women conquering diarrhea - page eleven
The tale of...Tara
I am currently beginning treatment for my IBS, which appears to be candida related. For more than four years I have had stomach issues that have gotten progressively worse. What started as sporadic bouts of constipation turned into frequent constipation, then diarrhea and, over the last year, near daily diarrhea episodes that left me drenched in sweat and exhausted like I have never been before.
During the same time span I began suffering from chronic yeast infections which would reappear every time my husband and I had sex. My regular GP put us both on Flagyl and Diflucan but the symptoms returned every time we went off it. While this was going on, my husband began developing his own set of gastrointestinal problems, mainly very bad smelling gas, stomach pains and frequent trips to the bathroom.
At first his doctor thought his symptoms were some kind of virus left over from his last bout of 'food poisoning' (which I now think was an IBS flare-up). Later I thought it was wheat intolerance and then my husband thought it was from long-term use of Celebrex, which he had been taking for years. He stopped the Celebrex and then found he could tolerate wheat for a time.
During this same time period my GP sent me to a GYN for my stubborn yeast infections and chronic vaginitis, and the GYN put me on Diflucan once a week. This seemed to help the female infection problems but my intestinal issues became worse and I also started to suffer from numerous vague and seemingly unrelated problems such as brain fog, loss of concentration, chills, mood swings, exhaustion, depression, achy joints and an occasional irregular heart rhythm.
Sometimes I could hardly drag myself through the day and on days when I had frequent bathroom trips I was so tired it was all I could do to put dinner on the table for my family. I went back to my GP to ask about these symptoms and what I thought could be hypoglycaemia or diabetes, as I would become shaky and weak very quickly at times and craved sugar and baked goods. She ran blood tests and told me I was perfectly healthy.
I never connected all the symptoms so I didn't mention the gastro issues to her. I had a lot going on with my business (I work from home, thank goodness!) and my extended family and I thought they must be from stress. I also stopped eating wheat and gluten thinking that might be it. That seemed to work for a short time to alleviate the diarrhea but then it came right back, even worse than before.
I tried taking acidophilus but thought I was allergic to it when I broke out two days later in a rash, so I stopped. Now I know I was probably starting to detox from the yeast. My husband, in the meantime, had such horrendous gas that I had to air out the house almost daily and sometimes ask him to sleep downstairs on the couch because of the smell. (As you can imagine, this does wonders for the old love life...NOT.) Both of us were using a variety of gas relief and gastro OTC medicines like Gas-X, Pepto and the like.
Finally, last month, I went back to my GP in total desperation for fatigue and gastro problems. It may just sound like I am whining, but I really cannot express how run down and terrible I felt nearly every day. I've been a vegetarian for years but became so weak that I started to eat organic chicken in an attempt to get some protein and gain my energy back. I started to think I might have cancer or chronic fatigue syndrome.
My GP pretty much dismissed my fatigue and told me I probably had IBS but could have Crohn's or a number of other problems and told me to schedule a colonoscopy. At that point I began researching IBS and eventually found my way to some candida information. As I read through the symptoms I had a huge A-ha! moment and decided to research the matter as much as I could.
Much of the information I came across suggested a strong link between IBS, candida or yeast and Leaky Gut Syndrome. I decided to take matters into my own hands since my GP was of no use. I figured, 'Heck! What do I have to lose?' I started by cutting out all refined sugar and flour products as well as NutraSweet type products. Within two days my brain fog was lifting and, although I still had diarrhea, it toned down considerably.
My husband started a colon cleanse program and began taking a product called Yeast Defense. Both products were recommended by my local natural pharmacy and seem to be providing some relief. I was leery to start acidophilus again because of my previous detox reaction so I drink a yogurt like drink called Kefir that is enhanced with 'good bacteria'.
