Antibiotics and IBS-D
Hi All - I am new to this disease and site. So grateful to find this site.
IBS-D started for me in early August after 3 days of taking doxycycline for an inflamed cyst. I stopped the medication after missing 2 days of work (and I worked from home) due to nausea and diarrhea. I was then put on clindamycin for 2 weeks for the cyst infection. After that I developed a UTI and more antibiotics for 5 days. I have finished all my antibiotics, but am still having frequent, daily BM, mostly in the morning. I've lost 15 lbs since August 1st (not necessarily a bad thing). I have suffered with stomach/bowel issues for years, but never like this. Had all the tests in Feb 2020 (colonoscopy, endoscopy, gallbladder tests), which all came back normal.
I am trying to eliminate trigger foods based on the FOD map given to me by my gastro Dr., but I really don't know what my trigger foods are. I can't get back in to see gastro until late October, and we have a trip planned before that. I am taking IBGard, dicylclomine and VSL#3 (probiotic), and sometimes Pepto Bismol. Is it OK to take Immodium? I'm afraid it will push me to constipation, if I take it daily, but because of the morning BM's, it is difficult to plan anything. Sometimes the BM's continue throughout the day, but never in the evening, regardless of what I eat for dinner.
Is it safe to eliminate all Lactose and Gluten? Is the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce and toast) something I should try for now, while in a flare-up.
Has anyone tried CBD as a treatment option for IBS-D?
Appreciate any suggestions, and thanks for being here.
First and foremost, I am sorry to hear you suffer with IBS. Welcome to the shi💩💩y club😜 (I use humor quite a bit.)When I first got IBS back in 2011, I had IBS-D but now it's mostly normal b.m's but can turn to diarrhea pretty quick.
Out of curiosity, did you take probiotics after you finished your antibiotic treatment? Antibiotics can destroy the gut microbiome and according to aboutibs.org antibiotics may predispose individuals to IBS. Here is a link to where I got that info from https://aboutibs.org/what-is-ibs/gut-bacteria-and-ibs/
Figuring out trigger foods can be quite challenging. I definitely avoid greasy foods, fake food (high in chemicals & other non food ingredients like wood pulp for example), spicy foods and fruits with seeds. That being said, some foods I used not be able to handle at all back in the beginning days but now I can slightly tolerate them.
I use whole plant medicine, a.k.a The Entourage Effect when it comes to medical marijuana as everything in the plant works in harmony together. I have been using M.M since 2013 and studying it for since 2007 because of my Mom using it for her Crohn's disease. I wrote an article for the RLS site about M.M helping me, here is a link https://restlesslegssyndrome.sleep-disorders.net/living/medical-marjiuana
I wish you all the best
🌈🦄RayThanks Ray. Appreciate your honesty and humor. I did continue the probiotics after the antibiotics for a while, but have stopped now. Also incorporated melatonin at night, which seems to have helped (the last two days at least). I am eating basically very bland for now (BRAT diet referenced above with some hibachi chicken and white rice for dinner). Hopefully things will continue to settle down. Thank you for your suggestions and I wish you continued health. 
I'm glad Ray gave you such great suggestions! That's what is so great about this community-everyone supporting each other. IBS is no walk in the park, that's for sure. I hope what's helping you now will be able to hold you over until you can get to a doctor. If you'd like, we'd love to hear how you're doing on this journey of sorts, and would love to hear updates! i wish you all the best, Michaela (irritablebowelsyndrome.net Team Member)
Welcome, and I am sorry you are suffering like this. Yes, antibiotics can be brutal to the gut, but it seems some people are more sensitive to their effects than others. I know people who can happily take antibiotic cocktails with NO gut upset!
Maybe that has disturbed your microbiome badly? Have you improved at all, even a little bit with any probiotic?
Do you have access to advice from a dietician? If not, then you'll be like me, and do your own research . I also make sure I take a good A-Z multivitamin/mineral complex and a low dose B complex as well as a moderate dose (not a whole 1000mg but about 1/3 of that a day) liquid liposomal vitamin C, to make sure I get basic nutrients as my diet is more restricted than it used to be.
I would think experimenting with going lactose-free, or gluten-free may be worth doing/ Maybe try one thing at a time so you can tell which thing has helped ( if at all.) Going gluten free made no difference to me, and neither did restricting lactose. I seem to be OK with both.
At times of flare-ups, anything you can eat which doesn't exacerbate symptoms will help. I have my own menu! Low fiber, which in my case consists of hard boiled eggs, green (French) beans steamed until they are moderately soft, white rice, toasted ciabatta bread, a little butter, and lettuce! I may have to do a couple of days on that until my gut calms and I can start to eat other things gradually. But yes, my diet has changed since IBS hit. And even in a "good period" I try to be fairly careful.
But it's like a tightrope act, to get the fiber balance just right for whatever my gut's mood happens to be at any given time!
I have found I can tolerate foods better if I peel or skin them. I can for instance, eat chickpeas (garbanzos) but I have to skin every single one! If I eat the skins, I pay for it. Same with grapes, potatoes, and small amounts of apple.
So if you find the BRAT diet helps you during bad flares I'd say go for it. Then as your gut calms, try introducing small amounts of foods you can usually tolerate, one at a time for the next few days and see how you go.
As for Immodium, it can be really helpful for some people. I have never taken it, but do use some herbal alternatives, such as blackberry leaf tea, Meadowsweet tea, and Tormentil tincture which are astringent and helped me somewhat.
Immodium may be useful for emergencies, or very very bad times when you are so bad you are getting dehydrated and food/drink is just going straight through you.Yes, it can be hard to plan anything, and I am grateful I don't often need to. I don't take trips, holidays or adventures any more. I don't want to, or even care. But I am older and retired, and already live in a beautiful place, so a nice woodland walk is enough for me.
