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Regarding IBS
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bootywhompus
Posted 2005-08-14 12:22 PM (#29796)
Subject: Regarding IBS


Hi. I'm new here thanks to a lovely email from tourist. Thanks tourist!

I have dealt with various symptoms of IBS all my life even as a child I can remember having these difficulties. It has been some time since I had a flare until just a few days ago. My yoga teacher has been helping me treat it Ayurvedically by adding a 'cocktail' of pitta-pacifying herbs to my diet and cautioning me to eat a more pitta-pacifying diet. I'm not sure what exactly is in the herb concoction but it tastes horrible if that helps any...lol.

So anyway, I really just wanted to comment on a couple things I read in another post without hijacking anyone's thread. Stress is my number one culprit when it comes to IBS problems. I can almost gaurantee a flare if I don't let my stress out somehow. Swallowing my anger only gives it one way out and I don't like that option either.

I am loathe to give in to the chemicals in modern anti-diarrhea medications although at times I am forced to do so just to make it to the end of my workday. I have not been able to make a connection to any particular foods that cause the IBS to go into a tizzy except onions and garlic (either cooked or raw, makes no difference).

So, my question is, does anyone have a good alternative to the Immodium or Kaopectate for acute diarrhea? I really hate that stuff as I feel it clogs up more than my intestinal tract...

And thanks for the intersting thread about turmeric. I will try including more of that in my diet and see if I can keep my doshas in balance.

Namaste

Lori

Edited by bootywhompus 2005-08-14 12:24 PM
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Cyndi
Posted 2005-08-14 1:04 PM (#29798 - in reply to #29796)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS



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Hi Lori,

Welcome to the forum. If you add Tumeric to your diet, it will help eliminate a lot of your symptoms. Go back and read about Tumeric in my post. Tumeric balances all three dosha's. If your having diarhea problems, USUALLY, and I say this cautiously, that is more of a kapha imbalance. Pitta imbalances are more constipating due to excess fire and heat and basically the nature of this dosha. Also, if you are eating too many pitta lowering foods, that in itself can also cause diarhea. It's really tricky. Triphala or something similar is probably what your yoga teacher gave you, this is very common. Triphal also balances all three dosha's and is great for reducing bowel toxicity. I would venture to say if you can handle it, don't do the Immodium or Kaopectate, give your body a chance to balance and heal itself, rather than put in a major overload of things it can't handle -let it adjust and give it time. If its not Triphal that she gave you, still, give your body a chance to accept it. If after some time, find something else...perhaps then give the Triphal a try, but make sure you get it from a reputable source as some Indian Triphal preparations have heavy metal content, just like some Chinese herbs do. There are some good local US sources for Ayurvedic blends. Good luck with it.

As for the anger and stress related issues with IBS, yes, those are major contributors, but also, when you get angry and stressed out, most people head for FOOD. Then, we they head for food in that stressed out state of being, they make wrong food combination choices which therefore, causes the problems. Sometimes we don't really don't have any idea about what we are doing to ourselves when we sit down for a meal, simply we just do not know. Most people have never been educated about proper food choices due to our society's habits of eating food, lack of knowledge, and lack of or no interest period. When I'm stressed, I find that eating less, if at all, helps my IBS problems, and I only eat in a peaceful, harmonious atmospheres...otherwise, I will simply drink a cup of Chai, Fasting is a wonderful way to eliminate these problems too! Take care,

Cyndi

Edited by Cyndi 2005-08-14 1:16 PM
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bootywhompus
Posted 2005-08-14 1:20 PM (#29799 - in reply to #29798)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS


Thanks for your suggestions.

Through my own research (I have about 30 books on Ayurveda...lol) and with my teacher's assistance, I've learned that an aggravation of pitta actually decreases the level of agni in one's system. Or more precisely, an elevated pitta will rush foods through the digestive tract and not allow one's agni to act on the food thereby giving at least the appearance of reduced agni. I usually do take triphala in the summer season as well as the late winter and spring seasons to try to offset the levels of pitta or kapha in the universe and keep my own in check. My favorite source is Banyon Botanicals (not a plug, just a comment...lol).

My constitution is strongly pitta-kapha with both in nearly equal amounts. And because we've had a streak of inordinantly hot, dry weather where I live, EVERYONE'S pitta is elevated...lol. Top that with an approximate tenfold increase in stress at work in the last month and whammo! Hello, IBS! Hello sky high pitta!

