Experiences

Today Show Highlights Gastroparesis

On Sept 2nd, 2010 the Today show ran a segment on Gentrie McKall Hansen, a girl, who recently was diagnosed with Gastroparesis & underwent surgery for an Enterra neuro-stimulator implant. I am glad Gastroparesis is getting some national attention. Her story highlights major issues with our medical system here in the United States. So many things are written off as being “in your head” or mental problems. We’re starting to have a problem with “fast food” doctors, who do not truly care about or listen to their patients or possibly are under immense pressure to push patients in & out the door. I think another story that highlights this is Michael Douglas’ recent diagnosis of stage 4 throat cancer, even though he had been trying to find the reason for his sore throat and ear ache for months, no one caught his cancer early until now. It makes me angry, isn’t the United States supposedly the best healthcare system in the world?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

References:
Gentrie’s Hunger Game
Gentrie McKall Hansen’s facebook
G-PACT
Gastroparesis & Dysmotilities Association
Living With Gastroparesis

Align Probiotic For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Update

Align Probiotic For Irritable Bowel Syndrome Update

[Buy Align Probiotics from Amazon.com]

This is a follow-up to my post “Align Probiotics Review: First Glance“. I did have some time to try out Align Probiotics and see how they worked out for me. Check out below for a week by week run-down.

Week #1

Week  #1 started out pretty well. I did notice that I was dealing with some aches and fatigue, possibly due to Align clearing out toxins or possibly due to something else entirely(I am known to get sinus infections randomly). Within a few days these aches and pains stopped. I think I did start to see some benefit from Align almost immediately. Improvements such as not having to go to the bathroom as often, bowel movements feeling more complete & perhaps even less gas/cramping. Having the pills labeled by the day of the week was pretty handy to keep on top of taking it. I tried to take it the same time each day.

Week #2

Continued improvement, but maybe not as large a leap as the first week. Things seem pretty stable. Maybe a small amount of constipation this week ,but not too bad. I think Align is probably a bit more gentle due to only having 1 billion colony forming units versus other products promoting having 6 billion or sometimes 20 – 50 billion colony forming units.

Week #3

This is where our story goes a bit south for Align. I started having chronic constipation again and even started getting some mild lower abdominal pain. Mild nausea also, probably from being constipated. This is pretty typical for me when my body has decided to go south on the probiotics. Also during this time I was under some stress, so perhaps this played a part in it as well. So ultimately I do not blame Align probiotics for fouling up, but rather I just have a touchy system.

Week 4

Unfortunately, at this junction I decided to discontinue taking Align probiotics, in hopes of reliving some of the constipation. Also the stress eased up in my life during this time as well.

Conclusion

I do not think that Align is a faulty product and actually it’s been the most successful probiotic I’ve used. I have a very touchy system and have had much less luck with other probiotics.  I definitely think Align probiotics are worth trying, especially if you’re suffering from Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

[Buy Align Probiotics from Amazon.com]

Special thanks to Proctor & Gamble for supplying the samples of Align Probiotics.

Tribute to The Best Toilet Paper In The World

Tribute to The Best Toilet Paper In The World

Yes! That’s right, I am going to praise Conttonelle & their excellent Aloe & E toilet paper. Those with digestive problems are going to be using more TP than the average person. A lot of TP out there, even though it’s soft, doesn’t mean it doesn’t cause wear & tear after awhile. Plus there are some products out there that are too soft, almost like you’re using a blanket. Probably the best thing about Cotonelle Aloe & E is that it has Aloe & E in it, which is good for your skin and helps prevent irritation from occurring.

I looked high and low for an Aloe & E toilet paper product locally & Cottonelle Aloe & E was the only one I found & it works marvelously. Perhaps in your area you may have more choices, but I would strongly suggest you find one with Aloe in it or get Cottonelle Aloe & E. If you cannot find it locally you can buy Cottonelle Aloe & E in bulk from Amazon.com, which if I didn’t have it locally, I’d probably do it.

Plus, who doesn’t like a cute puppy on the packaging :)?

Trigger Foods and Valentine’s Day.

Trigger Foods and Valentine’s Day.

