Natural Remedies for IBS Relief: A Holistic Approach to Gut Health

Peppermint Oil can cure IBS in many people. It also kills candida.

http://www.webmd.com/ibs/news/20081113/peppermint-oil-fiber-can-treat-ibs

"Based on the combined data, the researchers estimated that one in 2.5 patients would get significant relief of symptoms if treated with peppermint oil, compared to one in five patients taking antispasmodics and one in 11 patients taking fiber. Peppermint oil is sold in capsules, and the study participants took about 200 milligrams two or three times a day.

I had no success with the Peppermint Oil. Although I've tried Caprylic Acid, and alot of it, that had no effect either.

I have some kind of fungal infection, probably candida, could be a different fungus though. I've had success with two things so far:
1. Mega-Garlic (to the point that you smell offensive).
2. Coconut Oil (2 TBSP, morning and evening)(this is a bunch of calories, though). I'm sold on the coconut oil

I suspect mega-iodine (see Sporotrichosis for doseage) may help, but I can't confirm yet. Iodine is twice as strong of an antibiotic as Chlorine, less toxic, disolves starches(and yeast), and heavy metals. I've seen some success in the mouth with iodine, where success has been dificult to come by.

I have tried enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules numerous times and they had no effect on my IBS.

I tried peppermint oil capsules for my severe IBS C and they gave me a severe attack. They are way to strong for my sensitive stomache sadly.

A friend had success with these but said you need to take them for a few weeks before getting results. That said, they didn't help my IBS-D.

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

I had a lot of success with nystatin powder as well. bloating, gas, and constipation reduced 95% over a couple months. after stopping, however, my symptoms came back. the doc said I might need to continue using periodically. also, I've found a few side effects, including fatigue and pimples

I have taken cold showers daily for a number of years. I heartily recommend them. I find that my skin is better and my resistance to colds and flu is much stronger. But, unfortunately, it had no effect on my IBS. My IBS is the same whether I take my showers cold or hot.

I swear by ____ ACV with the "Mother" in it. I use it for cold remedys, upset stomachs, constipation, you name it! My son has been taking it for colds and other things since he was 10 years old. He actually asks me to make it when he's not feeling well. He hates the taste. Lol but he knows it will make him feel better. I generally put 2 tbsp of ______ ACV with 1 tbsp of honey in hot water. It makes a great tea and tastes like hot apple cider! You can even breath in the vapors from the tea for nasal and chest congestion. ______ ACV is truly a great home remedy and I recommend it to anyone who has never heard of it. Glad to hear it's helping others as well!

coconut oil soft gel capsules. It has been great for my IBS. as I lived with diarrhea, taking 3 pills a day has made a huge difference.

Coconut Oil cured my IBS and Bowel Distention' It was a little tough getting used to the taste tried all sorts of ways to get used to it but I actually don't mind it in my morning coffee. It has also made my skin very soft and my nails are growing like crazy. I will keep this one in my diet I feel so much more energy and it has only been a week!

Hi, I have tried the FODMAP diet, roughly :) I have cut out some fruits such as apples, as they send me straight to the loo! Also I try not to eat fruits containing polyols or excess fructose. It seems to have worked but I am know suspecting it could be the tap water. Am definatly going to supermarket to get 20L of spring water. Am also trying the apple cider vinegar with water X

Mira, Valerian has a natural healing agent and is recommended for digestive diseases, but is mostly known as a nervine.

I go to Dr. Frackelton in Westlake, Ohio for cancer prevention. (I already had it once) I have suffered from spastic colon off and on for years. I was really in pain one time when I went for my routine blood work and mentioned it to him. He said, "I know what will fix you up right now. " He told me to take 1 tsp of l-glutamine 3 times a day. I had been suffering with this for 4 weeks. I had already gone to my regular doctor who prescribed a medicine that did give me some relief from the pain. I quit taking that medicine the day before I went to see Dr. Frackelton. I took the l-glutamine later after I got home. I was taking my third teaspoon of it when I realized that I was fine!!! It worked that fast. When Dr. Frackelton told me it would fix me up right now, he was right! The l-glutamine really worked. I hope this helps someone.

I was recently researching the link between iodine deficiency and anxiety. I didn't find a lot of convincing information, so I decided to try it on myself.

I've had IBS for at least a year now and strangely enough, I found it to be completely anxiety related and not at all to do with the bowels themselves. I also have regular anxiety as well, but I haven't seen any doctors about either condition because I refuse to get on the meds wagon.

Two nights ago, I painted two squares of 2.5% iodine tincture onto my wrists. I could feel the effects of that by the next day, I went the whole day without any symptoms. One important thing I did find in my research, was that selenium deficiency apparently aggravates iodine deficiency, so naturally, I took 200mcg of selenium the next night in addition to painting iodine on my biceps this time. Still no symptoms of anxiety or IBS on the third day now and I'm hoping this is the real deal. Another interesting bit, I used to take selenium regularly as part of my supplement routine and then stopped for a long time without any obvious reason (ran out and forgot to replenish.. ). For informational purposes, I'm 23, smoke regularly, drink on weekends, eat relatively healthy (always home cooked) but not a ton of fruit and vegetables in my diet.

