Let me give you some background. Back when I was in my twenties I had an ulcer. This was treated successfully but when I started having IBS symptoms I attributed them to ulcers. When no ulcers were found I was confused. My symptoms were mild but often annoying and uncomfortable. I didn’t realize that I must have had IBS until years later when I had an “attack” and couldn’t eat even a teaspoon of food without getting uncomfortably bloated. I was starving but full. It was horrible. I even went to the ER because the pressure on my diaphragm was very uncomfortable and I had no idea what was going on. The attack seemed to get better on it’s own in a few days and I was fine until we went on vacation a few months later. Then I was constipated for days followed by diarrhea for a day. This went on for a month and then it clicked. I remembered someone telling me about their IBS troubles. I ravenously devoured everything I could find on the internet about it, realized those were my symptoms and then set to work fixing things.

photo: randeclip

• Relieved with defecation; and/or
• Onset associated with a change in frequency of stool; and/or
• Onset associated with a change in form (appearance) of stool.

Symptoms that cumulatively support the diagnosis of IBS:

• Abnormal stool frequency (for research purposes, “abnormal” may be defined as greater than 3 bowel movements per day and less than 3 bowel movements per week);
• Abnormal stool form (lumpy/hard or loose/watery stool);
• Abnormal stool passage (straining, urgency, or feeling of incomplete evacuation);

• Bloating or feeling of abdominal distention.

Supportive symptoms of IBS:

• A) Fewer than three bowel movements a week
• B) More than three bowel movements a day
• C) Hard or lumpy stools
• D) Loose (mushy) or watery stools
• E) Straining during a bowel movement
• F) Urgency (having to rush to have a bowel movement)
• G) Feeling of incomplete bowel movement
• H) Passing mucus (white material) during a bowel movement
• I) Abdominal fullness, bloating, or swelling

Determining whether you are diarrhea predominant, constipation predominant or a little of both helps in managing your symptoms.
Diarrhea-predominant: At least 1 of B, D, F and none of A, C, E; or at least 2 of B, D, F and one of A or E.
Constipation-predominant: At least 1 of A, C, E and none of B, D, F; or at least 2 of A, C, E and one of B, D, F.

One easy way to visualize soluble fiber vs insoluble fiber is to look at a piece of fruit with a skin. Take an apple for example. The skin is the insoluble component and the meat inside is the soluble component. When you are having an IBS attack the gut has to work harder to digest insoluble fiber so sticking to soluble fiber helps your stomach regain it’s balance gently.

I stuck with applesauce, pasta and sweet potatoes, white bread and soy. I ate lots of small meals and no big meals, otherwise known as grazing. After a few days, when I could eat these food items comfortably and in reasonable quantities, I moved onto other foods, avoiding the foods that are bad for IBS that can trigger an attack. What was important then and still is now to a certain extent is loading up on soluble fiber before eating any other type of food. This soluble fiber acts like a buffer for the other, less easily digestible foods.

or Benefiber. I now take a tablespoon of Acacia three times a day before or with meals.

Remember, start small. You have to slowly build up to a 22 gram fiber intake and this should take a month or more of gradual increases in dosage.

If fiber supplements aren’t available and you find yourself caught out and away from them, choose the highest fiber food item you can find to start your meal. Or take along some fiber caplets.

Never allow your stomach to get completely empty.

Keep a diary while you are trying to figure out what foods are giving your IBS trouble. When you see a pattern, flag the trigger foods and avoid them. You might find that once your stomach stabilizes you can eat certain trigger foods with no effect.

A Word About Acacia: I discovered this organic fiber supplement during my internet reading journey and it’s an essential part of my diet. There are no additives or fillers in it and it is a tasteless powder that can be added to any food or liquid. You can add it while baking, add it to tea or lemonade or just drink it in a glass of water. When I go out for a meal, I mix up water and acacia, put it in a water bottle and take it with me.

( I am not affiliated with the makers of Acacia but offer it for sale in my Amazon store)

photo Cymek

• Pain that awakens/interferes with sleep
• Diarrhea that awakens/interferes with sleep
• Blood in the stool (visible or occult)
• Weight loss
• Fever
• Abnormal physical examination

See a doctor immediately if you have any of these symptoms.

There are all kinds of pills on the market, all of which I tired before I got smart about handling IBS and none of them worked. None of the anti-bloating pills worked either. The last prescription drug on the market was removed because it was dangerous. There is no magic bullet fix. Dietary, including natural supplements, and behavioral modifications DO work however. At least they worked for me. With a little patience and time, you will become stable again.

photo: Cayusa