Pills for IBS - a week on

[alexm]

Hi Guys,

Thought id update with an post on how im finding the varying pills people recommended.

While the Peppermint seemed to have a 'placebo' effect for the first day or too it has since stopped working or has little effect

I had to go out to somewhere new at the weekend, i could feel the onset of needing the loo and the 'urgency' feeling coming on while thinking about it (this is usualy what puts a downer on any trip or night out). this is before i have even set off. i decided to try the buscopan. after about an hour of taking it i must say i felt great. i had no urgency feelings and i was sat driving thinking i had not felt this happy/relaxed for years. the day went well and all was fine though i still had this 'feeling' in my lower right.

Because the urgency feeling had gone i had more time to concentrate on this right pain. and i use the word 'pain' very loosely since its not really a pain - not a stabbing one anyway. i wonder if anyone can relate or say they know what im talking about.

It feels like bloating, is worse when i sit. better when i stand. my back aches in the same local sometimes (just round the back) when i wake up its not as bad or feels like it has subsided through the night as in its better when i lie down. Its not better when i i go to the toilet. it seems to come and go but not totally go. possible effected by different foods?!

i have tried charcoal but not with the buscopan or peppermint. any suggestions - might try some windeze or something tomorrow since it feels like a bloated windy feeling..

as for the buscopan is it ok to take it daily? ovb the peppermint is natural so i know i can with that. not sure if i should with other things. im going on holiday next week (4 hour flight) which im dredding, i dont like flying anyway. i really want to have a good holiday but as im sure others know, its sooo hard when you have this bloody thing.

Thanks for reading and contributing to my thread..

[vicky23]

ibs really is a pain in the butt haha I just thought that one up now
anyway, I'm really glad that the buscopan is working for you, does it not give you a dosage on the back? The buscopan I got from the Dr said 'take 2 four times a day' so it must be ok to take daily but maybe just try asking your pharmacist to be sure
Bloating is common in ibs so it could be that, or just a general ache because of anxiety in which case maybe some chamomile tea would help- definitely recommend this for your flight btw
I find that for a windeze affect fennel tea is great- I feel better about drinking that than taking windeze because it feels more natural.
the whole thing about being aggrevated by foods is a total mindfield because there's so much to consider it's not just a case of eat this food and get pain, if you have a sensitivity it could case pain hours after you've actually eaten it by which point you could have eaten something else. if you wanted to go down that route of trying to pinpoint foods that are causing you problems-get a book on ibs that would guide you through how to do this e.g. cut out dairy for a certain amount of time (two weeks or something) see how this affects your ibs then cut out another food group I can't exactly remember how to do it right to be honest
I went to see a dietician how said that bad things for ibs are things that are mechanically hard to digest i.e. sweetcorn, raw veg, seeds, nuts etc so make sure your veg is cooked well.

[JaneC]

Hi Alex - has anyone mentioned Colofac (mebeverine)? Not sure if it's available over the counter or just from your doc. It works really well for me, on its own most of the time but if I'm having problems, then in conjunction with Fybogel. If trying the latter, ask for a prescription - I couldn't believe the price of it without!

[alihud]

I've been using mebeverine for a month now and its been very good apart when i was on antibiotics which brought the ibs on bigtime :(
Ali xx

[alexm]

thanks for the advice guys, Buscopan says 2 pills 4 times yes... i took one in the morning and that was it .. im looking for a miracle cure.. and hate taking pills. do you guys just take all the time or when you get the symptoms

had a really bad day today. really bad pain in my left side. it soo feels like trapped wind like i need to burp. ill try the tea but have just literally taken some wind/gas relief pills.

thanks for the heads up on the Colofac. i did buy some of this... has had no effect with the IBS (i took one pill last night which gave my tongue a weird taste coating.. could just be me thinking that), back to the same today though i may try again.. how many times a day do you take it.

i know what you mean about foods taking a while. i cut out wheat for 2 weeks had no effect. what does dairy include? milk in tea / cheese and bread? ill try. god knows what ill eat lol.

why does it always flair up before something you have to do (like be sat on a plane for 4 hrs. grrr) but i already know the answer. its coz im sub conciously already worrying about it. sometime i wish i was drunk all the time.

i sometimes see other people and wonder how they can just do things an not worry and have so much fun... id give my left arm to feel like that...

@ alihud - mebeverine is the active ingredient in Colofac that JaneC mentions

[alexm]

had a really bad day today. low right quadrant hurts and i got really bad acid reflux maybe both related. tried zantac and gaviscon but i just cant shift it. i know im stressing about going on holiday on tuesday but im thinking that maybe i shouldnt go as my holiday will be ruined.

HELP

[vicky23]

I can totally imagine how you're feeling, are you going alone or with family/friends?
it is a stressful ordeal going on holiday but it's enjoyable too and you can work through your symtoms.
I take buscopan when needed, I tried taking them all the time and didn't find a huge improvement but they do definitley ease the pain when I get an attack.
I'm sorry to say no miracle cure has been found yet :( it would be great if there were an easy way to stop it.
Dairy is milk, cheese, yoghurt,butter -produce from an animal not the animal itself
Oh and make sure you keep your diet pretty low in fat. Fat is a big trigger so if you have something with too much in e.g. a big mac and fries you may well have problems
have you been properly diagnosed with ibs? just you don't mention any Dr's visits. it's important to make sure there's nothing else causing you probs that has to be dealt with. It might be that you have some other condition that causes the same symptoms to ibs but requires different treatment.

[alexm]

thanks for the heads up.

i was diagnosed at 16 however since my life has gone one my symptoms have changed. not so much the toilet urgency more the right quadrant feeling. i have been back with this but they just say there is nothing there and give me zantac.

i did also take anti depressants for a year with health related anxiety so probs all interwoven.

this morning i have a twich spasm in my bicept (like when your eye twitches) which is also more than likely stress stress anxiety related since this is what the one in the eye is, commonly mistaken for being tired

[Baggie]

Hi Alex

Have you tried drinking fennel tea? Doesn't taste wonderful but I find that it helps to calm down a stressed gut. Sometimes I mix it with peppermint tea to disguise the flavour, or I add a drop of honey.

Hope you have a super holiday. x

[alexm]

ill try this - at the moment ill try anything.