Posts Tagged ‘Irritable Bowel Syndrome’

“Natural” Colon Cleanses May Ultimately Not Be Healthy

Perhaps you’ve heard about all natural colon cleanses that cure your body by ridding toxins and built up waste in your system. Usually these colon cleansing systems are touted as miracle cures for everything from Irritable Bowel Syndrome to Chron’s Disease to even cancers. Unfortunately the truth is that there is no ultimate or best colon cleansing program & in fact most are downright frauds.

How can you detect if a company is trying to scam you with their colon cleansing product?

Well the first question is to ask yourself if you really need to “clean your colon”? The truth is that your body does not normally build up waste that then sticks to the walls of your intestines for years and years, that is a lie. There are conditions that can lead to retaining fecal matter and it becoming impacted or turning into fecalomas(hardened fecal matter), this is usually the result of a serious medical condition and needs to solved by a medical professional. In fact taking a high fiber or stimulating laxative, such as a colon cleanse will probably do more harm than good for people in this situation. So ultimately, if you have a normal intestinal tract, it will not horde poo. If your system is slow at moving stool(typical constipation) then there are better methods(soluable/insoluable fiber, yogurts, juices, magnesium, licorice root) than harsh colon cleanses. If your system truly is blocked then you need to seek medical attention immediately.

What is in a colon cleansing program?

What manufacturers do not want you to know is that essentially what you’re getting are basic fibers, minerals & herbs that have laxative qualities. Some even put cheap gums or gelatin like substances(guar gum, xanthan gum,agar or Carrageenan), which can cause distress for people who don’t tolerate these products. Sometimes you will even find things such as earthen clays mixed in. Usually colon cleansing websites fail to disclose their actual ingredients list or make it extremely difficult to find it. This alone should be a warning sign.

How safe are colon cleansing products?

While most colon cleanse products like to tout that they are “all natural”, “safe for anyone”, & “no interactions with other drugs”, this is again a lie. There can be serious health effects caused by going through a colon cleanse. Basic concerns are things like dehydration & loss of nutrients. If there are certain minerals like magnesium added, this can cause problems for people who are susceptible to kidney, liver or heart problems. Taking medication and then flushing your system is a bad idea as you’re essentially flushing your medication through your body along with everything else. In many cases you should make sure you take any prescribed medications hours before or after taking a colon cleansing product. People who already have issues with chronic diarrhea or have other digestive issues such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Chron’s Disease or diverticulitis should be especially wary of taking a product that, in most cases, will only make their symptoms worse. If you have heart, liver, kidney problems or diabetes you could put yourself in grave danger by voluntarily inducing diarrhea like these products do. If you do take a colon cleansing & have a major health condition you MUST get the entire ingredients list and cross reference it with any medication you are taking to ensure they will not conflict. Last thing you want to find out is that some random herb or mineral is blocking your heart medication.

Since most colon cleanse products are listed as being “supplements” they are not regulated or tested buy the FDA. In all likelihood they haven’t been extensively tested before being released to market.

Are these companies trustworthy?

No they are not. Many colon cleansing product companies have been known to fake testimonials, reviews & even create fake gross-out pictures of their product clearing out “years of waste”. The truth is that in many cases these pictures are either completely made-up or are the dramatic result of the product’s ingredients being excreted, not any actual toxic build-up being removed. Many blogs or websites that promote colon cleansing products are affiliates of the company which means they are getting a cut of each sale. When someone is getting 15 – 20% off of each sale, wouldn’t you think that might lead to a bit of bias? Sites that aren’t directly controlled by a company or it’s affiliates might be inundated with spam. If you are on opinion or review sites, check how long the person who left the review has been a member. In many cases you will find that the person only joined to post a positive review of said product, which is very concerning. For some examples, here are some positive and less than positive Amazon.com reviews for the Dr Natura Colonix program , one person even ended up in the hospital for heart arrhythmia.

Are these products worth the price?

