I had tried almost everything you mentioned (except the drug mentioned in this article)and continued to suffer IBS for nearly 35 years.

I have finally been freed from this by a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbs. It took just about a month or me to heal.

Now I don't recommend just any acupuncture practitioner (like someone who takes a 6 month course and calls themselves a "doctor of acupuncture"). You need to look very hard and study credentials and referrals. My doctor has studied this for many years and has an M.D., Masters degree and Ph.D. He is also from China.

While I don't have the problem mentioned in the article, I severe bloating. to the point where my stomach is so distended, it makes me cry in pain. You can see it move when the gas shifts aroundinside my gut. I have had to stay home from work and other outing because I couldn't walk. The pain literally brings me to my knees in tears. I have tried eliminating wheat, dairy, soy, i do not consume eggs, because I know they are a culprit to some of my pain, but I still get them.I also I retain water a lot. I am an endurance athlete and for the amount to of exercise I do (2.5-3 hours daily), I should not gain weight as easily, and should not hold the amount of water that I do. I am either really hot or my body temperature drops dramatically, but the doctors insist that I don't have a problem with my thyroid.
So I said a lot more than just about my digestive problems, sorry- but I am really frusutrated. I am tire of eating so little for what I do, and being cold, tired and hurting all the time. an suggestions?

I have been enjoying getting emails about various topics from Dr. Mark Hyman for the last few months. Today I saw the one about IBS and was so happy to read this.

I have been suffering from IBS for many years. Although at times I really did not accept this diagnosis as to me it seemed like something Dr.'s tell you when they can't find out why you have chronic diarrhea.

Like Dr. Hyman said in his article the gastroenterologists I went to just said to take metamucil every day and one even told me that I would "never" get rid of IBS - that it would stay with me for the rest of my life. This was devastating news to me.

How could I have been healthy for so many years and then have this come on? It made no sense to me.

I am 52 and have had "bathroom issues" ( as I call it ) for the past 12 years. It all seemed to start after I had a confirmed bout of Salmonella poisoning. I just never got better.

Recently I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia because it was thought that with my IBS, migraines and depression ( which comes on and off over the years ) that this was indicative of this disease.

Over the years I have tried prescription Lomotil and over the counter Imodium and Pepto. I seemed to develop a tolerance for the Lomotil and had to keep taking more and more until it just really didn't work. The Imodium works at times and then not at other times.

Finally one Dr. put me on Cholestyramine Powder and that has worked pretty good.

Still...at times the powder does not work. And you never know when that might be.

It got so bad that I stopped working ( hence losing my health care benefits ) and I even filed for social security disability.

I felt trapped in my own home because I was afraid to go out. I thought maybe I should start wearing diapers in case of accidents ( this is how severe it got ).

Sometimes I feel as if I have been poisoned - I just get this awful sick feeling and my stomach ( upper abdomen ) gets very hot and I feel like I am going to vomit.

I have had colonoscopies and endoscopies and stool tests for parasites and blood tests. Nothing has shown up.

Currently I am now taking Thyroid medication because in August I did have blood work done and the thyroid levels came back high ( which means low thyroid ) and it took about 8 weeks but I have more energy now and feel a lot better. Yet, my stomach problems remain.

After reading Dr. Hyman's article I am going to try and get one of my Dr.'s to prescribe for me this non-
absorbed antibiotic called rifaximin.

Maybe that will help. I give anything a try.

I have tried probiotics and for some reason this makes my stomach really have terrible pains. So it scared me and I stopped taking them.

I was tested for celiac disease and the tests came back negative. However, I went on a gluten free diet and that did seem to help a little bit. Not a cure by any means. But some relief is better than none.

I also kept a diary of foods I ate and tried to compare them to when I had attacks and it became clear that several foods made my symptoms worse. Eggs, Chocolate, and Soy ( soy milk and soy sauce were major offenders )as are raw veggies. I love salads and chinese food - but they play havoc with my insides.

I do not know if I am allergic to these foods or if they just are harder to digest when your "gut" is messed up.

Anyway, this is an on-going battle for me and I feel very discouraged as one of the problems is that I feel as if nobody understands or sometimes I think nobody even believes me when I tell them.

I do think that some people think this is all in my head or that "stress" causes it. But I really have no stress in my life other than my stomach and bowel problems. Other than that I am a fairly happy person.

