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[Mbrown001]

Stomach bloating.
I suffer from IBS (D) and have awful wind and pain at times no matter what I eat. There is no pattern. Things that agree one week don't the next. I've tried keeping a food diary but that just didn't help.

I've tried. Buscopan , Colpermin, Mebeverine. I've tried herbal, Gaviscon....yes I have heartburn too.

My diet is reasonable. I try to get in my fruit and veg no matter the consequences as I can't cut everything out.
I've had a few small accidents and when my IBS is flaring my anxiety soars.

Anyone found anything that works for them.
I'm really open to all ideas be they medical or herbal.

Just to get some control over this would be so very good.

Mrs Brown

[Annie0710]

I've suffered on and off.  Mint tea, windeze and ADs have been tried

Mint tea helped
Windeze helps
ADs did nothing for IBS and I didn't like the way they stripped me of emotion

During really bad bouts nothing has helped and I'll just lay still and suffer but these episodes have really reduced in frequency since being post meno (you watch I'll get a really bad time of it now) x

[nearly50]

Have to agree about there being no pattern - I've had a miraculous couple of weeks of being able to eat anything but there's no way it will last. For me I think I get digestion problems when my estrogen is high, have read it increases transit time. I'm hoping so as this will mean it won't last forever.

As for what works, I think taking a probiotic has made a difference. When things are flaring up, cutting out sugar and bread definitely helps me.

sparkle, I think fruit might be a problem for me sometimes - maybe I should avoid that too when I have a flare up. Though it gets to the point where there's nothing left to eat!

[Annie0710]

I forgot about pro biotics ! (Duh) they really helped me now I don't take anything except windeze ocasionally

[Mbrown001]

I take a pro biotic too 

I think I've tried most things over the years but everything is much worse since meno. I really thought being on patches would level things out but apart from the first year things have got slowly more difficult.
It's difficult to lead a completely normal life when you obsess about your digestive system every day.

I've read about Symprove. It's supposed to be good but it's very very expensive. I've spent so much over the years on different "miracle " cures andvim hesitant to spend yet more money on yet another chance product.

Mrs Brown

[Taz2]

I sympathise Mbrown001. I'm similar and have had to cut out most fruit and veg much to my annoyance and despair! Really big culprits for me are peas, any sort of beans, oranges, even a tiny piece of melon,  celery, beetroot (I love beetroot) and white bread. I can tolerate bananas sometimes and apple without the peel. I do so miss my fruit and veg!

Taz x

[MicheleMaBelle]

hello Mrs Brown- I've got IBS too. Any pulses, peas, garlic, leeks and onions are a big no for me. The last 3 can be difficult if you're eating out but I'm much less bloated and have fewer tummy pains if I cut them out. Same with most fruit, fresh or dried. Any fruit with stones seems to be a trigger and ideally you should eat fruit on an empty tummy else it just lies on top fermenting away! Also, pasta and white bread can be culprits. Have you tried the FODMAP diet?

Also Symprove- yes I tried a few years back and i believe it worked but it is expensive. I might due a reboot actually.

I went to Burma and Vietnam on holiday. The first part was a small group tour and I was probably one of the few people on the tour who didn't have tummy issues. I was gobsmacked given my problems. Also,you could try dried blackberries ( empty tummy if you can ) . If I got some twinges, I chewed a few of these and the pains went away. It was a tip from a seasoned adventure traveller x

[Menomale]

Hi ladies,

I'm vegetarian and recently I've been noticing some pretty awful bloating, mainly at night before going to bed. I have IBS but I eat all sorts of "wrong" food and cope with the consequences which have always been some wind and mild diarrhoea. This bloating is happening on a daily basis now and I'm getting worried. Can you imagine a vegetarian without fruit and veg? 

I have used star anise in the past for wind, it's brilliant! You can make some tea or add it to whatever you're cooking for a couple of minutes and then take it out.

[Menomale]

Oh yes, sparkle, I eat lots of onions and garlic...  I'm trying to decrease the amount but would hate to have to cut them out, my diet is already restricted, you see, I live in a country of meat lovers 

[MicheleMaBelle]

I know what you mean about the onions and garlic! They make things so tasty. IF I use onions I try and cut them really big so I can pick them out. Also, if you use fresh garlic, try and cut the root out ( in the middle) before you use. I use Gia garlic paste which doesn't seem to have the same issues! Also, recipe dependent, I substitute onions for fennel ( and fennel seeds ) - it's brilliant ( although you need to like aniseed flavour ) . I use it in so many sauces and dishes. Wish you could buy it frozen. It's also good for digestion ( same as star anise) xxx

[Mbrown001]

I do love my fruit and veg. I normally have fruit for pudding and never considered that it sat on top and fermented causing wind. I will definitely try it at different times.
I also substitute onions for leeks, I also use spring onions when I'm cooking. They seem gentler somehow.

It's almost impossible to eat out without suffering later or the next day. Totally spoils things as you are so restricted as to what you can eat.

Lunch out is a big no no for me because during an IBS flare food hitting my stomach triggers a dash to the loo, and I hate going to a public loo for any more than a wee.

I like to think that one day I will get to understand how to manage my stomach and I won't be like this forever.
Nothing like being optimistic.

Mrs Brown

[Elizabethrose]

Mrs Brown, I'm really sorry I can't offer a solution to you but I've got into the habit of chopping and eating fruit as I'm preparing meals, so I've had a chance to start the digestion process before the next load topples in. I saw a documentary years ago that detailed the fact that fruit  ferments on top of other food stuffs.

I don't suffer terribly as some ladies do on here but I know that things can upset me. The symptoms aren't however dreadful enough for me to try to identify and eliminate the culprits! I am able to tolerate any discomfort.

I know that hormonal changes greatly affected my bowels. A sudden drop in progesterone always triggered diarrhoea: I never had a period without it. Equally when progesterone levels were high it caused constipation. I don't know where you are in peri or meno, could your hormones be adding fuel to the fire? x

[Bettyboo]

Hi Mrs B

I've been experiencing similar problems for a while now, and have developed a fear of having accidents that has seriously curtailed my life. I'm on ADs which has helped a bit, but got to the stage I could not go to supermarket for fear of an IBS attack. Trouble is the fear can itself trigger an attack.

I too hate going out to lunch and always find excuse not to. I have that same problem you describe of needing to dash to loo once food hits stomach. It happens at home too, within half an hour of lunch, but never in the evening. I find that really weird - I eat more in the evening yet it seems to have no effect. IF I have to eat out I usually take a couple of Imodium as a preventative measure.

Sorry no real answers, just to let you know you are not alone.

[babyjane]

Elizabethrose you have piqued my interest with a comment

when progesterone levels were high it caused constipation.

when I had a monthly cycle there were always points in the month when I would become constipated.  Now I am 60 and well post meno but regularly, out of the blue, I will get bunged up and have to reach for the Lactulose.  At the same time I get grumpy and crave carbs.  I have wondered it certain hormonal fluctuations remain to cause this even after meno 

[Elizabethrose]

It's happened throughout my reproductive years babyjane. Up until ovulation all was normal. As the progesterone level built I became constipated, then as soon as it dropped before menstruation, diarrhoea! I've never had a menstrual bleed without diarrhoea. When pregnant the constipation was a nightmare, I had to resort to the dreaded fybogel which made me retch. As soon as the babies were delivered all returned to normal till the next cycle began again.

I've had this chat with specialists, they seemed very aware that progesterone affects the bowel. Just another thing to add to the list! x