IBS distress

[swashyrose]

Hi everyone!
I was recently diagnosed with IBS, though I've had digestive problems as long as I can remember. I was interested to talk with other christians with IBS, has anyone here been healed of IBS? Or had a really helpful revelation or insight about why they have it or how to cope? I'm really weak and tired all the time and my life has become really small and frustrating, I regularly break down and sob uncontrollably. One frustrating thing is, I don't know whether to take what I get and try to cope (Thy will be done type prayer) or to ask God to heal me and believe that he will heal me (unwavering belief I will receive what I ask for prayer).

Because it has been my belief that if we ask for something aligned to his will, he will give it to us, and I would think my healing would be in his will, because in Jesus's ministry he healed every kind of sickness, he healed everyone who asked, he never tolerated it and said "it's just their destiny to be sick". But if this is a trial from God then I shouldn't expect him to take it away. Does my dilemma sound familiar? I read an essay by C.S.Lewis about it and he couldn't figure it out either.

I'll gladly hear any wisdom you can offer me, because I'm totally confused.
Thanks : )

 

[rowantree]

Wow. I can't answer your questions, but I can relate. I have IBS too, and so does my husband. It is so limiting on your life and it seems impossible to ever live life normally. I am so sorry that you are suffering in this way too.

 

[gospeljay]

Have you looked into Gluten intolerance?

 

[swashyrose]

Yes I have that too.

 

[MichaelSGreen]

I can answer your question with GOD BASED MAGNETISM. This free information can be read on my website. Also read GOD BASED MAGNETS.

 

[desmalia]

I've had IBS since I was two weeks old. I can definitely relate! Constantly upset guts has a huge affect on mood as well, not just because it limits what we can do in a day, but the actual physical feeling affects the mood.

I have been eating gluten-free, almost completely starch free, sugar free, nearly egg free (no eggs other than mayo) and dairy free since last Fall, and I highly recommend it. It's been so helpful with getting my digestion under control that I've actually been able to start eating some European cheeses with no problems. Yay! (I only get European because they have better standards for raising their cows than here in North America). At very least, cut out sugar and gluten and dairy for at least a full month and see how that feels. It took a month for me to detox from the gluten, so a week or two just doesn't cut it.

And yes, God heals completely when He chooses, for His purposes. And He takes us through trials, also for His glory and our sanctification. We can trust that through it all, He is ever faithful and good.

 

[swashyrose]

thanks for the advice, I've been gluten and lactose free since January, but haven't tried going sugar free. I daren't try it at the moment because I'm so weak, I don't want the added weakness of sugar withdrawal til I'm feeling a bit stronger, but I'll keep it in mind as something to try that could help : )

 

[desmalia]

Have you tried adding coconut oil to your diet? If not, it's helpful to start slowly, no more than a tablespoon/day. You can cook with it or mix it in your coffee or even eat it plain if you like it that way (I don't! lol). It has been shown to help a lot with energy. Even better if you can get your hands on MCT oil from a health food store. That would be a healthier way to get energy than sugar. But if you decide to use it, starting slow is important so your stomach has time to adjust. It doesn't cause upset but can cause loose stools if you just start with a whole lot suddenly. (Sorry if that's TMI!)

 

[classicalhero]

IBS is such a rubbish diagnosis. It is basically your doctor saying that you have something wrong but we can't be bothered to find out. Go to a website called Metametrix and look at GI profiles and that should be a help to remove your problems.

 

[GreatSpeckledBird]

I am not gluten free but I have limited my wheat intake. There are several things I've done and received quite a bit of relief. 1/ DGL, Deglycyrrhizinated licorice, i use the kind sweetened with xylitol not sorbitol 2/ L-glutamine which is an amino acid and can help with brain function too. I severely limit fried foods & spicy foods. Stress causes flares and I take st johns wort for periods when I'm having a hard time controlling anxiety. When I drink softdrinks I only drink sprite or sierra mist & try to limit that to one every other day. Tea aggravates it so I avoid tea. (i may be allergic to it, and some of your ibs may be food allergies too). I also have to limit raw fruits & vege's as they're very hard for my gut to digest. I eat a lot of yogurt , oatmeal & potatoes. Apples & apple juice are great for your gut. Raw honey will help heal an inflamed lining. I have barrett's esophogus & ibs but the ibs has been coming under control recently.

 

[Aaron_Walker]

I think one of the worst things about IBS is almost constant thinking about whether it could actually be something else. I've been diagnosed with it too, about a year ago, after having a range of symptoms since early 2011. Apart from persistent, but low-intensity lower-right abdomen discomfort and occasional loss of appetite, most of my other symptoms have seemingly nothing to do with the GI tract: muscle weakness, lightheadedness, 'brain fog'... I've been told it's all normal with IBS, but when I have a particularly bad day, I can't help but wonder if I may have been misdiagnosed. It's these thoughts that I have a real difficulty warding off.

