Living with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

Member Name: AllyPally1991

Product:	Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Date:	27/07/09 (86 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Not life threatening, it can be managed

Disadvantages: Lifelong, painful

My Life & IBS
I was diagnosed with IBS at the age of 10, after 5 years of being bounced from doctor to doctor trying to work out what the hell was wrong with me. Before this, I'd been diagnosed with everything under the sun, from stomach migraines, Crohns disease, candida, gastritis; one doctor even told my mother he thought i had stomach cancer. The big problem is that there's no real 'test' for IBS; everything else has to be ruled out in order for it to be diagnosed, and there are so many gastrointestial problems that it could be that doctors cannot assume IBS as it could be much more serious.

Obviously, the person in my life that was most affected by my IBS was my mother, who had to sit up at night with me when I was sobbing in pain as a little kid. I hope to heavens none of my children ever have anything similar; its horrible, as the doctors were telling her there was nothing they could do, and there was no need to take me to the doctor as nothing was 'wrong', even though I was in pain. She tried absolutely everything to make me more comfortable; cold baths, hot baths, back rubs, calpol, everything. I think she was even more relieved than I was when I was finally diagnosed, and approached everything after that with the methodical work ethic that I love her for.

However, once you're diagnosed with IBS, you start to realise just how many other people have the same problem. A year after my diagnosis, my uncle started dating a lady who had IBS also, and she's been so helpful to me in the years since. And within the past year one of my best friends has been diagnosed with IBS also; hers is triggered by completely different things to mine, but we've both been helping each other cope.

Treatment wise, there are 3 different types of treatment that I have sought for my IBS, so I'll mention all 3.

Dietary
Most people with IBS have certain dietary 'triggers', and so for the first year post diagnosis will do an exclusion diet with the help of their doctor. I have several of the more common triggers; yeast, mushroom and banana. However, this doesn't mean that you have to avoid the food forever - its been 7 years since my primary diagnosis and I've learnt how to manage my triggers pretty well - so long as you don't eat too much, you'll usually be fine. I've found I can have the occasional sandwich, and that my body can process mushroom based products such as quorn (which is good, as the years without quorn were hard for me as a vegetarian!)

Psychological
Although the doctors always told me there was a psychological side to what I was experiencing, I never really believed them - how could I be imagining this pain? However, after hypnotherapy (don't scoff!) for panic attacks, I realised that one of the main problems with my IBS was that the panicking that I experienced during IBS attacks was worsening everything, as I was tensing my muscles, then my mind was reacting further to the physiological effects, resulting in higher amounts of pain and longer attacks. As stupid as it sounds, breathing exercises and light yoga really help, as they can assist in basic things that worsen the symptoms of IBS such as elevated heart rate and erratic breathing.

Drug
I've tried a few drugs for IBS, but the most effective by far for me was Buscopan. They're tiny tablets, but insanely effective, and seemed to break my IBS cycle. They're a bit pricey, but if you can get your hands on them they are worth every penny. since I started on them 2 years ago, I've never had an attack escalate as they used to when I was younger, and they always do the job within 20 minutes of taking the tablet. The pack recommends taking them regularly, and for the first 4 months I did and they worked magically. Now I only tend to have 2 if I can feel an attack coming on, but by no means do you need to take the tablets for the rest of your life.

Alternative Methods for reducing the pain
I've found that it helps if I pace, don't ask why, but I do. If I feel the IBS pains starting, I have 2 buscopan tablets, and then begin walking round the house at a slow, steady pace, reminding myself constantly that I am fine, and less than a minute away from the toilet (one of the biggest problems I find is that if I get an IBS attack in a public place, I immediately start panicking about whether I can go to the bathroom, which obviously just makes things worse).

However, my aunt is the complete opposite; if she gets an attack, she finds the most helpful thing is to lie down on the floor, completely still, and breathe deeply, 3 counts in, 3 counts out.

If you can have one, hot baths do really really help.


I hope something in my story has helped someone, because IBS sucks and I'm glad if I've helped someone, even if its just a little bit!

Summary: If you suspect you have IBS, go to a doctor ASAP, and good luck!