So...please keep writing articles about this subject Dr. Hyman. Post anything new that people like us can try.

Thanks for letting me share some of my story too. It helps to tell it.

CAT

I've had IBS for about 10 years. I'm managing it pretty well with OTC Digestive Advantage for IBS and Acacia Fiber and making sure to eat good soluble fiber like bananas and rice daily. I eliminated wheat several years ago but I still tolerate dairy products (cheese and yogurt) pretty well.

I've never seen a doctor for IBS because I know they'll just give me drugs to cover up the symptoms. Stress definitely makes it worse and mornings are my bad times...trying to get out the door to go to work ~ LOL!

Thanks for the article...sure wish I had a doctor like you that my insurance would cover.

Thank you so much for addressing IBS. I've suffered for years, and all the doctor said was to avoid salads. On my own I've discovered the worst trigger is dairy. Also, Candidiasis seems to be a major factor. I've seen little about yeast problems since Crook's book years ago. Doctors today seem to discount the problems yeast infections can cause. At the bookstore I had trouble finding anything on the topic of Candidiasis. I'd be hesitant to take an antibiotic since that leads to unbalanced bacteria. I am currently taking probiotics and enzymes, which helps. Your recent statement relating food to medicine caught my eye as I struggle to figure out what I can eat that will not feed the yeast. I'd like to see more about what we can do to fight yeast infections in the body. I have a friend who'd been through many surgeries and many rounds of antibiotics. He thought he was dying because he felt so horrible all over, and this was not from the surgeries - they went fine. After countless doctor visits, it was discovered he had Thrush. He has been working on this for months and is beginning to finally feel a little better. It's a do-it-yourself process though since doctors may treat one area of your body for yeast, without recognizing that it can take over your whole body. I'd like to see your thoughts on this.
Thank you

My 19 year old daughter also had ibs with all its lovely symptoms. We dramatically changed her diet. She seemed to be allergic to corn and wheat. They caused the most problems. We eliminated the corn. We changed to sprouted and sourdough bread which she handled fine. I believe because sourdough is made with lac to bacillius it changes the way the bread behaves in your gut. She also had a cultured food at every meal such as yogurt, kefir, cultured vegetables and kombucha tea. These are all loaded with probiotics. She also took cod liver oil and a lot of pantothenic acid and
other nutrients and eliminated sugar. With in a month there was a lot of improvement and by 6 months her symptoms were gone.It has not been quite a year and she seems to be able to eat anything even corn and regular wheat although she sticks to sprouted grains because she really likes them. I even learned to sprouted my own flour so I could make pancakes and muffins. I to have benefited from this same protocol. I no longer have type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. I thoroughly believe that cultured foods made her well. Each food helped in different ways.
Donna Schwenk

I also have IBS. I have Spastic Colon IBS. I go from being constipatd to not in a day. My doctor has prescribed Nexium because I aslo have chestpains due to gastric reflux and a small hiatal hernia. She also prescribed Zelnorm for my IBS and inflamed stomach and small intestine. I am taking a multivitamin, Rosemary, Ginger, Alpha Lipoic, and Vitamin C daily on top of my meds. I am still getting severe stomach cramping and still the chest pains. I feel sometimes like I am having a heart attack. I've had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy to diagnose these problems. I would like to do it without all these meds. Would I do the same regimen you suggested for Alexis? I am willing to try. Just wondering if I should do something different. Thanks so much,

Mariah

Oh my god! I think you have it it right on the nose. I have been having problems with my digestive for about a yr or 2. My DR. did a colon ostepy and a gerd and said everything was fine. Bull!! i can drink just a cup of coffee or a small bowl of cereal and I feel like i've ate a 12 course meal. I always feel full. About 6mos ago i always had diharea no matter what i ate, but that has went away and now i am always constipated. It is very uncomfortable! My DR. put me on prilosec and now zantec for my heartburn which i have had for 17+ yrs. I just want it to all go away. Its very painfull, but I just can't seem to get my Dr. to listen. I also have had a hysterectomy in 2000 if that has anything to do with it. Please, can you find it in your heart to help me??????

