Reddit Reddit reviews Reclaim Your Life from IBS: A Scientifically Proven Plan for Relief without Restrictive Diets

We found 4 Reddit comments about Reclaim Your Life from IBS: A Scientifically Proven Plan for Relief without Restrictive Diets. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

Health, Fitness & Dieting
Books
Alternative Medicine
Healing
Reclaim Your Life from IBS: A Scientifically Proven Plan for Relief without Restrictive Diets
Check price on Amazon

4 Reddit comments about Reclaim Your Life from IBS: A Scientifically Proven Plan for Relief without Restrictive Diets:

u/drmhunt · 3 pointsr/ibs

So SSRIs (including Lexapro and Prozac) have been shown to be helpful to many people with IBS. But there is no question that they can exacerbate diarrhea, and many, many IBS D patients simply can't tolerate them. It aggravates me when doctors simply switch from one to another in the same class. There are other medication options that make a LOT more sense for people with IBS D. If you want something with anti-depressant and anti-anxiety effects, old fashioned tri-cyclic (TCA) drugs can be very effective. Unlike SSRIs, they affect nor-epinephrine, and their effect on the gut tends to be constipating. This can be a god send for people with IBS d and can really help get things calmed down and break the cycle of increasing pain, urgency, frustration, anxiety, anger, and hopelessness. Another great option is a newer class of drugs collectively called SNRIs. These include effexor, cymbalta, and a few others. A huge advantage of these drugs is that the S (serotonin) and the N (norepenephrin) have opposite GI side effects, so they cancel each other out and don't exacerbate either diarrhea or constipation. Another huge advantage of this class is that they have significant anti-inflammatory and anti-pain properties. They are often used to treat pure pain conditions like fibromyalgia and diabetic neuropathy. There is even one study showing that they can be quite helpful with visceral (gut) pain.
So definitely talk to your doctor about these other options. They take a while to kick in with the antidepressant effects, but the GI and pain effects kick in pretty quickly. Might really help calm things down.

In the meantime, I strongly suggest you consider a course of cognitive-behavioral therapy. It is the only truly evidence approach to depression and anxiety AND it's the most effective treatment for IBS long term, because it corrects the underlying brain/gut neural axis and reduces visceral hypersensitivity - the real problem that underlies IBS. If you can't find a good CBT therapist in your area (try abct.org, adaa.org or academyofct.org) there are some great self-help books out there. Reclaim Your Life from IBS is a CBT self-help manual specifically for people with IBS that's been proved to reduce visceral hypersensitivity, GI discomfort and depression, and improves IBS related quality of life. It's available in many public libraries. Or you can just buy it from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Reclaim-Your-Life-IBS-Scientifically/dp/145491887X.

Good luck!

u/benjdu · 2 pointsr/ibs

Sure! CBT is basically a form of psychological therapy that has been successfully applied to individuals with IBS to help manage and better live with symptoms, and regain some of the quality of life aspects. It sounds to me like a lot of your symptoms are exacerbated by stress, and CBT definitely helps with that! Take a look at this book https://www.amazon.com/Reclaim-Your-Life-IBS-Scientifically/dp/145491887X/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=melissa+hunt&qid=1569725019&s=gateway&sr=8-1.

u/JohnnyPlainview · 2 pointsr/ibs

I feel for you, my friend. The depression and anxiety that comes as part of this package deal is the worst. You're not alone. Internet hugs, if you want them.

I second the recommendation for the low-fodmap diet, it's one of the few things that's really helped me.

I'm glad you're getting CBT - have you tried mindfulness meditation? I found that getting acquainted with some guided meditations has been very helpful - I'd recommend the app Headspace (paid) or Insight Timer (free).

If focusing your CBT on your worry about shitting yourself in public hasn't helped it, I'd recommend this book. I don't believe everything she says, but she specifically addresses this worry and offers some strategies to deal with it.

Feel free to PM me if you want to talk or rant or anything. :)