I have been told by the doctor that i have IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) i need some advice..?

How bad is this news?

I have had constipation ever since i was a baby (i am now 17) and it was always unpleasant but recently i started getting bad pains in my belly region and always feeling bloated. So i went to the doctor and he said i have IBS and gave me some spasmodics (or something like that).

Is there anything else i can do to ease the pain and discomfort? How will this effect my day to day life? and could it end up becoming something more serious like bowel disease or cancer?

Any Advice would be greatfully appreciated Thank You

Irritable bowel syndrome* (IBS) is a 鈥渟yndrome,鈥?meaning a group of symptoms. The most common symptoms of IBS are abdominal pain or discomfort often reported as cramping, bloating, gas, diarrhea, and/or constipation. IBS affects the colon, or large bowel, which is the part of the digestive tract that stores stool.
IBS is not a disease. It鈥檚 a functional disorder, meaning that the bowel doesn鈥檛 work, or function, correctly.

This will be a long learning experience for you. You will have to try to figure out what causes or irritates your gut.

Trust me, been going through it for over a year. I can't drink soft drinks and sometimes even tea with dinner. Rarely able to go out to eat, something about dining out really gets me going. Spices, milk, red sauces are my big ones,

Good Luck Sweety, You aren't alone.
Very good link below, read and learn.

aloe vera juice

no, IBS is a scary word but not a scary problem. Try not to eat spicey food, that will make it worse, dairy products also flare it up. take the meds the dr gave you they help, i have the same problem. This wont turn in to any other disease or cancer hope this helps

I have this as well. It is miserable!!!! There is no regularity-either constipation or diarrhea. Daily stool softeners were recommended to me by my physician. They help to ease the constipation. Stretching excercises work as well. Also, stress has a big part in this, at least for me it does. Taking time for me (even 10 minutes of breathing exercises) daily helps me to relax. It sounds stupid. But it works.

I was diagnosed with IBS three years ago. I take anti-spasmodics too (alverine citrate, brand name Spasmonal) that the doctor prescribed me. I take them three times a day, before I eat and they have helped me so much. Take the medication as it has been prescribed to you because it should really make a difference. They basically stop your intestines having as many spasms - which is what causes the pain and discomfort.

There are so many things you can do to help though:
- peppermint or fennel tea really aids digestion.
- not eating fried, greasy, fatty or rich foods because they put your digestive system through a lot.
- reducing stress from your life - gentle exercise or meditation helps.
- if your stomach feels sore, a hot water bottle always feels soothing.
- try not to eat big meals, keep them light so you can digest them easier.
- find dairy foods and spicy foods upset my stomach too, so maybe try cutting them out for a while and watch the differences.

These things should help, but the best thing is not to worry about it. Trust that your medication will help and your day to day life shouldn't be affected too much. If the medication doesn't seem to be working after a good amount of time go back to your doctor. IBS doesn't lead on to bowel diseases or cancers, as far as I know, but sometimes the symptoms of IBS can be misleading, but your doctor will probably have taken a blood sample from you to check for these things, and other things like an intolerance to gluten.

I hope your IBS settles down for you, good luck! x

In chinese medicine there are five elements and each element corresponds to a couple of organs. The large intestine corresponds to the elment of metal. You are lacking this element. You need to eat brown rice at least once day. It will deffenetaly resolve the constipation as well as the IBS. There is a short grain and a long grain version of this rice. The long one is better tasting but the short one conviens you more. However you could switch up between the 2. If you eat it with onions which are also metal that would work even faster. You should feel results with in 3 days of doing this. But you should not stop eating the rice. If you feel it is working and you want to learn more about this seek information on Chinese medicine and as a perliminary to that you can read a book on macrobiotics. I mention macrobiotics because it is easier to obtain information on and though it is very effective, chinese medicine is way more effective however much more complicated. Macrobiotics is a branch of chinese medicine, but there is more to the tree is all I'm trying to say. good luck

Generally does not become more serious, but stress will aggravate the condition. My wife has it and it is worst when she travels. Generally does not interfere with day to day life once you learn how to manage IBS. She uses Fleets glycerin suppositories to manage the constipation and watches her diet. Fiber in your diet works, using a fiber supplement will do wonders. Of course that is seen as an old person's thing :-). And to forewarn you, it will sometimes cause loose, diarrhea like BMs. Be careful what you take for those symptoms as constipation is the real problem.

I have IBS and have found that being stressed makes the bloating worse.
I find that certian foods like pasta and pastry make me have terrible pains in my stomach so i try and avoid these. My doctor gave me peppermint oil supplements to take before meals and they do help a bit.

Its hard trying to work out what triggers it off, so perhaps you could monitor what you eat and maybe write it down in a diary. hope this helps!

try japanese water theraphy. drink 4 glasses (160mm@) after waking up then breakfast after 45 min. for 30 days but its good habit for lifetime. exercise and avoid sour like lemon juices. too much of sour juices cause constipation.

I have been told I have IBS> I had the same problems when I was young as well and now as a middle aged adult other things cause me to be constipated one day and have loose bowels the next. I have found that if I eat a balanced diet with lots of fibre in it ( like whole grain cereals, oat meal, fruits and vegetables) and cut down on greasy foods (anything fried) it helps. I try to only bake or broil my meats and only occasionally eat fried foods. it helps. I try to balance my meats by eating chicken, fish and pork more than beef. and I always have more veggies than meat on my plate to keep me regular and to keep my weight down. another thing that helps is cooking with extra virgin olive oil. it's good for your heart too. One thing that also helps is YOGURT. IBS is a bowel disease and if you don't keep it under control it can get more serious.

I also was recently diagnosed with IBS, so I know how frustrating it can be. I'm not sure about easing the current pain, but you may need to make some changes to your diet. You need to eat lots of fibre, so that means lots of whole grain bread and cereals. Raisin Bran is a good one. It's important when you increase your fibre intake to drink plenty of water, so that it doesn't just get stuck. Lots of fruit and veggies are essential too. Aim for 10 servings rather than the 5 that the Canada Food Guide reccomends. My doctor told me that they provide the roughage my body needs. Cantaloupe helps me if I am constipated. Sugar and dairy products can make things worse, so try to minimize your intake of those things. But don't try soy products as an alternative to dairy! I tried that once and I couldn't go for 3-4 days.

As someone else mentioned, stress is a factor in IBS. Breathing exercises are really good. A massage therapist told me that breathing exercises are like a massage for your internal organs.

It is possible that over the long term it could lead to bowel or colon cancer, but the good news is that there is a lot you can do to help yourself. There is evidence that eating fruits and veggies can reduce your risk of various kinds of cancer. You are young, and making changes to your diet while you are young is so much better than when you are older. I'd say you have a head start because you found out early about IBS. Good luck!