irritable bowel syndrome

[cjbrooks]

Relief.....
I used to suffer badly with IBS my only respite anti spasmodic pills, but since I started Atkins it is like a miracle, no more pain or cramping.
obviously something I used to eat didn't agree with me but I don't know what, or could it just be carbs themselves?
Any-one else experience this?

[cincin11]

About 10 yrs ago I had an upper and lower gi, and they didnt find anything. A couple yrs ago my new dr told me I had IBS . I guess they give you that dx when they dont know whats wrong with you.
I have been symptom free since this woe. I wasnt sick all the time ,but sometimes in the middle of the night I would wake up with cramps and that gurgling .Uggh.Diarrhea. I am so glad the past 5 months I havent had it one time . I also used to get a burning pain in my stomach from drinking alcohol ,sometimes even wine coolers.My doctor said dont drink then . But I like it. everytime I would get the worse burning pain ,even from a little bit and I felt like I was dying . I would get the cold sweats from it. The dr also attributed this to IBS. and said it was heartburn.

Well , that s gone too. I can drink my liquor and no problems.

Thank you, Dr. Atkins

[lynneuk]

Hi CJ,
Yes, I have the exact same experience. I started Atkins on June 16th 2003. Since then I have been IBS sympton free! It's a miracle!
The only time I had an upset stomach was on vacation in August when I allowed myself 2 days off the plan. As soon as I knocked out the carbs, which I was very happy to do, I was fine again. I definitely think carbs cause IBS. Even if I didn't need to lose weight I'd still eat this way so I wouldn't have to worry about IBS ruling my life.
In a couple of weeks we're going to Wisconsin for a big family reunion and before I would have been worrying about it already. Where will we be staying? Is the bathroom close by? Will there be privacy?
It is such a relief to know that as long as i stick with the right foods I'll be fine.
Spread the word. Low carb is the best!!

[cjbrooks]

Great it's not just my imagination then!
and I can so relate to the "runny bottom" wheres the nearest toilet problem, have had far too many near misses for one lifetime, but that's all a thing of the past now thankfully!
Have only joined this site today and only been on Atkins for 4 weeks so it's great to get some replies, thanks

[LovableLC]

I'm not sure of the name, but a lot of people who think or are told they have ibs actually are sensitive to a lot of grain foods. Is it Celiac? Correct me if I am wrong. So that may be your problem, on Atkins at least for a while grains are not incorporated. So maybe that is your problem?

"People who have celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats"

Might want to look into it.

[lynneuk]

Welcome to the site CJ. I'm quite new myself. Glad to hear from a Brit. I live in New York state now but I'm from the U.K. Very homesick too!
I was born in Nottingham but grew up in Llandudno in N. Wales.
Good luck with the low carbing.

[cjbrooks]

hi lynne, NY must be very different to LLandudno, are you used to seeing a large % of people who are not OAPs?
Just joking, it is nice to speak to another Brit and I notice we also have the same target weight, a weight I haven't been since my teens and I think I just "passed through" it then!!!

[lynneuk]

Hi CJ,
Yes, Upstate NY is a little different than sunny Llandudno! You're right, every second vehicle is not a coach load of OAP's on a day trip to the seaside! I never really appreciated Wales when I lived there but now I would love to be there and for my son to be growing up there. My husband is as American as apple pie and I try to persuade him to move back but he thinks it would be hard to do it now. Our son is almost 14 and has lived in the US since he was 5, so maybe after he's grown I'll get out the thumb screws and work on the husband.
My Mum was born up your way, near Wigan.
Take care,
Lynne

[mle_ii]

I was diagnosed with IBS. I agree with cincin11 that Docs seem to use this when they can't fiture out what it is. Since I've been on this diet it's like I've been cured. Yippie.

[cincin11]

Mle , my doctor told me thats what they do. lol.

Because there isnt any cause they know of. But we know ,dont we?

[m1whowaits]

Loveable is right. Many times it is a food intolerence. And yes it's celiac. I have it. And there are many hidden forms of grains in processed foods. So if symptoms return even though you're not eatting grains, it's a manufactured food problem. Sometimes it's hard to avoid. That's where it usually trips me up. When you eat something in a hurry. Celiac is a very underdiagnosed condition and the only way to get rid of it is don't eat the wheat!!

[allerfree]

are there enough celiacs and food allergic people to start a category.

I am having a hard time finding bakeables that I can have

no soy, no dairy, no egg, no wheat,no nuts

ellen

[m1whowaits]

Sorry allerfree: I've pretty much given up on a baked item any more. There are GF mixes, but most contain either eggs or soy. And they aren't LC anyway. And generally you can't bake something in the traditional sence without eggs. If you're desperate for something as a treat all I can think of off the top of my head is a berry crumble using almond flour and butter with stevia for a sweatner for the topping and maybe a little in the berries. Blueberries are a fairly low glycemic fruit and almond flour is high in protien. Good luck!!

[leborland]

I don't think IBS is just carb intolerance. There are lots of causes and most of them you don't want to know about. The standard tests don't find them. There's a lab called Great Smokies, that will find candida, if you have it, tell you what level you're at, and tell you what other pathogenic bacteria and parasites you have that most labs don't even look for. When you go lo-carb you starve a lot of these buggers out, and when the population goes low enough you start to feel a lot better. Allopathic medicine doesn't pay much attention to the causes. Doctors just give you the IBS diagnosis and shrug their shoulders.

There's another related problem, sometimes called leaky gut syndrome that is caused by damage from the things mentioned above. What happens is that the lining of the intestine becomes more porous and allows bigger molecules into the bloodstream than it's supposed to let in. The body reacts to these molecules by attacking them as invaders. It causes a variety of symptoms from allergic reactions to rheumatoid conditions. There may even be a connection to fibromyalgia. There are things besides low carbing that can help these conditions. If your doctor isn't much help, you might think of looking for an alternative.