Do you have IBS?

[Cavallo]

I was just curious. I've read about a link between OSA and IBS. I have both. I was wondering if a disproportionate number of people here had IBS. If so, did it resolve or mitigate with *PAP treatment?

[harry33]

Ive read of this but didnt have it before my apnea was diagnosed

[tattooyu]

Cavallo,

Now you're talking my language! I am the king of IBS!

I've had IBS all my life as near as I can tell. However, with CPAP therapy, I have noticed a dramatic improvement in my bowel habits. I used to be IBS-D (diarrhea predominant). Since going on therapy, I became IBS-A (alternating between diarrhea and constipation). Although my gallbladder removal in 2007 may have contributed to some of the constipation I have now.

Overall, I'd say I digest A LOT better. I'm not cured, but it's better.

If you have never been there, please do yourself a favor and visit http://www.helpforibs.com. Heather's Tummy Care products are amazing (as is her information), especially the Acacia Tummy Fiber (100% SOLUBLE fiber), the Fennel tea and the Peppermint Oil Capsules (w/ginger and fennel).

xPAP gave me the rest of my life back!

You may also want to look into the IBS Audio Program 100. It's a self-hypnotherapy audio CD set with which a lot of people have had great success. I'm on day 5 right now. I was 2/3 of the way through it, but I had to start over because of the death of my baby son last year. So far I can tell a difference in my overall stress levels (less)

[silence of the hams]

IBS was my very first symptom before all the other ones came crashing down on me. I suppose the two could be related, I have read literature that states people with chronic conditions such as Fibromyalgia and CFS may have underlying sleep conditions that prevent them from reaching a deep state of sleep, and that also may be an underlying cause for these conditions. I dunno?

[Cavallo]

Here's what I had read;

http://chestjournal.chestpubs.org/conte ... .full.html

I think I can recall IBS-D symptoms of varying severity as far back as I can remember. I also had my gallbladder removed. After that, things seemed to intensify. Like an idiot, I kind of ignored it for a very long time. I've only recently been working on it to a serious degree.

Of all the things I've tried so far, I've had the best luck with this;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccharomyces_boulardii

It's a close relative of brewers yeast, and very simple to culture into a nice, fizzy, soda-like beverage. I'm already a homebrewer, so it was second-nature to me. I drink a 500ml bottle per day, half at lunch and half at dinner. I'd say it reduced my symptoms 70-80%.

All that was before I was diagnosed with OSA. I'm hoping for complete resolution of IBS with *PAP. In fact, I think I've already noticed an improvement. I'm very glad to hear stories like yours, tattooyu. Makes me think this whole breathing thing might just work!

[tattooyu]

Actually, I have to concur, my IBS isn't worse after GB removal, but it is definitely MORE UNPREDICTABLE! Do you find that to be true as well?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saccharomyces_boulardii

It's a close relative of brewers yeast, and very simple to culture into a nice, fizzy, soda-like beverage. I'm already a homebrewer, so it was second-nature to me. I drink a 500ml bottle per day, half at lunch and half at dinner. I'd say it reduced my symptoms 70-80%.

All that was before I was diagnosed with OSA. I'm hoping for complete resolution of IBS with *PAP. In fact, I think I've already noticed an improvement. I'm very glad to hear stories like yours, tattooyu. Makes me think this whole breathing thing might just work!

Do you think it would be constipating since it's primarily for diarrhea? Where do you get it and how do you brew it? Any side effects?

[Cavallo]

Actually, I have to concur, my IBS isn't worse after GB removal, but it is definitely MORE UNPREDICTABLE! Do you find that to be true as well?
...
Do you think it would be constipating since it's primarily for diarrhea? Where do you get it and how do you brew it? Any side effects?

Mine's always been pretty consistent as far as timing, actually. Morning - large volumes of liquid with particles of undigested food, evening - either nothing or semi-solid. GI doc thought it was nighttime bile leakage from the relevant sphincter. He may have had a point - he prescribed Welchol, a bile sequestrant, and it worked well. I stopped, though, because the drug is very new and my co-pays were obscene.

I'm not sure if S. boulardii would be constipating, but I doubt it. When I discovered it, I read a bit about how it's proposed to work. While I haven't retained that info, I seem to recall it being (among other things) immunomodulatory - preventing inflammation sort of thing. It's worth a shot.

I bought a bottle of this;

http://www.jarrow.com/product-265

You can get it online, or sometimes in brick-and-mortar vitamin stores.

Here's my recipe;

Code: Select all

2L tap water
¼ cu molasses
¼ cu honey
1 capsule of S. boulardii

Combine all ingredients except S. boulardii in a saucepan and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, switch off the stove and let stand covered until cool.  When cooled to 110° F, pour half the liquid into a 2L plastic bottle or jug.  Empty the S. boulardii capsule into the bottle.  Let rest a few minutes to distribute the yeast, then pour the rest of the liquid into the bottle.  Put the lid on, but not tightly - allow for outgassing.  Let stand for a minimum of 24 hours.  After 24 hours, seal temporarily and shake well to distribute sediment, being careful when you unseal - it should outgas vigorously.  Distribute the contents of the 2L bottle into ½L water bottles, swirling occasionally to keep the sediment evenly distributed.  Once again, close the water bottles but do not seal.  Another 24 hours, and they're ready to consume.

Take one bottle per day, broken into halves.  Half a bottle with lunch, and the other half with dinner is convenient, but whatever works for you is fine.

This process essentially magnifies the contents of the original bottle dramatically, giving you a much larger dose each time, and making it go much further. I've noticed no side effects.

[Kiralynx]

I have IBS -- and strongly recommend Elaine Gottshall's Breaking the Vicious Cycle.

I have followed the diet for eight years, and can't imagine any other way of eating.

[SleepGuy]

Yes but until this thread never associated it with OSA. It may have started that way but my OSA is almost fully treated and IBS persists, intermittently. The only thing that consistently works for me is generic Nulev that my doctor has been prescribing for me for years. It's an anti smooth muscle spasm medication that pretty much works within 20 minutes to 1 hour, taken as needed. I have found, however, that certain foods really trigger the IBS, especially splenda and even more so, maltilol or maltitol, and other artificial sweeteners. Wow--if I accidentally drink a diet whatever, watch out!

[Cavallo]

Yes but until this thread never associated it with OSA. It may have started that way but my OSA is almost fully treated and IBS persists, intermittently. The only thing that consistently works for me is generic Nulev that my doctor has been prescribing for me for years. It's an anti smooth muscle spasm medication that pretty much works within 20 minutes to 1 hour, taken as needed. I have found, however, that certain foods really trigger the IBS, especially splenda and even more so, maltilol or maltitol, and other artificial sweeteners. Wow--if I accidentally drink a diet whatever, watch out!

Thinking back, once your OSA was successfully treated, did the IBS change at all?

And yeah - the first drug I was given for IBS was hyoscyamine (as Levbid, not Nulev.) Didn't do much, really, although aesthetically I liked being able to say I was taking Henbane.

[rbtgjns]

Yes---I have IBS-D. Started in childhood (about age and is chronic. Had a sleep disorder in childhood (self-diagnosed) as I never felt rested and was very difficult to arouse in the AM. Was ADHD, poor grades and lacked attention span (lots of in school disciplinary problems). There is more that I could write as I believe that there is a cluster of life-long symptoms that could be related and sleep apnea is among them.