Irritable Bowel Syndrome

[wineman]

To get relief from IBS, what works for you?

[Jingthing]

Try COLPERMIN.

A natural method using peppermint oil in an enteric coated pill.

Available over the counter at Fascino. Supply about 1K baht monthly.

http://www.ibstales.com/colpermin.htm

Also sold locally are some much cheaper peppermint oil capsules from India without the coating. Those are NOT for IBS! Most stores if you ask for peppermint oil and they understand you will show the cheap Indian capsules if they have them (many places do).

Edited May 12, 2013 by Jingthing

[Rimmer]

Believe it is best to move this topic to the Health Forum to get the best advice

[Mobi]

Check if you are lactose intolerant.

It is not uncommon to develop an intolerance in middle age.

Just cut out all dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice-cream etc) for a week and see if your condition improves.

[Tolley]

Check if you are lactose intolerant.

It is not uncommon to develop an intolerance in middle age.

Just cut out all dairy products (milk, yoghurt, cheese, ice-cream etc) for a week and see if your condition improves.

Wheat can also be a culprit as many people develop gluten intolerance.

The best thing to do is cut out all dairy and gluten for a few days and sugar. Just go on a diet of meat and veggies.

Then monitor your IBS. That will tell you if it is diet related.

Get some kefir or similar product to get your gut in good order.

Relax play sport do yoga or something that relieves stress.

If you still have problems then you need some herbal supplements like something for your gut

[Jingthing]

Celiac disease exists and it actually kills but it has become a FAD self diagnosis. I reckon for every 100 people who think they need to cut out gluten, only one really needs to.

As far as paying attention to bacterial balance (probiotics/prebiotics) as the gut contains the majority of the human immune system, I think that is a concern for EVERYONE, not just people with pain symptoms.

That said people really shouldn't self diagnose IBS either. People with IBS symptoms should get medically screened as it could be something much more serious. IBS isn't actually a very serious ailment medically (it doesn't physically damage and it doesn't kill) except for the DISCOMFORT it causes.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Jingthing

[balo]

Try to eat only papaya and rice for a few days .

Then relax , do not stress and then your next bowel movement will feel fine.

Edited May 12, 2013 by balo

[Jingthing]

Try to eat only papaya and rice for a few days .

Then relax , do not stress and then your next bowel movement will feel fine.

Not a bad idea to try. Papaya is amazing stuff. But IBS is a chronic condition and I seriously doubt that would be a permanent cure for someone who REALLY has IBS. That sounds more like something to try for someone with an acute stomach upset issue. Colpermin isn't a cure either. It just relieves the symptoms, very effectively in a high percentage of IBS sufferers.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

Also worth mentioning as helpful for many people with IBS -- hypnosis.

Is this available in Thailand? I don't know but I'm sure it would be in Singapore and probably Malaysia as well:

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/id/QAA362910

[tropo]

Get some kefir or similar product to get your gut in good order.

Yes, that's the very first thing I would try. It's also one of the easiest and cheapest solutions.

[Jingthing]

Get some kefir or similar product to get your gut in good order.

Yes, that's the very first thing I would try. It's also one of the easiest and cheapest solutions.

Kimchi ain't chopped liver either!

Edited May 12, 2013 by Jingthing

[tropo]

Get some kefir or similar product to get your gut in good order.

Yes, that's the very first thing I would try. It's also one of the easiest and cheapest solutions.

Kimchi ain't chopped liver either!

LOL. .. and kimchi certainly ain't kefir. No comparison. That's a bit like comparing yogurt to kefir.

.. but don't be hard on chopped liver - it's quite healthy.

[Jingthing]

Get some kefir or similar product to get your gut in good order.

Yes, that's the very first thing I would try. It's also one of the easiest and cheapest solutions.

Kimchi ain't chopped liver either!

LOL. .. and kimchi certainly ain't kefir. No comparison. That's a bit like comparing yogurt to kefir.

.. but don't be hard on chopped liver - it's quite healthy.

Aren't they both probiotic foods?

[Sheryl]

Is your IBS self diagnosed or have you had a proper medical evaluation? If the former, do the latter. There are a number of conditions, from bowel infections to Crohn's etc, that could be to blame for your problems.

