IBS help please

My partner was diagnosed with IBS a few months ago, and we are struggling with getting it under control, we know hs main trigger is stress related but we also know he has food triggers to but figurin them out is nearly impossible because some days he can have one thing and be fine but then all of a sudden he can have a flare up, its really startin to get him down. i just feel so sorry for him and have been lookin into things that can help him because the doctors keep just saying its IBS and keep a food diary.

So is there anything we can do for him to start leading a normal life and to get him to stop thinking "i cant go eat out because I will be bad"

Oh hes been tested for Coeliacs and thats been ruled out BUT he also has a Hyatis (sp) hernia and suffers from heartburn and acid reflux

Any help and or advice would be greatfull appreciated

Blood test or biopsy test? And if biopsy did they go down far enough? Sometimes it can be missed because the damage is further down the small intestine.


Otherwise (since I know they likely won't pay to have another better biopsy done) you can try cutting the gluten out entirely for a bit. If he gets better, also look at what else he would not be eating if not eating those foods (like MSG or other artificial additives).

Do keep the food diary, but realize that what is eaten a couple days before could be causing the symptoms that day, etc.

Just a blood test, he had been told that was the only test for it

Hes been told for about a year by a few different doctors that its IBS but a doctor sat and listened to him and told him all his symptoms fit with IBS and gave him some info about it amd sent him on his way but none of that has helped him to try and deal with it other than being told to lower his stress levels which is sort of helping but nothing dramatic

He went gluten free for a couple months and that didnt do anything for him he was still bad

Originally Posted by -_aj_-

Just a blood test, he had been told that was the only test for it

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WHAT?! Cheap SOBs. The definitive test for it is a biopsy from the small intestine. Over here even if your blood test is positive they often still want to take a biopsy for sake of records. (likely because blood tests are not perfect) But for either to really show the damage it's best to be eating gluten at the time.
Beyond that there's even a genetic test for predisposition to it.

This is a very serious condition. If one has celiac disease and doesn't comply to the diet it can lead to cancer. Something that's much more expensive to treat than a biopsy cost.

Try confronting the doctor with this, and good luck.

One question... They did an endoscope to determine there's a hiatial hernia, correct?

ETA: Are you sure he was 100% gluten free? I've been cross contaminated by unlikely things/places and people who think "oh it's just a little". Intestines take a while to heal in adults as well. I still get diarrhea and cramping from things I know are gluten free - but at the rate of maybe once a week vs nearly every single day. I've discovered I cannot have MSG, though some people can.

I don't know the rules on food over there. But I avoid anything that says "made in a facility that also processed wheat, oats, ___ "

Oh i will go to the docs with him and ask about it thank you

And yeah he did have one, hes been told he can have a one way valve put in to stop acid coming back up but was told it meant he could never be sick again so was advised against that but that was when he was a kid so i dont know if things have changed

Oh one other thing Chrons runs is in his family but i dont think they have tested for that i cant remember if they have

ETA as far as we are aware yeah it was gluten free we checked all labels and kept everything seperate

Like i say sometimes for example chicken...he can go for weeks eating plain cooked chicken and then all of a sudden it will make him very ill its like that with every food atm its eggs he cant have along with brown and wholemeal bread but hes fine with white it has got us baffled

Crohns can be missed on blood tests. Really all autoimmune disorders can be due to the fact that some people are sero-negative. A person can have horrible RA and severe damage to their hands from it and no RA factor, which is why other tests are used to look at it from a whole.

And no, a valve is not the only treatment for that either. There's Stretta over here, though I think there's a limit as to what degree of hiatial hernia there can be before you don't qualify for it. I imagine, though, since it's newer and only recently back on the market that it might not be covered over there. There are a couple other options, too, but you'd have to look them up as to what is offered there. Usually though, it can heal if it's not too large but one has to get their diet under control.
If he consumes any caffeine at all, even chocolate, he may have to completely give that up. My DH has a small hiatial hernia and GERD caused by NSAIDs and caffeine (and, against my wishes, eating food he really shouldn't).


