IBS: Natural Treatments

The treatments below I found at http://www.healingwell.com/library/ibs/article.asp?author=thompson&id=2

This first one I have actually explored on my own prior to reading! I didn't know it was 'colonic massage', but I remember being in the throne room at work, in a lot of discomfort waiting for a movement to finish so that I would finally have some relief, and so I starting massaging my abdomen in desperation. Lone behold it helped! It helped to ease my discomfort (and general colon spasms)  and move the movement along.


"Colonic Massage

Perform the massage either sitting on the toilet or lying down with your knees bent. Make a fist with your right hand and massage your colon using a digging, circular motion with your knuckles. Start at the lower right quadrant of your abdomen (just inside your hip bone) and work up to under the right side of your ribcage, then straight across, then down the left quadrant of your abdomen and when you get to just inside your left hip bone, massage in towards your groin/pubic bone. The idea is to massage the length of your colon which starts at the lower right quadrant of your abdomen and then up in a horseshoe shape under the ribs and down to the lower left quadrant of your abdomen. The rectal canal then extends from the lower left quadrant diagonally across to the groin (or pubic bone). Repeat this massage several times experimenting with varying pressure and your massage technique. This is a fantastic technique that can be used by anyone during, or to encourage, a bowel movement. It also relieves colic in newborns by helping them expel gas and stool.

 

Constipation

The easiest remedy for constipation is simply to increase your intake of vitamin C (in ascorbic acid form) and magnesium. Vitamin C is an excellent immune booster with many extensive clinical trials showing large doses to be quite safe. About 40% of Americans are deficient in magnesium so this is a mineral you probably will only benefit from - the only side-effect of magnesium is diarrhea. Start at 2000 mg vitamin C and 200 mg magnesium per day. You can increase up to 6000 mg of vitamin C and 1000 mg of magnesium. For maintenance, eat lots of fresh fruit and 'non-scratchy' complex carbohydrates (zucchini, carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, etc.) and drink at least 8-10 glasses of spring or filtered water per day. Perform the colonic massage technique listed below several times a day and especially when you feel the urge to have a bowel movement.
DiarrheaAn amino acid called L-Glutamine is the best remedy I've come across for diarrhea and it works very quickly (within 2-3 days usually). It's virtually tasteless and dissolves easily in water. Start with 1/4 tsp. per day mixed in cold or room-temperature water and drink it on an empty stomach. If that's not enough, increase to 1/4 tsp. two or three times a day. Then increase the dosage gradually (if you need it) to 1/2 tsp. then 3/4 tsp., up to 1 tsp. two or three times a day. L-Glutamine directly nourishes and heals the mucosal lining of the intestine and causes the bowel to reabsorb the water in your stool, thus reducing the number and frequency of bowel movements. Do not use if you have any liver or kidney disease.

Avoid diarrhea-causing foods such as refined sugar, refined flour (white, bleached), hydrogenated fats, caffeine, and acidic, tomato-based foods like spaghetti sauce and pizza. Most people find coffee (regular or decaffeinated) highly irritating as well. Anyone with IBS should automatically avoid processed foods, luncheon meats or hot dogs, and foods with artificial flavor/color, preservatives or msg. Colonic massage is also an excellent way to reduce the frequency of bowel movements as the massage helps move all the separate little stool deposits around the colon and out at once, rather than in many separate bowel movements (see the Colonic Massage section below).

Heartburn

Heartburn is caused by stomach acid (generated by digestion) washing back up the throat and is best treated with a multi-pronged approach:

• Avoid acidic foods and drink eg. tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, alcohol, lemons, etc. 
• Also avoid chocolate, peppermint, spearmint, high fat foods, and caffeine - especially in the evening. 
• Avoid lying down or reclining for 2 hours after eating. 
• Before bed or on an empty stomach, slowly sip 1/2 cup of George's Roadrunner Aloe Vera Juice. This is my favorite brand of aloe vera juice as it contains no irritants or laxative components and just tastes like distilled water. If you can't get George's Roadrunner brand, then look for one that has no added ingredients or preservatives and has the Aloin (laxative component) removed. It should be perfectly clear in color (like water). 
• Gently massage your esophageal valve by rubbing gently just under your solar plexus and stroking downwards toward your belly button. 
• When you go to sleep, lie on your left side. Your stomach opens up to your left and this encourages the food and acids to stay in your stomach and away from your esophageal valve."

An article I found at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/gerard-e-mullin-md/ibs-natural-treatment_b_886421.html#s300343&title=Stress_Reduction describes the author's top 5 remedies for IBS as described below (The author is a gastroenterologist so he probably knows what he\s talking about!).

"When it comes to seeking relief from IBS, my mother wasn't alone: People with IBS are usually willing to try anything to improve their symptoms, and about 50 percent experiment with complementary and alternative approaches as a result. While not every natural therapy can treat IBS, research suggests that several can help ease symptoms -- in some cases, more effectively and more safely than conventional medications. Here's what I recommend to keep IBS at bay. Try one or more of these approaches to see what works for you:

1. Stress Reduction:

Most people with IBS notice that their symptoms tend to worsen under stress. That's not surprising: The brain and the gut's nervous system are intertwined through a series of hormones and biochemicals, which means that negative thoughts can have profound effects on digestive function. Stress management techniques like meditation, deep breathing, yoga and even hypnosis can all improve IBS. Try them one at a time and see what works best for you, then practice your favorite regularly.

