Do any of you know about physillium husks?

[Ginger Rogers]

I have used this in capsual form from holland & barratt - in fact the ones I have are called 'colon care'

however lately my ibs has flared up again after feeling a lot better in the last year. I've been getting stomach pains that i never used to get, and I just wondered if this product may be helping cause the problems. I ought to go to the doc but I get fed up of goign to him and being told it's just ibs get on with it.

But yes, I just wondered if any of you were familiar with this product really.

[seren]

No, but I recommend you be assertive with your doctor. Go and research what's available and reel it all off to him/her when they do the "deal with it" shtick. Unless of course they have done everything they can, in which case, I'm sorry for you. But a bit of background knowledge has helped me get what I want before.

[Mongrel]

From a quick Google the husks play the same role using the same methods as isphagula husks which are freely availible from you Pharmacist (here's some info (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/medicines/100001120.html)).

If you're unsure about going to see your doctor about this then try talking to your Pharmacist, although I don't think that long term use is contra-indicated.


P.S. One other thing, in this and a few posts you've expressed dissatisfaction with the way you've been treated by your Doctor. Have you thought about moving to a diferent Doctor?

[Cuddles]

No, but I recommend you be assertive with your doctor. Go and research what's available and reel it all off to him/her when they do the "deal with it" shtick. Unless of course they have done everything they can, in which case, I'm sorry for you. But a bit of background knowledge has helped me get what I want before.


The downside of this approach is that most doctors really hate people who self-diagnose, even if they turn out to be right, because most people get it horribly wrong and usually turn out to be quoting adverts rather than anything sensible. I would say that even if Ginger knows exactly what the problem is, telling the doctor that they are wrong is unlikely to help much.

Having said that I had a similar problem with a doctor who refused to believe I was asthmatic and kept trying to give me cough syrup. I eventually convinced him that I genuinely couldn't breath and got some ventolin, so sometimes it can help. Contradicting myself? Me? Never. :o

[Ginger Rogers]

yes I have seen almost every doctor in the practise - all 10 of em :o

I've had various tests and things, and I suppose I think i'm a bit of a hypochondriac, my boyfriend thinks so ::) - I always worry when I'm feeling ill that it might be something serious (this is due to losing my mum to cancer and having a phobia of it) but I do hate going to the doctors, and at one point I was so ill I was going on almost a weekly basis but htey just keep telling you the same old thing. I had endoscopy, liver & gallbladder ultrasound scan and blood tests. they were all clear.

I don't like to go around saying poor old me, and moaning too much there are so many people who are really really ill, a friend of mine has terminal cancer so you know... but it's frustrating and difficult to live with this thing that every time you eat you feel shite. I'm just always hoping to find someone who can help me - that's why I have tried so many alternative therapies actually, maybe joining this forum has shattered my hopes and dreams for a cure via that route, but since there never was going to be a cure via that route it's better to know the truth of the matter than be ripped off and spend loads of money I really can't afford.

Phew, sorry for all that, you probably didn't need to know that much info!

[Mongrel]

Bit more info from a Pharmacist Ginger;

IBS is an awkward condition that has flare ups and relapses. Often there's a trigger condition that varies from person to person but stress is quite a common one. There's some more info over at NetDoctor (http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/irritablecolon.htm). Unfortunately it is one of those conditions where it's really only possible to manage the symptoms as effectively as possible

As to the stomach pains - are you drinking plenty of water, especially before and after taking your capsules? The bulking agents can turn into a solid block if they're not diluted sufficiently leading to impaction within the bowel, also suitable hydration is generally helpful for IBS anyway :)

Finally have you tried a support group? After wading through the snake oil peddlers this one (http://www.ibsnetwork.org.uk/portal/) seemed OK, it can't hurt and you'll probably find people there with more specialised knowledge

[kath23]

IBS is often stress related, you also say you have phobias and you have suffered a bereavement. I do think counselling of some kind could release some of your stress and that would relieve the IBS.

Worth a try- what've you got to lose?
Love
Kath

P.S. Obviously a trained, qualified counsellor, not a self-appointed new age one lol. :)

[Eileen]

You could also consider trying some bodywork/massage therapy.

Stress can cause areas of the body to tighten up and bodywork can help this a lot. Bodywork can have the effect of releasing 'stuck' emotions from the tissues and freeing up the area. This has been my experience of bodywork anyway, both from a perspective of giving and receiving.

