What could I have done to stave off this morning's attack?
#100153 - 08/21/04 11:32 PM
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I slept poorly last night; only got about 3.5 hours. I woke up at 5:00 and couldn't fall back asleep.
I waited until about 8:00 to take my acacia and a peppermint cap, but pretty much as soon as it went in...uh-oh. I felt that feeling. The gurgling soon followed, and then the D. (I had another attack later when I dared to try eating some dried mangoes after lots of banana bread.)
Since I go back to work in a little over a week, this question has new urgency for me now (no pun intended  ). Other than making sure I properly manage stress and get enough sleep, what can I do to prevent an attack like this morning's?
What I mean is, what could I have done this morning that would have prevented the D? Should I have waited even longer to take my acacia? Should I have taken Immodium at the first rumbling or even earlier?
Any advice from the D experts would be great!
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Christine
Those who can do; those who want it done better teach.
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Hi Christine,
I'm sorry you're feeling so yucky.. I know what you mean about getting a bit anxious about going back to work when you still don't feel stable.
I don't know if this is the best way to do it, but I was using Immodium most days when I first went back to work and was still getting frequent attacks. I could usually take one, and make it through an 8-9 hour day without _too_ bad of a stomach.. I would only take one, but even then sometimes it would throw me the other way and I wouldn't go for a few days... which was just fine with me... except sometimes it would last more than a couple days and I'd get a bit panicked.
Are you on the right amount of fiber for your body? That might have something to do with it, as well..
Do you have Equalactin? Lots of people have said it helps when the 'gurgling' starts to keep an attack from following.
I dunno what else, you probably know all this stuff as well as or better than I do!
Good luck, though.. and try to get some sleep!
--Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Hi Christine
Sorry to hear you're feeling rough - unexpected attacks can be very demoralising. Do you think you're feeling stressed because of the return to work? Do you take a dose of Acacia before your evening meal? I'm trying that at the moment to try and stabilise my morning routine as I too can be prone to an unexpected dash to the loo. Can't tell you if it's working yet as I haven't been doing it for long enough. I tend to stay off fruit if I've had D – you may find you a rice based dish easier to tolerate. If the D continues I'd recommend taking 1 Imodium and see if that that helps. If the attacks have stopped, I've avoid taking an Imodium as you could find yourself going the other way!
Hope that helps – try and get some sleep too.
PS – I read that you are a teacher so I have tried extra hard with my grammar and spelling! 
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when I have a bad night I tend to have a bad morning, knowing that I sometimes take immodium (one) when I get up if I feel the first rumblings... I also avoid all fruit/vegetables first thing in the morning if I can.. lots of soluble fiber.. I do rice milk and rice cereal/cheerios or a mix... I tried a piece of applesauce based cake yesterday and it wasn't a good thing, and though I can eat that later in the day- no more for breakfast. I have thought about trying bananas or banana bread, but I normally save them for my first snack as well.. and just keep breakfast as plain as it can be...
Amie
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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I found through trial and error that I can't have anything "heavy" (most of the IBS-safe quick breads, cakes and muffins qualify as heavy) or sweet for breakfast. The stupid part is that I ate it just *fine* for a month or so, and then it suddenly stopped working for me. I switched to eating toast or English muffins, and the morning attacks stopped.
A bad night's sleep can definitely do it too. 
You could try a preventative Imodium. You might want to be careful of doing that *too* much, though - I find that imodium gives me C if I take it too often.
Poor thing. Hope you feel better!
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Christine - looks like you got lots of suggestions. Here's just one more. Have a cup of peppermint tea at bedtime and maybe a small soluble fibre snack. Be careful not to overeat at suppertime.
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Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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Hi Christine.
I have to take my SFS immediately upon waking or I have trouble. Once I take my SFS I usually have oatmeal with half a banana and soy milk.
I often wake up in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep. When that happens, rather than fight it, I'll eat a small snack (Cheerios, Chex or Rice Cakes) and read or watch TV. If I don't have a small snack when I wake in the middle of the night the gurgling starts within half an hour. I then take my SFS at 6:00 am, the time that I usually wake up.
Hope this helps and that you feel better soon.
Kim
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Hi Christine,
I thoroughly understand how you feel with not much sleep. I have that problem sometimes, too. Wake up about 4AM or 5AM and can't go back to sleep. UGH! Usually, the next night I am so exhausted that I sleep pretty good, thank goodness!
Do you think your attack could have been caused by something you ate the day before? Maybe try to stay on safe foods for awhile. I would stay away from the mangos.
My suggestion is the old standby, Imodium. When I am going to work and feel rumblings, I take one and it helps.
Can't help you with the acacia, because I can't tolerate SFS. Have you changed doses of your acacia recently?
Anyway, good luck with your new job. I have just started one, too. It is only part time but I am still pretty nervous about learning so many new things and trying to make sure my tummy behaves!
Barbie
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thats true- in the AM I do peppermint/fennel tea (I keep a pitcher of it made at all times) with my SFS before I try to eat breakfast by at least 15 minutes, more often a half hour- do that before i shower even...
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Dietetics Student (anticipating RD exam in Aug 2010)
IBS - A
Dairy Allergic
Fructose and MSG intollerant
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Hi Christine,
So sorry to hear about the set-back. I guess, tho, that's the name of the game, isn't it? What you might try for a few days, is just going ahead and taking 1 Immodium when you first get up. If that helps, after about a week or 2, slowly wean off it and see if your tummy is ok in the morning. If the Immodium works, maybe it would give your tummy a chance to get back to 'normal'. Right now I've been taking an Immodium first thing when I get up along w/ Heathers peppermint cap and it seems to be helping with the spasms that hit me every morning. Plus, I drink a cup of ginger tea w/ my acacia in it quite soon after getting up as well. Good luck!
Janene
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