Just diagnosed with IBS, debating cancelling my trip to WDW.

[SDSorority]

Wow I think there is a lot of great information here for anyone who is having gastrointestinal problems. Thank you all for sharing! It is like we have our own little tummy support group. I am learning so much.

I went for my endoscopy yesterday. It went well. I have a little pain and gas right now but overall feel good. They did not find any colon disease. Which is good. I am supposed to see my doc in three weeks. He should have the results from blood test and biopsy.
I hope he does not just diagnose me with IBS without running more tests. I will ask him to do an endoscopy and upper GI series to also check for gastritis.

I started taking supplements which are supposed to greatly help IBS. I am taking a multivitamin, Zinc, L-glutamine, enteric coated peppermint capsules, Burp-less fish oil and am looking for a good supplement of digestive enzymes. I am also taking Align but am thinking of switching to a combination of VLS#3 and Florastor. Have to discuss it with my GI. I am also looking to make my own homemade yogurt which is supposed to be really beneficial. I found a recipe that uses a crockpot. I will try that before buying a yogurt maker. Looking into a really good juicer too but they are really expensive. Might wait to put that on my Christmas list!

My doc wants me to start eating normally again and keep away from dairy (except for yogurt with probiotics). He wants to see how I feel in the next three weeks. I think he wants me to do the opposite of what i was doing: instead of cutting all possible triggers and reintroducing them slowly, he is making me eat all the foods and cutting out one category at a time. He says that way I will not suffer from any nutritional deficiencies and will gain some weight again. I have to continue my food diary and write down foods that seem to be a trigger. I am a little nervous about reintroducing all food categories but I am willing to try. Obviously i am taking it easy on fatty foods, junk food, and already known triggers but that means i will be able to eat pretty normal diet on my wdw trip! Hope i don't regret it! Up to now though, after reintroducing wheat, onions and eggs whites, I have been feeling better except for a couple of days ago. I think the culprit was a cookie that i think contained butter or it was my dinner were I used ground chili!?. I was in pain with swelling and stomach cramps for the next two days. Not fun!

Anyway just wanted to keep you all updated on my progress. Two weeks to my wdw trip...can't wait

You won't be the only one there with allergies in 2 weeks!!! We'll be there, too! Well, 2 weeks and 3 days, but who's counting, right??? It's super easy to be dairy free at WDW- have you checked out Sarah's blog?? She's also gluten free, but it'll give you some ideas, I'm sure!!

http://glutenfreedairyfreewdw.blogspot.com/

 

[MrsDuck]

I went to Disney World years before I was ever officially diagnosed with IBS and stress induced IBS (caused by my anxiety). And, after my diagnosis, I haven't ever considered cancelling and I suggest you do the same.

Watch what you eat and be prepped with an Rx that can help with any attacks. Don't cheat - heck that's the best IBS advice I can give regardless - don't eat something if you know you're not supposed to! Take it easy, drink lots of water. If it happens, it happens, and oh man does it suck. BUT, being at Disney is so worth it.

 

[Alexsandra]

You won't be the only one there with allergies in 2 weeks!!! We'll be there, too! Well, 2 weeks and 3 days, but who's counting, right??? It's super easy to be dairy free at WDW- have you checked out Sarah's blog?? She's also gluten free, but it'll give you some ideas, I'm sure!!

http://glutenfreedairyfreewdw.blogspot.com/

Have a nice trip!

Sara's blog is great. It is fun to see pictures of dishes and get reviews on dairy free foods. Thanks

 

[Alexsandra]

I went to Disney World years before I was ever officially diagnosed with IBS and stress induced IBS (caused by my anxiety). And, after my diagnosis, I haven't ever considered cancelling and I suggest you do the same.

Watch what you eat and be prepped with an Rx that can help with any attacks. Don't cheat - heck that's the best IBS advice I can give regardless - don't eat something if you know you're not supposed to! Take it easy, drink lots of water. If it happens, it happens, and oh man does it suck. BUT, being at Disney is so worth it.

That is exactly what I will do. I am bringing all my meds including my peppermint capsules and electric heat pad which seem to really help when I have an "attack". It will be hard not to cheat but my husband will keep me in check! I noted my intolerances on all my reservations and I even called Victoria and Alberts to make sure they would have a safe meal for me ready when I get there. I can't wait. SO excited! Happy I chose not to cancel.

 

[cfriend416]

I happened to come across this thread, and I didn't read all the posts, but as someone who also struggles with both IBS and GERD, I wanted to share something with you. Apparently taking PPI's can make IBS worse. It alters the bacterial content of your gut, and also changes how well your stomach digests food. For many people, this means worsening IBS symptoms. My doctor never told me this, and I never made the connection that my IBS was at it's worse when I was taking Nexium. From asking around and reading stuff online, I've found that many people have this issue and are not warned about this by their doctors. I have found that I need to choose which I want to manage - IBS or reflux. The most I can take for reflux is OTC ranitidine. Anything stronger makes my IBS flare up. Sorry if someone else already mentioned this, I just feel like I need to spread the word, because I feel kind of cheated that I was never informed about this by my doctor. If you find diet changes don't help your IBS, try a less strong PPI.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

Thanks for this info!! I do take meds for gerd and take a PPI! I will ask my GI dr. if I can back off on the PPI and just take the rantidine, which I take during the day, PPI at night. So much good info!! Thanks for sharing...

