Self Help - What can I do for myself?
There are many things that an
individual can do to help alleviate some of the symptoms of IBS,
unfortunately drugs tend to have a limited affect and
then only whilst taking them; however for some people
they do have positive results.
Make sure that you have a
open relationship with your Doctor about your symptoms
the benefits that drugs do or don't give you and don't
be embarrassed - everybody has bowels - everybody has to
empty them on a regular basis!!
If you suffer from constipation based IBS (IBS-C) try
additional fibre through supplements/stool softeners;
however only a little at a time, some people find that
these can increase their abdominal cramps/pain and cause
greater problems with wind.
Diet is one major area you can look at - if you have
diarrhoea based IBS (IBS-D) then experiment with
reducing your intake of
fruit and vegetables drop from five a day to three and
leave out those that are 'windy' i.e. cabbage, sprouts
etc. Reduce your citrus fruit intake as well as ice-cold
drinks. See what suits you in helping you become more
stable in your bowel habit.
Perhaps also look to food intolerances especially
Gluten, either have food intolerance tests or try
reducing the amount of bread you eat and sauces
thickened with wheat flour (such as packet sauces), try
cornflour instead and more home cooking from basics, so
you know what you are eating.
IBS is about anxiety/stress and an increase in either
can bring on an attack or increase its severity.
Caffeine is a major irritant for IBS, being a stimulant,
so cut out the espresso coffees and switch to
decaffeinated coffee, tea and cola - the better the
brand the better the taste and the lower the caffeine
(usually).
Smoking is also an irritant so either cut down or stop;
every cigarette you have increases your stress levels
due to the release of adrenaline (the flight or fight
neuro transmitter) into your bloodstream.
Relaxation - yes please! Learn meditative techniques or
get yourself relaxation tapes. Anything that helps
increase your level of relaxation will benefit you in
some way, of course this will vary for each individual,
but 20 minutes a day spent in a directed, relaxed state
will have a positive effect on almost everyone.
Use the chat room - peer support will help reduce the
anxiety caused by IBS and that IBS causes. You can
create your own chat avatar and username so you have a high
level of anonymity on the web and will be in contact
with others of the 15% of this country that are
sufferers with IBS.