Interesting Fact: The iodine painting deficiency test is not an indication of anything. Most of it evaporates and becomes colorless, and the rate of that is dependent on the environment that you are in. It does absorb into your system, however, in small amounts. To back that up: When you do this so-called test, wait until it disappears, then get some hydrogen peroxide and apply it to the area; you will see that the whole thing is actually still there.

Best of luck!

Chamomile, Catnip, Basil and Yogurt help IBS

I have always had stomach/intestinal issues. Pain, gas, bloating. Probably celiac or somthing like it. For a while I drank too much coffee and at times took asprin with it. This gave me a lot of energy, but aterward my lower legs would swell a little and ache when I lay down to sleep. Aspirin always helped the pain. But it was probably eroding my stomach and such. After doing Slimfast for a year or two (which I really liked) I quit when whatever I ate seemed to just sit there. It was the kind that was supposed to curb hunger. After that quitting the Slimfast and artificial sweetner Splenda, depending on what I ate I would feel very depressed (was on Zoloft and Risperidone for two years about 2 years prior), lethargic, be absentminded, have no appetite (I'd have happily eaten nothing ever again), and at times feel absolutely great. I couldn't tell what was going on, but I figured it had to be food related. And that my digestive system was having problems. After a lot of experimentation I've come up with the following:

Make a tea of 1 tablespoon each of Catnip, Chamomile, and Basil. Cover it and let it steep about 10 minutes. While it's steeping or cooling eat a cup or so of plain (not low fat or anything) yogurt. When the tea is cool enough, drink it.

Horse Chestnut is supposed to be good for leg veins. No doubt it's good for the veins all over. I took some finally and within maybe 5 or 10 minutes my normally cold feet and legs felt nice and warm. I was amazed. After a few days I concluded that eating yogurt with/after the supplement is what caused the warm feeling. One day I took the supplement and had no yogurt. The warm feeling didn't happen. After eating the yogurt some time later, I was surprised to feel my feet and legs get warm. If the IBS is from an issue with the structural integrity of the intestine, the Horse Chestnut with yogurt and tea may be helpful.

I can't drink coffee or tea, or eat chocolate anymore, as this caused the pain in my legs to return. Also a burning sensation when urinating. Bicarbinates help the burning. Probably the leg pain too. Haven't tested that. For a while I was drinking vegetable juice of bok choy, parsley, and fennel. So the oxolates may be a contributing factor...

I have IBS with a tendency toward diarrhea. I can't take supplemental mag. at all because it makes me worse. I try to get my magnesium from the foods I eat.

What has really helped me is a gluten-free diet. It takes 4 to 6 weeks to know whether it will help, so be patient. The other thing that has helped is powdered l-glutamine, about a heaping teaspoon mixed in water every day. It's well known as a bowel healer. Powdered vitamin-C can help too but start out slowly because too much can cause diarrhea.

I have learned to avoid what I know bothers me. At the top of this list are pain relievers (both prescription and OTC), alcohol, milk, horseradish, garlic and raw onion. I have also learned that adding fiber to the diet can make me worse, particularly commercial fiber preparations. I stick with half an apple, a little brown rice, or a very small serving of beans when I need fiber, and I don't eat them every day.

Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice and Buttermilk Cure.

I've been in agony trying to find a cure for this new malady called IBS. I've been reading what the subcribers here have tried and I was willing to try anything. I have IBS-D. I read about Molasses, Buttermilk, Royal Jelly and I went to the store to purchase these items to try and see if something would work. That day I was only able to find buttermilk, the Organic kind. I was skeptical but I tried it with ____ [600 mg calcium tablet] at bedtime. The next day I woke up prepared to battle the many washroom runs I'd have and try not to look too conspicuous during my marathon leaps to get there. Funny thing, it didn't happen; I was OK however, I did have irritation and sometimes urges that were nothing but still I couldn't be too sure and I'd wind up sprinting for the washroom just in case. After a month of Buttermilk in the evening with the calcium and still feeling irritations, one evening I was so thirsty; water wasn't something I wanted. I spotted a lemon, squeezed it, added a little sugar and bottled water and drank like a camel. The next day there was no irritation but I did not make the connection right away; I thought it was most likely a food item, a trigger, that I had NOT ingested. That evening and several evenings after that, I continued drinking fresh Lemon Water and I think it's the cure. I've been fine ever since...no irritation, no D or C....I'm fine!

