Tuesday, January 11, 2005

A few things that actually work for me

      IBS/IBD has been around for a while. Long enough that they've collected their share of dubious home remedies. They range from pinching your left earlobe with a spring clamp to having mineral water enemas daily to smoking marijuana. All of these apparently work on the idea of giving you something else to think about: pain, bathroom proximity and the new terribly close friends you'll make in jail.
      Over the years, I've found a few things that actually work for me. As far as I know, none of my regular commenters or visitors have either illness, but I thought I would share what I found since they might work with any upset stomach.
      Chamomile tea: That's right. The darling of herbalists and old ladies everywhere really does calm my stomach. I'm sipping a hot cup of it now. One teabag per cup with a teaspoon of honey or sugar. Just call me Emily and hand me a finger sandwich.
      Peppermint oil: You can find this at your local health food store in expensive tiny capsules, but I prefer to buy cheap candy canes, break off a small piece and drop it into my chamomile tea. Peppermint has been given to people for centuries to calm their nerves and stomachs. You can also find peppermint tea, but it hasn't worked for me. (A friend of mine once tried shots of Peppermint Schnappes to settle his stomach. He woke up three days later in Mexico. Married. But he and Rosa Maria Isabel Lucita Pilar are very happy together. True story.)
      Environment CDs: Stress influences IBS and to a lesser extent IBD. I've found that ten or 15 minutes a day of what I call drifting helps cut down on the frequency and duration of my IBD flares. To aid in this, I listen to compact discs of recorded nature sounds. One of my favorites is a tape named Bayou, but I also enjoy Echoes of Nature, which features ocean waves, morning songbirds, tropical rainforest, wilderness rivers and so on. (I've also used these to simulate the enviroments that the characters in my books adventure in. Sound is often neglected in books as is smell. Adding both makes descriptions more vivid.) The point of this drifting is to think of nothing but the sounds. Let your mind be unfocused and empty. Just imagine you're a Congressman and it will be easier.
      I hope these are helpful for you. They have been for me. Night!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Call me Emily!!! LOL
-Texan Susan

SBB said...

FF, perhaps I should have mentioned that the reason his stomach was upset was because he and Maria were going to be married the next day. They did go to Mexico for their honeymoon, and he did stay drunk for about three days. That really is her name, and the first time she told me what it was, I didn't believe her, either. Turns out that many Catholic girls in Mexico have names as long or longer. They honor ancestors and various saints in this fashion. So there you are. Humor and knowledge in one post. Life is good. :)

SBB said...

But I didn't mention all of that because it was funnier without it. Humor is like magic sometimes. If you know how the trick is done, it's not as amazing.

Erudite Redneck said...

I find a little red wine is good for the stomach. So is red beer (beer and tomato juice), especially if in the form of the hair of the dog.

Jaime said...

Hi there! I'm a fellow IBS sufferer, and happened upon your blog through a common keyword in our profiles. I may have to give the chamomile a shot. My current solution is a combination of a medication that only works when the moon is full and all the stars align in some magical pattern, and an OTC drug called Digestive Advantage IBS. I figure I have it under control about 70% of the time, which is good for me.

Since I'm also a reader and sometimes writer, I think I'll check out the rest of your blog!

SBB said...

Hi Jaime! Welcome. I've tried many OTC meds, including the one you mention, but I haven't found that they helped much. Avoiding dairy and soft drinks has helped me a lot as well as starting the day with a fiber drink, but nothing is perfect. Do try the hot cam tea with sugar. It's somewhat of an acquired taste, but I know lots of IBD/IBS people who swear by it. I hope it helps you.