Recently, the studio where I practice and volunteer at had a 4 hour class on the six tastes and the three gunas. We also did some masala preparation for fun. I'm probably guilty of overindulging in the masalas and the about 10 pounds of basmati we had left over at the end of class. I'm pretty sure that has had something to do with the flare I've been experiencing. We made gomassio and I'd never had it before and I'm quite smitten with it. Further study has shown me that the sesame seeds are rather heating and one with a pitta constitution should probably avoid them in the pitta season. Silly me.

As for the kapha imbalance, I suspect there may be elements of that as well. It's my understanding that a high pitta will sometimes 'push' on the kapha dosha and force an imbalance. Besides, I don't think I need more than a look in the mirror to know that kapha is a bit elevated in me...lol.

Thanks again for the insight.

Lori
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jeansyoga
Posted 2005-08-14 4:13 PM (#29808 - in reply to #29796)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS


At one time I thought I had IBS too, I was not diagnosed but had all the symptoms. I asked my doc about it and he said that even if I did have it all he could really do was advise me to reduce stress (this was before the days of Zelnorm and the like). So, we didn't go through any formal diagnosis and I decided to try and get it under control myself.

Anyway, I don't treat it Ayurvedically but do watch my diet. Of course, my diet was REALLY bad when I was younger (when my symptoms were the worst), mainly due to ignorance and the way I was raised. I cut way back on greasy foods and consuming tons of cheese on a daily basis, and added dietary fiber like you can't believe. I'm still careful to get plenty of fiber - fruits, veggies, beans & more beans, and LOTS of whole grains. Always brown rice and whole wheat pasta & whole grain breads, very little white flour products. Nowadays those are a lot easier to find, who knew something good would come out of this "carb-o-phobia" craze!

For me, this was a great way to regulate my system. I was all or nothing: constipated for days or weeks, followed by days of intense diarrhea. Anti-diarrhea medications (especially Pepto) made the constipation worse and worsened the diarrhea later as well, so I learned fast to avoid that like the plague. Now the only thing I'll take even for nausea is Gelusil, which is very gentle but unfortunately kind of hard to find (I found it on Amazon.com a few months ago, oddly enough).

I used to have "trigger" foods too, spinach really did it to me for some reason. But now I really don't have any problem foods - at least not healthy ones! If I have a lot of junk, like a pizza binge, I'll know it. But spinach and spices no longer bother me at all!

Something else that has helped has been adding more physical activity to my routine. I'm sure your teacher has shown you all the belly-heating poses (Boat, Cobra, Bow, etc), twists, and deep breathing exercises to help massage and tone your digestive system. In addition, I've found that regular aerobic activity seems to help - especially things that either jar or twist the body a bit. Power walking is awesome, also running, aerobic dancing, and bellydancing!

When I was really sick and not working as hard on my diet or physical activity, this concoction also seemed to help a bit: one large glass of lukewarm water, mixed with 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup, and a few dashes of cayenne pepper. It sounds gross, but it kinda grows on you!!
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bootywhompus
Posted 2005-08-15 8:15 AM (#29841 - in reply to #29808)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS


You're right, that does sound gross. I think I'll keep that in mind as a last resort.

I don't really have a 'formal' diagnosis either but I did talk with my doc and he told me the same thing. As for the medications...I dunno about that. I already take a few prescription meds and I don't really want to take any more.

My flare ups have gotten to be pretty infrequent since I really started to watch my diet and take better care of myself. As for the stress, there's not much I can do about it. Besides, it doesn't matter if it's bad stress or good stress, the result is the same. I just have to keep looking for the answer that's right for me. One thing that has helped a bit with the diarrhea is a baked apple with a bit of ghee and some cinnamon and/or cardamom sprinkled on top. It's tasty and it feels good in my stomach even when I'm not feeling so excited about eating.

As for the physical activity, I get plenty of that I think. 2-3 yoga classes a week. 1 bellydancing class a week. 3-4 Jazzercise classes a week. I get plenty of bending and twisting and bouncing around in a typical week. Plus I have two large dogs that require walking every day. Maybe it's too much physical activity....
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Posted 2005-08-15 10:57 PM (#29891 - in reply to #29798)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS


I thought At one time I had IBS, but I have a problm with constipation due to medications that I take for prevention of migraines and antidepressants. I bloat and am miserable, so I drink Equate (Wal Mart) pysillium (sp) at night before bed and that helps me.

I am stressed daily like everyone else. I see patients non stop until lunch and then from 1:30 until 6:00, so I am working a 10-11 hour day with no time hardly for a sandbox break Drinking the Equate, I have to go to the bathroom..patient or no patient.

Cyndi, you know lots about the herbs..thanks. Thanks Jean for the recommended prone poses. I love this forum! Full of great info when ya need it.