There is no doubt in my experience that stress in conjunction with lack of natural food will create IBS. I have had several bouts of this debilitating condition and have cured it by removing stress as much as possible and drinking fennel tea. Make a tea in a small stainless pot,with one large teaspoon of whole fennel seeds and a pint of spring or filtered water.Gently simmer tea for about ten minutes and allow to cool. Drink about a quarter of a pint, two or three times a day. The first cup,I usually take on an empty stomach. Sometimes if it is really bad, I make two pots and allow the seeds to meditate for a day or so which can make it slightly more potent. Don't keep it for too long. Love to you all.

I have irritable bowel with diarrhea. After my last colonoscopy, no prescription or OTC meds would help. I started taking 5,000 mcg of biotin every day and got relief. Sometimes I do get diarrhea, but it doesn't last long. This even helps the spasms and cramping.

have the indian spice turmeric on hand for emergencies. Usually IBS has a lot to do with our emotional well-being and suggests something is or many things are stressing us and we need to make changes in ourselves. However becoming perfect can take more than a life time so i recomend turmeric, i swallow half a teaspoonfull when I have a bad case of IBS and in half an hour I am much better. Only thing is as with lots of cures natural and pharmaceutecal, if the IBS keeps coming back eventually the effect of the turmeric or other cure is lessened. what it gives us is a chance to feel better while we try to solve the underlying problems.

I had suffered from IBS for years and years since I was about 11. It got to be so bad that my lower intestine enlarged to a point where it was pushing up against my stomach and causing severe pain. What really seemed to help me is to take a capsule of flax seed oil with a meal along with a glass of water. It made it so that I was regular. In recent years, I've been doing research on just how many illnesses are related to the consumption of animals and their byproducts such as cheese and the like. In an effort to become a healthier and more compassionate person, I became a vegan and it has done so much for me!! Not only has it completely cleared up the IBS, but numerous other things such as hypoglycemia, acne, made my skin more healthy and radient, made my nails harder, I get a more restful night's sleep, I have a TON more energy, etc. I cannot say enough about how much becoming a vegan has helped my health but the most drastic of a chsnge that I have found is the IBS. Within literally two days I was regular without the help of anything. I didn't have to watch what I ate to make sure that everything would be okay either. It was and is awesome! About an hour after I eat I have to go and it is the biggest relief! I hope those of you with IBS take my advice seriously and just think about cutting at least some of the animal products out of your diet.

a vegan diet definitely helps manage condition. for me this is 100% crucial in management of condition. it won't cure it, but it'll give you some breathing space and energy. a lot of animal products cause IBs and bloating/Diarrhea.

Lemon Water works even better with distilled water. I have had great success with fresh lemon and distilled water:)

The intestinal problems I'm referring to are caused by too much acid reaching the intestines. I've found that some packaged juices such as grape juice, tomato juice and apple juice, contain a lot of acid and can eventually cause intestinal pain when overdone. I attribute that to the acid eating away at the lining of the GI tract and causing irritation and ulcers. The obvious thing that's called for in those cases is to cut out these beverages. However, even though I used to suffer from such GI tract irritation to where I had to cut out my favorite beverages, I found a way to get around that problem and drink all the fruit juices I wanted without any problems at all and have been doing so for many years now. What I found is that if non-alcoholic "beer" or brew (I prefer Miller or Coors) is drunk at the same time as these juices (I mix them together for a good fizzy drink) I can, and do, drink as much juice as I want without any of the normal problems I used to get. Plus I find it to be a healthy and tasty alternative to soda drinks. I don't know what it is about beer that neutralizes the effects of acid in the GI tract, but it works every time.

If the coconut oil has a foul smell try a different brand. The cheap generic coconut oil has a strong odor. The expensive oil smells fresh and sweet. Coconut "butter" is delicious and amazing, too. It is basically pureed coconut, flesh and oil. I noticed the expensive brand of coconut "cream" I used to use had the odor of the cheap oil, so I swiched brands. Problem solved. I tried baking with the cheap oil and the final product had an even stronger odor, I had to throw it in the trash.

I have been taking coconut capsules for the digestive tract and IBS lately and they have worked wonders.

Cecilia, I recently healed my IBS! It was a complete surprise. I started taking thiamine for other reasons. And got this gift of healing, after 30 years of suffering.

I add two teaspoons of water soluble thiamine (either HCl or mononitrate) to my bath. It's like magic -- another wonderful result is newly soft and supple skin. Best of luck to you! (I do take a B complex orally as well.)

This helped me out so much. Thank you.

Awesome!

Could you please share which strains your probiotic contained, how much of each strain per capsule, and how many capsules you took daily? My son had an emergency surgery as an infant to remove an intestinal obstruction, and he lost half his small bowel, illeocecal valve, and appendix. So he needs something to help keep his intestines in balance - being the small bowel that remains is now open to the colon (no valve to separate). Thank you!

Hello Marnie!

Were you ever able to find a probiotic for your son as described by Sylvie? Thank you!

Can you tell me which probiotics you took.