IBS advice needed please?

Question

I have IBS and am taking Fybrogel for it, but since I've started taking it I've gotten much worse with bowels and flatulation, which isn't really very helpful. Any advice please?

My GP was the one who put me on it

Answer 1

A good doctor would have advised you that almost 50% of patients with IBS get worse on high fibre diets. Interestingly this group feel better on low fibre diets, but for a number of reasons there are not considered a good idea,On paper Colpermin, high dose peppermint oil is licenced to help. In my view it seldom does and just gives the patient indigestion.

Antispasmodics like mebeverine often help the cramp, but not the annoying fluctuating bowel habit.

The only drug I have found consistently helpful is amitriptylline in low dose 10-25mgs at night is usually sufficient. Once upon a time this drug was used as an antidepressant, now it's main use is as an atypical pain killer, especially good in neuralgia. In IBS it works as a smooth muscle relaxant.

Answer 2

Hi I'm a colon hydrotherapist and I get people coming to see me all the time who's doctors have put them on Fybogel, lactulose, bran etc etc none of which seem to work for IBS. I would recommend that you go and see a good colon hydrotherapist, get a food sensitivity test (most people diagnosed with IBS actually have food sensitivities and removing the problematic foods can have astonishing results). It is a good idea to introduce fibre to your diet but the best one I have found is Lepicol which also includes pre and probiotics. Your flatulence is probably just as a result of bowel bacterial imbalance so the Lepicol should help with that too. They also produce a bowel benefit bar which would also help if you had one per day. Take no notice when your GP says there is nothing more you can do - I can usually sort IBS symnptoms in no time at all so there is no reason why you should not get a great improvement.

Answer 3

Go see a Doctor who specializes in IBS. This is a very broad catch-all diagnosis with a whole hoard of underlying possible causes - most of which are nothing to worry about. Many Doctors don't have the patience to see you through to a cure because the condition isn't particularly life threatening. Don't delay going to the doctor if you see blood in the toilet. Diet plays a big part for many people. First on the list to avoid are alcohol and caffeine. Increase your intake of fibre to 20g per day (which is hard work actually), and drink more water. It takes time to turn around, and the doctor may give you some drugs to take to help you get through the bad patches.

Answer 4

I'm a fellow IBS sufferer and my doctor prescribes me a tablet that i take half hour before eating and it releives all if not all symptoms. Go back to your GP and ask for further advice, also there are some great websites out there. You also need to help yourself by finding the trigger foods. Start keeping a food diary and note which foods make you feel uncomfortable.

Answer 5

you need to be on Acidophillus!!!!!!! You can get it at the health food store but you MUST get the refridgerated kind.
I swear this works. I don't take it for IBS but know people that do. My mom's friend had IBS so bad that she didn't leave the house for long periods of time for years and she has been on it and says it is wonderful. The main thing is to get a variety of priobotics in your system to build your good bacteria levels. Organic yogurt contains the most kinds in the most amounts in regular food that you will find at the store. Eating conventional yogurt really defeats the purpose since the cows it comes from are full of antibiotics...

Answer 6

Please ignore Dr Frank he is a Quack.

The Fybrogel should be taken immediately after food, if you are doing this and you still have the problem go back to your doc and ask about Colofac which is the same drug but taken 20-30 minutes before food.

Peppermint Oil capsules can calm the bowel.

Would recommend also a course of Probiotics from the health food shop. You can get 7 day courses for general bowel maintenance or you can get an anti bloat one with Prebiotics too. Any one with IBS would benefit from Probiotic course now and again.

Hope you feeling better soon.

Answer 7

I have taken fybrogel too and my condition worsened so I just stopped it. It seemed to trigger it (so Dr's dont know everything)! Ask for some Spasmonal tablets to be prescribed to you, they do ease me a little bit even though I have cronic IBS. Think every person differs and you have to try to avoid your trigger foods. Good luck

Answer 8

ive had ibs since i could remember and i've tried alot of medications to help me get through the horrible "times". :( .. i totally know how you feel. my best advice for you that has helped me TONS!! is actually over the counter medication its called Digestive Advantage, its in a blue box and it really helped me, its a little pricy but you can get it wal*mart. I would stop taking the perscription if you can, i took them for years and it seemed as though it made it worse. another helpful hint is diet if you know your going to be nervous, anxious or upset about something try to eat very bland foods and smaller and more frequent meals, avoid eating greasy foods and stuff like that. I hope this helps, i went to four doctors before we found the digestive advantage stuff and its really been a huge help :) good luck!

Answer 9

I suggest you try all natural Optiflora. It's been shown to be very effective in helping to eliminate your symptoms and it also will treat the cause. It's a two-product system that includes Probiotic (Bifidus & Acidophilus...microflora) + Prebiotic (FOS...food source for microflora). Due to the patented encapsulation process, guaranteed delivery of 500 million live microflora to the intestines.

Hope this is helpful and feel free to contact me with questions.

Answer 10

my internist initially suggested citrocel which supposedly regulated things down there but i can't tolerate the stuff...so he put me on levsin which is a tablet that you dissolve under your tongue or swallow 30 mins-1 hr before eating...but that didn't work because i generally have no idea when i'm going to eat...so i went back and he put me on levsin-x, which is the same thing only in extended release form...that FINALLY helped me significantly...i had lost about 10 lbs from not being able to eat anything and i can finally enjoy pretty much anything without a flare-up...eliminating stress and anxiety also helped (that's a whole other story)...good luck...