So it was Valentine’s day last Sunday, for which I decided to make a cake for my girlfriend. Unfortunately cakes usually do not agree with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. On top of this I was making an Asian style pork roast(ginger, soy sauce, honey, garlic, etc..), rice & steamed carrots + broccoli. Overall the meal was quite good, the only problem was that pesky cake.

Trigger foods for me are usually fatty foods that are low in fiber, plus dairy is rarely good unless something has broken it down. Cheeses are okay, so is sour cream. Plain milk is a no-no.Sometimes it’s a matter of mixing a trigger food in with something so it doesn’t bother you as much.

I’ve had experiences with cake in the past that worked out just fine. For example once I ate a white w/ cream cheese frosting without problems or very little problem. This most recent cake had the markings of being something that would probably cause me trouble. It had butter, oil, whole eggs  & milk in it. On top of those items, I was putting a whipped cream frosting on it. Truly it was digestive Armageddon. I was praying to the mighty Digestive Gods to let this one slip by, when I was eating a slice. Unfortunately the Gods were angry & I paid for it a couple hours later with mega-D & discomfort the entire evening.

Ultimately it’s frustrating what with not being able to enjoy the food you make or food others can eat with no problem. Also frustrating is how trigger foods can change from week to week or month to month. Best bet is to probably just stay away from things so loaded with trigger foods. Maybe you can sneak 1 or 2 trigger foods here and there, but not a gut bomb like that cake.

Do you notice your trigger foods change from time to time? What are your trigger foods? Leave a comment, it’d be interesting to know.

Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits for IBS/GERD

Apple Cider Vinegar Benefits for IBS/GERD

Apple Cider Vinegar has a lot of buzz going for it on the internet and the natural health circuit. It can reportedly help with all sorts of problems ranging from gout to heartburn to weight-loss. While a lot of these claims haven’t been proven, I decided to give it a try.

Vinegar is fermented apple juice, yeast help break the apple juice to an alcohol & then bacteria break it down into the sour substance we know. Most commercial vinegar we see in supermarket shelves has been filtered & pasteurized, possibly even distilled(clear). What you want to look for is Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar, as the other products have had all their “goodness” boiled out of them.

As far as digestion goes Apple Cider Vinegar is suppose to work two ways:

• 1) It increases acidity in the stomach which helps digest food. Now people with heartburn might think this is a bad thing, but in some cases heartburn/indigestion is caused by a lack of acid, not too much.
• 2) It has something called “mother” which is the cloudy unfiltered stuff in the vinegar. Most people purport the “mother” as being the source of Apple Cider Vinegars healing powers. Reading up on it though “mother” is an ice way of saying “dead bacteria & fermentation byproducts”. There really may not be a whole lot of  stuff inside the “mother” that does anything. It is not dangerous to drink though.

Apple Cider Vinegar on it’s own is too acidic to drink, so it is recommended to mix about 1 tablespoon(15ml) with 8oz(235ml) of water, plus you’ll probably want to add something to sweeten it a bit. It’s strongly advised to use natural sweeteners like honey instead of refined white sugar. I wonder about Turbinado or Panela sugars, as these are raw sugars without excess refining. The flavor after sweetening is like a sour apple juice.

Results were iffy. They seemed similar to results I received with digestive enzymes. Some days it seemed to help, other days it seemed to make my symptoms worse. One meal I’d feel less bloated, another day I’d feel more bloated and sometimes nauseated. Overall I do not think the apple cider vinegar helped a whole lot, but heck it’s pretty cheap & worth a try if you’re suffering from some sort of digestive malady. There is very little harm or risk of side-effect so long as you are taking it with water.

Where to Buy Raw Apple Cider Vinegar?

You can get Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar or Apple Cider Vinegar Tablets from Puritan’s Pride.

Preventing and Treating Oral Sores

While this isn’t directly digestion related, I am here with a terrible pain in my mouth due to the evils of oral sores(may also be called canker sores) & it’s kinda the only thing on my mind right now. Not only do I have one sore, but I actually have two, on top of having two sores, they are both on my tongue! Normally I do not get sores on my tongue, but I guess I am just super lucky this time around. I thought I was getting over the one on the back-bottom of my tongue, only to accidentally bite down on my the front of my tongue, causing another sore to form. So instead of hearing about my woes, let’s get down to some basics and try to think of solutions to these sores, as I am sure if you’ve dealt with them, you already know that they’re a pain in the but… mouth… ;)

What is an Oral/Canker Sore?

