Wendy (London) on 04/19/2025
Art (California) on 05/04/2023
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10131443/
Here are a few relevant quotes from the randomized, double blind, placebo controlled human study :
' Melatonin can be considered an effective treatment for improving IBS score, GI symptoms, and quality of life in IBS patients with and without sleep disorders. It is also effective to improve sleep parameters in IBS patients with sleep disorders. '
' The results of our trial showed that in both groups of patients with and without sleep disorders, receiving melatonin leads to a significant improvement in IBS score and GI symptoms, including the severity and the frequency of abdominal pain, the severity of abdominal bloating, satisfaction with bowel habits, disease's impact on patient's life, and stool consistency'
' In patients with sleep disorders, significant improvement in sleep parameters, including subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, and daytime dysfunction, was observed, while in patients without sleep disorders, there was no significant improvement in sleep parameters. In addition, quality-of-life improvement was observed in a significant number of melatonin recipients compared to placebo in both groups of patients. '
Of interest in this study is the fact that they only used a total of 6 mg of melatonin per day in two divided doses of 3 mg each. A fairly simple plan for significant alleviation of IBS. Also of interest in this study was the number of participants, 136, a very good size study.
This is a very significant and important study, given that IBS is one of the world's most common gastrointestinal disorders and current medical treatments are often ineffective.
Art
Lisa T (Fl) on 09/02/2015
Cindy (Orange County, California) on 09/04/2011
According to my doctor, a large proportion of serotonin either resides or is made in your gut (I forget which) so it makes sense that it helped my IBS. When I started, I was taking 200 mg each morning. It didn't help me sleep though, in fact it kept me wide awake. After taking for about a year or so, I started feeling very ill every morning. It took me a long time to figure out it was the 5-htp. However, my general health has improved much over the past year and I have now cut the dose back to 50 mg per day and can handle it fine. My doctor told me my system probably did not need as much now and this is perhaps why larger doses were making me so ill.
Peppermint Oil Capsules Cured Daughter's IBS lady liza (Los Angeles) on 09/11/2021
Lady Liza (Los Angeles) on 06/30/2021
Bay (Houston, TX) on 03/21/2020
I have a remedy I haven't seen listed that has given me my life back.
I got C.difficil after a double round of antibiotics. I took the special antibiotic to get rid of the C.diff, which it did. But 6 months later I was hit with IBS-D, chronic diarrhea making it difficult to leave the house.
I tried every remedy on this site and others. I saw a gastro doctor who offered little help. Nothing worked.
I read antedotally that plain gelatin helped with diarrhea, and that it helped increase the mucosal lining of the intestines.
I began with 2 packets per day (morning & evening) mixed into my hot coffee or tea. I had relief within the first few days. Soft, but formed stools.
After a couple months I began using just one packet in my morning coffee, and continued with no problem.
After 6 months I did an experiment and got off it completely. I had one or 2 loose movements over a week, a vast improvement over previously. I have gone back to my morning packet ever since, and have not had diarrhea in a year and a half.
I mentioned this remedy to my regular doctor's nurse. She mentioned it to another patient who tried it and told the nurse to tell me "Thank you, I got my life back!"
Buy plain gelatin packets in the baking supply aisle of the grocery store. About $6 for 30 packets. It mixes and dissolves best in very hot liquid. Mixed with cold (even a drop of water in your mug) makes a gelatinous mess that dissolves eventually, but not easily.
Try it and let others know it works!!
Juliette (USA ) on 08/16/2019
For the last two weeks, he has been taking 2 charcoal tablets before bed every night. This has helped him very much. He is even eating salad without difficulty.
My gut was out of whack after travel and a stomach bug. Just one dose of charcoal finally got me back to normal. It’s cheap and effective but shouldn’t be taken within 2 hours of medications.
Juliette
sylvie13 (USA) on 06/13/2019
I suffered from IBS for years, becoming more and more of a shut-in because I couldn't go anywhere without a bathroom close by. I then read an article* that stated 80% of IBS sufferers actually have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).
If you have SIBO, normally beneficial bacteria migrate from your colon into your small intestine and wreak havoc there. The irony about this is that those bacteria are... lactobacillus and bifidobacillus, i.e., the exact bacteria you find in nearly all probiotics, yogurt, kefir, etc.!!!
In other words, if you have SIBO, all the orthodox remedies for IBS are only feeding it and you will feel worse and worse the more probiotics you take/eat. I'd always felt that way, so I immediately stopped taking my probiotics and eating most dairy.
