Irritable bowel syndrome is making my life hell

Ask:

Since I returned from Spain 16 months ago I have suffered from chronic diarrhea sometimes five or six times a day, with terrible gas and bloating. My stomach feels upset all the time. I’ve had every test imaginable, including laparoscopy, colonoscopy, barium meal, CT scan, urinalysis, stool samples, and blood tests, all come back negative. My specialist tells me that I have irritable bowel syndrome. He is making my life hell. What treatment can you suggest?

Answer:

I’m sure your specialist is right. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is not a disease, since the cause is not known (although many doctors tend to consider it a psychological problem). If a specific cause were found, such as candidiasis, intestinal fermentation, giardia, parasites, diverticulitis, or Crohn’s disease, the diagnosis of IBS would not be valid.

A syndrome is a collection of symptoms that may or may not be related to a particular organ or system, or to a single cause. IBS is characterized by heartburn or indigestion, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, abdominal cramps, full stools even after having a bowel movement, bloating shortly after eating, and food intolerance manifesting as diarrhea shortly after eating certain types of foods. As you can see, all of these are related to the gut.

In my Medical Center around one patient in five comes to us for this problem. Twenty years of experience have shown me that the best way is to help the digestive system heal itself by eating foods that are easy to digest and beneficial to the body.

These are the main points:

Diet

* Eat slowly and chew your food very well so that your stomach does not exhaust itself from having to churn the food, producing more acid in the process.

* Do not drink water 45 minutes next to meals, so that the gastric juice is not diluted, harming digestion; during the meal drink a little to help swallowing.

* After lunch, rest for 15-20 minutes; after dinner, walk slowly for a mile. This helps the digestive organs work better.

Avoid the following:

* Citrus fruits and acidic foods, which contain acid that causes indigestion because it neutralizes bile, which is essential for smooth digestion.

* Yeast that causes intestinal fermentation, leading to gas, bloating, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea.

* Caffeinated drinks, such as coffee and cola, which tighten intestinal muscles and cause cramps.

* Fried food, which is difficult to digest and puts pressure on the production and supply of bile.

* All alcohol, which is particularly bad for IBS sufferers; for example, white wine and champagne cause acidity. And beer causes gas.

* Sugar and sugary foods, which feed yeast and candida.

* Soft drinks.

*Canned products, which contain many preservatives, which causes heartburn and bloating.

* Fiber (fruits, non-root vegetables, grains, and milk) for one to two months until diarrhea stops.

This is what I suggest you eat:

Breakfast Soft-boiled eggs or pancakes made from buckwheat flour with cottage cheese and honey, plus milk less tea to drink (ginger and mint are good). Lunch/dinner minced meat, chicken or turkey slow cooked with garlic, ginger and black pepper; mashed or boiled potatoes with olive oil (peeled), carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, turnips; lentils soaked overnight, then cooked. Also boil the peel of one pomegranate in eight cups of water for 15 minutes, then cool and strain. Store in the refrigerator and, to settle the stomach, drink half a cup twice a day, morning and night, for seven days.

Remedies:

* Take a daily multivitamin and mineral for three months to make up for the lack of fresh fruit and salad.

* Detox Tea: soak in a cup of hot water overnight, strain and drink in the morning for three months.

* Stomach formula: take two tablets twice a day for two months

* Diarex: Take one tablet every other day for two weeks if you have diarrhea.

working out

Regular exercise, such as walking, swimming, or yoga, helps digestion.

Relax

Play a relaxation/meditation tape or CD in bed at night.

Massage

Rub and pat your abdomen clockwise with sesame oil every morning for two minutes.