To put it bluntly, a sore is essentially an open wound that forms usually as a reaction to something. It actually seems to be worse than a cut or a gash caused by physical trauma(although physical trauma can lead up to a sore) because the interior of the sore is ultra sensitive & unlike wounds, they take their sweet sweet time to heal.

What causes an Oral/Canker Sore to form?

This is a good question, there is no definitive answer. There are illnesses/diseases that can cause sores, most notably people think of herpes. Just because you get oral sores, does not mean you have herpes. This association with herpes has lead to a stigma regarding oral sores which may prevent people from openly discussing it.

Other things that can cause sores are allergic reactions to things like toothpaste or mouthwash, auto-immune disorders, physical trauma or stress.

What are the symptoms?

Usually a person developing a sore will have mild soreness at a certain area, with redness. Usually sores start as a tiny red dot. This dot may tingle or even have an ‘itch’ to it. It may also taste somewhat metallic. As the sore develops the dot gets bigger and usually a ridge forms around the outer edge of the sore. The interior might develop a white film on it. If pressure is applied to the edges of the sore, it may start to bleed.

Usually pain is mild at first, however as the sore becomes bigger, it’s sensitivity increases dramatically. This leads to the sore progressively becoming more painful until pain levels peak for a few days and then the sore starts to heal, reducing in size and pain levels.

This entire process usually takes between 7 – 14 days, though it could be more or less depending on your situation.

How do you prevent oral sores?

While there is no 100% sure fire way to prevent oral sores, there are some things you can do that may help:

• Try to reduce stress. This is something that would help the world in general. The problem is that the world can be a stressful place. I always feel that this suggestion almost puts blame on the sufferer. It is true that stress can lead to sores. Stress puts strain on the the immune system & in some cases the sores may be caused by an immune system related.
• Get proper sleep. Another basic, that is easily said, not always easily implemented. This is a valid way of reducing stress. Try turning in a bit earlier so you are getting a full 7 – 8hrs each night.
• Proper oral hygiene. Keeping a proper oral hygiene regimen can be very helpful. Try to find a toothpaste & mouthwash that works best for you. It has been suggested that the ingredient “Sodium Lauryl Sulfate” can lead to canker sores, but this hasn’t been definitively proven. You could try Tom’s of Maine SLS Free Natural Toothpaste. I seem to have better luck with anti-septic alcohol based mouthwashes than the alternative alcohol free ones. Your mileage may vary though.
• Get a mouth guard. Some people have reported that grinding their teeth at night exacerbates the problem. Getting a well fitted mouth guard from your dentist can help. These are not cheap though.
• Supplement Lysine, Glutamine & Vitamin A*. Lysine & Glutamine are amino acids which are helpful with regards to healing. Lysine, has been shown in some cases to help with healing of sores. By taking them as part of a supplement routine you may be able to help prevent sores from forming. *Vitamin A is helpful with healing the skin, however most people get enough Vitamin A in their basic diets. Too much Vitamin A can be bad for you. I’d only suggest supplementing it if you already have a sore or know you’re lacking in Vitamin A.

What should I do at the onset of an Oral sore?

• Start taking Lysine/Glutamine supplements.
• Be extra diligent with your oral hygiene. If you’ve been slacking time to kick it into high gear. You can try some of the rinses suggested below. This doesn’t mean being brutal with your gums though! ;)
• Avoid acidic foods. Not only can they be painful, but they may irritate and promote the sore to become larger.
• Get plenty of sleep. Sleep is healing, especially for conditions where the body may be attacking itself. You may find yourself more tired when dealing with a sore as well, so this may not be hard. Indulge yourself and take those cat-naps or sleep-in.
• Get a treatment option via prescription for either Kenalog(Triamcinolone, a steriod) in Orabase paste or Debacterol(chemical cauterizing & band-aid agent). Keep in mind that regular Orabase does NOT contain any steroid.  If you can’t see/afford a doctor, try ORA5. You might want to order these before you start to develop a sore as they could take some time to arrive in the mail or get from a pharmacy.

How do you treat an oral sore after it’s formed?

