System shutting down

[handcrafted]

My system is quite sensitive. As in my body system. In times of stress or shock its usually my digestive system that goes first. I have IBS and a very low tolerance of dairy food. I dont drink milk, cream or eat cheese etc.

Lately because of the very big life change and stress of it all my system just isnt getting back to normal. I have wierd fuzzy heads, feel tired by about 5pm even if i dont do much. I can still only eat small amounts before i feel very full and almost sick. At first i couldnt eat much without other things going wrong (anyone with IBS will know what im talking about) but that has calmed a bit. My hair has gone drier that usual though iv had it cut today so i hope that will help.

Iv started to take vit B complex in the hope that will help. I dont want to go spending money on all sorts of supplements so have been trying ot eat more fruit.

Anyone else any ideas? Maybe its the sort of thing that just needs more time to settle.

[cupcake]

You have had a lot of stressful things happen to you lately, so it's not surprising. Vitamins are good, as is healthy eating which you are doing. Also make sure you get enough sleep. Relaxation techniques can also help, yoga too.

[Trixie]

Sorry I have nothing to add from what cupcake said, but just wanted to say that I hope that you feel better soon

[beckyboo]

I have had bouts of suffering from IBS over the years , althought touch wood I haven't had a bad attack for years.
I used to get tablets from my doctor that stopped the worst symptons , but I was recommended vit C and calcium tablets by a sufferer, I took a regular off the shelf dose of each daily when the attacks were bad.
They seemed to lessen the attacks and also shorten them.
Chat to your doc/nurse about taking them , in case they react to your other meds.

[Caroleecrafts]

So sorry to hear about the stress you have gone through. My husband is an IBS sufferer and nothing has ever really worked, it just comes in phases. I know what you mean unless you have had it or are close to someone who has it is difficult to understand, he used to drink a lot of coffee but finds that tea helps, rest and sleep, which as you are tired easily may be your bodies way of saying let me sleep, don't fight it and do what your body wants you to do then hopefully you will get yourself straight sooner than later.

[matt.chatterley]

IBS is awful - I've had it on and off for a while (ever since I had a hernia and had to take lots of PPIs for that - now off them, and it has calmed down).

Lots of water can help - camomile tea was also a good one for me.

Lots of fibre in diet, try to get some rest - and see if you can tackle the underlying stress issues - very much easier said than done!

Blowing off steam (even here ) is probably a good start though!!

Hope you start to feel better soon..

[RhinosoRoss]

I get migraines that descend, effect my guts and give me similar symptoms - feeling that my body's persuading me that it's time to go to sleep when it isn't etc.
I've got free BUPA through work, so I took advantage of it. BUPA survive on recurring revenue: the more tests they can put you through, the more money they make. I played along and got tested for everything but stopped them when they got to the really expensive scans (they weren't finding anything wrong).
In the time I was with each doctor I constantly probed them for any information, experience, theories they may have.
One told me that migraine and IBS are what doctors call a set of symptoms that don't fit in any other box.... In other words, he didn't think they are well defined.
Another told me that indigestion at night can effect the body in crazy ways and said that getting people to eat an apple half an hour before going to bed was surprisingly successful.
Another told me a huge chain of events that involve a blood-sugar-level detector in the brain that is behind a skin which delays the readings it takes... sometimes this sensor thinks that the body is dangerously low in sugar and starts to tell the brain to shut down. Consequently, being hungry is bad. Since night-time is the longest time without food that we usually go and we may not notice we are hungry then, I started drinking a runny bowl of readybrek before going to bed.

Since the symptoms and causes vary completely between different people, there's no point saying what worked for me, or anyone else I know, but I thought I'd share those things to try, since everything is worth a go when you're feeling bad!

Get well soon
Ross

[Babushka]

Can't offer any tips either I'm afraid, but also just wanted to say that I hope you get well again soon.

And def get some rest and give your body some time out and a chance to heal.

[Bea]

Not sure if this is relevant but... You could try an allergy test. I never knew I had milk intolerance until I did three of these tests (three different techniques which all came back with similar results), same with acidic fruit like kiwi which I was eating everyday at the time. Some symptoms I never thought were food related went (morning headaches were one). I can't digest porridge either, gives me terrible stomach pain. It's weird how food affects your body and you can easily not relate the two together. Some food will make your body slow down while it tries and digests them. Maybe something in your diet could be changed and it will make you feel better. I understand you had personal problems, going from what was said above, so this might sound really simplistic, however every little helps. Milk thistle is very good to bring back some energy in your body.

[spagbog]

peppermint tea helps ibs. Try some deep breathing exercises too. And avoid the vindaloo

[Aviya Glass]

Like many others here I have suffered from IBS and continue to do so when stressed, there is no 'discomfort' quite like it so I sympathise totally. (((hugs)))

If you google acidic and alkaline foods you can get a list (pm me if unsuccessful) and then try to eat more alkaline foods. While your IBS is stress related, your system is being made more acidic by stress - a vicious circle.
Wanting to sleep more than usual may be mild depression which could be a result of the trauma you have been through or feeling lousy from IBS or both.

Continue to try and rectify the physical aspects of your well being with healthy eating but do go and see a doctor if you don't start to feel better soon.

[snowgoose]

Not knowing much about IBS, i thought i would just look it up and find out more. The first thing i found out was that its also called spastic colon, so, naturally, i had to laugh.

Handcrafted, you may, or may not already know all of the info but theres a really good wiki page about it, which can be found Here. I also found The Gut Trust ( national charity for people with Irritable Bowel Syndrome in the United Kingdom ).

Might be of some help, then again may not.

Jake x