Hey, I ate white bread and didn't immediately (within that day) get sick all the time, either. Didn't tolerate whole grain very well. It's really weird as to how and when it will affect a person, some never have GI symptoms...
I'm really not that aware of food labeling in the UK. But here they supposed to list possible allergens, even if made in the same plant/ on the same lines. (some brands don't seem to comply - so I do not buy them)
This makes for the possibility of contamination from something as simple as your seasonings you use. Luckily I already mostly used a safe brand for those and didn't have to throw much away. Some "gluten free" products are cross contaminated that way with wheat flour, too.
Sometimes beef bothers me, chatting with sharky about grain fed cattle and such there may be a possible problem in that.
Since there's accumulated damage I'm mildly lactose intolerance and sometimes have problems with fructose - HFCS and even fruit can be a problem. But this is getting better. And the fructose issue isn't one anyone would suspect, though it seems common.

I mentioned candida in another thread: it's a GI yeast which does crazy things to people. IBS is one part of it. Bacterial overgrowth can look like IBS, too, and sometimes isn't looked for. These both get suggested low carb, low sugar as a diet to help with it. This is usually what people with GERD/ other GI issues are recommended, too.

Were you guys still using distilled vinegar? Anything with caramel coloring? Anything that said "food starches" or any of the other hidden ingredients?

Ive just been reading about coeliacs he doesnt have any weight loss or anemia liver tests fine really the only things that he has out of their sypmtoms is the same as the IBS ones

Touch wood we think he has his hernia under control he says they are two different sets of pains so he knows which one is acting up

Originally Posted by -_aj_-

Ive just been reading about coeliacs he doesnt have any weight loss or anemia liver tests fine really the only things that he has out of their sypmtoms is the same as the IBS ones

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I'm not underweight. I'm not anemic. I only had slightly raised liver enzymes that weren't enough to really stand out to doctors, that went away after the gallbladder came out.

The only deficiencies I have are with a few B vitamins and potassium. Ironically B vit deficiencies can mess with the GI a bit.

And yeah... I know what he means about it being two different pains. GERD/hernia pain is higher and can make you a bit short of breath. Intestinal pain is lower and feels like someone is tying your insides up in knots.


The thing is, I'd rather he get better tests and turn out to be a celiac. It can be controlled, though it's hard when it seems like every food manufacturer is out to sabotage us. Crohns and colitis take some pretty awful meds to treat and sometimes do not go into remission for a while, if at all.
IBS people get cast aside because doctors don't want to deal with them...

AJ, I am not sure if you guys have this in there, it has been a God sent to me... It's called "Align" - Yes, it is a probiotic, but is is a different one, NOT to be confused with other probiotics. I was referred to it by a friend of mine who also has IBS and gave it a try - it has turned my life around... I used to be afraid of eating outside of my house, now I don't live in fear anymore.
I say try it, and see if it works .
I will post a link from amazon just so you see what it is and the feedback on it; try to see if you can get it there
Align Digestive Care

Yeah I just want him to start feelng like him again especially because he feels like hes getting fobbed off, hes said he would go for and and all tests they want, ive found a good website on IBS which fits him to a T (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/...tablecolon.htm) and im going to make sure he asks about the further testing they can do especially with all the tests they can do will rule things out or confirm problems

Poor thing just seems so lost with it all and i hate not being able to help him

After all is said and done and it is, for sure, IBS, there is a lot of things to try and get it under control. I've learned over the last few years what foods trigger it for me. Grease is the #1 culprit in my case. Almost all fast food is out, bacon is a big no no for me as well as bologna. Romaine lettuce is also bad...but I can eat iceberg lettuce lol.

