking - and Start to ENJOY Giving Up Smoking!

Consider this:Already since 1972, over 60 million people in the... Read More

?Do you suffer from Osteoarthritis? Here?s how to tell!?

The most common type of arthritis is osteoarthritis (OA). This... Read More

First Step To Addiction Recovery

The first step to over comming any addiction is to... Read More

The Highway to Health - Bumped Heads

I recently had a reader send me this comment:"As a... Read More

How Do I Choose The Best Arthritis Medicine?

Are you spending a fortune on prescription arthritis medicines? Are... Read More

Lunesta Withdrawal

Lunesta is a newly released sleeping pill. Marketed as a... Read More

The Top Seven Myths About Arthritis

Myth #1: "Nothing can be done about arthritis..."You don't have... Read More

A Compelling Look at Pain Relief

If your back aches when you're loading groceries in the... Read More