I have read your post on IBS and the studies using treatment with rifaximin and VSL #3 but these studies seem to be only for IBS with diarrhea. I want to know if VSL is helpful for those of us with IBS with constipation. The study says that the participants experienced decreased colonic transit with VSL and that is the last thing we need. The incidence of flatulence was markedly decreased which is good but the decrease in bloating was minimal. I have had the treatment with rifaximin and felt that it also decreased colonic transit. I had tests done last week for food sensitivities and allergies but have not had the results yet. What would be a good probiotic to take for IBS with consitpation that does not have any dairy in it?

Thank you so much, Dr. Hyman, for addressing this issue. I've had off-and-on IBS for about 10 years. I say off-and-on because I only seem to get the symptoms (urgent diarrhea) maybe once a week or less. This makes it difficult to self-test for food sensitivities, since I can eat the exact thing on two different days and one day will be fine and the other day will send me running to the bathroom. This condition affects me every day since I never know when it will rear its ugly head. So I have to think and worry about it every time I leave the house, even though usually nothing happens. I try not to eat out unless I'm close to home "just in case." Sometimes it hits me immediately after I eat, sometimes not until 2 hours later. However, during phase 1 of your Ultrametabolism program, I did not have an episode. During phase 2, I had one attack after eating my usual brown rice and vegetable dinner, but the portion was bigger than normal. There just seems to be no rhyme or reason to when it happens, so it's so hard to pin down what is causing it. Anyway, you have given me some good ideas of other things to try. I already eat a high fiber diet, take a good probiotic, avoid dairy and wheat and take vitamin and omega 3 supplements. But I will ask my doctor about delayed food allergy testing. One question I have never seen addressed is this: If you do have a sensitivity to a certain food, how long can it take to feel the symptoms? I wonder if the diarrhea I get on Tuesday could be from something I ate on Saturday. Or does it usually show up within hours of eating something? Thanks again for your always-logical approach to good health.

Yes, I too would like to hear more about IBS with Constipation. I've "suffered" from this since childhood, and have been taking Zelnorm that my doctor prescibed. It doesn't help all that much, and I have to be careful when I take it, as it sometimes causes me to have severe diahrea. I am so tired of being bloated and having uncontrolable flatulance. What is the answer??

so i had ibs for a long while but about 3 years ago i came back from a trip i took in europe and hardly anyone there is overweight only the old people who drink beer or eat too much pasta and pasteries, so anyways i was thinking to myself how come everyone there is so thin and here we are not. so at the time i was in college and i took a class principles of nutriton and i started to learn about fiber and benefits of fresh foods, and so i started to eat warm oatmeal, soups, and other dishes with veggies and fish, and i started to exercise alot and i lot 40 pounds in about 3 months it was so easy i was so focused on it. then about 2 years after that i started to have lots of stress in work, school and at home and i started to feel really sick when i ate cold foods especially dairy, refridgerated fruits and veggies and dried cerals and crakers, and i didnt know what all this meant so i went to the doctors and had alot of tests done biopsy of the colon of the liver all sorts of tests i found out i had a septated gallbladder but that usually didnt mean anything and then i thought yeah i shoud get a allergy test. i found out i was allergic to 12 things most of the things had a low number of allergy it goes from 1 to 10 most things were a 2 or 3 but milk was a 9 so since i mixed most of these things with milk i began getting allergic to those things as well. so i stopped eating most of those things and little by little i reintroduced them back in except for the milk i stay away and then i started to feel ok but it wasnt until i started to find out more about ayruveda until i felt really good and about this ultrametabolism book i just avoid all dairy and artificial food and eat warm foods.

I am 51 years old and have suffered from IBS forever (since 15). Having given birth to 5 children, (the last by an emergency old-fashioned C-section), having had my gall bladder removed, and having adhesions on my colon, my suffering over the years has increased tremendously. This is the first article I have ever read that actually gives you hope. I am determined to put into practice your suggestions and will get back to you in 2007 on how I fared. I do know that when my stress levels rise, the condition flares to new heights. It is so rare that I do not suffer after a meal, no matter how miniscule.

Thank you for this updated information.

