Megyn (Houston, Tx) on 09/25/2011

Hi I know this thread was started last year. I just wanted to share quickly my experiences with vaginal herpes and IBS-C. I have had herpes since I was 18 and IBS-C symptoms that have increasingly gotten worse. I have followed a gluten and lactose free diet for over two years now which helped greatly. Then recently my food intolerances have become so bad that I started a low FODMAP diet which has also helped to mitigate a lot of the bowl discomfort I have suffered. But I was still having a lot of problems going to the bathroom. All of this is going on while I have been having almost one herpes out break after another for the past 6 months. I have been tested for SIBO, and it was inconclusive. My bathroom habits have been difficulty accessing the muscles needed to properly eliminate (a lot of twisting, turning, pushing on my abdomen) what ends up being pretty soft, sometimes not formed at all stool. So its not classic constipation. My lower left back has also been causing me pain problems chronically. I was beginning to wonder If I had a pinched nerve that wasn't signaling properly, but I don't seem to have a pinched nerve either. I also don't have any sensation in the rectal area to have a bowel movement. It is more of a bloating and discomfort in the abdomen, so I go and try and pray something happens.
So a few days ago I got a prescription for Valtrex for suppresive therapy, after just two days of taking 1 gram a day I have noticed a huge difference in my ability to eliminate! I don't know if there is a causal relationship, but it is definitely correlated. I will continue to stay on suppressive therapy for a LONG TIME as well as continue the low FODMAP diet for at least a year to let things heal. I will probably get some stool samples tested for parasites and yeast just to make sure too. But I think I am on to something. Hope this helps someone!
Wydo (Ventura, Ca, United States) on 08/09/2010

I have IBS and nothing seems to work for me real well. I do the baking soda and EDTA. I treat for Candida regularly as well. Right now I have a little pit in the roof of my mouth and it is really sore. I think it is the herpes virus which I have had since 6 years old. I have had the IBS since 22 years old and by age 48 I thought I had kicked it. After several years of being free of it the IBS is back. I get cold sores more frequently now as well. I keep wondering if the herpes virus is part of my IBS problem. I have heard that the herpes virus is either active or dormant but I wonder if rather then going dormant it really just goes to my intestines and causes the IBS and Candida problems. I would like to know if Ted could answer this for me and if he has found the herpes virus among the people he has helped with IBS. I would also like to hear from other people with IBS that get the cold sores of the herpes virus and how long they have had both the IBS and herpes and if the herpes came first. I think there is a connection in my case but I would like to know if there is a connection with the two in other case. Thank you everyone.