I can't say I've found anything particularly helpful. I'm on medication that has made abdominal discomfort somewhat lighter, and I've been experimenting with food, trying to figure out if there's something that's been triggering the symptoms (can't say there is - sometimes a particular food will give me a bad reaction, other days I would feel absolutely normal after eating it). Going off gluten proved helpful in the short term, but as many people report, after a while most of the symptoms returned (the only thing I managed to get rid of while and due to gluten-free diet was an eczema-like itchy patch on my arm that I'd had for years; and it hasn't returned since). All of the abdominal symptoms remained, though, and after some testing, I was assured by my doctor I was not gluten intolerant, so I went back to normal diet.

I try to exercise regularly and moderately, which is always a sensible thing to do, but some days I just don't feel up for it. I've started meditating, as I've read in many places there's a definite mind-body connection to IBS. I'm thinking about introducing yoga into my fitness routine, as I've heard good things about it. As a Christian, I've been reading a lot lately about 'faith healing', or 'spiritual healing'. It's not exactly a part of my faith tradition, but I've enjoyed reading some of those books. Healing was such a big part of Jesus' ministry, and one would hope it still is.

 

[desmalia]

I think one of the worst things about IBS is almost constant thinking about whether it could actually be something else. I've been diagnosed with it too, about a year ago, after having a range of symptoms since early 2011. Apart from persistent, but low-intensity lower-right abdomen discomfort and occasional loss of appetite, most of my other symptoms have seemingly nothing to do with the GI tract: muscle weakness, lightheadedness, 'brain fog'... I've been told it's all normal with IBS, but when I have a particularly bad day, I can't help but wonder if I may have been misdiagnosed. It's these thoughts that I have a real difficulty warding off.

I can't say I've found anything particularly helpful. I'm on medication that has made abdominal discomfort somewhat lighter, and I've been experimenting with food, trying to figure out if there's something that's been triggering the symptoms (can't say there is - sometimes a particular food will give me a bad reaction, other days I would feel absolutely normal after eating it). Going off gluten proved helpful in the short term, but as many people report, after a while most of the symptoms returned (the only thing I managed to get rid of while and due to gluten-free diet was an eczema-like itchy patch on my arm that I'd had for years; and it hasn't returned since). All of the abdominal symptoms remained, though, and after some testing, I was assured by my doctor I was not gluten intolerant, so I went back to normal diet.

I try to exercise regularly and moderately, which is always a sensible thing to do, but some days I just don't feel up for it. I've started meditating, as I've read in many places there's a definite mind-body connection to IBS. I'm thinking about introducing yoga into my fitness routine, as I've heard good things about it. As a Christian, I've been reading a lot lately about 'faith healing', or 'spiritual healing'. It's not exactly a part of my faith tradition, but I've enjoyed reading some of those books. Healing was such a big part of Jesus' ministry, and one would hope it still is.

Keep in mind that IBS is not really a diagnosis. It's more of a catch-all label that doesn't really mean anything other than "something isn't working right with your gut". So if you're having other symptoms it's prudent for your doctor to keep researching and testing to see what's really going on. There could well be food sensitivities that are not full-blown allergies, such as gluten, dairy, citrus, etc. Or you could have chemical sensitivities or even seasonal allergies. Or it could even be something more serious like Crohn's.

But just a side note: if cutting out gluten got rid of a skin condition, it's pretty much certain that you do have some degree of gluten intolerance. And I can tell you from experience that it takes at least one whole month to get gluten out of your system before you start seeing any digestive benefits. It sounds like you're dealing with some sort of inflammation issue, and it's really trial and error to get under control. Try cutting out sugar too, as that's a huge inflammation stimulant.

I strongly recommend avoiding things like meditation and yoga as they directly involve eastern mystic spiritualism. That is not of God, period. Think about it: if it's spiritual and not of God, where is it from? There are healthy practices we can partake of that don't include that kind of dark spiritual component. Spending time in God's word, taking a long walk, and spending time in prayer are infinitely more helpful.

 

[Damian Newman]

I've been through something similar. What we put in our bodies affects our bodies, so pay attention to what we're doing to ourselves. We should also keep our bodies in the sun, and moving (go for walks - Christ walked all the time).

Nevertheless, I think prayer would be what we need to focus on the most.

