I receive monthly newsletters from Sophie Lee at IBS Tales and she wrote this month about a new book she reviewed called 50 Things You Can Do Today to Manage IBS. I haven’t personally read this book yet but Sophie Lee writes a good review giving both the pros and cons of the book. She states in her newsletter that this book does concentrate mainly on treatments for IBS and the herbal and supplement treatment recommendations given are not ones that you normally see given elsewhere. She also lists what she doesn’t like about the book so if you are interested in purchasing the book (which you can do at the link above), please make sure you read her entire review before doing so.
Irritable bowel syndrome is one of the common symptoms in ME/CFS & Fibromyalgia that can range from mild to debilitating in some people. I have suffered from IBS for years but it is one of the symptoms that most people won’t hear me complaining about. My IBS has improved over the past 10 years I would say and mostly due to the fact that I eat better than what I used to. When I first became sick with CFS & Fibromyalgia, I was very thin and I ate very little during the week. My husband and I would eat out on the weekends and my stomach would get thrown all out of whack and I would get extremely sick and my IBS would flare very badly. Once I started eating more on a regular basis and eating better foods, I didn’t have as many problems. I have always had issues and probably always will but the exhaustion has always been so bad for me that everything else pales in comparision.
I have most of my IBS issues after eating out in restaurants and I blame it on the chemicals and preservatives that are put in the food. I also avoid greasy, fried foods. My stomach does not like those at all. I used to hate going out to eat because I knew that as soon as we would eat out, I would end up in the bathroom or that my stomach would start on the way home and the pains would get so bad I would have to find a bathroom fast. Thank God those days are few and far between now.
The causes of IBS are still unknown, but research has shown that approximately two-thirds of IBS patients have abnormally low thresholds for experiencing pain in their bowels. Research has also shown that the muscles of the intestines are over-reactive in many IBS patients, contracting excessively in response to stimuli like food, stress, and pressure. This is the likely cause of the crampy bowel discomfort many IBS patients feel after meals and under stress.
Do you suffer from IBS and is your IBS mild, moderate or severe? Please comment! Sorry that comments are held for moderation due to spam messages.
I have had severe IBS for 30 years,much longer than my chronic pain and fatigue issues, and pretty much without any remission. My symptoms include sharp cramps, “burning” colon, “cement” intestines, extreme distention (3 to 6 inches) constant bloating, and severe chronic constipation.
As a result of stress, the flu and perhaps another underlying reason, it has become much worse of late.I have tried to control the symptoms through diet, and medication for the cramps. As prior methods haven’t been working, I am currently using an elimination diet to see if food intolerance is part of the problem. I do have food allergies, so food intolerance could easily exist as well.
I can understand why IBS is not as much of a concern to you given your other health issues. When my other pains are well-managed, or when my IBS goes into hypermode, it becomes a forefront issue.
I’m glad I came across your blog! May tomorrow be a day full of more laughter than tears.