No. The ingredients in colon cleanses are cheap. You can get psyllium husk, magnesium or things like licorice root extremely cheap on your own. It’s not uncommon to find things being advertised for $80 when you could by the supplements at retail for around $20 – $25. It’s a HUGE markup. They may claim they are using higher quality ingredients or they have more overhead. However the majority of their overhead is in advertising not in the quality or efficacy of their product.

Overall the goal here is to make you aware that in many cases these companies do not have your best interest in mind and are out to make a quick buck on a cheap product sold at a high mark-up to people who are desperate.
Buyer Beware.

Ovarian Cancer Can Have Digestion Related Symptoms

Debbie DeAngelo of GoErie.com wrote an article highlighting some interesting things about ovarian cancer which routinely goes undetected due to misinterpreting warning symptoms. I will have to admit that the symptoms are rather vague and could be hard to decipher as being related to ovarian cancer, especially for someone with a chronic digestive disease like Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Chron’s Disease.

Some symptoms too look out for are:

“…abdominal bloating, increased abdominal size and urinary urgency.”

as well as:

“…feeling full after a small meal, unexplained weight loss, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, fatigue and abnormal uterine bleeding.”

Factors that could put you at risk are:

…[a] personal history of breast cancer, family history of breast, uterine, ovarian or colorectal cancer, certain breast cancer genes and use of fertility drugs, especially without achieving pregnancy.

Check out the full article on GoErie.com.

Living With Irritable Bowel Syndrome – Video

YouTube user rickvanman has a two-part video explaining his experiences with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. He explains both the physical and mental toll IBS can take on the sufferer. I can completely relate his experiences to my own while dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome. You can view the videos below, also check out his IBS website.

PART 1:

PART 2:

Fecal Transplantation Helps With Chron’s, IBS, Clostridium difficile Infection.

I am sure your mind must be pondering, “that title doesn’t mean what I think it means”, well actually it means exactly what you’re probably thinking. The first time I heard about fecal transplantation was when my girlfriend discussed it after seeing an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. I thought it was a joke, no way they would really do that. Thanks to the internet and research, it turns out it is indeed not a joke, but an actual procedure that has helped many people.

Fecal transplantation is simply taking stool from a donor who has a healthy, functional digestive system and implanting it into the affected patient. A poo slurry is created with saline, stool & in some cases added fiber. This is done with a blender(you probably won’t want to make smoothies in this thing afterward). Implantation can be done in different ways, such as via enema, colonoscopy or naso-jejunal tube. This is repeated for 5 – 10 days.

The idea behind fecal transplantation is that the sufferer with the disease is suffering from a bacterial/microbial imbalance in their digestive system. There are literally thousand and thousands of different types of microbes and bacteria in our bodies. If you are missing certain types then you will have an imbalance that will either cause problems with digesting food or allow harmful invaders to setup shop in your digestive system. Since you won’t have the good bacteria available to fight off the infection, this can cause long-term problems. This is the case with Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that is extremely hard to get rid of with normal antibiotics or by the immune system. Also in some cases Chron’s Disease may be the bodies response to invading bacteria, but since it has trouble penetrating the gut to attack the bacteria, it instead inflicts damage on the gut itself.

One thing that is interesting is that many people who had a a history of taking antibiotics seemed more likely to see improvement after transplantation. Antibiotics are known to wipe out your bacterial flora. When I was little I went through many ear infections which involved many doses of antibiotics. I am wondering if this might play some part in my Irritable Bowel Syndrome. A lot of this is theory, but the facts are that fecal transplantation is real and has had beneficial results for many people.

Prof. Thomas Borody has been pioneering this technique in Australia at the Centre for Digestive Diseases. There hasn’t been much effort taking place in the United States, though there are some Gastro doctors who may be willing to entertain the idea. There have been suggestions that the University of Chicago has been holding focus groups regarding fecal transplants & possibly seeking a grant to do further research. There is nothing on their website right now confirming this though.

