IBS

I'm really fed up here and would like some suggestions on taking matters into my own hands. I just had another follow up appt with my GI doctor after I had my second endoscopy and ph test. All my tests are negative for H. Pylori and are saying I dont have GERD, but something called "functional heartburn" and IBS. I asked my doctor why I've only had 4 bad flare ups like this in my life and why it goes away and comes back..it comes back usually around the time I get some sorta stomach bug..but never goes away. He didnt have an answer besides "stress".
I have been on the Candida diet for a few weeks now and I cant really say I feel a difference. My symptoms are still there and increasing at times; constant gas, bloating after eating anything even veggies, chronic heartburn/sour stomach, gurggling and noises in my stomach and intestines all the time.
I wanted to get stool tests to see what the heck is in there but he laughed me off pretty much and gave me an antidepressant (which I will take because this IS making me depressed and anxiety ridden) but no nystatin which I was hoping for.

I havent started any antimicrobials, except the occasional garlic..but I am at the end of my rope and will try anything. Has anyone else had the symptoms I am complaining of, and were yours ever cleared up??
I've never had this so bad for so long before and its really digging me in the ground..


Check out www.scdiet.org. The specific carbohydrate diet, if observed long enough, may help your gut heal. It has worked for a lot of people diagnosed with untreatable IBS, Crohns, colitis, etc.


Have you been tested for wheat and or milk allergies? Have you tried digestive enzymes or probiotics? It might be helpful to call the great smokies lab and ask if there is a doctor in your area that does stool testing to see what kind of bacteria you have that might be causing these problems. Treating candida should also help this condition.
Doctors are so frustrating.They run a few tests and then ultimately end up telling you it is stress and putting people on antidepressants because. IN reality, they dont know whats wrong and they cant admit this so they have to put the blame on someone and that someone of course is the patient.


Nikki, look no farther than Nature's law for an answer. If you jump off a cliff the law of gravity will punish you for it and if you do something to get the inner terrain of the gut out of balance you will pay for it. I have taken a truck load of probiotics in the last 20 years but nothing has helped me like Kefir.
You can get the real grains from www.kefirlady.com.


Tom, I looked into Kefir yesterday..I saw some starter kit at the health food store but I dont know much about it so I didnt buy it. What do you do with it? You just grow it and eat it like that? I'm guessing it is like taking super probiotics ?


Nikki, the commercial starters are ok but does not compare with the real Kefir grains. The starter kit has a maximum of 10 strains where the grains have more than 30 and the commercial stuff will need to be replaced after about 7 cultures where the grains will go on forever if you take care of them. It's very simple to keep it going, all I do in the morning is strain out my Kefir and place the grains back into a jar with fresh milk, agitate it a couple of times during the day and in 24 hours I have delicious Kefir. The whey will separate from the curds in 24 hours if the Temperature is warm enough and I just turn my jar upside down on the strainer and let that drain out, this leaves a thicker and smoother and sweeter Kefir but you can add anything you want to it for better taste or for children.
I've been taking it for about a month and I feel much better, its was a gradual improvement from severe fatigue to increased energy, better sleep and a calmness thats hard to explain. I drink about a quart a day, a cup the first thing in the morning on an empty stomach and then I'll nip on it all during the day, its the cheapest most efficient way I've found to get the real live beneficial organisims back into the gut.

Where do I get these kefir grains if they only sell the commercial stuff in the stores? Is there a place to order online?


Just call or email this lady, she ships on Tuesday. She will ask you to send her $20.00 cash but she will ship on Tuesday if you call Monday and trust you for the money. The package I got had Dom's name on them, he is the real Kefir guy you will find with a search.
http://www.kefirlady.com/

Dom has a wonderful website with lots of recipes for fermented foods -yummy!


If you don't have diarrhea then don't check out the IBS website.

One thing that has helped me with my heartburn/stomach upset is apple cider vinegar. I take one tablet before each meal and enzymes afterward. I have done that for a year and feel much better.

They had me on nexium and I had such bad side effects I quit that and went to the ACV and don't reget it at all.

Rue


Rue, I actually have been doing the ACV for a while. I just recently bought the proper organic Braggs though and have used it for a few days. It calms my intestines down but not my heartburn or sour stomach. I never have constipation or diarreah..so I dont know why he is telling me it is IBS, I have all the other signs of it though..the constant gas and burbling, cramps after eating and all the upper GI problems.
I am taking a probiotic after every meal-3x a day, using ginger, flax, psyllum, and now homeopathy (Nat Phos 6x) which actually seems to help a bit with the heartburn but hasnt been a cure yet. I am thinking I really have some bad bacteria in there that is gravitating up and down my intestines and stomach.

OH, I heard ACV can sometimes kill off the good bacteria, is that true?