No more yogurt, kefir, cottage cheese, milk, etc., only a small amount of snack cheese slices here and there. Instead, I started taking probiotics, which consist of completely different strains derived from cultured, clean soil and have nothing to do with lacto- or bifidobacillus.
Within about four weeks, I was symptom-free. It was like a miracle. I still get the occasional bout of diarrhea—maybe once every two weeks—but nothing like before, where I could barely leave the house.
Of course, I can't promise that you have SIBO and that this will work for you, but if you do, you might get your own little miracle.
*amymyersmd.com/2018/04/10-signs-small-intestinal-bacterial-overgrowth-sibo/
Gord (Alabama) on 02/25/2019
I recently started it and initially seeing great improvement after 35+ years of IBS. I just boil 1 tsp of Cumin seeds in water for 5 minutes then strain and drink. I have tried many different things for my IBS and this has helped more than others. There is also a study showing its benefits for IBS.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24829694
Amy (Riverside, California) on 09/22/2020
I found that if I take a glass jar (like from a jelly or a jam product and clean it thoroughly, I can fill it with ordinary tap water but I must place the glass of water in the refrigerator (not the freezer). For some reason I love the water cold? Then I can drink it like crazy! But remember that the cold water can give you a sore throat so allow the refrigerated water out of the refrigerator before drinking it for awhile so that the water is not too cold, it will still be cold enough to drink and enjoy. Now that I drink refrigerated water, my irritable bowel syndrome isn't bothering me anymore!
Just letting others know what works for me with drinking plenty of water.
Wendy (London) on 10/21/2018
Anyway, onto the good news. I never say I am cured as this can come catch you out, but 100% better than I was.
All due to the Fodmap diet. Won't bore you all with specifics you can google them. Basically cutting out certain foods which have been tested to disagree with certain people and reintroduce sometime later with caution to see if that particular food should be avoided.
What this has done for me is amazing. Not only has it stopped the diarrhoea episodes, an ongoing problem with chronic coughing has cleared up and I notice my nails have grown longer and stronger.
Of course chronic diarrhea is depleting your body of essential nutrients and leaving it weaker.
This has been a life changer for me so wanted to pass it on to other sufferers.
Rajat (New Delhi, India ) on 09/13/2018
Marie (Middle Tn) on 08/20/2018
Steve (Nsw Australia) on 11/09/2017
To start 440 ml a day for a week. After that 440 ml every second day.
You should notice the improvement in two weeks time. It took me 2 months to clear of this IBS problem. I wasn`t going to write this article because of the alcohol content, but if it helps even one one person would be a help.
It contains BARLEY.
Cheers
Fermented Sauerkraut for Chronic Diarrhea Terry (Solomons, Md) on 10/31/2017
Here's what I learned: you don't need to eat a whole lot of the sauerkraut, just a nice forkful...I am trying it out once a day, but I think as I go along, maybe just 3 forkfuls a week would be OK because you don't want to upset the balance of the good and bad bacteria in your gut. I am thrilled with this finding. Several weeks before my "gastro doc" prescribed Cholesdtyramine for oral suspension. It's a powder that you mix with water or juice. That did work for about 3 days and it was back to diarreah. Anyway, it messes up your cholesterol and bile and who wants that? Please try this natural, easy to eat sauerkraut and let everyone know who you do. Thanks for reading.
Xox_care_xoz (Montréal ) on 10/19/2017
Blue Star (Tennessee) on 05/25/2017
Blessings... this is also symptoms of intestinal parasites. Always good to do a parasite cleanse twice a year...
Elizabeth (Ny) on 04/17/2017
I began to drink coconut water, having coconut/almond milk in my coffee, supposedly non dairy, cut out ice cream and even had to cut out frozen yogurt and tried the lactaid products and still I am having issues. It is not as bad as it was last week, but it seems no matter what I eat, I am running a short while after or by the wee morning hours up and about with pain, discomfort, nausea. I have no clue what I should do anymore. I have plain Italian toast with jam, plain scrambled eggs, coconut water, etc. etc. and still, I wake up during the night in pain. I had tried the essence of peppermint like I used to take and still no relief.
I don't know what to do anymore..I am so tired and trying to make sure I stay hydrated at the same time. It has been one week today when this all got worse. Please help me!
Baking Soda for IBS Dana (Oklahoma) on 03/30/2017