I happened to come across this thread, and I didn't read all the posts, but as someone who also struggles with both IBS and GERD, I wanted to share something with you. Apparently taking PPI's can make IBS worse. It alters the bacterial content of your gut, and also changes how well your stomach digests food. For many people, this means worsening IBS symptoms. My doctor never told me this, and I never made the connection that my IBS was at it's worse when I was taking Nexium. From asking around and reading stuff online, I've found that many people have this issue and are not warned about this by their doctors. I have found that I need to choose which I want to manage - IBS or reflux. The most I can take for reflux is OTC ranitidine. Anything stronger makes my IBS flare up. Sorry if someone else already mentioned this, I just feel like I need to spread the word, because I feel kind of cheated that I was never informed about this by my doctor. If you find diet changes don't help your IBS, try a less strong PPI.

 

[cfriend416]

Thanks for this info!! I do take meds for gerd and take a PPI! I will ask my GI dr. if I can back off on the PPI and just take the rantidine, which I take during the day, PPI at night. So much good info!! Thanks for sharing...

Glad I could help someone! The most I can take is one 150mg ranitidine, even though it can be taken twice a day. It may be different for you, though. I find I can mentally cope better with GERD symptoms than IBS symptoms so I make the choice to just deal with always having some degree of heartburn, indigestion, etc. I will double up on ranitidine sometimes if I'm experiencing a lot of pain in my stomach/chest, but I always pay for it with worsening IBS. But it may be different for you! I'm not claiming to be qualified to give medical advice or anything, I just think it's helpful to share experiences.

 

[Alexsandra]

Glad I could help someone! The most I can take is one 150mg ranitidine, even though it can be taken twice a day. It may be different for you, though. I find I can mentally cope better with GERD symptoms than IBS symptoms so I make the choice to just deal with always having some degree of heartburn, indigestion, etc. I will double up on ranitidine sometimes if I'm experiencing a lot of pain in my stomach/chest, but I always pay for it with worsening IBS. But it may be different for you! I'm not claiming to be qualified to give medical advice or anything, I just think it's helpful to share experiences.

It is funny that you mention it ,cause I have been off my PPI for 1 week and a half because of all the tests I have been doing and I have found my IBS attacks to better. I researched also on the web and found the same info that you are telling me. I have decided to stop taking them since my heartburn seems to be almost gone ever since I stopped eating GF foods and eating wheat again. Go figure! Anyway, thanks for sharing, it just confirms my suspicions.

 

[MrsDuck]

That is exactly what I will do. I am bringing all my meds including my peppermint capsules and electric heat pad which seem to really help when I have an "attack". It will be hard not to cheat but my husband will keep me in check! I noted my intolerances on all my reservations and I even called Victoria and Alberts to make sure they would have a safe meal for me ready when I get there. I can't wait. SO excited! Happy I chose not to cancel.

Can't wait to hear about your trip! Sending you lots and lots of pixiedust!

 

[nighttowll]

I just wanted to say at our last dr visit the dr changed my sister's acid reflux medicine because apparently they don't all work the same at all. She stated that the one we had been prescribed by our previous dr was actually making things worse, and we needed a different kind. Wish I had paid closer attention now, but acid reflux was the least of our concerns at the time. I'm pretty sure they actually took her off the ranitidine and put her on something else, but I may be mixing that up.

The way the dr explained it, it wasn't that you needed less or more of the drug for it to work properly. It was that the different drugs actually function differently, do different things to the body. They don't all simply stop the acid. I wish I could remember exactly how she worded it, but it makes me think that there is something to the whole thing as others have said. However, I don't think it's as simple as lowering the dose or just switching types. I'm thinking you need someone who actually understands exactly how each drug works to figure out which one is right for your problem.

Secondly, for everyone interested in the Crohn's info, I haven't forgotten about you. I just haven't had a chance to get the file. Its on an old computer. I have hard copies, but I'm trying to find the PDF. However, everyone is so knowledgeable on here, I'm not sure how much help it will be to begin with. It's basically Crohn's 101 and doesn't get overly technical or anything. If you or a family member has been diagnosed or think you might have it, it's useful to get a general idea of the disease, treatments, meds, procedures, etc. If you are looking for really detailed treatment options, it probably won't be a lot of help. I originally made it when my sister (a teenager) was first diagnosed to help her and our extended family understand better what was going on. Then later, we added to it, and adapted parts of it for a children's awareness carnival. I feel it's a pretty comprehensive overview and introduction to Crohn's, but since writing it, I've learned a lot more that hasn't been included yet.

 

[angeltonja]

Do you have a prescription for Bentyl? It really helps me when I have a flare up!

 

[angeltonja]

Do you have a prescription for Bentyl? It really helps me when I have a flare up!