Irritable Bowel Syndrome Month on April, 2024: Experience with irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety?

April, 2024 is Irritable Bowel Syndrome Month 2024. Symptoms of IBS-C - Find Tools & Resources To Help‎ Manage Your IBS-C Symptoms.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) is a very complex problem and there is no cure for it. You first need to talk with your doctor and make sure he gave you an accurate IBS diagnosis. In order to be given a clear diagnosis of IBS; there are a battery of tests to take and they all should rule out more serious problems, For more information on the tests to take visit www.TheIBSFormula.com. Once you have been given a clear diagnosis of IBS then you will have to figure out what is causing the IBS symptoms. Many IBS triggers can be found in the food you eat and the lifestyle you lead. Stay away from greasy and sugary foods, these seem to cause the most IBS symptoms. Also, Many IBS Sufferers are Lactose Intolerant and don't know it. Stop eating milk products and see how that makes you feel. Be sure to read the labels of the food you eat, milk is an ingredient in alot of different prepared foods. Keep a food journal so you can try to figure out what is causing the symptoms. A problem food will usually trigger an IBS symptom within 3 to 6 hrs.

The book "The IBS Formula" gives you an up to date look at IBS, what causes it and how to take control of your life from these symptoms. I take Digestive Advantage pills for IBS from Gentech for my IBS. They work great. The cheapest place I have found to get them is Amazon.com. If you order them through amazon's subscription service they deliver them with free shipping. I take 1 or 2 a day and usually with a meal. It initially takes about 2-3 weeks for this to get into your system before it starts to work. So you will not notice any benefits till after the 2 or 3 weeks. Also many IBS sufferers take a fiber supplement. The other thing that helps is to get on an exercise routine. Sweating will help to get the toxins out of your body that are causing the IBS symptoms.. For more information on IBS visit TheIBSFormula.com. Hope this helps!

Diet to Reduce Diarrhea

You can stop diarrhea, if you reduce or eliminate certain foods like:

•Foods that are high in fats like sausage, bacon, oils, butter and deeply fried foods.

•Dairy products that has lactose like milk, cheese, ice cream, milk sugar and sour cream.

•Nicotine from chewing or smoking tobacco.

•Alcohol.

•Caffeine that is found in tea, coffee, chocolate and cola drinks.

•Gas producing foods like broccoli, cabbage, beans and apples.

•Drinks ansd foods that are high in sugar like soda, candy, fruit juices and other packaged sweets.

•Xylitol and sorbitol that are some of the artificial sweeteners found in sugarless chewing gums and candies.

•Keep a food dairy or journal to keep a track of what you eat and to find if any of these foods trigger irritable bowel syndrome symptoms.

•Stress is another factor that could lead to this syndrome.

•Maintain a pleasant environment during the meal times, which can reduce the stress.

•Take plenty of time to chew food rather than eating in a hurry.

Diet to Relieve Constipation

Follow these steps to relieve constipation:

•Add fiber to your diet

•Fiber adds bulk to the large intestines by absorbing water. This results in frequent and easier bowel movements.

•Eat a high fiber diet like fresh fruits and vegetables like raspberries, apples, pears, brussels, peas and wheat grain breads and cereals.

•Slowly increase the fiber intake in your food to avoid excessive gas.

•Drink plenty of water because fiber absorbs water and keeps the stool soft.

•Regular exercise like walking, swimming, or cycling can help in the maintenance of bowel regularity.

•Check with your doctor before making changes in your diet and you can add fiber slowly in your diet for the body to get adjusted to the change.

Irritable Bowel?

Irritable bowl syndrome can be cause by several things. I don't think it is necessarily an illness itself, but a side effect of a condition. BEWARE OF DOCTORS!!! They will call it irritable bowel syndrome but won't treat the cause of it. I've been there.

Start by keeping track of the things you eat. Certain foods can cause allergic reactions that leads the body to quickly rid of itself of the allergen...in the form of diarrhea. MSG...mono-sodium glutamate and preservatives get me.

Too much sugar in a diet can cause digestion problems. In that regard, the natural "good" bacteria level in your system may be out of balance and yeast may be taking over...causing diarrhea.

