DEAR DR. GOTT:
I have suffered from irritable bowel syndrome (diarrhea) for 50 years. It began in my early teens. I have tried everything from the early treatment of eating bland foods to today’s adding bulk to my diet through the use of roughage and fiber. It feels like I have tried virtually everything but still haven’t found relief from what, for me, has been a life altering condition. Everything I do revolves around IBS, from school in my teens, to jobs, family activities and even everyday routines.
I am now in my 60s, and retirement is hopefully not far away. I don’t want the rest of my life to be dictated by this condition and the availability of a bathroom.
DEAR READER:
Irritable bowel syndrome is still a condition of unknown cause. We often have ways to treat it and we know the symptoms and how to diagnose it; however, what causes it and how to stop it, or at least treat it more successfully is information that evades the medical community.
Early treatments, popular when you were first diagnosed, primarily consisted of unseasoned, bland foods which often were of little or no help. Most of today’s treatments are for IBS with constipation, such as Zelnorm, which is off the market for most sufferers unless no other treatment works and it is approved by the physician. However, the diarrhea type is usually treated with over-the-counter products such as fiber bulking agents (Metamucil and others) or anti-diarrheals (Imodium and others).
One over-the-counter drug that appears to work for either type of IBS, and better still, for most sufferers who try it, is Digestive Advantage IBS. This product seems to have responded in a way that pharmaceutical companies haven’t. It is even affordably priced and available nearly everywhere. I suggest you try this product with the approval of your gastroenterologist. Let me know how it works.
To give you related information, I am sending you a copy of my Health Report “Irritable Bowel Syndrome”. Other readers who would like a copy should send a self, addressed, stamped number 10 envelope and $2 to Newsletter, PO Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092. Be sure to mention the title.
About Dr. Gott