If you have had a proper evaluation and it has been unable to find a cause (IBS being a diagnosis by exclusion) then it does indeed make good sense to:

- try probiotics, if you have not already;

- try excluding things from your diet in a phase-wise manner to see which if any, seem to cause or aggravate the condition. Dairy and gluten are common culprits so I would try them first (but not at the same time, i.e. exclude just one and then if it makes no difference, resume it and exclude the other).

I haven no idea re peppermint oil but it certainly won't hurt.

[Sheryl]

P.S. In some people, increasing dietary fiber helps, but do not do this unless Crohn's has been excluded.

[Jingthing]

Some more information. The last two about peppermint oil. Just want to document there is some significant clinical proof of effectiveness.

When you have IBS, says Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist Nicholas Talley,
M.D., the nerve endings in the gut are always firing, creating a
condition of “visceral hypersensitivity, which means basically that the
gut is more sensitive than it should be.”

http://life.gaiam.com/article/do-you-have-ibs-mayo-clinic-s-rx-eating-guide-yoga-remedies

A recent review combined several studies looking at nearly 400 people with IBS.^[86] About 74 in 100 people improved with peppermint oil, compared with 35 in 100 people who took a placebo.

http://www.webmd.boots.com/ibs/irritable-bowel-syndrome-peppermint-oil

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Several
studies have shown that enteric coated peppermint capsules can help
treat symptoms of IBS, such as pain, bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
(Enteric coated capsules keep peppermint oil from being released in the
stomach, which can cause heartburn and indigestion.) However, a few
studies have shown no effect. One study examined 57 people with IBS who
received either enteric coated peppermint capsules or placebo twice a
day for 4 weeks. Of the people who took peppermint, 75% had a
significant reduction of IBS symptoms. Another study comparing enteric
coated peppermint oil capsules to placebo in children with IBS found
that after 2 weeks, 75% of those treated had reduced symptoms. Finally, a
more recent study conducted in Taiwan found that patients who took an
enteric coated peppermint oil formulation 3 - 4 times daily for one
month had less abdominal distention, stool frequency, and flatulence
than those who took a placebo. Nearly 80% of the patients who took
peppermint also had alleviation of abdominal pain.

http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/peppermint-000269.htm

Edited May 12, 2013 by Jingthing

[tropo]

Aren't they both probiotic foods?

Yes, in a similar way that Mercedes and Kia are both cars.

It's the quantity and variety of healthy bacteria in kefir which sets it apart. That's not saying that kimchi isn't good, it's just not in the same league.

[Jingthing]

Aren't they both probiotic foods?

Yes, in a similar way that Mercedes and Kia are both cars.

It's the quantity and variety of healthy bacteria in kefir which sets it apart. That's not saying that kimchi isn't good, it's just not in the same league.

I'm skeptical. Can you document?

[tropo]

Aren't they both probiotic foods?

Yes, in a similar way that Mercedes and Kia are both cars.

It's the quantity and variety of healthy bacteria in kefir which sets it apart. That's not saying that kimchi isn't good, it's just not in the same league.

I'm skeptical. Can you document?

There's so much information on kefir I wouldn't know where to start.

There's mountains of it on here including references to studies - many done in Japan.

(Scroll down to the grey box "Kefiran in detail" if you're after some scientific info.)

http://users.sa.chariot.net.au/~dna/kefirpage.html#what-is-kefir

Other than that, I'm not really going to try to convince you. Dom has dedicated himself to the subject - I'm just a beginner and not so dedicated.

All i know is that I've been using it for nearly 2 years. I have zero digestive disturbances now whereas I used to have a lot. My blood sugar and carb tolerance is exponentially better and I'm able to stay very lean with little effort in terms of dietary control. I'm not putting this all down to kefir consumption as it's only anecdotal evidence and I don't expect you to believe me - but it's sure is coincidental.

I don't know why you haven't tried it. Perhaps you've bought the prepared kefir from Friendship. I could have provided you with kefir grains for free - I suspect you're not interested in that you want to stay anonymous. It's the cheapest health supplement bar none. Only the cost of the milk you use to make it.

[Jingthing]

I wasn't questioning that kefir is great. I was questioning your assertion that kimchi isn't similarly great.

[tropo]

I wasn't questioning that kefir is great. I was questioning your assertion that kimchi isn't similarly great.

Kimchi is not primarily a probiotic - it's a healthy food with nutritional value including a small number of healthy bacteria compared to kefir.