Have you changed your diet? Dietary modifications can help IBS problems too.

We all have to eat and none of us can get away from this fact, so what you put into your body is important. I discovered this very early on in my nutrition training.

[chillzero]

Ginger,
I have a similar story, and I went through a couple fo very difficult months last year while I changed my diet each 2 weeks. Each fortnight I changed my diet to exclude something specific, or concentrate on something specific (like wheat/gluten, or milk, or fatty foods, etc) ,and noted how I felt as each fortnight progressed.

I now know clearly what I can and can't eat, and for some foods - with which regularity (I can't have 3 dairy based meals in a row, for example: so no milk on cereal, omelette lunch and creamy pepper sauce for dinner).

It was very difficult to get through as some weeks I was obviously eating what completely disagreed with me, but I am better for it now.

Another big factor, as has already been noted is stress, and while I disagree that emotions are 'stuck' in tissues, I do know that massage can be effective in easing stress, and counselling can be effective in helping you manage your emotions, and stress levels. Believe me - I've been there, done the lot - on both sides. I have needed counselling and other therapies, and I'm a trained massage and reflexology therapist, including aromatherapy, reiki and other such stuff. I am a skeptic who used to be really new-age and have learnt the differences between what is nonsense and what is useful (and occassionally, what is useful nonsense!).

I hope you find some relief, as I have done. My tests were all also clear on this kind of issue (I had some other stuff uncovered that required surgery), so the IBS catch-all has been applied. I needed to take action myself to sort out how to live with it.

Don't let it rule you.

[seren]

The downside of this approach is that most doctors really hate people who self-diagnose, even if they turn out to be right, because most people get it horribly wrong and usually turn out to be quoting adverts rather than anything sensible. I would say that even if Ginger knows exactly what the problem is, telling the doctor that they are wrong is unlikely to help much.


Oh, no no no, I don't mean tell the doctor they're wrong! Just that in my experience doctors have responded well to informed questions. Obviously I wouldn't reel out some spiel from an ad, but online groups of people with similar complaints have proven a useful source of info. In fact, one consultant recommended that I join one, so how can he complain if I come back with a head full of ideas? :)

If we have a pharmacist/doctor/medical type person here- can you answer a question please? Both me and my father get hayfever, although we have different trigger pollens. This year it was particularly bad, especially when I went to see my parents in London. I was on the usual one-a-day non-drowsy anti-histamines and they were not working. So my dad offered me one of his, which were prescription. I know that's extremely dangerous and I shouldn't do it, so please no lectures needed. Hayfever is a miserable condition. For what it's worth I did a Google search to find out what they were and any contra-indications before taking one. It made me very spaced, which wasn't all that unpleasant and pretty par for the course with anti-histamines anyway. Of course my liver is probably rotting as we speak, but never mind.

So, buoyed up by the prospect of a prescription end to all my hayfever woes I visited my GP (which, incidentally, it says on the packet to do. Are they just covering their arses?) and told her that the usual loratadine or c-wotsit-hydro-thingummy bob wasn't working She told me there isn't anything else available apart from nasal sprays.

How come? Was the one my dad had just a prescription for an over-the-counter medicine? Or was the GP unaware of this drug's existence? Or (oh cynical me. I don't even know if this is possible) is it manufactured by a company that her practice doesn't do business with? Or is it likely that it's a very specific drug for a specific kind of person (e.g. diabetic and on such-and-such medication)?
That certainly wasn't suggested by my Googlings. Any ideas?

Ack, sorry to hijack your thread Ginger.

[kath23]

told her that the usual loratadine or c-wotsit-hydro-thingummy bob wasn't working She told me there isn't anything else available apart from nasal sprays.

How come? Was the one my dad had just a prescription for an over-the-counter medicine?


Yes they usually just give people loratidine on prescription. (I have a bit most years.) It doesn't do a lot tho. Perhaps your dad had a more drowsy version than you were used to. Maybe you could try the spray thing next year?

