[January]

I've had UC & IBS since I was 18. I am in a huge flare and it's getting to the point there is nothing at all I can eat without being deathly sick. I thought I was doing better, but apparently I was wrong. I wasn't even able to take my meds yesterday because I couldn't keep them down or in... I'm paying a huge price for it today.

I have ordered some special pancreatic enzymes which aid in digestion. I've seen my gastgro more in the past three months than I normally do all year. What she's trying isn't working.

hey, january,

i've been diagnosed with IBS. in fact, i'm going through a flare-up myself. i don't know what is causing it. had a bad reaction to some soy milk about 10 days ago and my insides just won't work normally since then. do you take probiotics? i find my problems are worse when i don't eat. so, i recommend you put something gentle in your stomach, even if it's just plain bread. that way, you can take your meds too. i presume you have kept a food diary and are aware of the problem foods you need to avoid, e.g., all deep fried foods, dairy products and the like.

keep posting so we all know how you're feeling. hang in there; hopefully this flare will pass soon.

[January]

Hi Unhappyguy,

It's nice to meet you. Thank you ever so much for replying.

I am currently down to warm chicken broth and some bread, although I did try a very tiny bit of 98% fat free ham on a roll. I can't tolerate anything else and I'm not sure I can tolerate the ham.

Just in case you ever need it, you can buy fat free chicken broth and put a shake of onion flakes in it. Cook it a bit so it's flavored and it makes it a lot more tolerable to eat. I also added a bit of salt to help with the dehydration.

I know why the Soy Milk caused you to flare. It has carageenan in it and that is a laxative. It's also in canned milk.

Perhaps we can swap war stories. I don't know anyone else to talk with about this who is also in the trenches.

Again, thank you so much for writing. I'm getting really scared because I can't get this under control and I've been in flare since January.

hi, january,

nice to meet you too. have you looked into foods that are acidic and alkaline? a friend of mine with IBS has had some success by avoiding acidic foods and eating alkaline ones. i find that i tolerate boiled chicken really well. the trick is to cook it with with the skin and bones on for extra flavor (though, of course, you don't eat the skin . . . or the bones!). i have also had success with white rice.

i am concerned with your diet. there are no fruit or vegetables and little protein. i hope you are taking vitamins to supplement your diet. surprisingly, my IBS subsided a bit after i started taking a calcium pill each day (in addition to a multivitamin). I take them 5 days a week but not on weekends to give my kidneys a rest.

please stay in touch and let us know how you're doing.

[sabby]

((((((((((((((((((( January ))))))))))))))))))))))))

I'm so sorry about the horrible flair you are in right now. How disheartening and dangerous as well when you can't eat much of anything at all.

I used to suffer from IBS many years ago. Somehow it has pretty much gone away for the most part. I think having my gall bladder removed helped a lot because it seemed at the time that it started going away was when I had the surgery. Of course now, there are some things that will get me going because I have no gall bladder, but they are few and far between thank goodness.

I also remember that IBS will flair horribly when one is stressed. Have you tried doing some meditation to help you and your system calm down a bit? Some good deep breathing and positive thinking along with the meditation may help get you through your flair.

Wish there was something I could do to help you. All I can do is give you a hug and a shoulder to lean on


sabby

[January]

Sabby and Unhappyguy,

Thank you both so much for posting.

I can't tolerate rice right now. I usually can if it's Minute Rice. Even on a good day I can't tolerate "real" rice. It's a great idea to boil the chicken with the skin on it. I usually buy the chicken breasts that are skinless and boil them and it basically has the taste of cardboard. However, at the moment I can't tolerate that.

I can't take my vitamins now either. In fact, the gastro Dr. told me to not take them until I'm stable because they hit my stomach and then I double over in pain.

You would think I would have lost 100 pounds by now but I haven't. That's just weird.

Thank you so much for the encouragement and for caring. It means so much to me.

Jan

[January]

The digestive enzymes I ordered arrived. I tried one earlier by taking it first and then eating, but it really hurt my stomach. Now, I'm eating some potatoes cooked in chicken broth and I'm going to take the pill afterward. I sure hope this works.

hey, january,

so glad to hear that you keep trying. i hope the enzymes help. keep us posted.

had a family event to go to yesterday. had to take meds before i left - in fact, i felt so bad that i wondered if i even should be going. somehow, i got through it with not too much difficulty. maybe it was the company taking my mind off my stomach ills or just feeling relaxed around them? thinking about changing my diet again and eliminating nuts from it. MDs say that I need the good oils from them and they are a healthy snack food but they are hard to digest, high in fiber and high in calories. it's a difficult decision.

hope you're feeling better.

[jassel77]

I have had IBS for ten years. I know how you are feeling, because I have been through much of the same. People (caregivers, friends) often wonder how I can go through many of my days without eating or even giving it a second thought. It is because of the vomiting and IBS. I got so tired of what foods would make my body do, that I develped an avoidance to eating all together. Now I struggle to simply come up with a decent appetite. Just two days ago, my entire day was spent at home due to continual trips to the restroom. I usually never let it get me down, but now as I put it into words, even I begin to wonder how I remain so up beat.

