IBS Sucks. Here’s an herb that can help.
IBS sucks in a million ways. And for everyone who deals with it, it sucks in a slightly different way, so there’s no one-size-fits all approach. But I’ve found a few herbs to be particularly helpful in soothing the most persistent symptoms of abdominal pain that many IBS sufferers experience, like gas, bloating, nausea and cramping. So, I’m dedicating a few blog posts to these herbs—what they are, when they help and how to use them.
For this post, I want to talk about a particular kind of gut pain that accompanies IBS. It’s often sharp, pointy, stabby. Some describe it as stomach cramps. Very often, it’s from trapped gas.
You may feel the pain in the lower part of your belly, beneath your belly button, and it makes you want to double over. Or you might experience it higher up, under your rib cage, and it’s hard to take a deep breath. It can happen before or after eating—or for no reason at all.
People with both IBS-D and -C can experience it, though usually at different times. C folks feel it because their digestion is stuck, stagnant, and gas is trapped. D folks feel it because of they tend to have very sensitive and crampy bellies much of the time, which is a big part of what makes digestion move too fast and frequent.
In all of these cases, my go-to herb in catnip.
Catnip? You mean the stuff that makes cats drunk?
Yep! That catnip.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) is in the mint family. Several plants in this family, including lemon balm and peppermint, are IBS friends. But catnip has a special affinity for reducing cramping, gas pains and spasms….and for doing it quickly! (And no, I have no idea why it makes cats act like love-struck fools!)
Like many plants in the mint family, catnip is “anti-spasmodic.” That means it helps muscles that cramp up (spasm) relax. In particular, it helps muscles in and around the belly relax. Lemon balm, which I have written about previously, works similarly.
But catnip is much better for acute moments of pain. I have suggested it to many clients who tell me after the first time they take it that it’s “magic!”
Part of catnip’s magic is that it’s relaxing and helps relieve anxiety. When catnip relaxes muscles in the body, this sends a signal to the brain that it, too, can chill out. You’re safe.
This is key because anxiety triggers IBS—and IBS triggers anxiety. This is true even if we don’t especially feel that we are anxious people. The anxiety can be in our bodies, in our muscles, but under our conscious radar.
How do I take catnip?
I suggest taking catnip in tincture form. You could make a tea with it, but it’s quite bitter — unlike lemon balm, which makes a delicious tea.
For my clients, I like to make custom blends with catnip plus other herbs that target their specific experience of IBS. But you can also just buy a tincture. I like this one from Herb Pharm:
If you experience cramping and gas pains every day, my suggestion is to take one dropperful 3 times each day, before meals.
If you experience the pain every once in a while, take 2 dropperfuls as soon as you feel the pain coming on. If that doesn’t resolve the pain in 15 minutes, take 2 more dropperfuls.
You can also do a combination—take it preventively before meals, and if you still experience pain, take more. It’s very safe. You can take up to 9 dropperfuls/day. If that much isn’t working for you, it’s probably not the right herb for you.
* Note that “one dropperful” means you squeeze the rubber top of the tincture bottle until the glass pipette is as full as it can get. It will look about ¾ full. This is about 30 drops. To minimize the bitter taste, mix the tincture into a little water…and then chase it with more plain water, or something that tastes good!
Bonus: Catnip is also great for kids who have upset tummies.
For kids with occasionally belly aches, catnip is gentle and safe for those over 2 years old. Start with 5-15 drops in water (less for younger kids, more for older) and repeat if necessary in 15 minutes. Don’t worry about the alcohol in the tincture as the amount is negligible, less than 1/10th of a teaspoon. Or you can buy an alcohol-free glycerite, which also tastes better.