Eating With IBS

A buddy of mine recently took interest in gaining some weight and hitting the gym. He stands about 5’6" and weighs roughly 130lbs. While I was telling him about eating clean, and eating big, he revealed to me that he has I.B.S. (Irritable Bowel Syndrome).

He told me that if he eats any more then once a day his stomach turns to complete shit, he goes into pain, and even gets sick from it. Has anyone dealt with something like this before? Is there anything he can do to correct the issue allowing him to eat more? I didn’t want to tell him he’s shit outta luck. Any advice is appreciated.

-Alex

Unfortunately, unless he’s taking medication for it, it does not get better. I suffer from this slightly. My gut gets an attitude any day of the week and not from specific foods. It’s a bitch. The best thing for him to do is see a gastroenterologist and let this doc put him on meds.

He just told me that the last time he was there, the doc put him on penicilin (spelling?). He said it helped a little bit, but not enough to eat 6-8 times a day like he should be. Is there something else they had you on? Thanks again.

-Alex

[quote]aburke22 wrote:
He just told me that the last time he was there, the doc put him on penicilin (spelling?). He said it helped a little bit, but not enough to eat 6-8 times a day like he should be. Is there something else they had you on? Thanks again.

-Alex[/quote]

I seriously doubt that any doctor would prescribe an antibiotic for IBS. You can tell him to ask about Zelnorm, a drug that has been shown to work in calming IBS associated with excessive bowel movements. It does not seem to work for men who have IBS with constipation.

[quote]Professor X wrote:
I seriously doubt that any doctor would prescribe an antibiotic for IBS. You can tell him to ask about Zelnorm, a drug that has been shown to work in calming IBS associated with excessive bowel movements. It does not seem to work for men who have IBS with constipation.[/quote]

Thanks Professor.

-Alex

An antibiotic will worsen this condition. I don’t know why a doctor would prescribe an antibiotic, unless he thought your friend was suffering from an intestinal infection. Anitibio’s really upset the GI tract and can cause severe pain, bloating, and diarrhea. I’ve been given Reglan to ease the spasms. It helps peristalsis return to normal and does away with cramping.

I’ve had IBS for 20 years. I have learned which foods to avoid:

most raw fruits and vegetables
dry beans
oatmeal
excessive fat

(these may vary by individual)

I supplement with a variety of enzymes (Beano, Lactaid, and Fast Food Enzymes) which seem to help.

I eat six to eight times per day with no problems, except bloating in the late afternoon and evening. And this is probably from Surge.

Good luck to your friend.

Some other irriatants are excess caffiene and high protein shakes(major bloating). Food timing is a major factor for lessening the effects of IBS. Alcohol is another irritant. The good news is, as the post before this one says, one can manage and become successful at lifting and eating with IBS. Your friend will have to experiment with his feeding routines.

Thanks for all of the replys folks. I talked to him about why the doctors prescribed him Penicilin… apparently when that was done they weren’t sure if he had full blown IBS and thought it was just some sort of intestinal infection. They told him if it didn’t work, to come back and they will run more tests, however he changed jobs, moved across the country, and lost his medical insurance, so he has yet to re-visit the doctor.

I’m going to get this info to him asap, so on his behalf, thank you very much!

-Alex