Fellow IBS sufferers

[Telemark]

Kirstie, get some Peppermint tablets. They can help settle an attack quite quickly and help settle your stomach/bowels.

+1

This worked for me - GP prescribed them. With hindsight, the underlying cause was work stress, once things quietened down a bit, so did the bloating (aided by the peppermint oil capsules). And try to sort out what's causing the stress (sometimes easier said than done ...) Fingers crossed this only a temporary problem for you too, all the best!

T

 

[Kirstie]

Yes I've got the peppermint oil capsules - doc prescribed them(along with some other stuff too!) I am exuding minty freshness pretty much everywhere!

@telemark I know exactly what the causes of the stress are and they are being tackled albeit slowly and carefully. I've been in a really bad position at work for the last year because of lack of support, I have a very close relative with terminal cancer and my marriage has been on the rocks.

 

[Telemark]

Yes I've got the peppermint oil capsules - doc prescribed them(along with some other stuff too!) I am exuding minty freshness pretty much everywhere!

better than the alternative .

@telemark I know exactly what the causes of the stress are and they are being tackled albeit slowly and carefully. I've been in a really bad position at work for the last year because of lack of support, I have a very close relative with terminal cancer and my marriage has been on the rocks.

That's though - triple whammy. Sounds as if the work stuff is being taken seriously now, don't let them fob you off! All the best ...

T

 

[ChrisKH]

Maybe, after the gastroentrologist.

Or try a ouija board - same scientific basis but much cheaper.

With the deepest of respect, my suggestion comes with years of personal experience and after trying certain alternative remedies too late to make a difference to me. I have no doubt that the gastroenterologist Kirstie consults will be a very professional, educated individual however the scope of the treatment they offer is limited (by their environment and training) and may well treat the symptoms but not necessarily the problem. Kirstie I'm sure will take an active part in her own treatment, but it is all too easy to be passive or critical about non-clinical solutions.

I placed my faith in a gastroentereologist for twelve years (admittedly mainly for another complaint as well as IBS) and after many orthodox (and some positively crackpot) treatments his final solution was to do away with the problem permanently. That's not to say that Kirstie will ever have to consider that treatment, however I wish I had considered more alternative therapies earlier down the line. Complimentary treatments of course are in addition to, and not instead of, more orthodox ones but I would never rule them out as a potential solution.

 

[ChrisKH]

I have private medical insurance and I intend to see a gastroenterologist privately because I don't think there's much chance of a referral at the moment. I'll see how it goes for the next month and then have a think about what to do next.

If you have any concerns and you have private medical insurance, just ask your doctor to refer you. My understanding is they cannot refuse if you insist. Especially if privately funded.

 

[Globalti]

Try to find a gastroenterologist who rides a bike!

 

[ChrisKH]

Try to find a gastroenterologist who rides a bike!

My latest one is a triathlete! Fantastic lady; if only she had been around twelve years ago.

 

[BigonaBianchi]

Can I jus task a randon question (sorry to temporarily hijack your thread Kirstie) ..but would drinking a bottle of red wine a night cause IBS? Would it ferment in the stomache? Its not me, just somebody I once knew.

 

[Globalti]

No. The acidity of the stomach juices kills off anything not designed to live there.

I believe (I admit I may be wrong) that red wine is rich in pectin, which will have a lubricating effect on the bowel.

 

[Hont]

My sixpence worth. Used to suffer from this when I had a stressful job and found that Fybogel sachets fixed me right up. The doc had given me some other tablets which I tried first but as soon as I started taking Fybogel (the fibre sachets - available in orange and lemon flavour) I was sorted.

 

[Kirstie]

My sixpence worth. Used to suffer from this when I had a stressful job and found that Fybogel sachets fixed me right up. The doc had given me some other tablets which I tried first but as soon as I started taking Fybogel (the fibre sachets - available in orange and lemon flavour) I was sorted.

There's something in the IBS literature which talks about getting enough of the right kind of fibre. Apparently a spoonful of linseeds a day does the trick too in the fibre department. Will talk to my doc.