Sincerely,

Debbie
St. Andrews, Manitoba R1A 3E3
Canada

I have had IBS for years now, but was not diagnosed until my freshman year of college. I suffer from severe bloating, gas, and constipation. Also with the occasional bouts of diarreha. I went to the doctor and he prescribed me Zelnorm. Let me tell you, this pill was a God send because I rarely get bloating and bowel movements are much more regular. I believe stress is the major cause of my problems, but also fried foods or foods high in fat tend to irritate me. I have never tried any of the treatments that Dr. Hyman recommended but would like to know if they really do work!

We sell an all natural non-dairy probiotic consisting of 29 active soil based organisms (SBOs) for cats and dogs. It is approved for human use (I take it daily), and scientifically proven in a breeder's kennel. We have miraculous testimonials from people who had exhausted all means prior to discovering Pet Flora for their animals.

I've had IBS many years and did not know what it was. Most often I attributed it to bad food. After surgery two years ago it got much worse. My whole life changed! No doctor was willing to say 'IBS'. I got online and did research in the library. I now take probiotics, I also take a good fish oil capsule for inflammation along with calcium citrate which helps with diaharea. I have cut out about 6-7 different foods (having a hard time getting off wheat) I also have started taking apple pectin(capsule form) I need to add more insoluble fiber to diet but am afraid of bad consequences. A little at a time will suit me for now. I have a rice bag that I heat in microwave and put on lower stomache to ease spasms. Since no one would prescribe and antispasmodic, I use a no no in blackberry brandy (about 2 oz.) Even though alcohol isn't permitted it helps me a lot! I get onto my banana and white rice diet and cool water beside me all day to drink (not iced) I also have severe diverticulitis so there are other food factors there. All in all I am able to control it these ways and know that there are people that complain that they have no shoes while there are other people that have no feet. I was advised by one doctor that surgery would help me but I don't think so. Stress is really bad and instigates attacks. I breathe deeply, do stretching exercises and walk. I also pray.

Citrus is an IBS 'trigger' for me and the vit. C you are taking may be making you worse. I also don't get enough 'C' so am looking for a way to get more in veggies or fruits. I cut out all hi fat foods, including peanut butter which I love, red meats, whole grains, eggs dairy and sugars. No soda either. Hope you are feeling better.

can you take these products if you don't have IBS. Also can you recommend a good antifungal agent

How do these recommendations relate to IBS with constipation as the main aspect?

hi i was interested in this acupunture is your doctor of acupuncture also know anything about ayruveda medicine?

I have IBS and it is awful. I think I will bring this article to my doctor.

Dear Dr. Hyman,
first of all i want to say thanks alot alot alot for ur book ultrametabolism its unbelievable actually its magical and ur the best in the world.
iam a pharmacist in my last semister my age is 22 i was over weight having food probelms and gut and bowel problems, now iam eating healthy food and iam so good and healthy with a very nice body, also iam gonna make a report in my uni about ur book because its amazing and all people should know about it specially pharmacist.
thanks alot for everything and i really like to recieve e mails from u as much as u can and ve a nice life as u taught us how to be healthy so we could ve a nice life

Hi, I used to suffer from IBS, and tried different prescriptions, none of which helped. I take probiotics, vitamins and fish and flax oil already, but the one supplement that literally changed my life is digestive enzymes! Right now I take Wobenzyme which also targets other inflammation in the body as well. Just thought I would share.

I was recently diagnosed with IBS but have had the symptoms for nearly 17 years. My doctor had very little to say about the disorder and so I did quite a bit of research on the web about IBS. I purchased a cook book specifically designed for IBS relief and have found it to be very helpful. My dilemma is that unless I am the chef and I know exactly what is in a dish I still become very anxious about eating out at either a resteraunt or the home of friends. It is surprising to see that there are drugs out there to treat IBS and restore balance to the gut but what happens when things get out of balance again? Is that likely to happen? Thanks for more insight into this frustrating disorder!