Stress is also a trigger for me. I always keep the chewable imodium around just in case I get stressed. Over the last month or two though, I've been cutting way back on junk food and steadily increasing the amount of fiber I take it and keeping that consistent REALLY helps in my case. However, in some people with IBS, it can make it worse.

Read up on probiotics too. I tried that route and it helped a lot. Peppermint oil capsules have been effective for many people as well.

The first several months were the worst for me. As time went on, I found the symptoms lessened. Now, 7 years later I have it 90% under control.

Try to find stress reducing activities you can do together (yoga, deep breathing, etc), that might keep some symptoms to a minimum.

If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me. I know too much about all this! I'd be glad to help in any way possible. Its annoying, but it is manageable!

Originally Posted by Carolina

AJ, I am not sure if you guys have this in there, it has been a God sent to me... It's called "Align" - Yes, it is a probiotic, but is is a different one, NOT to be confused with other probiotics. I was referred to it by a friend of mine who also has IBS and gave it a try - it has turned my life around... I used to be afraid of eating outside of my house, now I don't live in fear anymore.
I say try it, and see if it works

.
I will post a link from amazon just so you see what it is and the feedback on it; try to see if you can get it there

Align Digestive Care

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I dont know if we have it here i will google it and send him the links he will try anything if it could work thank you Carolina

Originally Posted by LuvMyParker

Romaine lettuce is also bad...but I can eat iceberg lettuce lol.

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Wow! I thought I was the only one with this digestive anomoly!

Originally Posted by -_aj_-

I dont know if we have it here i will google it and send him the links he will try anything if it could work thank you Carolina

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The Probiotic in it, Bifidobacterium infantis 35624 has had many studies specifically for IBS, and has proved to be beneficial - I am going to list some for you:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19367213
http://www.medscape.org/viewarticle/540226_6
http://www.probiotics-lovethatbug.co...probiotic.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...ubmed_RVDocSum
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...bmed_RVDocSumz

Anyways... There are quite a few things written about it out there - both articles and clinical trials. It really, really works for me, and I hope it works for him too... I know it is a disease that completely sucks!
Good luck!

Thank you all so much for all the links and advice I've passed some of it along and when I see him ill get him to read through this all because it will make more sense than the little bits I've told him

He has had a couple of rough days, we think we can put it down to his IBS being stress related but he ended up goin to the doctors on tuesday because he was quite poorly and has been referred to a specialist hes had all sorts of blood tests and you know what tests so he finds out results from then in about a weeks time then next month he has his specialist appointment, so only good can come of it now.

We are hoping for an outcome which means he can lead a normal everyday life again, he hates what he s going through which IMO is making him worse because its always on his mind

I dealt with IBS for about 5-6 years and then it just sort of went away.. during that time I found this website so helpful-

http://www.ibsgroup.org/

I had taken the controversial drug Lotronex, and while some people had very terrible reactions to that medicine, it was the only thing that helped me. At one point it could only be prescribed to women, I don't know if that's changed or if this med is still around. I also took Donnatal (sp?) and Bentyl (sp?), but they didn't help as much.

The BRAT diet might help with finding out his triggers.. you can read all about that on the IBS support group website.

Hi - I'm new to this board. Was actually looking for info on feline hyperesthesia but ran across this thread and had to post.
I was diagnosed with IBS and also felt like that was a default diagnoses because the doctors where clueless and wanted me to go away (did the whole doctor run around for about 4 years). Tried all the drugs - ate immodium like tic tacs and did all the research I could stand. I was paranoid to leave my house! Had to know where all the restrooms where if I went out.
On a totally urelated site I started emailing back and forth with a girl who told me something so simple to try that I thought she was insane. Physlium fiber - like Metamucil. I felt I had nothing to lose and started drinking it every day and within weeks my symptoms get less and less. It has now been about 5 years and I don't even worry about IBS anymore. I do eat a clean diet - no grease, fried foods, etc. and I drink the metamucil every day. It's so simple and cheap that I would really encourage him to try it!

Tina