Contrary to what your doctor told you, there are MANY THINGS YOU CAN DO TO CURE IRRITABLE BOWEL SYNDROME: (I really hate it when some doctors say nothing can be done, because they don't know what can be done!) And I can tell you, I know from personal experience, that IBS can be fully controlled!!
Go to your best local health food store. Read about IBS in their book section:
Try some milk-free ACIDOPHILUS/BIFIDUS "pro-biotics". If you get these "pro-biotics" (beneficial bacteria for the small and large intestines) with milk included, try LACTAID (lactase enzyme), in case you have a lactose (milk-sugar) intolerance.
Try DIGESTIVE ENZYMES. My husband likes "Acid Ease" by "Prevail", and I like "Total Enzymes" by Nutri-West (that sells to Chiropractors, etc.)
See a good NUTRITIONIST to advise you about which digestive enzymes, vitamins, minerals, etc, would be good for YOUR particular case, and about very healthy foods.
Try going on a GLUTEN FREE DIET (the diet used by Celiac Disease patients) for a week, to see if it helps. Avoid "glutenous" grains, like WHEAT, RYE, OATS, BARLEY, and BUCKWHEAT. What's left to eat, you might ask? BROWN RICE is a very nutritious, delicious GLUTEN-FREE grain! And I've seen and used yummy brown rice (organic) pastas too!
AVOID JUNK FOOD, including SODA POP, and "foods" with chemical additives. Avoid overdoing on table salt, and avoid overdoing on sugary desserts.
AVOID ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS, like Nutrasweet (also called Equal or Aspartame). It causes UPSET STOMACH, HEADACHES, blurred vision, blindness, twitches, seizures, and brain tumors, not to mention...weight gain!
Make sure your water supply is not contaminated with bacteria or chemicals!!! If it is contaminated, consider a solid carbon water filter for your kitchen sink, like "Culligan" sells, inexpensively. Some water filters contain silver, a toxic heavy metal. Avoid those!
Check out all possible bad side effects of any meds that you are taking! Some meds can destroy your digestion! Find natural remedies instead, but don't stop the meds suddenly, unless your pharmacist and doc say it's OK to do that.
If you are seeing an acupuncturist, that could help. But, sometimes the herbs may irritate some people's digestion.
Good luck to you!
Sincerely,
Concerned lady
http://cantbreathesuspectvcd.com
I often have pain, coughing and nausea while trying to sleep too. But I always know when it will happen - when I eat my dinner too close to bedtime - and with a long day at work it happens many times that I am ravenous but faced with the choice of going to bed hungry or having pain, coughing and vomiting around 1 am. Sometimes the only solution is to stick a spoon on the back of my tongue, vomit all stomach contents and then I can go back to sleep. I know this can't be good..
There is relief in knowing, you may wish to try a relaxation tape, I know it sounds corny but it helped me. Whilst I too would not wish it on anyone it is great support to know you are not alone.
Thank you both for your help and I welcome any other opinions. :)
To show just how smart you are, :) I went to my doctor today, and have finally been diagnosed with IBS! He told me it wasn't really treatable, but to stay away from caffiene (I don't drink coffe, tonic, etc., and chocolate.) Now the chocolate part is tough!
He also told me that stress or upset could make my symptoms worse or set them off; that I may have times I'm symptom free. Boy - I'm waiting for that night! Like I said, I've been nauseus every night for three years!
It's good to know I have company out there, but I wouldn't wish this on anyone. The one thing I keep saying to myself when I'm having problems is that it could be something much more serious.
Before all my testing, like a lot of people, I'm sure, I worried about stomach cancer, etc. I'll take IBS any day over some of the other things I worried that I had.
Thank you again - this is a great group. :)
I have suffered much the same recently. Finally diagnosed with IBS. So in a way was stress related once treatment using anti-relux LOSEC things more under control. Try a physio for the related pain as mine ended up being a back problem compressing some nevres, that is why the pain is hard to pin down to a particular spot. The relief of knowing what was wrong also seemed to ease the Gastro symptoms. Good Luck I hoped this helped.
The medicine he prescribed is for acid reflux. If you have this have your doc give you some aciphex samples. Easier on your stomach but will not help with much more than reflux. The other stuff sounds like Irratible bowes syndrome. Have your doc try a barium enema. Hurts like hell but shows a lot. (feels like you have been prison raped.) Good Luck.