stomach spasms

Suffering from IBS? Post your history, experience, comments and/or suggestions
CindaLou
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:11 am

Post by CindaLou » Wed Apr 14, 2010 12:18 am

Has anyone ever tried alternative therapies? Reiki has been a HUGE blessing to my IBS and anxiety...especially the anxiety.

Susan Gilbert
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:34 pm

Post by Susan Gilbert » Wed Apr 14, 2010 2:21 am

CindaLou,

I have tried Acupuncture for IBS. It did work for about a week at a time, then my symptoms would come back. I needed how to deal with my anxiety. I then started using Lucinda's Program.

How often do you do the Reki? Glad to hear that that works.
Susan

CindaLou
Posts: 2
Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 7:11 am

Post by CindaLou » Wed Apr 14, 2010 6:07 am

in 2006, I was getting it twice a month for about maybe a year then I would get it monthly and now,it is every few months. I am now a Reiki practitioner myself so anytime I have distress I can use it on myself but I still have it done by my teacher. I went from being bed ridden on a daily basis to being upright and human again!

I haven't tried the acupuncture yet but I would like to in time.

wills
Posts: 1
Joined: Tue May 11, 2010 12:00 pm

Post by wills » Tue May 11, 2010 5:03 am

So many of you are saying that your spasms are due to anxiety, but none of you has mentioned anti-anxiety medication. Aren't you doing what you are accusing doctors of: treating symptoms instead of cause?

Susan Gilbert
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:34 pm

Post by Susan Gilbert » Tue May 11, 2010 7:16 am

wills,

I'm not sure what you mean. The idea is not to use meds but get to the cause. Anxiety is a cause. However, it could be a hormonal imbalance or vitamin/nutrient deficiency. Addressing anxiety through Cognitive Behavior Therapy(ex. Lucinda's Stress, Anxiety, Depression program) is an excellent way to overcome or take control of anxiety rather than take meds.

I am seeing that anxiety or other health issues may not have just one cause but how we think is a major one. By changing one's thinking, the anxiety can go away. We need to look at the whole body. The adrenals may be stressed when anxiety has been chronic, so strengthening the adrenals is an important step along with changing one's thinking. That in turn, requires a person to look at eating habits and diet and try to change that.

There is no easy answer.
Susan

_Carlos
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:14 pm

Post by _Carlos » Mon Dec 20, 2010 11:33 am

Wow! I have experienced these stomach spasm/heart racing/heart skipping episodes for almost 20 years! I thought I was all alone!

Just a few weeks ago I ended up in the ER with a heart rate in the 170 range after a spasm incident that just spiraled into an anxiety attack, etc. The EMT had me wired while it was happening and he assured me it was not my heart. That was comforting but the feeling that your heart is skipping beats and it's racing is awful. My blood work showed low Potasium. After introducing the Potasium and some Valium intraveneously it all returned to "normal." Now I carry an antacid and Xanax for these episodes. It works after about 30-40 minutes but no real clue as to what is really causing this to occur.

Thank you all so much for your comments, I will certainly keep in mind the diuretics (on diuretics for blood pressure) and the probiotics. Can anyone comment on the effects of alcohol? Sometimes if I over-indulge a spasm episode is more likely the following day? Also does a normal over-the-counter daily vitamin address all the vitamin recomendatons mentioned before? Thank you all so much and God bless..

LyndaLu
Posts: 794
Joined: Sun Oct 03, 2010 4:43 pm

Post by LyndaLu » Sat Dec 25, 2010 1:51 pm

Everyone:

