profhucklebee
11-06-2009, 11:30 AM
This may be controversial for the IBS thread, it isn't meant to be.
A year and a half ago I met with a new primary care doctor and had a new patient physical.
I told my new doctor that I had been diagnosed with IC, and also with IBS, that I had been struggling with for over 8 years. My new doctor did the regular physical, and drew blood, so that she could have on file a 'baseline' for future reference.
She also tested my blood for H. Pylori, unbeknownst to me. Okay, I am not a doctor, and my definition will be less than great; but suffice it to say that I was tested, tested positive, and we went from there.
H. Pylori is controversial, so I recommend you do your own study--or better yet, just ask your doctor! Short definition (not my own): Helicobacter pylori is a spiral shaped bacterium that lives in the stomach. It has a unique way of adapting to the harsh, acidic environment. Since its discovery back in 1983, it has been studied rather extensively and believed by many in the allopathic medical community to play an important role in the development of gastritis and peptic ulcers.
The treatment I did was 2 strong antibiotics at the same time, and a prescription antacid. The treatment made me wish I was dead near the end, because my body was already fairly depressed from all the IC issues on top. BUT: I haven't had an IBS 'flare' for over a year and a half. I did the antibiotic treatments in June of 2008, afterwards I took probiotics in pill form for about 3 weeks, and stayed on my regime of Heather's Tummy Fiber, and now I only do the tummy fiber when I feel like I am going to have diarrhea. And I almost never have diarrhea--like 2 or 3 times in a year and a half! I was having diarrhea like all day every day before the 'treatment'.
As I said, the H. Pylori issue is controversial; with conflicting studies. But, for me personally (which is all I can speak of) being treated for H. Pylori was like a miracle... and I am now not even sure if I ever had true IBS, even though I had multiple doctors telling me I did, and all of the obvious symptoms of IBS.
Let me know if anyone else has had this experience.
ps) Fixing the diarrhea had a significant impact on my IC symptoms, because it has allowed at least my bowels to 'normalize' and be less irritated. Who would have ever thought that something so simple would have made such a significant difference... especially since I had been on antibiotic after antibiotic for 'bladder infections' that really weren't bladder infections at all, but IC. But the treatment for H.Pylori requires more than simple antibiotics, the antacid is key, because it removes the secret hiding place for those nasty critters. And I didn't think I even said anything to my primary that would have caused her test for that specifically... she just did it.
A year and a half ago I met with a new primary care doctor and had a new patient physical.
I told my new doctor that I had been diagnosed with IC, and also with IBS, that I had been struggling with for over 8 years. My new doctor did the regular physical, and drew blood, so that she could have on file a 'baseline' for future reference.
She also tested my blood for H. Pylori, unbeknownst to me. Okay, I am not a doctor, and my definition will be less than great; but suffice it to say that I was tested, tested positive, and we went from there.
H. Pylori is controversial, so I recommend you do your own study--or better yet, just ask your doctor! Short definition (not my own): Helicobacter pylori is a spiral shaped bacterium that lives in the stomach. It has a unique way of adapting to the harsh, acidic environment. Since its discovery back in 1983, it has been studied rather extensively and believed by many in the allopathic medical community to play an important role in the development of gastritis and peptic ulcers.
The treatment I did was 2 strong antibiotics at the same time, and a prescription antacid. The treatment made me wish I was dead near the end, because my body was already fairly depressed from all the IC issues on top. BUT: I haven't had an IBS 'flare' for over a year and a half. I did the antibiotic treatments in June of 2008, afterwards I took probiotics in pill form for about 3 weeks, and stayed on my regime of Heather's Tummy Fiber, and now I only do the tummy fiber when I feel like I am going to have diarrhea. And I almost never have diarrhea--like 2 or 3 times in a year and a half! I was having diarrhea like all day every day before the 'treatment'.
As I said, the H. Pylori issue is controversial; with conflicting studies. But, for me personally (which is all I can speak of) being treated for H. Pylori was like a miracle... and I am now not even sure if I ever had true IBS, even though I had multiple doctors telling me I did, and all of the obvious symptoms of IBS.
Let me know if anyone else has had this experience.
ps) Fixing the diarrhea had a significant impact on my IC symptoms, because it has allowed at least my bowels to 'normalize' and be less irritated. Who would have ever thought that something so simple would have made such a significant difference... especially since I had been on antibiotic after antibiotic for 'bladder infections' that really weren't bladder infections at all, but IC. But the treatment for H.Pylori requires more than simple antibiotics, the antacid is key, because it removes the secret hiding place for those nasty critters. And I didn't think I even said anything to my primary that would have caused her test for that specifically... she just did it.