scifi4me2004
07-13-2005, 07:48 AM
I have had IBS for perhaps my whole life. I haven't had it all the time. I have gone years without a bout of diarrhea. Diet and stress played a big role. I think at times because of stress it may have made my body act as if I was allergic to the food, and cause an outburst. I have returned to eating a lot of what I once gave up, because I worried it would cause an outburst .
In January I had food poisoning, pork related and I was sick for 4 days with violent diarrhea and cramping. I did not go to the doctors, because by the time I realized I had food poisoning and not IBS two days had passed.
By January end I had experienced two IBS outbursts and realized that the incident with the pork probably spiraled my body into a cycle of problems . I began to read up on what I could do to cleanse my system. Antibiotics in the past had caused my IBS to become worse. Then I awoke to painful urination and burning and heaviness in my bladder. Yes I should have went to the doctor, because I suddenly realized I probably had inadvertently caused myself a UTI.
So I went in to see the doctor, who took the usual labs and found nothing irregular with my urine but sent me home with Zithromax for 3 days and call if I wasn't better. Two weeks went by and I just didn't seem better. I went back in, another set of labs, another nothing unusual and recommended to see a specialist. My symptoms were: burning after urination, heavy urethral feeling, heavy bladder, didn't feel emptied after voiding, dribbling, spasms, and approx 16 voids in a 12 hour period.
Then I found this board. :) First thing I did was stock up on Evian water and Uristat. My appointment with the specialist was 2 weeks to come yet, so I wanted to do everything I could to better my situation. I was really scared. I read the diet for IC and realized I was eating soooooo much of the bad stuff. I really had had a high acid diet for years. I outsted my soda, my "fruit juice-(really all sugar)" my cranberry juice, my tomato sauces, even my daily yogurt. I stopped taking baths, as our city water is high in everything and went back to good old showers. I took uristat for one month straight twice daily. I kept a diary and measured my voids and did kegels and attempted to void on a schedule-once hourly to retrain my bladder. When I was in my worst flare I could hold just 4 oz, 5 mths later I am back to 12 oz. I was voiding 16 times in 12 hours, I am voiding 6-8 times in 12 hours now.
I should mention a supplement I had started that I stopped 3 mths ago and noticed a huge improvement. I was taking FLAX with my evening meal and had begun taking flax about 2 weeks after my food poisoning incident in Jan.
I went to the specialist mid Feb and he wouldn't even utter the diagnosis. I had googled what my doctor had told me he thought it was, so even I knew what I had. The specialist stated- "your bladder is hiccuping and upset", "there are little raised red bumps that will go away". I asked"How?" and he said" give it a couple months and they will go away on their own" This happens, he said. He suggested further tests and perhaps medication if this didn't occur in 2 mths.
Then I read most urologists don't really care or would rather deal with men and their issues. That told me enough. I have since terminated my family doctor and continue to search for one that wouldn't feel the need to refer me to such an insensitive specialist. So I came home, continued with my Evian, my uristat for one month total, my special diet of low to no acidity. I continued to journal, I also took my vitals everyday, increased walking and kept up with bladder retraining, and kegels.
Beginning May I was nearly 100% improved. I was spasming only around ovulation and day two of my period. I had 3 upsetting days -personal problems in the month of May and only 1 of the incidents sparked a flare.
June- Flare free even with a personal upset and as stated above voiding normal amounts again, voiding at normal intervals. I stick to my diet but I do still eat a bit of chocolate and I love fruit. Biggest items to drop were soda, juice, flax, yogurt, spicy anything. Goes without saying by doing the above diet restrictions I no longer have indigestion/heartburn.
For me, even with my knowledge of what stress can do, I am unable to curb my bodies reaction to it. I have never done well handling stress. When I drank and smoked I felt I did better. In the last few years I gave up both vices and I am left to my own defenses. I am relieved with my improvements and would like to thank all that contribute to this forum for contributing and for being here when I needed information. I will continue to check in and see if I can be of any help to someone else.
In January I had food poisoning, pork related and I was sick for 4 days with violent diarrhea and cramping. I did not go to the doctors, because by the time I realized I had food poisoning and not IBS two days had passed.
By January end I had experienced two IBS outbursts and realized that the incident with the pork probably spiraled my body into a cycle of problems . I began to read up on what I could do to cleanse my system. Antibiotics in the past had caused my IBS to become worse. Then I awoke to painful urination and burning and heaviness in my bladder. Yes I should have went to the doctor, because I suddenly realized I probably had inadvertently caused myself a UTI.
So I went in to see the doctor, who took the usual labs and found nothing irregular with my urine but sent me home with Zithromax for 3 days and call if I wasn't better. Two weeks went by and I just didn't seem better. I went back in, another set of labs, another nothing unusual and recommended to see a specialist. My symptoms were: burning after urination, heavy urethral feeling, heavy bladder, didn't feel emptied after voiding, dribbling, spasms, and approx 16 voids in a 12 hour period.
Then I found this board. :) First thing I did was stock up on Evian water and Uristat. My appointment with the specialist was 2 weeks to come yet, so I wanted to do everything I could to better my situation. I was really scared. I read the diet for IC and realized I was eating soooooo much of the bad stuff. I really had had a high acid diet for years. I outsted my soda, my "fruit juice-(really all sugar)" my cranberry juice, my tomato sauces, even my daily yogurt. I stopped taking baths, as our city water is high in everything and went back to good old showers. I took uristat for one month straight twice daily. I kept a diary and measured my voids and did kegels and attempted to void on a schedule-once hourly to retrain my bladder. When I was in my worst flare I could hold just 4 oz, 5 mths later I am back to 12 oz. I was voiding 16 times in 12 hours, I am voiding 6-8 times in 12 hours now.
I should mention a supplement I had started that I stopped 3 mths ago and noticed a huge improvement. I was taking FLAX with my evening meal and had begun taking flax about 2 weeks after my food poisoning incident in Jan.
I went to the specialist mid Feb and he wouldn't even utter the diagnosis. I had googled what my doctor had told me he thought it was, so even I knew what I had. The specialist stated- "your bladder is hiccuping and upset", "there are little raised red bumps that will go away". I asked"How?" and he said" give it a couple months and they will go away on their own" This happens, he said. He suggested further tests and perhaps medication if this didn't occur in 2 mths.
Then I read most urologists don't really care or would rather deal with men and their issues. That told me enough. I have since terminated my family doctor and continue to search for one that wouldn't feel the need to refer me to such an insensitive specialist. So I came home, continued with my Evian, my uristat for one month total, my special diet of low to no acidity. I continued to journal, I also took my vitals everyday, increased walking and kept up with bladder retraining, and kegels.
Beginning May I was nearly 100% improved. I was spasming only around ovulation and day two of my period. I had 3 upsetting days -personal problems in the month of May and only 1 of the incidents sparked a flare.
June- Flare free even with a personal upset and as stated above voiding normal amounts again, voiding at normal intervals. I stick to my diet but I do still eat a bit of chocolate and I love fruit. Biggest items to drop were soda, juice, flax, yogurt, spicy anything. Goes without saying by doing the above diet restrictions I no longer have indigestion/heartburn.
For me, even with my knowledge of what stress can do, I am unable to curb my bodies reaction to it. I have never done well handling stress. When I drank and smoked I felt I did better. In the last few years I gave up both vices and I am left to my own defenses. I am relieved with my improvements and would like to thank all that contribute to this forum for contributing and for being here when I needed information. I will continue to check in and see if I can be of any help to someone else.