While questing for the exact mixture of various probiotics, reduced and zero-lactose products, and various high and low fiber supplements in all their myriad manifestations, please remember to consider checking in with your doctor to rule out conditions such as Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s), pancreatic insufficiency, peptic ulcer disease, gallstones, esophageal varices, diverticulosis, intestinal strictures, and a number of other entities, all of which have the potential to be deadly and none of which will be adequately treated by the interventions described in the rest of this thread.
Also keep in mind that the most effective treatments for Irritable Bowel Syndrome, aka IBS (NOT to be confused with Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or IBD) tend to combine such modalities as pushing fluids, judiciously using bulking agents, getting exercise, using biofeedback and/or relaxation techniques, avoiding fermentable saccharides, avoiding nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol, judiciously using anti-depressants, avoiding opiates, sedatives, and stimulant laxatives, and a few other things that are more symptom-directed.
I take Align daily. It is not cheap, but for me, it is a small price to pay.
My previous symptoms were absolutely not debilitating. It bothered me from time to time and was uncomfortable, but it definitely was not gut-wrenching nor did it prevent me from working. My pants occasionally felt really tight, so I thought I was just gaining weight. I tried keeping track of what I was eating, but I imagine the interactions between foods can be complicated enough that an untrained person like myself would not have detected a pattern. I am also absolutely not overweight and get plenty of exercise.
My wife finally got sick of my complaining and told me I needed to try to take care of it. I happened to talk to my sister and we discovered that we had almost identical symptoms. She ended up getting herself checked out and after a thorough analysis, her gastroenterologist did not even find sufficient cause to order a GI.
I am certainly in touch with my physician and do not do anything health-related without his feedback.
The worst part about your father being a gastroenterologist is that you have to talk to your dad about your poop all the time. :p. It was pretty easy to figure out I was lactose intolerant; my mother is and so is a sibling. I’ve had lots of food allergy tests; nothing bothers me but lactose. Did an elimination diet to confirm. Basically it’s just moderate IBS - and, of course, of the triggers you listed, caffeine and stress are the biggest two. I’m 10 pounds overweight, but slowly chipping away at that as well. I do try very hard to control my stress, but it’s difficult. Just recently the bloating and discomfort became a bigger problem, and he recommended Align, but I was looking to avoid the cost.
Not a dumb question at all! My brother and mother (both intolerant) find yogurt just fine, but not me. A single slice of cheese on a sandwich won’t bother me, but sour cream, cheese, ice cream, and especially milk will. Plus I just plain don’t want to down yogurt every day.
Qadgop, the 'dope is a good place to get an aggregate of opinions for what works and what doesn’t - provided you’ve sought a doc’s opinion first, of course. No woo woo medicine going on here.
In some ways I envy you. Unfortunately, I am really the only one all that interested in my ordure. My wife comes from a very prim family; it took her years to get used to the fact that I find my bodily functions so endlessly interesting.
