Introduction
So, you’ve been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and still suffer every day without relief. If you have IBS, you’ll understand this post. If not, you can skip it or pass it along to someone who may benefit from it. Living with IBS can affect your everyday decisions you make because of it. Not fun!
April is National Awareness Month for IBS. Awareness is great, but it doesn’t solve the problem. You’re already aware if you have a condition that affects your gastrointestinal (GI) tract! The next step is finding a healthcare provider to help you manage it and live optimally.
In this blog post, I’ll feature information you may not be aware of so you can push for your healing without suffering every day. Finding solutions if you live with IBS will take patience with trials and errors of several treatments until you find what works best for you.
After reading this post, you’ll have the necessary knowledge to partner with your physician and discover the best outcomes for your condition.
First step
Many people suffer in silence even after they’ve been diagnosed with IBS. You needn’t suffer but you will need to find a doctor specializing in GI disorders to help you if you don’t have one already. A gastroenterologist specializes in GI conditions.
Consider revisiting your GI doc if you’re still not finding improvement. Perhaps you haven’t been properly diagnosed. Accurate diagnosis is key to your treatment plan so you can live each day uninterrupted. If your healthcare provider isn’t working with you to help solve your issues, consider finding a new one.
Understand what IBS is!
IBS stands for irritable bowel syndrome, and it affects your digestive system or gastrointestinal function ranging from your esophagus (throat) to your rectum. That’s a broad range!
IBS can develop after you’ve had a bacteria or virus infection which in turn causes you to have a serious bout of diarrhea. This is referred to as gastroenteritis. It can also come from a buildup of bacteria in your intestines (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth known as SIBO) and of course, there’s the stress of life! Stress can make IBS worse.
IBS can range from mild to severe.
Subtypes:
IBS-D (irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea) – most common
IBS-C (irritable bowel syndrome with constipation)
IBS-M (irritable bowel syndrome with a mixed combination of diarrhea and constipation)
IBS-U (irritable bowel syndrome unsubtyped) – this doesn’t meet the criteria for any of the above. Based on the Rome IV Criteria for diagnosis, you can experience both watery/loose stools and hard stools less than 24% of the time. This subtype is the most frustrating and difficult to detect.
Know what IBD is too.
IBD is irritable bowel disease which is NOT the same as IBS. IBD is chronic inflammation of the GI tract and can be damaging over time. Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are two conditions of IBD. IBD is often used interchangeably with IBS because they share some of the same symptoms such as diarrhea, cramping, bloating, and pain.
But, IBD usually has more symptoms like fever, bloody stools, and unintended weight loss (not trying to lose weight). IBD has a completely different treatment plan than IBS. Proper diagnosis is crucial!
Get properly diagnosed!
If you’re confident you’ve been appropriately diagnosed with IBS and have a customized treatment plan, then you should be experiencing fewer symptoms and feeling better in general.
If you still have symptoms that are affecting your daily life and are not managed well, maybe you haven’t been accurately diagnosed or don’t have a suitable treatment plan customized for you.
The problem with diagnosing IBS is there is no specific test, but there are some tests you should be aware of to discuss with your doctor.
Tests
Rome Criteria – a specific benchmark used to help doctors determine if you could have IBS.
Blood tests – specific blood tests used to detect certain markers in your blood – (a negative test doesn’t mean you don’t have IBS.)
Stool test – shows bacterial infection and/or inflammation and any blood in the stool. Blood found in the stool requires further testing and is usually not a symptom of IBS.
Colonoscopy/Sigmoidoscopy – these are more involved tests when blood is detected in the stool (more for IBD, not IBS) and could help rule out IBS.
Breath tests
Hydrogen breath test: may show carbohydrate intolerances that will need dietary modifications.
Lactulose/glucose breath test: reveals bacterial overgrowth for SIBO as mentioned earlier.
Proper treatment plan
Once you’ve been correctly diagnosed the next step is to determine your treatment plan designed specifically for you. You’ll need some professional help with this one.
Diet is the first line of treatment. Changing your diet can help!
Understand there is no specific diet that will help everyone with IBS. Each person is unique in their symptoms and level of severity plus subtype. It’s important to find a registered dietitian who specializes in GI conditions to help you customize a plan. If your doctor doesn’t have a dietitian that he/she works with, ask him/her for a referral. Finding the right “diet” is another critical part of living with IBS as optimally as possible.
General foods to limit or avoid:
- Limit or avoid tea and coffee (caffeine)
- Limit or avoid alcohol
- Decrease sugar consumption including sugar alcohol
- Decrease or avoid spicy foods
- Decrease or avoid fatty foods
- Avoid garlic and onions
- Decrease or avoid gas-producing foods: bananas, beans, broccoli, and cabbage
- Decrease or avoid refined flour foods: bagels, pretzels, crackers, pasta, etc.
- Decrease or avoid fruit sugars: raisins, grapes, honey, dates, and figs
- Decrease or avoid nuts
General foods to increase:
- Increase water consumption
- Increase fiber
Diets for IBS
These diets are for informational purposes only. It’s important to work with a Registered GI dietitian who can ensure you’re getting all the necessary nutrients for your body to heal and create a personalized meal plan for you, together. After all, you’re the one who’s eating the recommended foods and should be able to voice your thoughts on whether it’s doable.
Gluten-free
There are mixed results in the studies as to whether it’s helpful, but it’s worth a trial.
Rice-based foods
Rice is easy to digest. Another diet worth trying.
Low-Histamine diet
Histamine has been linked with diarrhea and abdominal pain. Foods that may contain histamine are preserved and fermented foods (canned foods, cheese, and alcohol).
FODMAPs diet
FODMAP stands for fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols. Studies say that 52% to 86% of IBS patients have improved GI symptoms.
Pro tip: Before starting any special diet on your own, speak to your doctor and find a qualified GI dietitian.
Next is medications
If diet modification isn’t enough and you need to opt for medications, your doctor can help determine which are best for you based on your symptoms. Medications and IBS
Complementary and alternative treatments
If there is something else that can ease your symptoms and help, why not try it? Become more familiar with complementary and alternative treatments.
Pro tip: When adding any treatment to your daily routine, do one at a time and keep track of your symptoms. (improvement, neutral, worse) Otherwise, you won’t know which one is helping.
Psychological Treatments
GI-CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) has been studied with over 40 years of research on the usefulness of improving the symptoms of IBS.
Gut-Directed Hypnotherapy (GDH) is another psychological treatment not to be overlooked. The aim is to help you gain better control by addressing the communication between your brain and gut. The success rate is up to 80% which is better than traditional medications.
Pro tip: You’ll want to find a licensed mental health provider with specialized training in hypnosis and IBS.
New symptoms
Alert your doctor if you develop new symptoms:
- Black, red, or tarry stools
- Fever
- Night symptoms that wake you up, especially diarrhea
- Any changes in your IBS symptoms (new pain or different pain)
- Recent use of antibiotics
- Unintentional weight loss
Conclusion
Before you can begin a treatment plan to help relieve your symptoms, you must be properly diagnosed. Find a GI doctor who will work with you.
To start living optimally, find a Registered Dietitian who specializes in GI issues. Ask your doctor for a referral.
Try one remedy at a time so you know which ones work and which don’t.
Always alert your doctor if you develop any new symptoms as listed above. The quicker you get help, the sooner you’ll feel better.
Don’t suffer in silence, seek medical attention.
Be patient with yourself as you go through this process. It will take time to find the right solution for you.
In optimal health,
Lisa