IBS Tales: http://www.ibstales.com
IBS Treatment: http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws
My IBS blog: http://www.ibstales.com/blog
Hello, and welcome to the August newsletter. This month's newsletter is sponsored by York Test, and here's a message from them:
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OK, straight on with the IBS news...
IBS Tales
A very positive story this month from Jennifer, who says that the thing that has helped her IBS more than anything else is...yoga! Previously Jennifer had thought that yoga was 'new age hoo-hah', but now she says that it really helps reduce stress and panic while also calming bowel spasms and easing bloating and constipation.
Yoga is actually recommended by, among other people, the patient-expert Heather Van Vorous (author of Eating for IBS) for helping IBS symptoms, and it does make sense that it might help us relax and help the bowel to release gas and spasms.
Read Jennifer's story here: http://www.ibstales.com/happy-tales-eighteen.htm
Pete stumbled across a very simple solution to his IBS-diarrhea: cutting out all gluten. Gluten intolerance 'proper' is of course Celiac Disease, but a lot of us IBSers also find that we have greater or lesser intolerances to this stuff as well.
Pete's story is here: http://www.ibstales.com/male_tales_dh7.htm
A pregnancy tale from Nyssa, who has found that her pregnancy has set off terrible diarrhea and cramping. There's no doubt that pregnancy can cause havoc with a woman's hormones and therefore her gut, and it seems clear from the pregnancy stories on IBS Tales that IBS sufferers can be particularly vulnerable to these changes, as you would expect.
Nyssa's story: http://www.ibstales.com/ibs-and-pregnancy-9.htm
And a sad tale from Linda in the constipation section. Linda has been diagnosed with IBS by her doctor, and has self-diagnosed Neurotic Bowel Syndrome! She says "I've begun to believe that my stomach has a mind of its own. It's on its own schedule. It's incredibly lazy and it's a pack rat. It wants to keep everything it comes into contact with. It's grumpy and it's ornery. It has some serious issues. It not only has a mind of its own, it's neurotic!"
Linda's story is here: http://www.ibstales.com/constipation-tales-twenty.htm
IBS Treatment
A new review for the anti-spasmodic Dicetel. Anti-spasmodics in general seem to be a bit hit and miss when it comes to relieving IBS, and on some people they seem to have no effect whatsoever. However, they do work well for some of us, and there are some good reviews of Dicetel, including the latest one from Lorrie.
Anti-spasmodics have never done much for my intestines but I think the same rules applies to these drugs as to any other treatment - it's important to find what works for your own individual symptoms.
Read the Dicetel reviews here: http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws/dicetel.htm
There's another five-star review for the drug Colestid, which is used, like Questran, mostly for people suffering from diarrhea following a gallbladder removal surgery, although I believe some people who still have their gallbladders use it for diarrhea as well. The majority of Colestid reviews are five-star, although there is a single one-star review from a sufferer who seems to have had an allergic reaction to the drug - another reminder that we all react differently to the same drugs.
http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws/colestid.htm
Mike sent in a good review for the laxative Dulcolax, which he has found useful for chronic constipation. Mike gave this product five stars, and there are a couple of other positive reviews, but it's noticeable that the majority of reviews are negative. This is also reflected in the reviews of Exlax, a similar stimulant laxative. This definitely mirrors my own experience with these kinds of stimulant laxatives - they usually work in that they clean you out, but you get plenty of pain and cramps for your trouble. But Mike says that his own cramps are minimal.
http://www.irritable-bowel-syndrome.ws/dulcolax.htm
And that's all folks! Comments and suggestions are welcome!