BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?

Subject: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: Morticia
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 11:26 AM

My son has just been diagnosed with IBS after about a year of symptoms.He is as phlegmatic as one would expect from a sixteen year old but I would like to know more.I've read pretty much all that Google has to offer and looked over the sites that offer "a cure" for just $50 or whatever, but feel I am still failing to come to grips with this.Anyone with any personal experience they feel they could share? Diets, meds, alternatives to meds? All help appreciated.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: SharonA
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 11:38 AM

Morticia: Sorry to hear about your son's problems. I know from personal experience (ulcerative colitis and ongoing bowel problems since 1976) that bowel diseases and syndromes are no fun! Have you read the articles about this syndrome on WebMD? Try doing a search for IBS here: http://www.webmd.org/ (the first article in the search result list is a nice overview, addressing diet, stress and medications).

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 11:41 AM

read up on coconut and ibs...supposedly 2 archway coconut macaroon cookies per day (or coconut in another form) can help quite a lot in many cases. It is antibacterial. This was in the Peoples' Pharmacy column in many newspapers and others have mentioned it. Also read up on leaky gut sy ndrome and I would sure have him tested for celiac disease..mg

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 12:01 PM

I've had it for about 20 years now. Nothing works for me. For the most part, it's not that bad. Just accept the penalties and live with it.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 12:10 PM

I might be thinking of Crohn's disease..I'll do some more checking tonight. mg

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: SharonA
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 12:19 PM

I just noticed something on the WebMD site that I should alert you to: one of the articles that appears in the Search Results list for the keyword "IBS" is an outdated piece about a medication called Lotronex. Frankly, I'm surprised (and angered) that this article is on this site without a big red warning label at the top of the page. Here is the article, but again I emphasize that the info is outdated. I'll tell you why in a sec: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1728.56417

Sometime after that article was published, Lotronex was REMOVED from the market by the FDA. The reason (quoting from the press release of Nov. 28, 2000): "FDA analyses of the post-marketing reports of serious adverse events, which included 5 reports of death in patients taking Lotronex. Specifically, FDA has been concerned about reported cases of intestinal damage resulting from reduced blood flow to the intestine (ischemic colitis) and severely obstructed or ruptured bowels (complications of severe constipation)." I was taking this stuff at the time, too – eek!

Here's a site with information about Lotronex, including that press release: http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/lotronex/lotronex.htm

My doctor tells me that the drug may be re-released in the future in a reduced-dosage form, or some similar but not dangerous medication may be available soon. Nothing coming in the immediate future, though. In the meantime, if anybody anywhere is still selling this stuff, don't buy it!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From:
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 12:48 PM

two things; we use mebeverine as a palliative (colofac tds), and what the clever bods are thinking about is that in its purer forms ibs may be an overreaction to the fact that we dont eat our peck of dirt any more. An american doctor has had some interecting cures by getting his patients to ingest short living small parasitic worms, which we all must have had in our distant past....... not that Im suggesting you do this !

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: Gillie
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 02:01 PM

Morticia, sorry to hear about your son. Having been a past suffer of Irritable Colitus and diventicular diease myself,I empathise with your son's position. I fully understand the discomfort that this condition brings

Herbal Aloe Drink will help to aleviate the symptoms, along with good food nutrition. There is no cure, but certainly we can help you, to help your son help himself. If you would like some more information, please feel free to personal message me.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 04:14 PM

I occasionally have what I suspect is IBS but it's never been officially diagnosed. I think I've figured out that, in my case, it's an allergic reaction to nuts. On the morning after eating nuts, I'll have intermittent painful cramps for a few hours and then it goes away. (I'll spare you the other details.) Throughout my life I've had an episode like this maybe once every few months. I've only recently figured out what's probably causing it.

Only the nuts that grow on trees are a problem: walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, etc. Peanuts are OK-- they come from a totally different botanical family, and they grow underground. And I think I can eat one or two nuts with no serious effects. I just can't eat a handful.

I have no idea whether this information will be helpful to anyone. I think food allergies are often idiosycratic.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: catspaw49
Date: 26 Apr 02 - 05:09 PM

As you know Mortie, Lyrical Lady and I each spent a week plus in the hospital at the same time about 6 weeks ago thatnks to a major flare-up of diverticulitis. LL told me the Docs had been diagnosing her with IBS for something like 10 years but it was in fact the beginnings of Diverticular disease. One of the Docs told me it is extremely prevalent here and in Europe due to eating habits.

In the past 15-20 years I have eaten "right" for the most part....very balanced, lots of roughage, rice, etc......But I still have Diverticulosis......Probably from the incredibly BAD eating habits before I was 35! Get him eating right now....no easy task I know with a teenager, been there, done that......but it will pay off in the long run. In my case, I'm trying to control the problem with diet, eliminating those things like nuts, seeds, and popcorn, that are known problems, but LL is going to have the surgery this summer because hers is farther along and the only "cure" is surgery.

I have been trying the Aloe with good success and most docs feel it can help in both IBS and Diverticular disease. Worth a shot! Tastes like crap so mix it with something (I'd suggest borbon but that's out too!) like orange juice (pulp free). Mainly, get him eating right now!!!!

Spaw

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: wysiwyg
Date: 27 Apr 02 - 01:28 AM

Morti, ya know.... ya gotta let him run it, or it won't stick.

~Susan

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: Jane 2001
Date: 27 Apr 02 - 08:09 PM

I was diagnosed with IBS just after our water company had changed to a new bore-hole. We had really hard water with a visible scum on it. When they finished the work they were doing and changed back to the original source my symptoms disappeared and have not returned. Of course we were told that there was nothing wrong with the water....

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: GUEST
Date: 27 Apr 02 - 11:31 PM

Who diagnosed him and what did they recomend ?

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: Banjer
Date: 28 Apr 02 - 04:59 AM

Jim, I was down with diverticulitis about twenty-five years ago. Two doctors fought over me, one wanting to cut in and the other saying that it could be controlled with diet. Thankfuly the Dr with the diet plans won out! After he got me well again he said I could eat anything I wanted (in moderation) EXCEPT Nuts. I could eat a SMALL quantity of popcorn, tomatoes, and other seeded fruits and veggies because the size of those seeds usually is not harmful. Nuts on the other hand being such large chunks, will get caught in the diverticuli and infect. Nuts is the one thing we humans eat that will not digest, the come out the same way they go in! I have followed that advice for all these years and (knock on wood) have had no reoccurence.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: Morticia
Date: 28 Apr 02 - 07:47 AM

The GP diagnosed him and has him on anti-spasmodics ( mentioned above as mebeverine) and will let that run for three weeks until she sees him again. He is interested in modifying his diet....but it will be a struggle for him.

Subject: RE: BS: anyone here had/got I.B.S?
From: Banjer
Date: 28 Apr 02 - 08:21 AM

Morticia, he thinks it will be a struggle for him. When I went to the Dr a year ago January and she told me that I had high BP and Type II Diabetes and would have to change my eating habits, I was big time bummed out! But when she told me how to do what she wanted done, I found that the change in diet was not NEARLY as bad as I originally thought. If he thinks anything of himself and can convince himself it is for his own betterment and a possible end to his struggles, he'll have no problem at all, I bet.