If you are in the US or UK or you’re not a character on a Grey’s Anatomy episode, you might try doing this on your own. Some enterprising individuals have taken up doing the job of doing it on their own by recruiting stool from their spouse or family. Some have had surprisingly good results as far as combating Chron’s or Irritable Bowel Syndrome symptoms. Here is a very informative discussion from the HealingWell.com forums with experiences from people who have done the procedure themselves.

Have you done fecal transplantation? Are you a doctor researching it? Comment or e-mail and tell me your story.

References:

• Research & Instruction Pamphlet For ‘Home Infusion Protocol’
• Probiotic Therapy Research Centre
• Centre For Digestive Diseases – Staff Information

Salmonella Egg Recall Sickens Over A Thousand People

Well the giant egg recall is big news right now as it just keeps getting bigger and bigger and unfortunately more and more people are getting ill from it. The day before this recall was issued I had made some french toast which used quite a bit of eggs in it. Luckily the carton of eggs I had in the fridge were not part of the recall since I got them about two weeks before the recall happened(I don’t use a lot of eggs). Needless to say, I will not be making french toast for awhile.

One thing I am wondering is why so many people are getting sick. Salmonella is a bacteria that does die when heated to 165F or above. I have a feeling that many people who are getting sick are possibly mishandling the eggs or not cooking their eggs thoroughly. There are also possibilities of accidental gross contamination say within a grocery bag or in the fridge. I always keep my eggs separate from all my other groceries in the bag and in the fridge. I just don’t have much luck what with developing IBS from swimming in a river and later feeling nauseated with diarrhea that night, then later in life getting a three month bout of Gastroparesis from a norrovirus or food poisoning. So I take food handling very seriously.

It seems like ever summer we have a big name food recall related to salmonella. Last year it was peanuts, the year before it was tomatoes(which is a recurring theme), now it’s eggs. Eggs are actually less shocking as salmonella has always been a risk with eggs. Things like peanuts or tomatoes are scary as you don’t assume those would be a risk and in many cases they’re eaten raw. Even on a local level we’re seeing salmonella recalls. Umpqua dairy had to recall milk, cream, half-n-half & even orange juice because the processing plant was contaminated with salmonella and many people have become ill.

It makes you wonder about where our food is coming from and the people or businesses that produce it. Because our food system is becoming more consolidated all the time, a small outbreak can quickly spread across the nation & while it would seem this consolidation would make it easier to track down where the outbreak started from, that’s rarely the case. For example the tomato recall last year, took a long time to track down and in the end some were even doubting if it was the tomatoes and not a batch of bad jalapeno peppers that were actually causing the illnesses.

Inspections of our food supply & enforcement should be a top priority, but time and time again businesses fly under the radar until people start getting sick or even dying. For example the company Cadbury Chocolates in 2006 was finally fined almost $2 million US dollars because it knowingly put tainted candy bars on store shelves in the UK and lowered it’s hygiene standards to save money. The Peanut Corporation of America had a sloppy history of health violations and when it finally caught up with them causing a major salmonella outbreak, sickening many people, they just closed up shop and filed bankruptcy.

Ultimately I think the public & the government should take a firmer stance to ensure the purity of our food. The FDA may need to be expanded and we also need to “beef-up” the USDA inspection power as well. There are also powerful food industry lobbyists corrupting Washington, would be nice to kick them out too.

News: Rifaximin For Irritable Bowel Syndrome – IBS

There has been some recent news on the drug Rifaximin(brand name XIFAXAN) showing some promising results for treating Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Rifaximin is an anti-biotic that is poorly absorbed by the body. What this means is that most of it stays in the gut where it attacks bacteria. The idea here is that harmful bacteria create toxins in the body causing neurocognitive and neuromuscular dysfunction. By using Rifaximin you can kill off these bacteria and hopefully restore the gut to it’s regular functions.