I inherited IBS from my grandmother and mother and now both my children have it. I can remember as a child how my grandmother couldn't make it to the bathroom and would soil her pants - she was my age, 50. My mother was the opposite and suffered from severe constipation and stomach pains. I guess I've always had it but didn't know what it was. I remember not being able to eat things with too much fiber or being able to drink coffe. I suffered from what is known as incomplete evactuation (use your imagination here) and was sent to a gastro dr. who did scopes at both ends and came up with a diagnosis of IBS (I already knew this) and a hiatal hernia. He presicribed an anti-depressent because I was lacking serotonin in my colon and fiber tablets. I told him I was allergic to wheat, potatoes, tomatos, corn, soy, oats and oranges and he basically told me I was nuts and to continue to eat these things because they provide "roughage". I was also given an anti-spasmodic drug for the terrible pains that I would have. I would have rather given birth than suffer with these boughts of stomach cramps that lasted for hours. And the bloating left me looking like I was 6 months pregnant. So I took all the drugs and did feel better but then as with most drugs, the body got used to them and I needed to have the anti-depressant increased to feel better. I just hate taking prescription drugs so I stopped amitriptyline
and found a great web site for IBS....www.helpforibs.com. I found and OTC IBS medication called IBS Advantage that worked well and started to take probiotics. I started to eat better and drink peppermint and fennel tea. The fennel tea really helps with the bloating but I don't think that will ever go away. It doesn't take much food to feel me up and yet I can't seem to lose any weight. I often find now that I suffer from mild constipation if I don't get my 30 grams of fiber a day but I really don't suffer with the stomach pains anymore and am able to enjoy most foods in moderation.

How does this work for IBS with constipation? Xifaxin seems to be for diarrhea?

All the information I've collected from Dr. Hyman has been wonderful, I was wondering if there is any dietary way to treat gout.

I have been trying to take the allergy test on the website recommended. I fill out all the questions, but it won't submit. Any help?

I have colitis. I am now in remission. I have found that MSG adversely affects this condition. My brother has the same problem with MSG but I think his is more like IBS.

Suffering from ulcerative colitis was alleviated by taking a tablespoon of Slippery Elm powder mixed with water to make a pudding twice a day

Dr. Harmon,

I was diagnosed with IBS a year ago after I had a Esophagogastroduodenoscopy with Biospy performed to see if I had celiac sprue. Diagnosis was negative. I had dropped wheat from my diet the previous 6-months so the test my have had a false reading. My brother has celiac. The doctor concluded that I have IBS and there is nothing he could do for me. I do not eat diary, wheat, or processed foods. I can not eat commerically prepared spaggetti sauce. I suscept the tomatoes may occationally may be moldy. Whenver I cheat on my diet the IBS is back big time.

Can you help me? Where do you practice?

I have had IBS for about 7 years. It can be so painful! The doctors don't seem to know what to do. One Doctor put me on Antidepressants because she thought it was caused by stress. I bought Ultrametabolism, began the detox and within the first week my symptoms disappeared! I was shocked because I too had the impression from my Dr's. that this was going to be a lifelong ordeal! I have been completely symptom free for about 6 weeks now. I love the IBS e-mail and I plan on taking all 5 steps to insure that my bowel is as healthy as possible. I also plan on going to a Functional Physician from now on!!!

I intermittently have bouts of diahrea and rectal itching and inflammation. I never can predict when it's going to hit. I recently did the detox from Dr. Hyman's book "Ultrametabolism". I would still have loose bowel movements even throughout the detox and thereafter. I have not had any rectal inflammation for quite a few months.

I have just read your suggestions on how to get rid of IBS. I will try them and let you know.

I have been dealing with IBS for over 5 years. It was triggered by lentils. Now I cannot eat any beans at all. I also cannot eat milk, yogurt or soy yogurt. I say away from wine, I still drink coffee in the morning and I get stabbing pains and cramps and have to be very close to a bathroom/ There have been times that I could not get out of a bathroom without a change of clothes. the worst is that bubbly feeling in the stomach that feels like gas. And once in a cycle like this it can take months for me to feel better. I have tried probiotics which have helped. Peppermint and ginger tea also help as well as anise tea. I would love to have a diet thay would eliminate the chance for these feelings. Even raw fruit bothers me. Right now it is trial and error. Thanks bunny

