Irritable Bowel Syndrome

[elkangorito]

One of my close friends is a sufferer of Crones Disease (similar to IBS) & he benefitted greatly from using Slippery Elm.

Crohn's Disease is a serious life threatening illness - much more serious than IBS.

Yes endure, you're exactly right...& thanks for the correct spelling of Crohns' Disease...I wasn't sure about it before. BTW, my friend is a GP (general practitioner) in Australia.

[tutsiwarrior]

diet, I believe, has a lot to do with IBS...in an earlier thread in this section I complained about being chronically constipated while living in Thailand and the middle east; could feel something then went and sat on the throne for 15 mins with no results.

recently while in the US I was living on fast food without my usual large fiber intake producing a healthy forearm sized stool everyday; the inverse of what one would expect...I was in bowel movement heaven...

loadsa shit in...loadsa shit out?...

Edited August 8, 2007 by tutsiwarrior

[jimbeam1]

I've suffered on and off for many years with IBS. It seems to be worse here than back in England. Would be very grateful for suggested remedies.

Hi chelseatops. I was diagnosed with ibs some time ago. my opinion, easy escape route for doctors, as it covers a multitude.

I eventually narrowed it down my self to a gluten allergy.(wheat,barley,oats and malt) Went back to doctors armed with my findings, they eventually agreed with me after many tests. It's worth putting yourself on a strict gluten free diet. Not as difficult to do in Thailand as in England. If gluten is the problem

you will know within a couple of days.

Best regards. jb1

[Naam]

producing a healthy forearm sized stool everyday

please elaborate. extremely interesting. how many times did you have to flush? estimated weight (metric and barbarian)? can you describe details of smell?

[jimbeam1]

I've suffered on and off for many years with IBS. It seems to be worse here than back in England. Would be very grateful for suggested remedies.

Hi chelseatops. I was diagnosed with ibs some time ago. my opinion, easy escape route for doctors, as it covers a multitude.

I eventually narrowed it down my self to a gluten allergy.(wheat,barley,oats and malt) Went back to doctors armed with my findings, they eventually agreed with me after many tests. It's worth putting yourself on a strict gluten free diet. Not as difficult to do in Thailand as in England. If gluten is the problem

you will know within a couple of days.

Best regards. jb1

Hi chelseatops. If i may add, as a ps, i did find as a temp relief that Imodioum Plus worked ok.

[meow_lek]

IBS has many forms and is quite often what doctors diagnose when they don't know what is wrong.

I recommend that you try psyllium husks. They are a great form of fibre, they swell and help "train" the bowel to function properly. Just have a couple of teaspoons with water, it wont dissolve so just stir it in and drink.

Psyllium is fine but to be avoided if you are constipated as it swells in the colon.

meow

[tutsiwarrior]

producing a healthy forearm sized stool everyday

please elaborate. extremely interesting. how many times did you have to flush? estimated weight (metric and barbarian)? can you describe details of smell?

- only had to flush once...as most people know, americans are fulla shit and US toilets are designed accordingly...

- unfortunately a weighing apparatus was not available...

- my shit don't stink...

[easternfunk]

Do you need a prescription for Xifaxan (generic: rifaximin) in Thailand? Does anyone know if it is called the same thing there as in the US?

[Sheryl]

Do you need a prescription for Xifaxan (generic: rifaximin) in Thailand? Does anyone know if it is called the same thing there as in the US?

It has not yet been approved for use in Thailand so definitely not available in pharmacies, but mnight be available through some of the better hospitals.

If not, then the following other antibiotics may be used:

neomycin orally for 10 days (One observation that has been made is that neomycin eradicates methane-producing bacteria and alleviates constipation.)

levofloxacin (Levaquin) or ciprofloxacin (Cipro) for 7 days

metronidazole (Flagyl) for 7 days

levofloxacin (Levaquin) combined with metronidazole (Flagyl) for 7 days

Neomycin has a lot of potential side effects and is unsafe to use in Crohn's Disease or ulcerative colitis, and while you might find it over the counter it really is better used only under mnedical supervision. The flagyl-containing regimens will cause a lot of unpleasant side effects (nausea esp common).

the use of antibiotics is based on the idea that an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine as rresponsible for the symptoms. In general, about half of patients will get significant improvement (but not necessarily complete cure) from such treatment. I suspect the reason this percentage isn't higher is that the remainder may have had an entirely different problem as the cause; as I mentioned earlier, IBS is often a catch-all term that includes diseases that have not been properly diagnosed.