Watch your diet and keep track of the things you eat and the reactions. You may want to start taking a good pro-biotic...good bacteria....to balance out your system. Avoid excessive sugar and alcohol....and be patient.

Question about Bentyl Irritable Bowel Syndrome...?

You must be having cramps. Bentyl works good for these. I tried it but had some minor side effects so I stopped it. I used Pepto Bismol and occasionally Imodium. These have fewer side effects and work well.

Look up Irritable bowel so you can learn about it. It isn't a life threatening syndrome. You should keep a food diary to see if there are certain foods that bother you more than others Also, stress makes it worse. You'll find when you are in a stressful situation you will have more symptoms. Try doing Yoga for a few minutes everyday. Carry Pepto Bismol and Imodium with you so you can access it if you start having diarrhea or cramps. I used PB for cramps and minor diarrhea and Imodium if diarrhea was severe. You will learn by trial and error how much to take of each. If you take too much imodium you will be constipated, so next time take less.

The basic thing you need to learn is how to control your symptoms. This will come in time. Part of controlling them is learning to recognize situations that produce stress and to avoid or deal with them early.

You can eat normally for the most part. You'll find you can eat ice cream one time but the next it will give you diarrhea and cramps. You may be able to eat small portions but not large. When you start with cramps and diarrhea, eat potatoes, rice, crackers, (see you've already learned to do this), jello, toast with jelly. As soon as, the episode is over go back to eating regular as you need the nutrients.

Try the Bentyl. You can start off taking a half tablet and only take it twice a day then increase if you don't have bad side effects. Sometimes side effects go away after a few days. You should write down any changes so you can tell your MD in two weeks. When you are trying Bentyl, try not to use the Pepto at the same time as it can interfer with the absorbtion of Bentyl.

Here is some info on Bentyl. Good luck.

What is the most important information I should know about dicyclomine?

Dicyclomine can cause side effects that may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

Avoid drinking alcohol. It can increase some of the side effects of dicyclomine.

Avoid becoming overheated or dehydrated during exercise and in hot weather. Dicyclomine can decrease your sweating, which can lead to heat stroke in a hot environment.

Stop using dicyclomine and call your doctor right away if you have serious side effects such as confusion, hallucinations, unusual thoughts or behavior, fast or uneven heart rate, or if you urinate less than usual or not at all.

There are many other medicines that can interact with dicyclomine. Tell your doctor about all the prescription and over-the-counter medications you use. This includes vitamins, minerals, herbal products, and drugs prescribed by other doctors. Do not start using a new medication without telling your doctor. Keep a list with you of all the medicines you use and show this list to any doctor or other healthcare provider who treats you.

What is dicyclomine?

Dicyclomine relieves spasms of the muscles in the stomach and intestines by blocking the actions of certain chemicals in the body.

Dicyclomine is used to treat functional bowel or irritable bowel syndrome.

Dicyclomine may also be used for other purposes not listed in this medication guide.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before taking dicyclomine?

Do not take this medication if you are allergic to dicyclomine, or if you have:

problems with urination;

a blockage in your digestive tract;

an intestinal disorder such as ulcerative colitis;

gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD);

a serious heart condition or active bleeding;

glaucoma;

myasthenia gravis; or

if you are breast-feeding a baby.

Before taking this medication, tell your doctor if you are allergic to any drugs, or if you have:

an ileostomy or colostomy;

a nerve problem (such as numbness or tingling);

liver disease;

kidney disease;

ulcerative colitis;

thyroid disorder;

heart disease, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure, or a heart rhythm disorder;

hiatal hernia; or

an enlarged prostate.

If you have any of these conditions, you may need a dose adjustments or special tests to safely take dicyclomine.

FDA pregnancy category B. This medication is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant during treatment.

Dicyclomine can pass into breast milk and can cause breathing problems or death in infants younger than 6 months of age. Do not take dicyclomine if you are breast-feeding a baby.

How should I take dicyclomine?

Take this medication exactly as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label.

Take this medicine with a full glas