I have been dealing with IBS for over 5 years. It was triggered by lentils. Now I cannot eat any beans at all. I also cannot eat milk, yogurt or soy yogurt. I say away from wine, I still drink coffee in the morning and I get stabbing pains and cramps and have to be very close to a bathroom/ There have been times that I could not get out of a bathroom without a change of clothes. the worst is that bubbly feeling in the stomach that feels like gas. And once in a cycle like this it can take months for me to feel better. I have tried probiotics which have helped. Peppermint and ginger tea also help as well as anise tea. I would love to have a diet thay would eliminate the chance for these feelings. Even raw fruit bothers me. Right now it is trial and error. Thanks bunny

hi dr mark! i have read & love your book. i am trying very hard in my insane life to stick to the guidelines that your book prescribes--i have always eaten pretty dang healthy anyway. in the last 18 months i have gone vegetarian & as organic as my fairly rural southern town will accomodate--which, thankfully more is becoming available every day. i still am feeling "stuck" weight-wise--i am not, by the books, overweight, just still trying to shed about 10 postpartum pounds following a surrogacy 3 years ago, which has caused numerous health problems including my kidneys to give me trouble and digestive problems. AND, in my family of 6 we have a few asthma sufferers--especially my husband! do you have any suggestions for a REALISTIC, wide-scope plan that can be convenient, available, and generally appealing to finicky kid eaters? we are really pretty good--but the asthma is the hardest for me to deal with. oh and, btw, we do not take prescriptive or otc drugs--just herbs and supplements. :)

Dr. Hyman some have been advising me to use colloidal silver for IBS. What do you think?
The NIH has issued an advisory warning on it.

I know this will bother some people, because it is about animals, rather than humans, but my 15 year old cat has recently been diagnosed with IBD and there is not a lot of help for his condition other than budesonide, a local steroid that I am not happy about giving him.

Cats are studied by scientists because their bodies function very much like humans; in fact, medical advances at vet schools are often used in human health several years later. So this issue is not purely selfish in regards to my cat.

So my question would be: should he be tested for food allergies? Given anti-fungal yeast medication? Zinc? I'll ask my vet but would appreciate Dr Hyman's input here.

Thanks.

Since starting on the ultrametabolism diet I have had more bowel movements than I want. Everytime I eat something, no matter how small, I have to run to the bathroom. Often, I don't even have the sensation of needing to go to the bathroom, it just comes out.

I had a routine screening colonoscopy and I was told that my intestines are incredibly healthy. My bowel problems increased after the colonoscopy.

I am eating about 30 grams of fiber a day and I'm suffering and NOT losing weight.

Help!!!

My gallbladder was removed, ulceritis was found at one stage also. Colonoscopies etc. I was born with a terrible bowel function. My parents used to give my enemas even as a baby. My IBS is first constipation, bloating(people sometimes think I am pregnant), fullness etc. Next severe diarree. Nowadays I am stuck with irregular bowel functions and I do suffer to loose weight. Blood sugar levels drop continiously. I cannot eat mushrooms, mealies, too much corn. This won't absorb, just went straight through my colon. Sometimes even carrots. No very high fibre foods, again I swell looking pregnant. Also had a Nissen Repair, a big hernia of 37 - 40cm. Cooldrinks with gas also a problem.

Bunny, get off the coffee and any other caffeine! It is a trigger for an attack. I have stopped eating many foods that I consider 'sensitive'. Such as peanut butter, dairy, too much raw veggies. I eat and love Cream of Rice cereal and rice cakes and bananas. I intend to do Dr. Hyman's Phase one soon but must get my stomache in order first. No soda, no beer either. Good luck.

Dr. Hyman, I had been living like Alexis, I consulted traditional docs and naturopathic medicine. I don't think I made much headway even with homeopathic medicine until I reduced my stomach acid. I have no gallbladder and my gut felt very acidic. When my stomach acid was lowered the homeopathic medicine seemed to improve systems. I used a leaky gut formula and added in a probiotic although low dosage of bacteria as the higher levels seem to make me feel ill from the die-off. I am not completely out of the woods with my problem because if I eat something that activates the systems I quickly loose my gains. I don't understand why things I used to eat were no problem and now everything has changed. I am now trying the Rifaximin and noticed an improvement. I added in your recommendation of the VSL3 probiotics and for whatever reason I had a bout of diarrhea. Is there any chance this might be due to the introduction of such a high dosage of probiotics?

