Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Hi gals.

I am an IBS sufferer from way back, usually my symptoms manifest in crampy windy bowel, urgent need to go and softish stools. It is usually bought on by stress. Pre pregnancy I had controlled the symptoms with diet and if i had a flair up, by taking 400mg of Slippery Elm in a capsule per day.

I am now almost 17 weeks along. Until about a week ago my symptoms had diminished to virtually nothing. They are however back with avengence despite my ongoing attempts to minimise stress and control with a blander diet but I am still an exhausted walking bloated grumbly tummy flair up!

I think i preferred the constipation of the first trimester :)

Any suggestions for treatment would be greatfully suggested.

Cheerio

Belinda.

hi belinda,
i too am a IBS sufferer and sounds like i have identical flare ups to you, stress and junk foods are my killers. i am sorry that i don't have any suggestions or magical cures for you. Have you thought about attending an antenatal yoga class?? I haven't tried yoga yet, but it has been recommended to me by several people in the medical and natural therapy professions. Also just going for a walk everyday seems to help me, not a power walk even just a stroll would do.
Goodluck and i hope it dissappears again quickly. I had a few really awful flare ups in the first 12 weeks then didn't have a problem til bub was a few months old.

all the best!

Hi Belinda, I am an awful ibs sufferer.

Are you still taking your slippery elm? If not, you need to be. Also get your hands on some charcoal tablets from the chemist. They work like immodium and help to bulk you up if you cant stop the runs.

Another great remedy is grating an apple with the skin on..waiting a few minutes til it starts browning, then eating it. It will help line your stomach.

You can also try starting your day with a glass of red cordial, that can also help to line your stomach. Hope this helps :)

:

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Stress and widespread use of antibiotics is a major cause of bacteria imbalance. Establishing the proper intestinal balance is important in cases of Candida, yeast infections, thrush, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), leaky gut syndrome and eczema, to name just a few. IBS affects 2% of the world’s population while Crohn’s disease and other bowel problems are affecting and increasing number of people.

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This is some information from the Fast Tract product here.

have you tried "Rescue remedy"?

I have started to use it due to anxiety...my daughter started kinder and ive never left her before it calmed my nerves!

good luck

what is it? Never heard of it?

rescue remedy is available from chemists or health food stores it made up of flower remedy's i think, just google "bachs rescue remedy".
it come in spray on your tongue form or drop in your mouth but it does taste a bit funny, i have also been taking 2 fibre tablets every day and that has seem to settle my stomach also...im currently seeing a doctor that is sure i too have IBS due to stress (lots of family health issues at the moment and i worry a lot)

fibre makes me worse!!

that not good...im hoping my symptoms will ease in time but i get really nervous about going out to the supermarket or shopping just in case i have to go. is this normal?

yep thats normal! Me too...cos you know how much pain youre in when you get the runs and how little time you have to make it to a toilet!

yep that it...but i would hate to have an "accident" in public! i find im worse in the morning and ok around lunch and mid arvo and then get little niggles at night but not everyday, who knows!

Im always worse at night...

i'm so in the same boat - i find that things get worse around mid morning to mid afternoon - usually fine at night. it's really frustrating! i hate that i can't go shopping without having to go to the loo a couple of times! and work is a shocker - cos when you need to go you need to go - no matter what! it's kinda difficult when you're trying to do your job and you just can't! hope you get some relief soon!

I also have IBS, but more bloating and constipation than the runs! I have actually found less probs since I havebeen PG. I find mild exercise helps a lot (swimming, walking etc) and also i use flax seeds on my cereal or in soup and that helps.

Yep I can honestly say here that I have been MUCH better being pregnant. Have only had about a handful of really bad episodes in the past 7 months.

In the beginning though, I was in the toilet every day :(

Yep mine disappeared when I was pg too...

*hugs*
Cailin

I wonder if Bub helps by taking all those "nutrients" that we are otherwise succeptible too?

itd back with a vengeance :(

:cry:for those with ibs, do you get really bad stomach cramps that aren't relieved by going to the toilet? I'm not sure but I feel constipated, and my cramps come on like labour pains and are really bad for a minute or two and then subside.
I've been having a bad attack over the last 24-36 hours with cramps ranging from every 15 minutes to every hour or so, plus a lot of vomitting. i know ive been stressed so i am presuming this is caused by it.
the trouble is, i am just concerned about telling the difference about actually having contractions and stomach cramps - from my last labour they felt EXACTLY the same!!
I am only 28 weeks, so of course i dont want to be in labour, and the stress of that i think was making it worse but now i am pretty sure its just these bloody ibs cramps.
any ideas about what i can do? I have never actually been diagnosed with ibs, but have always known i have a "dodgy" stomache, and it flairs up every few months or so.

im sorry youa re in so much pain. here are some of the things that have worked to settle my IBS down, hopefully they will work for you too.

