The Value of Openness by PatientsLikeMe ®

If you’re living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) you’re not alone. In fact, IBS affects up to 1 in 7 Americans, so chances are you may know someone who is going through the same thing. Despite it being so common, many people living with IBS are unaware that their symptoms indicate a medically recognized disorder, which is why April has been named IBS Awareness Month, to increase recognition for this common condition.

In the PatientsLikeMe forum, members are talking about how IBS affects them and sharing how they manage their symptoms. Take a look at some of what they had to say…

Coping is hard because you have to rigidly stick to a bland diet which causes constipation, so I take a half dose of Miralax daily.

-PatientsLikeMe Member

I follow a bland diet most of the time. I like raw fruits and vegetables and cereal. Pasta with butter and Parmesan cheese is always a good choice. I NEVER eat spicy food and I stay away from raw onions. 

-PatientsLikeMe Member

Miralax works wonders for me. I take it every day and this keeps me regular.

-PatientsLikeMe Member

I personally don’t take any meds. I watch my diet very carefully. I do try to stay away from spicy food and corn. I don’t go completely without corn however I know if eaten it will cause a lot of issues. I also bounce between having the diarrhea and constipation. It is a very frustrating vicious cycle.

-PatientsLikeMe Member

The best thing that I have ever done for my IBS was high-dosage Xifaxan. I convinced my doctor to prescribe me this after reading a book entitled A New IBS Solution.

-PatientsLikeMe Member

I took Librax for years, until I discovered Bentyl (which they gave my mother IV in the ER when she had an emergency attack of IBS). It comes in pill form, too, and IT WORKS. It almost completely controlled my IBS issues.

-PatientsLikeMe Member

There are lots of different ways to manage IBS, from prescriptions to dietary changes and more. Did you know there are currently more than 5000 members on PatientsLikeMe living with IBS? They’re talking about their symptoms, finding support from others in the forums, sharing the treatments they’ve tried and tracking how those treatments are impacting them. Join the conversation on PatientsLikeMe.

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Did you know that 9% – 23% of the world’s population live with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)¹, including over 5,000 members on PatientsLikeMe? For IBS Awareness Month, we’re digging deeper into how people are coping with this condition that affects so many.

We asked IBS members for some insight — which foods help and which ones hurt? Here’s what they had to say about their diet do’s and don’ts:

I’ve tried all sorts of stuff and not long ago, I was experiencing much pain so here are the general guidelines:

• No raw food
• No legumes (e.g. lentils, beans, etc.)
• No FODMAPs (Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides And Polyols): that helps to sort all the types of fruit and vegetable (so basically very few fruits)
• Be careful on milk, gluten and soy, depending on the sensibility
• No high-sugar food that can be irritating
• Be careful in the choice of nuts
• No lacto-fermented products

I tend to blend a lot of my food but still make sure I chew! Well, this is kind of restrictive and it depends on the people and the periods of crisis or not. I’d love to hear from others!

–       PatientsLikeMe member

For me it’s boiled down to: Nothing raw, certain veggies cooked, no dairy. I can tolerate lacto fermented foods and certain legumes. No red meat. No shellfish. Nothing processed. I used to be the biggest salad lover. Now I love broth and bland foods.

 –       PatientsLikeMe member

More often than not, it’s down to stress. So, really I only have three categories that are always going to upset me:

• Anything containing lactose. I sometimes *need* ice cream though and I’ll pop a Lactaid tablet. Ben & Jerry’s makes an excellent non-dairy ice cream, too.
• Anything really greasy or fried. If there’s a lot of sugar, it’s a double-whammy. Very sweet by itself doesn’t bother me, it’s always when it’s in conjunction with greasy things. Pancakes and french toast are really terrible.
• And lastly, there’s a certain local restaurant chain that never fails to give me fits. 

–       PatientsLikeMe member

Are you living with IBS? Which foods have you added or removed from your diet? Share your experience with the community in the forum.

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¹http://www.aboutibs.org/site/living-with-ibs/ibs-awareness-month/