Both my husband and I tested our urine Ph and found that we were too acidic, which I have read contributes to an unhealthy ratio of good and bad bacteria in the intestines. We have both started to take a calcium supplement to help correct that. In addition, I take a multivitamin and flax oil daily. Both of us appear to have lost inches from our waist because the constant bloating is decreasing.
I've also found a naturopath in my area and have scheduled an appointment for further consultation and help with a thorough system detox because of my previous die-off reaction. Even though it has been only a week of changes we both feel much better. We are excited to go places and have the energy to do things again without worrying about bathroom issues or suffering from mood swings and exhaustion.
Best of luck to everyone out there dealing with these issues. Don't give up your search for relief or be afraid to get a second, third or fourth opinion from a traditional MD or an alternative health care practitioner. Help is out there!
The tale of...Sally
Yesterday I was diagnosed with IBS. I had suspected I had it, but I had been putting off going to the doctor as the last time I went, the nurse there told me I was wasting her time with my sore throat as she couldn't see anything wrong. Rude woman.
I am glad I went to the doctor as he was friendly, polite, respected what I had to say, prodded me thoroughly but with the minimum of undressing (just undid the top button of my jeans and half undid the zip). He said I had classic signs of IBS and recommended enteric-covered peppermint oil capsules, Imodium and Buscopan, and also recommended some websites where I could find out more, including this one.
This is a happy tale as I know that I am not a time-waster and know where to start with helping myself. I have read tales of people who haven't been to the doctor or have been told by their doctor to just 'live with it'. Nooooooo! See another doctor until you get one who knows more about the condition. You are worth it!
The tale of...Mimes
I am 31, living in the UK, and I have suffered from IBS for about nine years or so. Like a lot of sufferers out there I have tried loads of things in a vain attempt to relieve some of the symptoms. I wanted to share with you my discovery and hope it will help others - a low fiber diet. It is really worthwhile exploring a wide range of diets and food intolerances.
My symptoms are diarrhea with bloating, wind (sometimes I think something has died up there!), stomach pain and a very sore bottom. In one respect I do feel very lucky that my symptoms are not half as bad as some of you out there, but I still wanted to do something about it.
I have suffered from anxiety since I was very small and had all sorts of other anxiety-related symptoms like a nervous cough. The IBS started when I went self-employed and the worry of how to pay the next month's rent and food was too much for my system to take. As a hypnotherapist explained, all that nervous energy had to escape somehow - and the route it took was my arse!
About five years ago it was quite bad and I decided that it was about time I explored my options. I went to the doctors who fobbed my off saying there wasn't much that could be done. Not satisfied with that I went back with my assertive head on and demanded to see a dietician in order to explore food intolerances properly and with guidance.
The woman I saw was great and started me off with a high fiber diet (based on my symptoms) - not a good start as it got worse. Next I tried a wheat-free diet and there was a mild improvement in that the wind and bloating disappeared. Based on that, she put me on a low fiber diet and bingo!
In all my reading up on IBS I have never come across any suggestion of a low fiber diet as I guess it seems a bit upside-down for diarrhea symptoms. I truly would recommend it - but I expect one should consult with a doctor or dietician first.
Basically I avoid brown bread, brown anything, high fiber cereals, and keep high fiber fruit and vegetables like broccoli and bananas to a minimum. It doesn't sound very healthy I know, and it is a kid's dream diet! However, after being very strict with it for a few years I have incorporated more fruit and veg in. I avoid onions, mushrooms (though I think that intolerance dates back to my mother giving me pureed mushrooms as my first ever meal as a baby!) and too many tomatoes are a killer.
All I now need to do is find a way of getting control over the anxiety - any tips that don't involve going to things like yoga classes? The worry of going to a class, not knowing anyone and thus setting off the old IBS is not worth the trouble! I'm sure you know what I mean!
I hope this might be of some help to some of you and feel free to contact me and I can give you more of an idea of what I eat and avoid. Good luck to you all!
E-mail Mimes: mimesf[at]yahoo.co.uk