You can still try any of the above. I would strongly suggest keeping up with the Lysine, Glutamine & possibly the Vitamin A supplementation. Getting a prescription option like Kenalog in Orabase or Debacterol would definitely be of benefit, or ORA5 if you can’t get to a doctor. There are some other things you can try though.

Oral Rinses:

Keeping a clean mouth, reduces germs in the mouth which could further irritate the sore. This is especially important after a meal.

• Mouthwash. I’d suggest an anti-septic mouthwash.
• Hydrogen Peroxide. Mix equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide.
• An Oral Wound Cleanser such as Amosan.
• Salt rinse. Two teaspoons salt to one cup of warm water.

Pain Relief:

• Menthol Throat Drops, preferably one that does not contain a citrus flavor. These worked surprisingly well at curbing the pain. Better than the Benzocaine which seemed to wear off after only a few minutes.
• Benzocaine is found in many products. Similar to novocaine, it has a numbing affect. It can be a bit painful to put on at first. Some products have a bad flavor to them. Supposedly Orabase is pretty good. I don’t like how Ambesol tastes, plus it has a tendency to get all over your mouth and make random spots numb.
• Canker Sore Covers are gel like patches that you can stick over dissolves over the sore and protects it, hopefully preventing pain.
• Some suggested remedies “work” by overstimulating the nerves, thus they get “worn out” and the pain subsides temporarily because of this. So something that seems like it “works” may really just be irritating the sore and causing this reaction. Just keep that in mind. :)

Alternative Remedies:

There are some alternative remedies that I’ve read on the web which I am not quite sure about, but are here for your information.

• Alum is a substance which you might find in the spice aisle of your local supermarket. It is suggested to roll a wet q-tip in Alum and then firmly press the q-tip against the sore. Alum looks to be an acidic compound which I think could possibly irritate.
• Raisins. Some one suggested splitting open a raisin and placing it on the sore. Not sure how that’s going to help???
• Silver Nitrate. This is an antimicrobial, it is also destructive to mucous membranes. Prolonged use or in high doses could be bad for your health.
• Beeswax or cocoa oil. I don’t know enough about these, but I guess wax could form a seal around the the sore. It is very stiff though and I don’t want to be dragging something with the properties of a crayon across an open sore.

Hopefully this has been of some help, if you have any tips or remedies. Please, do leave a comment :)!

Digestive Enzymes & Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)

What Are Digestive Enzymes And Do They Help IBS?

Digestive enzymes are proteins that have the function of breaking down different types of food matter. Different enzymes work on different types of food matter.

Enzymes are important for the proper digestion of our food. Most people are capable of producing enough enzymes on their own, thus adding more may not be of much benefit. However, adding more usually doesn’t do any harm either. It can be hard to tell if you body is deficient at producing enough enzymes, so ultimately it is worth trying. Problems that are occurring in the upper digestive system, could lead to issues later on in the lower digestive system.

I personally did not see major improvement after taking digestive enzymes. At some points I felt a bit more nauseated after taking a digestive enzyme pill before eating, however this probably has more to do with me overeating during these occasions rather than the enzymes causing the problem themselves.

What Kind of Enzyme Products?:

What you should look for is a vegetable based product that contains a majority or all of the enzymes listed below(see the Enzyme Glossary). Animal based products may not be as stable in the gut. Not all these Enzymes work in the stomach, some work in the small intestine, so it’s important they’re not destroyed before leaving the stomach.

I would suggest trying the following products:

• Advanced Enzyme System from Rainbow Light
• Now Foods Plant Enzymes
• Enzymatic’s CompleteGest
• Renew Life’s Digest More Ultra

You may also want to try :bromelain: separately as it has been shown to reduce inflammation & do other things, like help with sinus congestion. You’ll want to find one mixed with Quercetin, which is a plant-derived flavonoid. The main thing is that Quercetin has been shown to help with things like heart disease, cancers & respiratory illnesses. Might as well bundle two good things together at once :)!

I’d recommend Now Foods’ Quercetin with Bromelain.

How To Take Enzymes

One method is to take an enzyme pill with water about 15 – 30 minutes before you start eating a meal. Alternatively you can can open the pill itself and mix the enzyme powder with other foods, such as apple sauce.