I have just read every post on this forum regarding Imflammatory Bowel Disease / Ulcerative Colitis / Crohn's Disease. I myself started having symptoms as far back as 1997. Of course, in the beginning, I saw a few doctors that were not Gastroenterologists. I was given a Lower GI. I was given a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy on the lower colon. If I remember correctly, I was told I had IBS, or Irritable Bowel Syndrome and told to eat more fiber, or something like that. This did not work for me and I pretty much just gave up on doctors and continued to suffer from severe "emergency" diarrhea for several years. It was a terrible thing to live with and I had to alter my lifestyle completely. A while later I did see a Primary Care Physician that game me something called Cholestyramine Powder, or Questran Powder. I started taking that twice a day and it helped me enough for me to think that I may just have a chance at living a somewhat "normal" life. Then in 2006 I actually saw a Gastroenterologist and I had a Colonoscopy. This procedure showed that I had ulcers in my colon. I have also had a catscan at a hospital ( while I was in the hospital for rectal abscess surgery ) that confirms the fact that, yes, I have ulcers all throughout my colon. AND, I found out that rectal abscesses are related to the IBD. I have had two rectal abscess surgeries and one anal fistulectomy surgery over the past few years. I never connected the dots between the Ulcerative Colitis and the Rectal Abscesses. I have learned a lot over the past several years, but I have learned even more by reading every single post here! Currently I am taking my Cholestyramine Powder twice a day and I am taking a prescription medication called Lialda twice a day. Along with the two medications above, and a very, very careful watch over what kinds of foods that I consume, I can really drastically reduce the number of severe diarrhea episodes that I may have. What I consume has a large part in how I feel during that day. I have learned through trial and error what I can and cannot eat. For everyone I am sure this list is different based on their individual circumstances. As far as alcohol, I would not recommend it at all if you have Ulcerative Colitis. And greasy foods are to be absolutely elimated from your diet if you expect to receive positive results in the way you feel. I had my gallbladder removed a few years ago and I still cannot get that out of my mind that this operation did not at least cause part of my Ulcerative Colitis. Who knows ?

Thank you for listening to my rambling. And thank you for all of the advice from this forum.

Have a great New Year.

Lynda Lu

Paisleegreen
Posts: 1778
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 5:27 pm

Post by Paisleegreen » Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:41 pm

Thanks Lynda Lu for your response on this and Susan Gilbert and others. I didn't think I had IBS, but I certainly am feeling the tightness around my gut/waistline, when I know my pants aren't tight. Its good to know that it is partly due to anxiety and I'm still figuring out any other reasons.

I was very interested in what everyone has experienced and what they are doing to help themselves. Thanks to all of you. Paislee

braveironwill
Posts: 10
Joined: Tue Sep 27, 2011 7:59 am

Re: stomach spasms

Post by braveironwill » Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:21 am

I was getting treatment from a holistic quack who gave me a whole bunch of things like vitamins, "tonics" etc., despite me telling him that I am lactose/lactaid intolerant. I believe that all the things he gave me and me having such a sensitive system caused more issues. Not only did I get extremely uncomfortable stomach spasms, but for a year and a half now I still can't eat a lot of foods. I'm just now getting confidence enough to try small amounts at a time. All I could eat was about a tablespoon of boiled chicken, 2 tablespoons of yellow potato boiled and plain and 3 tablespoons green beans on a saucer. I can only eat a roll for breakfast and lunch I can eat a little boiled chicken on toasted bolillo bread. No candy, chocolate, etc. I can't tolerate drugs so I have to deal with it. I "fired" this quack and decided I needed to get some control back. I have had a complete hysterectomy and that was 10 years ago -the day before I turned 30 because of severe endometriosis. I haven't seen a difference. I know that the things I do now have been extremely helpful and that's on my own research because no one here knows much about IBS, anxiety, panic, etc. I have had to inform the doctors and therapists! I take a product called "Reliv" www.reliv.com and I take the Reliv Classic and Fibrestor which allows me to get the vitamins and minerals my body needs to include fiber. It has really helped my immune system. I've been taking it for 3 years now. I stopped for six months because of the quack doctor but went right back on it. It did take me time and I do have to introduce it slowly to my system. Since then I haven't been sick with flu's or cold's. I also have tried a ton of pre-probiotics. The only one I found that works and I have to take one with EVERY meal which also helps me prevent stomach spasms is by Rainbow Light- Pre-Probiotic 1B. It is not expensive. Aleve for me was a waste of money. I also started using LifeWave patches which also helps me so much I've been telling everyone and became a distributor. It is awesome! It has cleared toxins without me really noticing it. These are patches that use acupuncture points in your body and there is no side effects because nothing goes into the system. I am one who will take Tylenol only if I really need it. This has helped me a lot because I can sleep now and I don't feel 24/7 pain due to my fibromyalgia. This has helped and I incorporate this with the Stress Center program. If I feel stomach cramps coming on I take a few sips of gingerale and grab the heating pad. I place the heating pad over my stomach and deep breathe. I just go with it until it stops. I also drink a lot of water now. That helps. I've noticed dehydration could trigger cramps. Also, if your afraid of getting cramps from what you eat, introduce it slowly a little at a time. If you get it after eating wheat, gluten or corn you may want to get tested for Cushings Disease.

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