[January]

The pancreatic enzymes seem to be helping. I was able to keep stewed potatoes in chicken down/in yesterday. It was amazing. I am going to fix a piece of chicken in broth and see what happens. Maybe I can get some energy going.

Thank you both for writing. It means so much to find other people who understand.

january,

great news! i hope you continue on the mend!

[January]

Thank you so very, very much, UnhappyGuy. I'm still in the "scared" stage of hoping nothing goes wrong. Do you know what I mean?

How are you doing?

hey, january,

yes, i understand the "scared" stage. as a friend of mine has reminded me, some of us take meds with the belief there will be instant relief when, in reality, relief will not be found for at least a week or so. yup, the "scared" stage.

i started probiotics yesterday to help settle my stomach. so far, not much help. i have no idea what to eat. i'm on a limited diet to begin with and, i'm at a point with this diet where the cravings for the things i can't have are really strong. i settle for feeling well by trying not to give into the cravings. and, i'm pretty good. but sometimes i do cheat. and, i pay the price. i wish that i could tolerate healthy foods but they are high in fiber and that creates problems. hopefully, the probiotic will kick in soon.

i hope you continue to feel better.

[January]

Oh how I understand the craving for something you can't eat without being sick.

I am taking Pancreatic Enzymes. They can be found at Health Food Stores, or if you want to send a pm to me, I'll tell you where I ordered mine. When you eat, you take one as soon as you're done. So far, it's really, really helped because it helps the food digest. (Sorry, that sounds gross...)

Right now I'm sitting here sick because I tried something new today. Ugh.

hi, january,

sorry to hear that you're not feeling well. i hope you feel better soon.

i had a bad IBS day. ate too much fiber last night in the form of vegetables. i have to be more careful.

keep in touch!

hi, January,

how are you feeling today?

[January]

I ran out of protonix so had a pretty rough time yesterday. I got it today and have had a much better day. The enzymes really seem to help, even though I have a lot of stress going on right now.

Being able to get some protein down me has given me energy and I'm ever so excited about that. It's not fun being a sloth.

How are you? I hope you're doing well.

hi, january,

glad to hear that you have had some protein. it's really impt to not run out of meds. that's one thing i am good at - not running out of my meds. i could be better at sticking to my diet though!

today i decided to make an MD appt. things are not getting better and i am in some discomfort daily. i am going to ask my MD for some antibiotics as they have helped in the past. i will let you know how things go.

[January]

Do you have a gastroenterologist? If you can possibly manage it, you really need one to help you get stabilized.

Please be sure and let me know what the Dr. says.

[googley]

January-I'm glad you are feeling better. I hate digestive flares. They are no fun. I don't have UC, but I have Celiac. Take a care of yourself.

hi, january,

i have to see my PCP in order to get a referral first. i've been taking probiotics but they have not helped at all. yesterday i stopped taking them and today i am much better. go figure. i see my PCP on friday. i've seen a gastro - it was 2 years ago - but he did not prescribe anything. How are you doing?

[January]

Right now, I am one very sick person. I was doing great, but I've had extra stress lately and it's taken a huge toll. I'm afraid to eat anything at all. Ugh...

I hope your PCP can help you. Please keep me posted. Ok?

hi, January,

i am so sorry to hear that you are not feeling well. i had a really bad day yesterday. i went off the probiotics because i cannot tolerate them. fortunately, at least i had thought, they would kill off the problematic bacteria and leave me normal afterwards. i had one promising day, so i cancelled my MD appt. then, yesterday, i had a lot of trouble. today i am resting and am eating food that's easy on my tummy. healthy foods like greens and beans can sometimes really bother me. last night i drank a lot of mint tea when i was out with friends. it seems to have helped.

one of the problems with IBS is that I tend to isolate when not feeling well. but, being in the company of close friends is very therapeutic and relaxing. (we all talked about our issues. it went on for hours!!)

here in nyc, a hospital has opened a Center for Advanced Digestive Care. its website is www.nyp.org or you can call 1877 NYP WELL. i am considering making an appt there. i hope you feel better soon. please keep in touch.

best,
guy

january,

hi. how are you feeling?

[Claire89-2]

I am sooo sorry you are in such pain and are feeling so nauseous. I have had IBS and painful stomach tissue off and on (and now on due to stress) but nothing like what you are going through. Enough though to understand how it is so hard to get over the episodes that seem to go on forever. Mine flares from stress. Have you noticed that you have triggers that seem to make yours flare up?

I'm going to try meditation tonight to see if I can infuse myself with some sense of peace. Have you ever tried that yourself?

- Claire

Originally Posted by January

I've had UC & IBS since I was 18. I am in a huge flare and it's getting to the point there is nothing at all I can eat without being deathly sick. I thought I was doing better, but apparently I was wrong. I wasn't even able to take my meds yesterday because I couldn't keep them down or in... I'm paying a huge price for it today.

I have ordered some special pancreatic enzymes which aid in digestion. I've seen my gastgro more in the past three months than I normally do all year. What she's trying isn't working.