I know there are tons of IBS web sites out there. I want to hear from those of you here who suffer from this condition, which is really beginning to interfere with my quality of life.
When I was drinking heavily, having the shits was par for the course. It’s just something that happens when you the scary quantities the active alcoholic does. I figured it’d get better once I quit drinking, and it did, for a while.
But now it’s IBS. My doctor did stool cultures, and the lab found a common parasite, but a benign one in that they usually don’t treat it unless the patient is having bowel problems. Since I was, I took a ten-day course of Flagyl®.
Nothing. On my next visit, he gave me a huge box of Metamucil samples, and I started drinking one glass a day. Some improvement.
I was ordered to cut down my coffee (and caffeine in general) consumption, because of anxiety, and also because of my IBS issues.
No improvement.
I started taking acidophilus (yogurt culture) supplements to help restore any intestinal flora destroyed when I took ten days of Cipro® about a month ago.
No improvement.
I got fed up today and bought a big box of Imodium. But I can’t take Imodium for the rest of my life so that I can go out shopping for a few hours without fear of suddenly and urgently having to crap in the nearest public washroom, no matter how dirty. (And I’ve had to… it’s disgusting.) Furthermore, I don’t think it’s healthy to take Imodium for very long, since it slows intestinal motility.
There’s a new IBS drug out, but it’s for women only. (WTF?) Some research shows me there are some older ones out there, but nothing that great. I took codeine for a couple of weeks when I sprained my ankle recently, and not even that constipated me.
I’m seeing my doctor next week, and I’m going to tell him that we have to do something about this NOW, because I can’t live this way.
IBS Dopers… what have you tried or done? What works? Help! (If you don’t want to come out on the boards as a chronic crapper, email me at scottevil@ca.inter.net.)