2. Diet:

Food is a notorious trigger of IBS symptoms for many people. In most cases, it's difficult to guess the specific culprits, so when my IBS patients tell me that food seems to set off their symptoms, I place them on an elimination diet that removes the most common food allergens (such as corn, soy, dairy and wheat). Studies show that eliminating such allergens can be quite effective at easing IBS symptoms. If you believe food may be triggering your IBS symptoms, ask your doctor about following an elimination diet.

3. Acupuncture: 

This ancient Asian technique has long been used to alleviate pain and relax the mind, both of which can benefit people with IBS. Some research has found a possible link between acupuncture and the relief of IBS symptoms, but regular visits (once or twice a week) are thought to be necessary to see results. Fortunately, many insurance carriers now cover the much of the costs for acupuncture visits, which typically range from $35 to 65.

4. Peppermint Oil:

This soothing herb appears to calm intestinal spasms, offering rapid relief for people with IBS. One 2008 review of clinical trials published in Nutrition in Clinical Practice found that encapsulated peppermint oil was more effective than conventional medications at improving symptoms of IBS. Look for enteric-coated peppermint oil and take 0.2 mL in capsule form two to three times per day with meals. Teas, unfortunately, are not as helpful.

5. Probiotics: 

A healthy gut requires sufficient quantities of "friendly" flora. More than a dozen clinical trials, using a number of different strains of friendly bacteria (known as probiotics), have been conducted, with promising results. Consider using probiotic strains that have been either proven in clinical trials to be safe and effective (such as VSL#3) or that are from companies that adhere to good manufacturing practices. The starting dose for taking probiotics is 10 billion colony-forming units daily. If you're lactose intolerant, look for dairy-free formulations."

The last section of information I have listed below, was found at http://www.besthealthmag.ca/get-healthy/home-remedies/natural-home-remedies-irritable-bowel-syndrome. 

"Go easy on your intestines

• Minimize fried foods, meats, oils, margarine, dairy foods, and other fatty foods.They cause your colon to contract violently, which can lead to diarrhea and abdominal pain.

• Stay away from spicy foods. The capsaicin in hot peppers, for example, makes your large intestine go into spasms, which can cause diarrhea. 

• Cut down on caffeine. It can worsen IBS by irritating your intestines.

• Avoid foods known to cause flatulence, including cabbage, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli.

• Don’t chew gum or candy that contains artificial sweeteners. Among the common sweeteners in these products are sorbitol and mannitol, which can have a laxative effect. They’re very difficult to digest. When bacteria in your colon eventually break down these “nonabsorbed sugars,” you get gas and diarrhea.

• Stop smoking. Nicotine contributes to IBS flare-ups. Also, when you smoke, you swallow air, and people with IBS are very sensitive to having air in their gut.

Fit in more fibre

• Soluble fibre soaks up liquid in your intestines, helping to prevent diarrhea. Good sources are beans, oatmeal, and some fruits, such as apples, strawberries and grapefruit.

• If you can’t seem to get enough soluble fibre in your diet, take a daily supplement of psyllium, the main ingredient in dietary fibre supplements. Unlike chemical laxatives,psyllium is safe to take long-term. Follow the label for dosage directions.

• If constipation is your main complaint, fill up on insoluble fibre, found in whole wheat, bran, other whole grains, salad greens, and other foods. Insoluble fiber bulks up stool, which speeds its passage through the intestines.

• If you haven’t had much fiber in your diet, increase the amount you eat gradually.Adding too much fibre all at once can actually give you gas and bloating. Start with 8 g of fibre daily—about what you’d find in two pears—and increase by 3 or 4 g each day until you’re up to 30 g daily.

• Drink at least six to eight glasses of water each day to keep fiber moving smoothly through your system.

Graze, don’t gorge

• Eat smaller meals more frequently rather than a couple of large meals each day.Taking in too much food at once can overstimulate your digestive system.

• If you usually bolt down your meals, go more slowly and pay more attention to chewing your food. Fast eaters often swallow too much air, which turns into bothersome intestinal gas.

Eat yogurt

• Having diarrhea can drain away good bacteria that help prevent harmful bacteria from growing out of control. When you’re having IBS-related diarrhea, eat plenty of yogurt containing active bacteria, such as acidophilus. Or take supplements of acidophilus. The usual daily dosage is one pill containing 1 to 2 billion live organisms. Take it on an empty stomach.

Drink tea

• Every day, drink a cup or two of peppermint tea, which relaxes your intestines, reduces spasms, and relieves gas pain. Make sure to buy the kind that contains real peppermint, rather than black tea with peppermint flavoring. Alternatively, you can take enteric-coated peppermint-oil capsules. The coating ensures that the oil reaches the intestine instead of breaking down in the stomach. Take one or two capsules three times a day, between meals.

• Drink ginger tea. ginger soothes all manner of digestive problems, including IBS. For the freshest tea, grate a half-teaspoon of ginger into a cup, then pour in hot water, let it steep for 10 minutes, strain out the ginger, and drink the tea. Ginger tea bags are also available. Drink four to six cups a day.

Get some exercise

• Whenever possible, get at least 30 minutes of noncompetitive exercise such as walking. Exercise helps relieve stress, releases natural painkilling endorphins, and keeps your body—including your digestive system—working smoothly."