IBS Tales
by Sophie Lee
(United Kingdom)
Sophie Lee
The website IBS Tales lets IBS sufferers share their personal experiences of irritable bowel syndrome and read the experiences of others.
The site at http://www.ibstales.com contains more than 600 personal stories from IBS sufferers. It also has a Treatment Reviews section where you can read more than 1000 reviews of IBS medications, supplements and alternative therapies.
The site is run by me, Sophie Lee, and I have suffered from IBS for more than 20 years, ever since a very bad bout of food poisoning. I am the author of Sophie's Story: My 20-Year Battle with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and I started the IBS Tales website in 2003.
At the time I was struggling very badly with my own IBS and I was tired of hearing that IBS was a minor problem and easy to live with. I was desperate to hear from people who genuinely knew what it was like to cope with IBS and who wouldn't think I was complaining about nothing.
Reading personal stories from other sufferers not only helped me feel far less alone and isolated, it also gave me ideas for new treatments and medications that I hadn't tried. It was also fantastic to be able to talk openly about all kinds of embarrassing symptoms that I would never have felt comfortable discussing in real life.
IBS Tales has been described as "fascinating and moving" by one of the UK's leading gastroenterologists. The site is now a testament to the fact that IBS sufferers can find ways to deal with their condition and take back control of their lives.
Whenever I hear from someone who has managed to subdue their symptoms because of a treatment they read about on my site it gives me a great deal of satisfaction. All these years later I am still relieved every time I read an IBS story and identify with the writer. It's just nice to know that other people really do understand.
The site accepts stories and reviews from anyone who has been diagnosed with IBS, and stories are split into sad, happy and embarrassing tales. The Treatment Reviews section covers all of the main IBS medications such as Amitiza, Zelnorm and Lotronex, as well as a wide range of other treatments such as anti-depressants, mineral supplements, laxatives and fibre supplements. Therapies such as hypnotherapy and acupuncture are also included.
Please do come and visit the IBS tales site if you are a fellow IBS sufferer - I hope to see you there!