The Equate is like Metamucil..lots of fiber because I do not get enough and am stressed to the max

Edited by namaste2 2005-08-15 10:58 PM
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bootywhompus
Posted 2005-08-16 7:52 AM (#29917 - in reply to #29891)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS


Hey! I'm a big fan of Equate! I have a big ol' jug of that stuff on the counter in my bathroom. I prefer the orange flavor myself and I try to remember to take it a couple times a day. It seems to do best for me if I split it up a bit.

Anyway, your days sound hectic! If my days were like that, I'd curl up in a little ball under my desk. Probably rocking back and forth and sucking my thumb as well. It's kind of one of those little oddities of life that I work for a pharmaceutical company. I hate taking pills, but I do research for a living. I find it ironic. We deal with a lot of pressure to meet timelines and such. In fact, here in the last couple months, the pressure to perform has really been amped up and the workload has about tripled. Yay for job security! Yay for prescription drug coverage! Yay for Zoloft!

Anyway, there was a huge jump in the stress level at work followed by a corresponding freefall in morale among my co-workers. Let's just say it's not been the most positive of environments lately. So I'm not really surprised I'm having problems.

Thanks for letting me chew your collective ears on this issue. It has been well over a year since I had a flare this bad and I really thought I had this fixed. Guess not. Thanks again.

Lori
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jeansyoga
Posted 2005-08-16 8:44 PM (#29973 - in reply to #29796)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS


Try not to let it discourage you too much . . . especially if you've had a good year, which means you have already learned a lot about how to keep your condition under control. There will always be setbacks, but you'll get back on track SO much faster each time!

Sounds to me like you're doing the right things. This stress is just unavoidable right now, so you'll have to take extra care to pamper yourself. It's strictly a medical pampering, if you don't take care you'll end up spending all day in the bathroom!
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Posted 2005-08-16 8:57 PM (#29974 - in reply to #29917)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS


What a great job doing research for a pharmaceutical company. I cannot believe all of the meds that are on the market now and are being advertised freely by the media...what a change from years ago.

I was just complaining to a patient today that the dental pharm companies do NOT give us free of anything! Everyone thinks we hand out free toothbrushes, floss etc. We pay for all of that! We rarely get any samples of anything anymore. Today the Oral B rep came by, bought us lunch..chinese, and gave me and the DDS an Oral B 9800 Professional toothbrush with 6 attachments!!!! I thought I had won the lottery

I know the Pharms. have cut down on giving out samples due to costs, etc. but it sure is nice to get a week sample of a med prior to getting the RX filled. I miss the good ole days!

I like the orange sugar-free Equate and I take it at night and it works fine for me. I hope the morale at work gets better. That can be a bummer. I hope you are seeing an MD for the Zoloft amount etc. and someone to talk to if needed. None of my business, but been there done that.

We are here and there is a lot of well rounded people here on the forum as you can tell.

Keep up the great work in research and I hope morale gets better at work!
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bootywhompus
Posted 2005-08-17 7:42 AM (#29987 - in reply to #29973)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS


Thanks for the encouragement. I know what to do, I just have to do it. It gets busy at work, the stress goes up, I stop taking time for what I need ('me' time) and my diet goes to heck. It's a downward spiral that I can't always see coming.

Thanks again.
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bootywhompus
Posted 2005-08-17 7:47 AM (#29988 - in reply to #29974)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS


It IS a great job. I love my work. In spite of the bad press that pharmaceutical companies get, I really feel like my work makes a difference and that lots of people get some benefit from the research my company does. I know that, bottomline, it's a business. But I'm not involved in that end of the deal. I'm strictly a labrat. Just give me some samples and I'll characterize them 9 ways to sunday. I really think that research of any kind is what I was put on this earth to do.

I know what you mean about the samples. I was really surprised the last time I went to the doc for an infection. She had enough samples that I didn't have to get my prescription filled at all! I'll have to stop giving my dentist so much grief about the toothbrush color. I didn't realize he was paying for them. No wonder a root canal costs so much!
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tourist
Posted 2005-08-18 8:48 PM (#30049 - in reply to #29988)
Subject: RE: Regarding IBS



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Hi Lori! I am glad to see everyone welcoming you like good little forum members while I am holidaying I hate paying by the minute for my internet Great to see all this info for everyone. IBS is one of those diagnoses bandied abut rather freely and I know a lot of people who have self-diagnosed, But really the docs don't give us much help with it and finding our own systems for dealing with it is really best. I am glad mine was just more or less minor symptoms. I don't really need that on top of the reflux...

OK - off to visit the rest of the boards before my time runs out!
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