I don't know if I am doing this right or not because I have never used the internet for help before. I believe in everything you have said and wondered where I might find a doctor like you in the Houston area or if I should try to come to you. I am 69 years old and am currently on Protonics for erosive esophagitis and have been on one treatment or another for the past 5 years. I also have a hiatal hernia. I have tried and tried to get off the medication because it causes severe headaches but when I try to stop, I am so miserable from burning all over that I can not tolerate it for more than a few days or weeks. I had asthma as a child and had all the allergy testing and took the shots, then I progressed to a spastic colon, and then to IBS, and now erosive esophagitis. I feel like a fool when I try to explain all of my symptoms to a doctor, mainly because I worked in the medical field for about 20 years and know what they think about a patient like me. Today I had a diagnostic mammography and ultrasound with the results of suspicious places that they want to biopsy. I have always been aware that I had fibrocystic disease and have not gone for regular checkups because I didn't want any unnecessary tests due to the lumps. However, my left breast had an indentation on it and has become increasingly sore so I let my family talk me into having the tests run. I have always believed that everytning wrong with me was due to my needing something in my body that I was not giving it, but I don't know how to find out what that is, or I was giving it something it didn't need. Can you help me? I have high cholesterol and triglycerides but do not want to take the medication that they prescribe for me. It really hurts my stomach. I have tried to improve my diet but have not totally succeeded in doing that. I have had phlebitis, pylonephritis, a broken leg and arm, a vaginal hysterectomy and a tonsillectomy. My mother died of cervical cancer at age 77, and my father died of an aneurism at age 66. Mother also had severe osteoporosis and dad also had a heart attack. I forgot to mention that my feet have had little feeling in them for several years now and I am beginning to get knots on three of my finger joints as well as on my wrist on the other hand. Sometimes they are quite large and then they seem to shrink. Sorry this is so long, but you have given me hope that maybe I can turn it all around. Thanks for listening to my story.

I had gastric bypass 3 1/2 years ago. Although my sypmtoms are not as severe as what was stated, I still have problems. Would this information also pertain to me?

I had gastric bypass 3 1/2 years ago. Although my symptoms are not as severe as what was stated, I still have problems. Would this information also pertain to me?

Do you have amalgam fillings? I just recently had mine removed and in my research, I discovered how much damage they do to your gut, thyroid, and many different organs and tissues in the body. Many doctors or dentist will not address the possability that the mercury (amalgam) is being vaporized in your mouth and settling in the tissues or organs. check out this website, www.wholebodynews.com. If you are not all ready aware, you will be suprised.

I have had IBS since The day I was born, from what my mom tells me.When I was 21, my problems got severe, I could barely work I was running to the bathroom all morning, and the burning pressure I had was terreble. If I ate or drank any citris I was through. My doc checked me for H Pylor. Sure enough the count was so high I had to go through two courses of treatment. Anyways if you have not been checked for it ask your dr. I am sure the meds your help the symptoms not the cure. Have they checked your gallbladder at all? Hope your feeling better. courtney

I passed the newsletter regarding IBS along to my sister who was recently diagnosed with IBS. She RAN to her doctor to get the antiobiotic. The doctor would only perscribe it to her for 3 days!! Long story short, it has changed her life completely. She has a somewhat good diet and this pill alone has helped immensely. She said that after 2 years she is having normal bowel movements again. She wanted me to thank you for her. So thank you Dr. Hyman!!!!!! for everything. Mary Ellen for Jane Frances

I have ulcerative colitis and had all of my amalgam fillings removed about 12 years ago in hope that that would help my condition. I underwent chew/spit tests first to determine mercury levels and then went to a dentist who was the head dentistry instructor at a university to have my 3 fillings removed (I only have 3 fillings). They were replaced with gold fillings, which also made all the fillings in my mouth compatible.
After I had it done I became aware that I had thought this dentist would be expert but in reality she was not very good. Anyhow, the removal was done so there was no looking back.
Over the years I have not noticed any obvious effects of the mercury removal, although the colitis symptoms did lessen and I went into remission for several years. I would say that was more due to major lifestyle changes. When I say remission I mean that I did not take any medications or drugs at all, although I still always felt the need to "stay near home" since I am afraid of not being around a bathroom if I go somewhere. My father died 9 months ago and I got a bout of colitis again, that was the first bad breakout in almost 5 years.
I am now trying to get involved in a pigworm therapy study, and my doctor said he is open to it once the bout is completely under control again- which it is, so I'm hoping to join a pigworm study if possible.

Thankyou for your outstanding work! A much needed expose. K.M. D.C.