My Story
I had previously contracted a particularly nasty pathogenic bacteria called Clostridium Difficile (C-diff). I was one of the unfortunate 20-30% of people who got recurrent C-diff infections (CDI).
The recurrent CDIs eventually led to a sundry of other gastrointestinal (GI) problems including a persistent and severe case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
The subtype of IBS that I suffer with is IBS-D or Irritable Bowel Syndrome with Diarrhea.
What is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)?
My IBS-D Symptoms
The symptoms of IBS-D that I experienced,
on a daily basis, for over 10 months were:
 |
Bristol Stool Form Scale / Chart used to Assess/Diagnose
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)
|
- Painful cramps in my lower abdomen, which usually preceded a bowel movement
- Abdominal discomfort, bloating and swelling
- Sudden and urgent need to move bowels
- Sense of incomplete evacuation
- Abnormally frequent bowel movements, usually six to ten a day on "good" days, more on "bad" days
- Watery (entirely liquid) or very loose stools - number 6 oand 7 on the Bristol Stool Form Scale
- Chronic dehydration
- Undigested food in stool
- Malnutrition
- Occasional heartburn and nausea
- Chronic insomnia
- Chronic fatigue
The recurrent CDIs, subsequent IBS-D and other GI disorders completely changed my life. For months on end, I was unable to even briefly leave the house, I couldn't sleep and I was chronically fatigued.
Prior to this, I was already studying health and nutrition but after my first CDI, I turned my complete attention to researching and learning everything I could about healthy and abnormal gut function including all the various gut and digestive diseases, disorders and conditions.
For my IBS-D, I tried many of the recommended natural and alternative therapies, including diet and lifestyle modification, various dietary supplements (vitamins, minerals, etc.) and herbs. While my ultimate goal was to heal my gut, I knew, based on my research that with IBS-D, that the more immediate goal is to address and control the diarrhea.
How I Learned about IBgard ®
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IBgard® peppermint oil capsule for
IBS symptom relief |
I first heard about IBgard while listening to an episode called
"Understanding IBS" on VoiceAmerica. In the interview, one of the medical doctors, Dr. Paul Feuerstadt, MD, a gastroenterologist, mentioned that he uses
IBgard ® in some patients with IBS-D.
Thereafter, I looked it up and did my own research.
I found that IBgard® :
- Is a medical food specially formulated for the dietary management of IBS
- IBgard ® capsules contain individually triple-coated , sustained-release microspheres of Ultramen ®, an ultra-purified peppermint oil
- Can help to normalize digestion of food and absorption of nutrients
- Can help to manage symptoms of IBS including diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating
- Can help to promote bacterial balance in the small intestine
For more detailed information, including IBS dietary and other management options, peppermint oil and IBgard ® clincial data, FAQ and news, please visit
IBgard (IM HealthScience ®).
®
Being desperate for some,
any, relief from the diarrhea, I practically ran out to my local Walgreen's and purchased and began using IBgard ® immediately. Honestly, based on my previous experience with other products, I wasn't expecting much. But, to my surprise and utter delight, I experienced a significant relief from my symptoms about 28 hours later. This reduction in symptoms included fewer bowel movements overall, less abdominal cramps and bloating. About 48 hours after that, I had my first formed stool in months.
For about a week, I had to experiment with dosage and ultimately found my own, personal sweet spot at 4 capsules a day - 2 capsules before my main, large meal, and 1 capsule before two smaller meals.
I am also happy to report that I do not experience any side effects from using IBgard ®.
Although IBgard ® has not completely eliminated all my
severe IBS-D symptoms, it has
radically improved them in a very short amount of time. I will continue to use it while I continue to research and learn about my multiple digestive disorders, hopefully, eventually succeeding at healing my gut.
In the meantime,
IBgard ® has been a life-saver for me in terms of greatly improving the quality of my life. I now have less stress about venturing out of the house, about absorbing nutrients, and chronic dehydration.
Disclaimer and Disclosure
Disclaimer:
Nothing in this post or blog is intended or should be construed as medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content herein is for informational purposes only. Specifically, this post reflects my own, personal experience with using IBgard ® which I decided to share in hopes of raising awareness of this product and its potential to help sufferers of IBS.
You should consult with and seek the advise of a physician or qualified healthcare professional before taking any supplements, herbs or over-the-counter medicine; modifying, restricting or altering your food, beverage or supplement intake; starting an exercise or diet program; or making any dietary, nutritional, exercise or lifestyle changes in order to determine it is right and advisable for your individual needs.
Disclosure:
I am an affiliate of Amazon. Clicking on some of the pictures or links in this post and blog, may take you to the Amazon website. If you complete a purchase on Amazon, I may receive a small commission.
Specifically in regard to IBgard ®, I priced this product at my local Walgreens, CVS and on various websites online. At the time of writing this post, Amazon offers IBgard ® as part of its "Subscribe & Save" program which allows you to save from 5-15%. I have found this to be the best price at this time.
Also, coupons for IBgard ® are currently often being offered in local newspapers and a printable coupon is currently being offered on their website,
IBgard.com - Special Offers.