- i take ethical nutrients 'Good Health' it is full of probiotics which is fine during pg and also helps keep thrush at bay which is an added bonus
- when i get a flare up i take mintec capsules, not sure if they are okay during pg though, but im sure that slippery elm capsules are safe and they are avainlable from health food shops, i haven't used them but thy do work for alot of people particularly during pg.

Goodlucka nd i hope something works for you

Hi All,

I am now in my 6th week of pregnancy and my IBS has gone crazy!! I am usually constipated ALL the time and now I can't get to the toilet quickly enough! I thought that maybe it was the pregnancy vitamins I was taking but after coming off of them for a week the problem was still there...needless to say, I'm back on the vitamins!! I have been eating alot more fruit than I normally would and I'm excercising more often too!! It's good to see that there are other women experiencing the same problems as I was worried that maybe there was something else wrong!! Has anyone found the symptoms to wear off during the 2nd trimester...I cannot imagine having this throughout my entire pregnancy!! :rolleyes:

I am usually overly regular and the biggest problem is when I go my bowel goes into spasm and just can't relax without popping a couple of Buscopan. But since being pregnant I was told that I shouldn't take Buscopan (what a shame cause its a life saver). I must admit though it has backed off a lot since being pergnant. I have had a few flair ups which scared me cause I had almost forgotten what it felt like. I also thought could I be going into labour cause it was so painful. But once I emptied myself completely and used a heat pack on my back or sat in the shower with the hot water running over my back and tummy it backed off. Also a couple of Panadol did seem to help a bit. I told Ob about it and he gave me a referal to see a gastro specialist. I will see him next month and let you all know what he says.
I have to stay away from nearly all fruit excepts melons as they are too acidic for my tummy. I can't have too much fibre at all. Dairy tends to cause a few problems too. No hot or even slightly spices foods. No garlic, no onion, no cabbage, no capsicum, no dried fruit or too many nuts. Lets just say that I would class myself as foodaphobic. I have only put on 1.5klg since being pregnant cause I just wont risk eating anything that will upset my tummy. I have been like this for years so I am used to it. i just thank God that DH doesn't like eating all the things I can't. We are very bland eaters and we find that is the safest way to go. Plus drinking plenty of fluids helps too. Except tea and coffee can get things moving along I have noticed which is great when I go the other way, but I have to time it well so that I can actually be somewhere safe and comfortable incase my bowel takes a while to relax again.
I am all cranky if i haven't done my poo in the morning too. I know that once its done and my bowel is relaxed again I am usually right for the rest of the day.

Hi, I am one of the naturopaths working at the Belly Belly Centre in Melbourne.
I have had great success treating IBS- using probiotics, 20 herbal drops before meals and some stress relief.
Unfortunately the fantastic herbal product cannot be used during pregnancy as their is no research on whether it is safe or not ( I think it would be absolutely fine but it is not worth the risk.)
So come in to the centre after pregnancy and I can guarentee we can fix up your IBS in no time.
I would love to help
Jocelyn King

hi guys
i am not pg but i have suffered what i thought was IBS for basically my whole life. i have always been constipation predom however i have just had endo adhesions cut of my bowel and although my IBS has not gone completely there has been a hugh improvement. i just thought i would share my experience incase anyone have a bad stomach that also coencides (?) with AF.

ashli
xoxo

Hi AshliJayne,
Sorry to hear you have been having such pain and troubles. There are lots of great dietary changes you can make which have a dramatic effect on reducing endo as it is what we call an oestrogen dominant condition. Good to hear your IBS has improved though. I am sure you would respond really well to some naturopathic treatment especially now you have had some adhesions cut out and have a lean slate so to speak so if you are ever up this way would love to help or email me on jocelyn@bellybelly.com.au ....
Best wishes,
Jocelyn King

hi there
im 6 weeks pregnant and have had a bad flare up of my ibs for the past week. i havent really had any problems for years but now cant seem to eat anything that doesnt give me immediate cramps. i cant leave the house!! help!!

Yep thats the same with me from about 5 weeks to 10 weeks :(

Try some slippery elm or aloe vera?

thank you - just went to see my pharmacist who recommended ethical nutrients ibs support. he never steers me wrong so fingers crossed! i dont know how you put up with this for 5 weeks - i am such a woose!!

that sounds good! Also inner health plus could help.

I had chronic diarrhoea for the 5 weeks and could barely leave the house

Vajrasana - a yoga posture may help first get the consultation from an expert

Hi guys

I suffer from IBS too have done for about 7 years now, I first got from losing our first baby to still birth at full term. Since then though I can controll it, but stress and the wrong food are a killer for me.

I have had 2 more beautiful children since then , Alysha 4, Nicholas 5, and now I'am pregant with our 4th. Im 8 weeks and I have to say the morning sickness, tiredness, and IBS just dont mix, But then again I have had my good days.

But I have notice that my IBS gets better in pregancy as time goes on.

So to all the pregant women out there who are worried about their IBS and running to the toilet at the shops and sonon, don't let it controll you , it's your body , think positive thourghts, and you can controll it, I don't take any medications at all, I just think positive and eat right and try not to stress.

Silvana