I am healing my irritable bowel and inflammation using all natural remedies.

My question is about my discomfort that returns each day, usually within a few hours of being mobile. It seems to be stimulated by various things, but basically by activity of any kind. It can be decscribed as a prickly/tingling/and sometimes burning...the burning is usually later in the day depending on my stress and level of activity.

I am wondering if anyone can help me understand what is causing this. Is it that my gut nerves have been disturbed, and if so, will healing of this take time? Is it because of the inflammation?

It does goes away when I relax my gut, and sleep.

Sherry

Hi Angela

The feeling is lower GI, and it is generalized

Sherry

Hi Angela,

The prickly sensation seems to involve the whole colon area. Burning seems to be lower, below my navel.

I have IBS, but it was caused by a strong dose of antibiotics, which has left me with inflammation and damage to my colon. I am not sure how much, but I know that I am still not properly absorbing what I am eating (which is obvious by my stool quality), so that means the small intestine is not healed yet.

My symptoms gradually get worse as the day goes on, and I have to be mindful of what I eat and do, otherwise I feel even worse.

I have another question. My stools used to be formed, but in the past few weeks have gone to loose. I have been increasing the amount of l-glutamine I take on an empty stomach (I am trying to take .5 tsp X 3, on an empty stomach). I also take a high dose of probiotics every day. Can you suggest anything else? I feel that I am getting enough fibre in my diet, which hasn't changed at all in the past 4 months.

I will be seeing a gastrologist in mid February, and he may decide to run some tests. Alot of my healing will just take time.

On a positive note, in the past two weeks I have regained my hunger sensation. I hadn't felt this until now, or sinse before the antibiotics in September. My chinese acupuncture MD says that this is a good sign, which means that my stomach is improving.

Sherry

Hi, Sherry.

Well, a burning sensation is usually going to be caused by either inflammation or eating something that's a particular irritant (or a combination of the two).

You're taking probiotics; that's good. If you're taking the right species/strains in sufficient quantities, they will over time rebalance the gut flora. How long? That's going to be different for everyone and is dependent on several factors, some of which include how long you've had IBS or IBD, drug use, diet, emotional factors, etc.

The absolute fastest method I'm aware of to rebalance the gut flora is Jini's Wild Oregano Protocol. I think you have Listen to Your IBS, right? That explains how to follow the protocol. Most people follow it for two to three years, but this doesn't mean being on Phase One for that long; it's a matter of moving from phase to phase and back again as your symptoms dictate.

Angela's mentioned things that should facilitate some short-term relief. Another really good one is bentonite clay, but because you're also trying to build up your level of probiotic bacteria, this isn't one you should use long-term. (See Listen to Your IBS for more info; Chapter Two; subheading, Diarrhea.)

Combine this with a strategy to rebalance the gut flora and you've got a winning combination. Just remember that the people who see the best, fastest results are also addressing the factors I mentioned above: diet, etc.

And then, it's giving it time, as you recognize yourself.

Hope that helps,
Nicole