Need counselling for IBS?!
Question:
Need counselling for IBS?
Ok so I've just been diagnosed with IBS (irritable bowel) by my doctor, but instead of giving me drugs, she's decided I need to go speak to a counsellor who will get to the bottom of why my personality makes me bloated... This really does sound like a joke, but this is the second doc I've tried with the same response so don't suggest changing doctors because I have! Have you ever had to have counselling for IBS? Or are they all just having a giraffe at my expense?!
Answers:
I HAVE IBS...it is miserable at times. There aren't any real medications that will help...the one that used to be advertised for IBS (Zelnorm) has been taken off the market.
I do find that stress does make my IBS a lot worse. The only thing that I do is fiber...I eat plenty of fresh fruits and veggies to help keep things moving smoothly. I do not get the bloated feeling though. I went through all kinds of breath tests to rule out glucose, lactose, and fructose intolerance...went through some testing to rule out celiac disease. All of this was through a GI specialist...my regular doctor sent me there.
I haven't heard of Counseling for IBS...there are some support groups out there...but it's not a counseling session...as per the link below.
Perhaps your doctors are saying get counseling to help with stress management, anxiety...the most common things that make IBS symptoms rear their ugly heads and make our lives miserable.
Just try to eat plenty of natural fiber, sometimes supplement with metamucil if you need to. Fiber will help with both aspects of IBS..the constipation and the diarrhea. For the bloating, you could try researching foods that do not cause as much gas. I avoid beans...like in chili...like the plague.
Your personality is NOT the cause of your bloating and IBS...it is a symptom that makes it worse...but IBS is a real condition that can be managed naturally, or through minimal over-the-counter treatments with fiber...at least that's what works for me.