Or just hide, hide indoors away from the grass! Is usually my policy as an ex-goth ;D

Love
Kath

[Mongrel]

Seren, it's entirely possible that your Father had an item that's available over the counter - can you remember the name of the drug? The bulk of prescriptions are from the Drug Tariff (see it here (http://www.ppa.org.uk/edt/September_2006/mindex.htm) in all it's glorious dullness) which includes many drugs that are available OTC, depending on circumstances though it can be cheaper to get them prescribed. Another thing that may have swayed decisions is what state you were in when you went to see the doctor. Were you in the middle of the full blown puffy eyes and screaming nose or did you just have the first signs, sniffles and a watery eyes?

As for advice about what you can get over the counter - have you talked to your pharmacist? They should be able to sort out a treatment programme that's effective for you (and nasal sprays are useful, they get put just where they're needed to be most effective). Very shortly (probably in time for next years hay fever season) pharmacists will be able to diagnose, prescribe and dispense for a plethora of ailments so, once again, going to chat to your local pharmacist is always a good idea :)


Or was the GP unaware of this drug's existence? Or (oh cynical me. I don't even know if this is possible) is it manufactured by a company that her practice doesn't do business with? Or is it likely that it's a very specific drug for a specific kind of person (e.g. diabetic and on such-and-such medication)?
That certainly wasn't suggested by my Googlings. Any ideas?

It's unlikely the GP was unaware of the drug, manufacturers will send out notification, trade journals will have press releases and notifications and it will be in the latest edition of MiMs, the 'drugs bible'.

Doctors practices (unless they're a dispensing doctor) don't come into commercial contact with drugs retailers, they just write a script for a drug and this is then dealt with by the pharmacy and pharmacies generally deal with 2 or 3 wholesalers depending on the beast deals. The closest doctors come to the drug firms are the reps and whilst they give out freebies they're legally limited to frippery's - pens, mouse mats, squishy stress relievers etc.

Likely to be a specific drug for specific people - possible but unlikely. Most of the drugs used for hayfever are fairly benign

[Eileen]

When you do massage or bodywork, then like it or not, emotional issues may arise. That is what I mean by emotions being in the tissues. I have worked with many clients when this has happened. I have been doing either massage or myofascial work on a certain area of the body and suddenly someone might start to cry or feel anger.

I remember working with someone and their Psoas muscle was quite contracted, so I was doing a soft tissue release technique. During the session they started crying as a lot of sadness was released. So emotions can get caught up in tissue.

There is this saying "Your body speaks its mind", emotions are not just within the remit of counsellors so bodyworkers need to be able to deal with emotions too, as they are quite likely to come up during sessions.

[tkingdoll]

When you do massage or bodywork, then like it or not, emotional issues may arise. That is what I mean by emotions being in the tissues. I have worked with many clients when this has happened. I have been doing either massage or myofascial work on a certain area of the body and suddenly someone might start to cry or feel anger.

I remember working with someone and their Psoas muscle was quite contracted, so I was doing a soft tissue release technique. During the session they started crying as a lot of sadness was released. So emotions can get caught up in tissue.

There is this saying "Your body speaks its mind", emotions are not just within the remit of counsellors so bodyworkers need to be able to deal with emotions too, as they are quite likely to come up during sessions.


I think there is a lot of truth to that (not in a woo sense, 'emotions' don't have a physical form per say) - if you are very emotionally tense and pent up, then you are likely to be physically tense too, and a physical release could trigger an emotional outpouring - it's a psychological effect, not a physical one though. It's as simple as this: if someone is very stressed, once you get them to relax, they let go of whatever they're bottling up.

Sometimes a good cry is essential. I always know when I have a good cry in me that hasn't come out yet, and something very relaxing like a massage could easily be the trigger for it. Apart from anything, during a massage your mind isn't occupied, so you reflect on whatever is bothering you. For very stressed people, that might be the first time they've sat down and actually thought about the thing that's bothering them, and their new relaxed mindset just means that they actually face the issue rather than suppressing it by distracting themselves with work or whatever.

[Ginger Rogers]

Well, thanks for all your advise :)

I used to have regular aromatherapy massage which I enjoyed but I stopped having it for various reasons, not least financial ones... that's the trouble with all these therapies, they're not cheap.
I have had shiatsu, Reiki, NLP, and i've seen a phsychologist and psychotherapist via my gp some years ago.
I found the latter the least helpful infact. They were patronising and I knew more than they did ::)

I have tried cutting out wheat, and dairy and not a lot of difference. I do have a bit of an addiction though to pastry and cakes, and I do wonder if a low-fat diet would benefit me.

