IBS episode (warning: long entry)

After my second Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) episode in the last 5 weeks–not only was it a very unpleasant feeling, not easy getting your mind off of it–I decided to take a more proactive approach.  After doing some research on more ‘objective’ sites such as NIH’s and those that on one hand seem very informative, despite the cloaked endorsements for the products (see this one).  

Last time I had this was maybe 5 weeks ago in Vegas.  I had an In-n-out burger and chocolate shake for dinner and took a 2 hour nap shortly afterwards.  When I woke up I felt that my lower left abdomen (maybe a couple inches below my navel) felt a bit tight.  I then went to the bathroom (loose stools) and thought that’d be the end of it.  It was only until the day I got back home when it started to go away. 

Last week, I ran on a treadmill for 20 minutes or so and then ate a quick dinner (indian ‘masala’ with rice, a banana, godiva chocolate ice cream bar; for lunch I had chicken rigatoni with a side house salad at Macaroni Grill).  I then took a nap.  When I woke up, i remember feeling the same way as I did in Vegas a month earlier.  A couple days later, I ‘thought’ i was feeling better so a couple of my co-workers and I went to a local tex-mex place known for its ’dangerously’-spicy hot sauces.  I ordered a beef taco salad with jalapeno peppers, salsa, and their medium-hot salsa, with sweet tea for my beverage. Boy, was that a mistake.  Later that night, I woke up to a buildup of gas or pressure in the lower left/sigmoid region (i was sleeping on my left side) and sat on the john wondering when my colon was gonna burst and how this was gonna look when I’m discovered a week later.  I was able to expel some gas but not much of anything else.  I then got on the treadmill for 10 minutes (slow walking pace) to see if that can alleviate the pressure (seemed to help a bit) and then hopped online to do more research.  At first, I thought I had diverticulitis since my symptoms seemed to indicate so, but it seemed unlikely because most people who have it tend to be older.  Then I remembered that my physician 4-5 years back told me that I probably had IBS (i went in to complain about tightness in that same area), so I researched on IBS and read some of the posts on the user forums (some complained of the same types of symptoms in same area, etc).  Learned about the therapeutic benefits of peppermint oil (apparently, it helps relax muscles in GI tract) and a lot of IBS sufferers either drink peppermint tea or take peppermint oil capsules with enteric coating.  Also learned that not all fiber’s the same.  Lately, I’ve been taking FiberChoice orange candy (contains inulin).  It really helps with regularity but you also get more gas.  Read up on the differences and have decided to go with the ones that don’t cause bloating/gas.  Benefiber and Acacia Pure Organic Soluble Fiber fit the bill and are of good value.   I placed an order online for peppermint oil capsules (around 10 bucks) for 30 and 2-3 month supply of fiber powder (30 bucks).  I saw a heat pad laying around and also applied some heat to the affected areas.  Seemed to help the most. 

Went to the grocery store the next morning and bought some Celestial Seasonings Peppermint Tea and bought some anti-gas over-the-counter pills (one that didn’t contain sorbitol, which may hurt intestinal lining).  Seemed to work pretty well. 

In addition to regular exercise, eating more fruits/veggies + fiber powder supplements, peppermint tea (regular basis) and peppermint oil capsules (when symptoms seem imminent), I’m also going to take Probiotics.  The idea is that our gut relies on healthy bacteria eliminating toxins and maintaining good balance is important to maintaining health.  Not sure how much of this is exaggerated but I’m gonna give it a shot.  This site claims it can help everything from diarrhea, canker sores, Crohn’s disease, Pancreatitis (acute), etc.  Going to buy some tomorrow (less than 20 bucks).  Worth a shot. 

I’m feeling a lot better since then and gotta be more proactive about this.