There are breath tests that can help conmfirm whether or not there is an overgrowth of bacteria in the small intestine and thus predict whether antibiotic treatment will help.

Again, I suggest you see a specialist.

[registeredfalang]

So, Sheryl.......What kind of specialist would you recommend?? I've taken my 88yr old father to see an internal medic and he Rxed 10mg of codine 2x a day....cures the symptoms, and he says that maybe my father's bowels will gradually adjust to a different schedule. [he has the diarhea type ibs].

also stool sample reveiled no harmful bacteria present, so should we rule out antibiotics??

[Naam]

- my shit don't stink...

and i thought i was unique

[Sheryl]

So, Sheryl.......What kind of specialist would you recommend?? I've taken my 88yr old father to see an internal medic and he Rxed 10mg of codine 2x a day....cures the symptoms, and he says that maybe my father's bowels will gradually adjust to a different schedule. [he has the diarhea type ibs].

also stool sample reveiled no harmful bacteria present, so should we rule out antibiotics??

I certainly hope, given your father's age, that he did the necessary tests to rule out cancer and other diseases.

The rationale for antibiotics in IBS is that there may be an overgrowth of bacteria in the small bowel -- more than the usual number of what are ordinarily harmless bacteria. A stool sample cannot determine this, need a "hydrogen breath test".

Also given your father's age, particular need to avoid unnecessary medications as the elgderly are far more prone to serious side effects.

For specialists, I suggest one of the following at Bangkok Hospital (go to the link to see detailed qualifications)

At Bangkok Hospital:

http://www.bangkokhospital.com/App/doctorp...&Lang=en-US

http://www.bangkokhospital.com/App/doctorp...&Lang=en-US

I do not have direct personal experience with either, but both are very well qualified in the treatment of motility disorders (of which IBS is one).

Good luck

[cheshiremusicman]

I've suffered on and off for many years with IBS. It seems to be worse here than back in England. Would be very grateful for suggested remedies.

I was diagnosed with 'diveriticulitus' some years ago and beleive that this is closely related to IBS. Discovered a link that suggested taking 'NEEM' tablets, or in tea form would help. It is a Tree and has been used for thousands of years especially in India. I obtained neem tablets from a company in South Wales (UK) and took them religiously for 4 months - symptoms gone completely and have NOT returned after 5 years. Neem grows in Thailand and you should be able to buy the leaf from a farmer and just grind it down in a mortar & pestil. I understand that it is totally harmless even in huge doses and I took 5 tablets morning and night for the first month against the recommended two. Told my Doc back in the UK about it and he was 'advising' patients to buy it privately after my own experience. Needless to say the 'specialist' at the NHS Hospital who had diagnosed me with said condition did NOT want to know and didn't even have the courtesty to reply to my letter. My Doc told me a year later that almost 100% of the other patients had had very good results with taking the Neem.

I hope that his helps and if you need the name and address of the company in the UK just pm me.

[SqdnGuns]

I've suffered on and off for many years with IBS. It seems to be worse here than back in England. Would be very grateful for suggested remedies.

Funny that you say you suffer from it more in LOS than back home. Just the opposite for me. I have Crohn's Disease and when I am back here in the states, it's murderous on me but when I am abroad, no problems at all. I have been back in the states for almost 7 months now and have had 3 flare ups, sucks big time. I attribute it to the crap in the food here and the stress of being back in the states.

[Ritz]

Colostrum.

Make sure you get the better grade ones (extracted within 24hrs if best). Its worth the money and it does more than just to relieve IBS. Consume consistently as indicated on the bottle for a month and you'll see the difference. Its a whole food supplement, so its fine to stack it if you are under any medication.

Do give it a shot. Refrain from buying Colostrum produced by brand "NOW".

Kind Regards,

Ritz

[meme]

Food allergies and lactose intolerance are also common culprits

.

I was told I had IBS and had stomach problems for the better part of my life. It was not until I went to see a naturopath that I was told I had a sensitivity/allergy to gluten. Not Crohn's disease. But an allergy that could not be diagnosed by the Western medicine route(I had had several allergy tests), although my naturopath still had me collect stool samples and sent them to the lab for scientific tests. So I am not sure why all the other doctors missed this or could not diagnose it. Since staying away from gluten all my IBS symtoms have disappeared and that was 5 years ago. If I give in and have glueten my symtoms return.