To put it another way. Kimchi is a food where kefir is a powerful probiotic supplement.

I for one would not be able to consume large enough amounts of kimchi to be useful as a probiotic. All that red chili would not be pleasant. The probiotic content of kimchi would not even match yogurt, which compares poorly to kefir.

Certainly the ease of making and consuming kefir wins the day before even considering their nutritional content.

Edited May 12, 2013 by tropo

[Jingthing]

I'd like to see some documentation about the differences in probiotic benefits of these different foods. Chilies, BTW, are a health promoting food for most people though yes some people can't tolerate them. To me, kimchi, the stronger and spicier the better, is VERY pleasant.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Jingthing

[tropo]

I'd like to see some documentation about the differences in probiotic benefits of these different foods. Chilies, BTW, are a health promoting food for most people though yes some people can't tolerate them. To me, kimchi, the stronger and spicier the better, is VERY pleasant.

I don't like afterburn. Eating chili can be addictive. I don't get that with kefir.

[Tolley]

A good digestive system is one of the keys to good health.

Kefir or any sort of rejuvelac is fantastic for the digestive system.

So many health problems are related to digestive issues but most often are sub clinical and thus will never get diagnosed by doctors.

Do yourself a favour JT and try it for a few weeks. Have a look at this link.

http://www.superfoods-for-superhealth.com/rejuvelac.html

[Jingthing]

AGAIN, what I was looking for was some kind of objective scientific comparison of kimchi vs. kefir. AGAIN, I agree kefir is great. I suspect kimchi is similarly great but so far I can't really confirm that. Yes, I am really curious and yes I really like kimchi. In a number of places I have read that a COMBINATION of different bacteria rich foods is ideal, including kefir, kimchi, sauerkraut, active culture yogurt, etc.

A number of places you can read kimchi is the most health promoting food in the world. I reject the idea that kefir is not a FOOD as well. Of course it is a food.

Since this topic is about IBS, I am not convinced that even going on a Kefir drip is going to help all people with IBS symptoms. I don't think there is ANYTHING that will help ALL people with IBS symptoms. But I approve of adding healthy bacteria rich foods to all diets and it wouldn't surprise me if it helps many people with IBS.

Found this link but it's hard to take it too seriously:

http://heal-thyself.ning.com/profiles/blogs/probiotic-selection

"Homemade yogurt that is fermented for 24 hours, will have an
average concentration of 3 billion cfu/mL of yogurt. If you were to eat a
small bowl (500 ml) of 24 hour fermented homemade yogurt, you would
receive 1.5 trillion beneficial bacteria - 100 times more bacteria than a
15 billion capsule.



And homemade kefir has 5x that; homemade kimchi 10x that!

Edited May 13, 2013 by Jingthing

[raro]

I had heartburn and something that could well have been IBS as well until I got kefir from tropo. Solved it within days.

This does not say that it may help you, but it is certainly worth a try.

And as Sheryl said, a visit at a doctor would be in order, too.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[Jingthing]

I had heartburn and something that could well have been IBS as well until I got kefir from tropo. Solved it within days.

This does not say that it may help you, but it is certainly worth a try.

And as Sheryl said, a visit at a doctor would be in order, too.

Sent from my GT-N7000 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

If you didn't have symptoms for at least three months straight, chances are you never had IBS.

[Tolley]

All Koreans must have the healthiest guts given that they eat kimchi for breakfast lunch and dinner.

If you read the article it mentions variety so kefir and kimchi together should be a potent gut healer.

[Jingthing]

All Koreans must have the healthiest guts given that they eat kimchi for breakfast lunch and dinner.

If you read the article it mentions variety so kefir and kimchi together should be a potent gut healer.

Right but I doubt many Koreans do kefir but the majority of them do kimchi. Kimchi is very famous for these benefits. Not sure why it's seen as an attack on Kefir to mention Kimchi.

[Tolley]

All Koreans must have the healthiest guts given that they eat kimchi for breakfast lunch and dinner.

If you read the article it mentions variety so kefir and kimchi together should be a potent gut healer.

Right but I doubt many Koreans do kefir but the majority of them do kimchi. Kimchi is very famous for these benefits. Not sure why it's seen as an attack on Kefir to mention Kimchi.

I don't think it is an attack at all.

Kimchi is famous for its health benefits.

But I don't think you can beat the live enzymes in the sprouted grains for overall health benefits.