 

[Aaron_Walker]

I strongly recommend avoiding things like meditation and yoga as they directly involve eastern mystic spiritualism. That is not of God, period. Think about it: if it's spiritual and not of God, where is it from? There are healthy practices we can partake of that don't include that kind of dark spiritual component. Spending time in God's word, taking a long walk, and spending time in prayer are infinitely more helpful.

Thank you for the thoughtful response. About this last bit - there is a tradition of Christian meditation that goes back to medieval monasticism. Not all meditation is automatically an import from Hinduism or other religions of the East. As for yoga, there are many schools, some of them with an emphasis on non-Christian teachings. But one can also practice yoga strictly as a system of physical exercises, which have proved beneficial to a lot of people. Just because something originated in a different culture, doesn't mean it's "dark". But I understand your point, and I agree one should be cautious.

 

[LottyH]

I'm studying nutrition at the moment and there are so many things that can cause IBS that's difficult to discover unless you get tested. Eliminating foods from your diet can be a bit hit or miss unfortunately unless its something like gluten that's found in only one major food group.

I've recently found out about the Hydrogen Breath Test. You can get a referral for this through your doctor. This tests for a number of food intolerances such as sorbitol, lactose and fructose that are in all sorts of foods even some fruits and vegetables. So you see how difficult it would be to find out about these types of intolerances without being tested first!

I pray that God will lead you to the right doctor who will give you the right diagnosis.

 

[desmalia]

Thank you for the thoughtful response. About this last bit - there is a tradition of Christian meditation that goes back to medieval monasticism. Not all meditation is automatically an import from Hinduism or other religions of the East. As for yoga, there are many schools, some of them with an emphasis on non-Christian teachings. But one can also practice yoga strictly as a system of physical exercises, which have proved beneficial to a lot of people. Just because something originated in a different culture, doesn't mean it's "dark". But I understand your point, and I agree one should be cautious.

I do agree that if something comes from another culture, that's no reason to fear it. However, practices that have been developed to worship demons and false deities are not to be part of Christianity. That's one reason the Jewish nation was set apart from the pagan nations with all the traditions and customs they were commanded to follow. The Lord does not tolerate our "strange fire". It doesn't honour Him, which we as believers should take very seriously. Yoga positions, for instance each have the significance of being a worship pose of a particular Hindu god. You may not be thinking about that particular god when using the pose, but it's still what you are doing. And old monastic practices do indeed often have a mystical component, again not of God. Just because something is old doesn't mean it's good. I have friends who practice yoga and meditation and are very defensive of it, regardless of anything the Bible teaches. You may choose that path too, but I hope you will consider what I've said here and do some more research for yourself to see if it really honours God or dishonours Him. Further, if it does dishonour Him, then it's not really for your best after all.

Anyway, I don't want to turn your thread into a debate. I truly do hope you are able to find some help for your IBS. It's a horrible condition to live with, I know very well. God bless.

 

[Aaron_Walker]

Thank you for this comment and for good wishes. Yes, IBS is a major nuisance, to say the least. I'm praying daily for everyone suffering from it.

 

[classicalhero]

I have been tested for parasites and for bacterial problems in my gut. The first thing that was found was a nasty parasite called dientamoeba fragilis. Thankfully the treat was rather quick and it got rid of the parasite rather quickly. I took this test, which unfortunately is rather expensive but it is very good. DNA Stool Analysis with GI Effects - Metametrix Clinical Laboratory Unfortunately most doctors consider that company to get rather "out there" and thus don't trust the results" but the biggest problem with digestive disorders is the amount of negative tests you get and thus the doctor assumes the test is correct and thus they don't think you have anything., but the standard stool testing that is considered the "gold standard" is actually rather useless in testing for problems in the digestive area. One problem is that most parasites don't live for long outside of the digestive system and thus breakdown, making finding them near impossible unless a fixative is used to give the parasite support.

There is another test that I did to show the bacterial content of my digestive tract and basically it showed that it was a complete mess. In fact the doctor who was treated when she saw the results she was rather shocked at how bad my bacterial balance was. In fact it was extremely out of order. The most predominate bacteria we should have is a bug called E. coli and the thing is that I have it as my minority. It should be about 70-90% of the aerobe count, whereas it is only 0.1%, so that is something that is quite extraordinary. Thankfully I have been on the treatment plan the doctor put me, basically put me on some various pro-biotics and they have made me feel better and people have noticed that I also look better since starting it.

So there is treatment out there but unfortunately most doctors have ignored the problem and thus it is a major problem.

 

[Aaron_Walker]

So there is treatment out there but unfortunately most doctors have ignored the problem and thus it is a major problem.