If you feel that taking enzymes are improving your symptoms you can try increasing the dosage amount. If you feel they’re making your symptoms worse, stop taking them or reduce the amount you’re taking. You can try adding more later. Ultimately it will be your call, just beware it can take some time(weeks) before you start seeing a change. Take it slow and monitor how you’re feeling daily.

Here’s a quick “Enzyme Glossary” which may be of some use:

• Protein Enzymes(Protease)
  • Pepsin – Breaks proteins into peptides(smaller proteins “chains”).
  • Trypsin – Created by the pancreas, it too helps break down proteins into peptides.
  • Peptidase – Breaks peptides into amino acids(building blocks for proteins).
  • Bromelain – Does not occur normally in animals. It comes from pineapple & breaks down proteins. It has anti-flammatory qualities.
  • Papain – Similar to Bromelain except derived from the Papaya fruit.

• Starch & Sugar Enzymes(Amylase)
  • Lactase – Breaks down the milk sugar, lactose.
  • Diastase – Breaks down vegetable starches.
  • Sucrase – Breaks down sugars & starches.
  • Maltase – Breaks down malt sugars.

• Lipase – Breaks down fats.

• Cellulase – Breaks down mainly plant fibers.

New direction for my IBS treatment.

New direction for my IBS treatment.

I am taking another stab at trying to tame my IBS. So I’ve emptied my wallet a bit to invest in some supplements and herbal remedies to see how they’re going to fair. I’ll be sure to relay how they work out in the coming weeks.

Here is what I am trying:

• Iberogast – an herbal pro-kinetic/motility formula. Basically it aids in moving food through your digestive system properly. It’s all natural, which is a definite plus.
• Psyllium Husks - A soluble fiber. I’ve tried Acacia fiber before and the results were constipating. It appears soluble fiber slows the gut down. This might be what you want if you’re suffering from chronic diarrhea, but for me it slowed it down a bit too much. Perhaps I’ll have different luck with Psyllium Husk. I’ve come to notice that bean fiber seems to actually be the most beneficial fiber I’ve eaten so far. So maybe I should look more in the direction of an insoluble fiber for future experiments.
• Magnesium Oxide – Aids in attracting water to the gut, it’s considered more of a diarrhetic. Helpful in keeping things moving.
• Primadophilus Junior – This is a probiotic product made by Nature’s Way. It contains B. Infantis, which has been shown to help with IBS symptoms. It’s got 3 billion CFUs(colony forming units), which is less than most other probiotic products. This is a good thing for me, as I feel too high a CFU count to start off with leads to problems for some people. Mainly I’ve dealt with constipation after taking probiotics. I hope to avoid it by taking the Psyllium Husk & Magnesium.
• NSI B-12 Methylcobalamin – Methylcobalamin is a highly absorbable variety of B12. It helps with the nervous system, plus it’s suppose to help with fatigue & energy levels.

I got the NSI B-12 Methylcobalamin in yesterday & the Iberogast in today. I am still waiting on the other stuff. I’ll do a write-up and hopefully post some pictures as well in the next coming days. Stay Tuned :)!

Living With Gastroparesis Blog.

Came across the Living With Gastroparesis Blog while looking up information on Iberogast. If you’re dealing with GP, know someone who has or are just interested in GP as a digestive ailment, you should check it out. She is currently in the process of getting an Enterra Gastric Pacemaker calibrated. Her message about being your own advocate, I sincerely agree with, as all to often digestive ailments are overlooked or not given the concern they deserve in the medical field. I still have quite a bit of anger over how my dealings with GP were handled back in 2006 by an out to lunch medical system.  I am wishing her the best and I’d suggest checking out her blog. :)

Meditation’s Usefulness for IBS & Illness

When I was dealing with Gastroparesis I suffered from extreme anxiety & had very bad sleep problems. I don’t think anyone wants to be ill like you are with Gastroparesis day in and day out, it will drive a person crazy. Also none of my doctors really wanted to admit at the time that I had a physical problem and were feeding me the line that it was in my head. They could not find anything wrong physically with me, so it of course, had to be mental – this is what doctors like to do when they can’t figure out the problem; blame the patient.