Rifaximin is being studied for use in people with diarrhea predominate Irritable Bowel Syndrome, it is not for those experiencing constipation. According to one study, of the people who took Rifaximin orally 3 times at day at a 550mg dosage, Rifaximin worked 11% better than a placebo, which really isn’t that great. Another concern I’d have about it, is that it is an antibiotic & antibiotics do not usually discriminate on what they destroy. While the study did follow people 10 weeks after treatment, I am wondering if this is truly a long time solution or if people will need to do follow-up treatments farther down the road. Keep in mind that those who did benefit did not see total resolution of their symptoms, but merely that their symptoms improved.

One interesting thing this does bring up is the link between chronic viral or bacterial infection & Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Since so many people get Irritable Bowel Syndrome after dealing with a bacterial or viral attack, it gets the gears turning in my mind that perhaps there is some sort of prolonged low-level infection that causes these problems.

Hypnotherapy – How Can It Help You And Your IBS

Special thanks to Hypnotherapy Directory (UK) for writing this detailed post on Hypnotherapy.

Many suffers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome only get occasional pain and discomfort, but for some the condition can effect their lives on a daily basis. You may suffer from constipation, or diarrhea, some may even have both. Pain can vary from mild to severe and can occur at any time of the day. You may also be suffering from indigestion, nausea, cramping, heart burn and muscle pain.

There has been lots of information and research into the condition. Some research suggests that parts of the gut may be over-active, some of the contractions in the muscles can become abnormal. Other research has found that sensitivity to the amount of gas in your bowel and your genes can all contribute to the development of IBS.

Because there is no known cause for IBS there is no definite cure. There are things that can help though, although it is important to recognize that as IBS is a medical condition you should consult your doctor before trying a new method. One method that is growing in popularity is Hypnotherapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, both have been shown to help relieve IBS symptoms.

Hypnotherapy can help you learn how to relax and teach you new ways to manage stress. Your state of mind can influence your physical health as well as your mental health. The stress and anxiety that IBS can cause can undermine your immune system which can then fuel the IBS further. Being able to relax and control your stress can be invaluable tools in coping with your IBS.

Hypnotherapy can also help you to stay positive about your condition. By communicating with your sub-conscience mind a hypnotherapist can help you change your reactions and feeling to certain situations and feelings. Meaning you may be a much happier and positive person.

Finding a professional hypnotherapist can add to your stress and confusion though, there are no government regulations in place in the UK for hypnotherapy at the moment. This is why the website Hypnotherapy Directory was created. You can search their network of UK based, qualified and insured hypnotherapists by your postcode, town or county to find help in your area. You can also find out lots more information on how hypnotherapy can help IBS, and many other areas . This is a free and confidential service for all.

If you are looking to find a Hypnotherapist in the US check out IBSHypnosis.com’s List of Professionals.

Alternatively if you do not have access to a local Hypnotherapist try Michael Mahoney’s IBS Audio 100 Program.

New IBS Guide DietIBS.com

The first revision of my new Irritable Bowel Syndrome Guide, DietIBS.com is now up and live. Please check it out :).

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.

HealMyIBS.com Interview with Dr. Wangen from the IBS Treatment Center.

HealMyIBS.com Interview with Dr. Wangen from the IBS Treatment Center.

Yiannis over at HealMyIBS.com recently did an interview with Dr. Wangen from the IBS Treatment Center:

Yiannis:
How did you get involved with IBS and what is the idea behind the IBS treatment center?

Dr.Wangen:
I was once diagnosed with IBS. I wasn’t very impressed with the diagnosis, but like many of my current patients, I assumed that stress was the cause of my problem. It turned out that stress had little to do with my symptoms. It can exacerbate symptoms, but it is usually not the fundamental cause of digestive problems. Once I discovered how to cure my own IBS, that gave me more confidence in exploring how to help other people. That led to the development of the IBS Treatment Center, the first comprehensive treatment center dedicated to resolving.

Read the full interview at HealMyIBS.com.