sick and tired of feeling sick and tired

by Lori
(Bethpage, NY, USA)

Hi I have had IBS most of my life, but it got extremely worse when I was misdiagnosed with diverticulitis..that was 3 years ago, and now my IBS is uncontollable, I bounce back and forth between diarrhea and constipation..I am also in the early stages of full blown menopause, and since my cycle is not normal when I feel it coming on, my IBS goes into overdrive...I dont know what to do, I am hiding in my room all of the time, I am 46 years old and I have 4 children ages 22,18,17,and 15...I have 2 big dogs, and a busy life..I dont know what to do, I am crying all of the time and in pain...Please if anyone has any suggestions I would love to hear them...I have a very loving husband, and I would love to spend time with him having fun, and not curled up in the fetal position crying in pain and bloated all of the time...thanks for your help...Lori

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sick and tired of feeling sick and tired

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Jul 04, 2012
 correction of typing error in comment 03/07/2012
by: michele

The word 'slug' in my entry dated 3rd July is meant to say 'sludge'!!
Jul 03, 2012
 Sharing in your suffering
by: Michele

Also meant to say that milk, yoghurt, cream and those tubs of soft cream cheese are considered as neutral substances and so you can still make nice creamy meat/ fish dishes! Breakfast cereals are still ok with milk! Once you get the hang of it, it is very easy and hopefully you will feel alot better in your tummy and a lot calmer in your self. One other huge benefit of eating this way is that, if you have excess weight it will begin to come off! This is not a weight loss program...it is a different way of eating to hopefully bring relief to our digestive problems.
Jul 03, 2012
 sharing in your suffering
by: Michele

Hello! Hoping this tip will help! I have just spent 16 days seperating out the eating of starch and protein so that i do not eat them at the same time. The simplest way is not to eat potatoes, pasta or rice with your meat. Starch and protein need different digestive enzymes to break them down and when all eaten together, you end up with a sort of neutral slug that doesn't digest properly. The first 3 days my bowel had to adjust to the change in eating and i felt a bit light headed and occasionally 'hungry' but that soon disappeared and i then had 2 weeks of freedom from symptoms! Praise to the Lord! Two days ago i decided to eat a boiled egg(protein) with a slice of wholemeal toast(Starch)...Result??...I have had 2 days of IBS..Grrr! So in my case it is clear that eating starch and protein together causes IBS, and that keeping them apart relieves the symptoms. Give it a try and see if it helps you...
Jun 06, 2012
 sharing in your suffering
by: Michele

Hi, my name is Michele & i live in England.I just read about your heart-rending struggle with IBS & i truly know what you are going through. Although i haven't got any specific tips to suggest that might help you as i am also trying to find my own way through this tormenting illness, i wanted to share my story. I am 50 years old & have had IBS since i was about 18. I started going through the menopause at the age of 39 & have had no cycle now for 4 years. No help from the doctors with that as apparently i am 'too young' to have gone through it!?! Somehow i have endured IBS symptoms all these years but have not been able to find anything that helps much although i refuse to give up my search. I never know what i am going to feel like from one day to the next & have no idea what triggers it off. I have spent years eating healthy food but still have the symptoms. At times i go into rebellion & eat all the wrong things out of utter frustration because i get so fed up eating healthy food when it doesn't seem to improve the symptoms.It is a mental & physical fight every day & i am exhausted from the effort. I also spend a lot of time in my room away from anything that might add to the stress. I have to ask my family to only ask me questions about things later in the day after i have rested alot, as i dont have the energy to think or respond to anything until about 1pm. I am not able to go out to work because of the symptoms. These range from mild niggles in my bowel which are bearable, to full blown agony with lots of crying & lying down curled up with a hot water bottle on my abdomen. When it is bearable i am able to function at home, but when it is bad even trying to do the laundry becomes overwhelming. My husband is very understanding & doesn't expect anything of me. I can get a day free of all symptoms & i go into overdrive doing all the things i have not been able to do for ages, but the next morning i get up expecting another pain free day, only to find my bowels don't want to co-operate, & the restriction builds up in my bowel & i have a day of pain. My tummy blows up like a balloon & i am in pain for the rest of the day & night. Planning anything is difficult but at times i just do the things even though i may be in a lot of discomfort. It is not the way i want to live my life, as i would like to be able to go out to do things free of pain & the accompanying weariness that drags me down even more. My heart goes out to you as you battle with this. There are millions of people who suffer with this tormenting illness behind closed doors. Those who don't have it often make unhelpful & insensitive remarks. They think you can just take a painkiller & it will all be better in a day or two. I am sorry i have not been able to give you any advice or tips for obtaining relief, but i hope that knowing that someone else knows how you are feeling & is able to share with you in your suffering will bring a little bit of comfort to you....

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