The Living With Gastroparesis blog just posted some interesting survey data about Gastroparesis which does include information about probiotic usage w/ Gastroparesis. Of 46 people who responded as taking probiotics, 25 reported mild to significant improvements of their Gastroparesis symptoms, which is actually impressive as I was not thinking they would have that large of an effect. It is important to note that the majority of positives results, were on the mild side, but some people did respond well to probiotics. Continue reading “What Is The Best Probiotic Supplement For Gastroparesis?” »
I was recently reading an article from Time magazine about Zinc being used in 3rd world countries to fight childhood diarrhea which is a very serious cause of death in these countries. This got me to thinking that perhaps Zinc could be useful for people dealing with Irritable Bowel Syndrome diarrhea.
Zinc is an essential metal the body needs to function. Not only could Zinc help with irritable bowel syndrome diarrhea, but it could also help other bodily functions & your immune system. I used to take Zinc quite a bit as a child because my mom wanted me to & we were able to get through a winter season without getting sick. Zinc can be hard on your stomach, so it’s important to take a supplement with food or get a multivitamin that includes it in the mix. Probably a good idea to take all your vitamins with food.
I’d suggest trying out Nature’s Way Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc complex or Nature’s Way Alive Multivitamin. Note that Calcium can also help with chronic diarrhea as well.
Hopefully these guys will help you out in reducing whatever chronic diarrhea you’re experiencing.
Review: Gas-X Thin Strips for gas & bloating with Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)
So I am sure we’ve all probably had times were we’re filling gassy or bloated. When dealing with IBS these times are probably more often than we’d wish. Now, normally I’d suggest a natural product, but in some cases a less than natural product is needed. This is were Gas-X Thin Strips step in. Why do I like Gas-X Thin Strips? A) It works. B) The packaging and form factor are very discreet. Continue reading “Review: Gas-X Thin Strips for gas & bloating with Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)” »
Review: Iberogast for Irritable Bowel(IBS) – Buy Iberogast from Amazon.com
Today I’ll be reviewing Iberogast, a natural herbal pro-kinetic motility agent distributited by Medical Futures & Flordis.
warning: According to the the Flordis website, Iberogast contains Ethanol which may be derived from corn. If you have a severe corn allergy, you should not use Iberogast.
So first off, what is a motility?
Motility is basically another word for movement. Movement in your digestive tract is obviously important. It’s especially important that these movements are coordinated. A lot of digestive problems can be linked to poor motility, such as chronic indigestion, gastroparesis, constipation or diarrhea. Continue reading “Review: Iberogast for Irritable Bowel Syndrome & Gastroparesis” »
E. Coli in Drinking Water for Portland, OR USA
Yikes! Looks as though the Portland, OR water bureau has found E. Coli in our water reservoir and there is a boil water notice in effect. I am wondering if this played a part in me not feeling so great a few days ago. I was doing pretty good early last week what with starting an Iberogast & magnesium regimen. Last Thursday I got a stomach ache and felt nauseated. The stomach ache developed after eating an apple I had washed off under the sink using tap water. I normally drink distilled water from a jug, but I wash vegetables & fruits under tap and then shake them off really good. In the past if I drink tap water it seems to usually give me a stomach ache, perhaps it’s the chlorine or other microbes in the water causing problems. This incident on Thursday felt a bit worse than the minor belly ache I’d get in the past from drinking water. They’re going to be testing the water again later today to see if it still contains E. Coli. *crossing fingers*
My Supplements Arrive… Finally…
My Primadophilus Junior, Magnesium Complex & Psyllium Husk capsules finally showed up. I had used a vendor that was not AllStarHealth.com & it took like two weeks to arrive! :( I have not started taking them yet, I’ll post some info on them in the coming week or so… :)
Special Diets
There are quite a few special diets which some people find helpful with IBS. Some may purport that “such and such diet” is the cure. I am not entirely sure that everyone’s IBS can be controlled on diet alone. Radically adjusting your diet could be harmful to your health both mentally & physically. You may become very frustrated with finding foods that meet the requirements of your new diet or become depressed in the loss of your ability to eat foods you once loved. It would also be terrible if this new diet didn’t actually improve your IBS symptoms. This isn’t to say that these diets don’t help people or that you won’t find success with them, but it’s best to take it slowly and perhaps speak with your doctor or a trained nutritionist before making a radical change. Continue reading “Special Diets & Irritable Bowel Syndrome” »
What Are Digestive Enzymes And Do They Help IBS?
Digestive enzymes are proteins that have the function of breaking down different types of food matter. Different enzymes work on different types of food matter.
Enzymes are important for the proper digestion of our food. Most people are capable of producing enough enzymes on their own, thus adding more may not be of much benefit. However, adding more usually doesn’t do any harm either. It can be hard to tell if you body is deficient at producing enough enzymes, so ultimately it is worth trying. Problems that are occurring in the upper digestive system, could lead to issues later on in the lower digestive system.
I personally did not see major improvement after taking digestive enzymes. At some points I felt a bit more nauseated after taking a digestive enzyme pill before eating, however this probably has more to do with me overeating during these occasions rather than the enzymes causing the problem themselves. Continue reading “Digestive Enzymes & Irritable Bowel Syndrome(IBS)” »
During my great search for the perfect probiotic, one of my desires that keeps popping up is the ability to control exactly how much of the probiotic I am putting into my body. Tapering probiotics is important to help avoid or lessen the symptoms of the Herx Effect.
What’s in Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children?
It contains the following probiotic strains:
- Lactobacillus Rhamnosus
- Lactobacillus Casei
- Lactobacillus acidophilus
- Bifidobacterium infantis
- Bifidobacterium bifidum
- Bifidobacterium breve
- Bifidobacterium longum
The main one we’re concerned with is B. infantis, which as been proven in studies to help with IBS symptoms. Overall, these strains all have a purpose in our gut. One thing to keep in minds is that this product does contain FOS, which can cause gas for some people.
What does Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children taste like & how do you use it? Continue reading “Review: Nature’s Way Primadophilus for Children” »
New Direction For My IBS Treatment
I am taking another stab at trying to tame my IBS. So I’ve emptied my wallet a bit to invest in some supplements and herbal remedies to see how they’re going to fair. I’ll be sure to relay how they work out in the coming weeks. Continue reading “New Direction For My IBS Treatment” »
GoodBelly Strawberry Fruit Juice Drink
GoodBelly Probiotic Fruit Drink
I found out about GoodBelly juice drinks from my local public radio station. Between shows they’d have an advertisement for the “non-dairy probiotic fruit juice based drink”. Intrigued I went off in search of this stuff. The first visit to the GoodBelly website suggested that my local Fred Meyers carried it, but when I went there it was not to be. I then tried a local Safeway(may also be known as Vons), which did indeed carry it, but it took some looking as it was near the yogurt and not on the juice aisle. Continue reading “Product Review: Goodbelly Probiotic Drink” »