During this time period I did see a real psychiatrist & a counselor to supposedly help me deal with my problems. Perhaps the only useful thing I got out of these visits was the suggestion of meditation. In my view though, meditation can only go so far to help a person who is really suffering from an ailment.  Perhaps it’s just me as I am very analytical & suspicious of things, so it’s hard for me to let go and assume that clearing ones mind & breathing deep is going to result in actual healing. Perhaps though meditation isn’t really meant to be a healing mechanism(though some may have positive results from it), it’s more of a coping mechanism.

My counselor recommended a book called Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness  written by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I was willing to try anything at the time, so I bought the book. The book is somewhat interesting, it details how Jon helped people in chronic pain use meditation to reduce or alleviate the suffering they were experiencing from it. As for how this helped my gastroparesis situation, unfortunately I can’t give it any accolades there. I was still anxious and suggestions in the book did not really help me a whole lot. Ultimately getting over my gastroparesis(thanks possible to a B-Complex) allowed me to greatly reduce my anxiety & slowly get off of Prozac. I am sure people who recover from illness or injury feel a great deal of mental relief, unfortunately this doesn’t happen for everyone though.

The book was not all lost on me though. The deep breathing exercises, which arguably are one of the fundamentals of the book and of meditation in general, do indeed help me out from time to time. Just last night I was feeling a little bloated & the stomach was gurgling while lying in bed getting ready to sleep. I placed my hand on my stomach, breathed in deeply expanding the stomach, breathed out slowly retracting the stomach. I repeated this multiple times. This technique did help quite a bit. I am not sure if it was the mind easing off of the discomfort or perhaps the expansion of my stomach helped it digest better. Regardless, it did help.

Ultimately others may find meditation more useful than I have. Perhaps it’s my mind set, I am usually always pondering stuff and thinking of different fixes for my IBS or my life in general or other people’s lives… It’s hard to just let go. I do like relaxation though, light music, warm room, warm tea, resting… Very comfortable. Digestive sufferers should set aside some time to do something peaceful & quiet, to help the soul & the body. Perhaps it’s a warm bath or shower or reading a book. Though it’s understandable if this is difficult to do for some. Life already has enough drama in it, adding IBS or some other illness on top of it, just makes things that much harder to handle. Hopefully though, everyone out there will find some relaxation and comfort, at least once in awhile.

Vitamin D & Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Vitamin D & Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Was browsing over @ IBSGroup.org & found a blog post by user ‘absoluterob’ about Vitamin D deficiency. It is an interesting post on how Vitamin D can help reduce inflammation. Vitamin D is known as ”the sunshine vitamin’ since most people produce it naturally by being out in the sun. I don’t get a whole lot of sunlight during my day & a lot of people in the northern hemisphere probably don’t get a lot either. Besides helping with inflammation it also helps with mood. Seasonal Affective Disorder which is basically seasonal depression is  suspected to be caused by lack of sunlight/Vitamin D production. So overall it would seem like supplementing Vitamin D would be a wise idea.

I myself have a cabinet full of the alphabet vitamins(A, B, C, D & E). I’ve dabbled a bit with different supplements, but haven’t really been on a regular supplement regimen except for a Vitamin B complex, which I take religiously as I credit it for helping me when I was dealing with Gastroparesis. I did find some Vitamin D left over and took some today. Can’t say anything amazing happened immediately, but like most things, it takes time. A lot of vitamins seem to have a funky compounding agent that can cause me to get constipated, so I need to be careful with what I take. There do appear to be some soft gel pills available for Vitamin D, this may help reduce the risk of constipation or stomach upset. The suggested intake for Vitamin D ranges from 1000mcg – 5000mcg. Dosages vary by product. I am definitely going to be investigating some other brands as I feel the generic “Rite-Ad Pharmacy” brand I have may be somewhat lacking. If I find a good one, I’ll be sure to post it.

Edit:

After looking over some different Vitamin D products, I’d suggest VITAMIN D (D-3) 1000 I.U.-1000 iu-200-Softgels.

My IBS Saga Update:

Over the last week I’ve had some serious constipation with overall bloated and sluggish feelings. Today I think my system decided it was time to clear itself out. Don’t feel as stuffed up now, but the fatigue is still there. I am under stress with my job & I think it’s taking it’s toll on me physically & mentally. It can be hard to be positive sometimes when dealing with IBS. You can start to get feelings of being trapped. At least getting something up here on this blog is helpful & makes me feel better. :)

-Best Wishes.