Yes, I hear the same thing from others with IBS, and I've felt the same. Back in 2011 and 2012 I visited so many different doctors and took so many different tests, in the end some of the doctors suggested I might be hypochondriac. I found that insulting. Basically, none of the tests (which, I guess, are the sort of conventional tests you mentioned) showed anything out of the ordinary, and they all dismissed my other complaints, The last doctor I visited simply said "it's just IBS, you'll have to find a way to live with it". Seriously. I've learnt in the meantime that GI tract problems are generally difficult to diagnose, for most people it takes years. And it's largely due to doctors' lack of trust in what the patient has to say, rather than the other way round. Generally, they don't listen and move on quickly to the next patient. Another doctor told me something that opened my eyes. She said, unless there's blood in your stool, you're fine. So, from their perspective, unless you're actually bleeding, whatever you may be experiencing is just not worth their time and effort, no matter how sick or poorly you feel.

I think what you're describing is SIBO, right? Only one of the tests I did, back in 2011 showed presence of something bad, namely candida albicans, which so many people (especially on various websites) claim to be the root cause of a multitude of health problems. I clung onto that and did everything to get rid of it. Within months I was candida-free, but all of my symptoms remained. Which was a major disappointment, to say the least. Then, searching for answers on my own, I recognized myself in the symptoms of gluten intolerance (which are very similar to those of candida infection), so I went off gluten for a few months, but by the time I was in my third or four month off gluten, the symptoms went from bad to worse. And I took some blood tests based on which the doctor concluded there's no chance I'm allergic to gluten (she dismissed the diagnosis when she saw that my zinc levels are normal, which is apparently not the case with people allergic to gluten). I took her word for it, believing she knows what she's doing.

It's generally very frustrating. Like, just when you think you finally figured it out, you're proven wrong and you're back to where you started.

 

[desmalia]

Yes, I hear the same thing from others with IBS, and I've felt the same. Back in 2011 and 2012 I visited so many different doctors and took so many different tests, in the end some of the doctors suggested I might be hypochondriac. I found that insulting. Basically, none of the tests (which, I guess, are the sort of conventional tests you mentioned) showed anything out of the ordinary, and they all dismissed my other complaints, The last doctor I visited simply said "it's just IBS, you'll have to find a way to live with it". Seriously. I've learnt in the meantime that GI tract problems are generally difficult to diagnose, for most people it takes years. And it's largely due to doctors' lack of trust in what the patient has to say, rather than the other way round. Generally, they don't listen and move on quickly to the next patient. Another doctor told me something that opened my eyes. She said, unless there's blood in your stool, you're fine. So, from their perspective, unless you're actually bleeding, whatever you may be experiencing is just not worth their time and effort, no matter how sick or poorly you feel.

Oh it drives me nuts how many doctors dismiss anything they can't actually see with their eyes as "hypochondria". It's a real problem among far too many medical professionals these days. That is why I treat doctors as a means to an end and I don't ever have full trust in them anymore. I'm thankful for other resources to help me figure out what's going on with my health.

I think what you're describing is SIBO, right? Only one of the tests I did, back in 2011 showed presence of something bad, namely candida albicans, which so many people (especially on various websites) claim to be the root cause of a multitude of health problems. I clung onto that and did everything to get rid of it. Within months I was candida-free, but all of my symptoms remained. Which was a major disappointment, to say the least. Then, searching for answers on my own, I recognized myself in the symptoms of gluten intolerance (which are very similar to those of candida infection), so I went off gluten for a few months, but by the time I was in my third or four month off gluten, the symptoms went from bad to worse. And I took some blood tests based on which the doctor concluded there's no chance I'm allergic to gluten (she dismissed the diagnosis when she saw that my zinc levels are normal, which is apparently not the case with people allergic to gluten). I took her word for it, believing she knows what she's doing.

It's generally very frustrating. Like, just when you think you finally figured it out, you're proven wrong and you're back to where you started.

So true. I did the candida diet/cleanse too and found it didn't help my symptoms at all. Here are a couple of other helpful ideas that may work for some. (Trial and error, right?)

Fermented/cultured veggies have tons of helpful probiotics, and can be made at home quite easily, though they do require some elbow grease, and can make your house a little stinky for a few days while brewing. They have become a regular part of my diet and I have found them to be extremely helpful. Anyone can send me a PM if you are interested in how it's done. Or you can search for it on YouTube as there are lots of tutorials.

The GAPS diet has helped a lot of people. It hasn't been a "cure" for me personally, but I have found that bone broth is definitely a very helpful and important part of diet for anyone with IBS. It's worth checking out if you haven't tried it before.

And regarding gluten/wheat, definitely check out Wheat Belly. Gluten sensitivity these days is not just about being celiac. There's a lot more going on and many more reasons to cut it out if you have any digestive issues.