In the last 2 years I have drank a lot of water, I used to live on tea but now I drink mostly water and have 2 cups of tea max a day.

i'm currently trying hypnotherapy to help me relax - I have this fear of being ill, and so consequently I feel ill! If I plan a day or evening out I get so worried that I will get an upset stomach that quite often I do and have to cancel or spend the day feeling sick and unable to eat.

[kath23]

In the last 2 years I have drank a lot of water, I used to live on tea but now I drink mostly water and have 2 cups of tea max a day.

Tea counts towards your daily fluid intake like any other drink (except alcohol.) So if you fancy it, go for it :)


i'm currently trying hypnotherapy to help me relax - I have this fear of being ill, and so consequently I feel ill! If I plan a day or evening out I get so worried that I will get an upset stomach that quite often I do and have to cancel or spend the day feeling sick and unable to eat.


You seem to know yourself a bit and that will help you find the help you need. I still think trying a few more counsellors until you find one you click with would be very helpful. Some are patronising, but some are gems.
Love
Kath

[seren]

The bulk of prescriptions are from the Drug Tariff (see it here in all it's glorious dullness) which includes many drugs that are available OTC

It's in there- fexofenadine hydrochloride. I wonder why dad was prescribed that then, if its no more useful than stuff you get in Boots? Interesting that he seems to think it works better. It did minimise my symptoms, but they didn't completely go away (this was Central London on a stupidly hot and sunny day).



Another thing that may have swayed decisions is what state you were in when you went to see the doctor. Were you in the middle of the full blown puffy eyes and screaming nose or did you just have the first signs, sniffles and a watery eyes?

You see that's just cruel. If it didn't take over a week to get an appointment maybe I would have been suitably snotty! I can't remember what state I was in, TBH, but that's an unfair way to decide anyway. Even slight symptoms are misery-inducing when they last all month, and she may have seen me on a rainy day with no pollen. And what's REALLY unfair is the bit on the packet saying "if symptoms persist see your doctor". I presume they have to say this, but what's the point? The doctor can't help and I fell guilty for wasting her time.

The reason why nasal sprays don't work for me....no, strike that. The reason why I don't benefit from nasal sprays is because I'm too disorganised to use them properly. You're supposed to take them daily for two weeks before they work- that's far too organised for me. If I've got my clothes on the right way round and found the car keys it's a good day. I've only just got into the habit of starting the antihistamine tablets a few weeks early and even that's a bit hit-and-miss. And I've just moved house next to a building with an untended garden full of long grass.

I think I may spend next June on an iceberg somewhere. How far out to sea does grass pollen travel, anyway?

[Mongrel]

Fexofenadine is a prescription only, non-drowsy antihistamine and stronger than a standard dose of anything you can get over the counter (when taken as directed).

I can't say why your Doctor said that or why he won't prescribe it to you, the "you're not snotty enough" was a WAG ;), but you're in luck - many pharmacists are training to diagnose and prescribe for minor ailments and Telfast tabs are on the list of items. If there's not one near you now there should be by the time the next hayfever season starts and if you're in Scotland it's already been in place for a year

Other WAGs are;
Does your father suffer from anything persistent that hayfever would exacerbate? (Asthma, susceptibility to chest infections etc)
It may be an age thing, he may have passed one of the invisible lines that say "It's cheaper to prescribe this than it is to treat any consequences"
The PCTs budget wasn't looking too good so the doctors have been asked to rein in what they prescribe

As for nasal sprays there are different sorts. Some are, as you say, required to be used regularly for full benefit. Some on the other hand just stop the production of mucous for 3-5 hours. Have a chat with your Pharmacist to chat about the mechanisms involved and the ideal regime for you :)

[Cuddles]

It's in there- fexofenadine hydrochloride. I wonder why dad was prescribed that then, if its no more useful than stuff you get in Boots? Interesting that he seems to think it works better. It did minimise my symptoms, but they didn't completely go away (this was Central London on a stupidly hot and sunny day).

It's not just the strength that matters. Although I don't have hayfever, everyone else in my family does and they all have to use different medicines. My sister even swapped to one that was supposed to be weaker, but worked much better for her. It could be worth trying lots of diferent ones that are available OTC before you try too hard for a prescription, just make sure they are really different and not just the same stuff with a different name.