Diva's Status Updates

Hi and welcome! I'm sorry you were diagnosed. IBS is definitely challenging. We are happy to have you as part of our community. Talking with others that have the diagnosis can be so comforting because you don't feel so alone and you feel understood. How have you been managing lately? I hope you are having a symptom free day today. -Elizabeth (team member)

I’m sorry not to have responded sooner. I couldn’t figure out how to answer. I’m old and no techno nerd.
Thank you for welcoming me to your group.
I look forward to learning more from you.
My first question is - is there anything else you take besides Metamucil?

Medication is very individual. I personally don't take anything on a daily basis, but it also largely depends on the type of IBS you have. We have an article summarizing the medication used for IBS here: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/medications. Things like probiotics, fiber, laxatives (for IBS-C), herbs etc. can also be helpful for certain people.
Karina (team member)

My gastro has never prescribed antibiotics. I’ve asked. He says I don’t need them. All I’ve got is Metamucil.
I’m wondering if I need a second opinion

From what I know (I'm obviously not a doctor), antibiotics would only be useful if you had a bacterial infection or overgrowth, like SIBO, otherwise they wouldn't help or could even make things worse by further disrupting the microbiome. If you're interested, we have these two articles about antibiotics and IBS: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/antibiotics, https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/did-antibiotics-cause-ibs. If all tests came back clear, it makes sense that your doctor says that you don't need them.
What kinds of symptoms do you have with your IBS? Maybe I can link some resources regarding other remedies for you, that could potentially help with your specific symptoms.
For example, if you're suffering from constipation, we have an article about diet, prebiotics and probiotics for it (https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/food/prebiotics-probiotics-constipation), an article, foods that help with constipation (https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/food/constipation-food-tips), supplements that might help (https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/vitamins-constipation) or even massage techniques to ease constipation (https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/self-massage-for-constipation). I hope this helps.
Karina (team member)

I have the diarrhea type of IBS. No my doctor never prescribed antibiotics so I have to trust that he didn’t think o need them.
I was just wondering if there are others treatments people use besides Metamucil, which is all I’ve been using.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

Sorry for sending all the wrong links, I always thought Metamucil was used more for constipation.
Here's a link to different medications used for diarrhea: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/medications/anti-diarrhea-medication-for-ibs-treatment. Many people in our forums talk about Imodium helping them during flares, although it doesn't work for everyone.
Probiotics can also be beneficial in some cases. This is very personal to everyone, but I've liked Lactobacillus rhamnosus in the past and I've also heard people talk about saccharomyces boulardii, which didn't work for my IBS was is very helpful after stomach bugs in my case.
I also like herbs for my IBS-D, I've written about them here: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/living/herbal-remedies, and I know that peppermint oil or tea is helpful for some people.
Have you tried adjusting your diet and lifestyle yet? I find that eating safe foods (for me, these are white rice, chicken, steamed carrots, bananas...) helps a lot. You could also try removing common triggers such as caffeine, dairy, gluten to see if that does anything - not at once though, I would suggest testing one at a time.
Stress can also me a big component. I personally have anxiety and it's my biggest trigger, so I find things like hypnotherapy great for that.
Please let me know if this helps.
Karina (team member)

thank you for the link. I will check it out. Mine of late seems to be getting a little better for a lreasons I do not understand. But I’m grateful gor that.

That's great! With IBS, many of us find that it's not always possible to know why it's getting worse or better. I would just enjoy the improvement and keep doing what is working!
Just in case you hadn't seen them, we have community forums here: https://irritablebowelsyndrome.net/forums where you can create a new discussion or engage with existing ones. That's a great way to get input and advice from other community members, if that's something you're interested in.
All the best, Karina (team member)