Chronic constipation and diet
#115528 - 10/25/04 05:57 AM
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It seems like most of the people here have ibs-d. could people who have ibs-c tell me what they ate in the begining. My doctors say fiber and veggies. I have varied my eating so much that my body doesn't know where to begin. Anyone know of a good program in michigan as far as an in patient? I am at my last hope. The GI doctor has put me on miralax and zelnorm whiach should be giving me D but I'm not having that. Is it possible that my impaction is a solid mass and nothing can come out. The Laxative draw water out of the stool is it possible it has drawn all the water out which has cause me more constipation. Anyone know of a good GI Doctor in Michigan? Has anyone not had a normal BM in month's come back from this?
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I live in Michigan and unfortunately don't have the name of a good doctor. i have IBS-C and I will tell you that I take stool softners every day. Usually before I go to bed at night I take two. They are safe to take. I also have been taking Citracel caplets and Acacia every day. I do it in the morning, afternoon and evening. I don't take both just one or another. I was taking Zelnorm and I stopped. It gave me D like every 3 days. I wouldn't have a BM and then wham explosion. I also didn't like the fact that I felt this constant gas on my left side. I seriously thought I was pregnant again with all the gas. It felt like fetal movement. I stopped the Zelnorm and Alavil because I wanted to try and manage this drug-free. So far it's not been to bad. Make sure you eat insoluble fiber as well. But not on an empty stomach. Us IBS-C people sometimes need a little more insoluble, just don't do it on an empty stomach. Hope this helps!
Angela E.
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The diet is the same whether you are IBS-D or C. It takes a while to get stabilized but is possible. One key that really helps in addition to the diet is to drink a lot of water and exercise, even if you are only walking.
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Hi .. I have IBS-C, and had reached a point where I couldn't have a bowel movement on my own. I was put on Zelnorm, which worked fairly well for about 3 months, but I developed a tolerance for the drug (as well all do), and have just stopped taking it after finding this site. It is too early for me to tell if the diet is working, but I am trying. My doctor told me to try not to use stimulant laxatives, but that Milk of Magnesia was probably the safest. He even told me to give my body a holiday from Zelnorm for about a month, and then retry it. I have tried stool softeners and they don't work for me, as well as a multitute of diets which left me disillusioned. I find that I have to take a slightly higher dose of Milk of Magnesia. Hope this helps a bit...
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There are scads of posts here dealing with C - try a board search for "constipation" or "IBS-C"! I have found great success with Heather's diet so long as I get some insoluble fiber with every meal (goes without saying that I have soluble fiber first) and get enough fluids and exercise.
--AC
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where i am concerned, the white flour based safe foods of this diet certainly DO encourage constipation in c people. however, before moving away from it, it is very important to understand WHY the way heathers diet works is so important. it provides a great base for the tummy to be relaxed and to accept more challenging insoluble foods on. so whilst I avoid white bread and white rice...I replace them with other higher fibre foods along the same rules.
for example: instead of the white starchy stuff use: oatmeal, barley, brown rice, brown rice crackers, baked potatoes with the skins....this are all higher fibre grains which will keep your tummy happy.
a great trick for easing constipation is vegie soup made from lots of root vegetables and butternut squashes, pumpkins etc....cooked carrots are fab.
base your meals on the higher fibre grain foods I mentioned, after filling your tummy with them, try adding new vegies: asparagus, peas, maybe you can even tolerate some beans!
If you are as backed up as you say, I would stick a suppository up there to help ease the pressure and begin on a diet which is slightly more high fibre. You may be able to tolerate whole wheat bread (I used to for years until this year I regressed because of a tummy bug)...but take care, wheat bran is very harsh....
when you wake in the morning drink a huge mug of very strong peppermint tea...and keep at that during he day.
its all trial and error, don't give up, and don't eat dried fruits or bran flakes out of desperation, they will only give you awful gas...
always here if you have more questions !!
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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What does your diet look like? you are take soluble with insoluble. So are you taking Arnica be fore your meals. Waht did your diet look like with the zelnorm? Thanks for your post.
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do you mean citrucel is the soluble first and then your meal or ? Please give me an example of your plan. I thank you for your time.
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Do you think that it possible to go from eating like it was you last meal to normal diet? Could you tell me what your daily diet looks like?
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People with IBS won't ever have a "normal" diet, as in we will never be able to eat just anything like most people! I am IBS C and live in Michigan. I have seen MANY different drs and the only one I like was a Dr. alexander, he used to be in Southfield but the office moved to Troy, which is northern metro detroit. If your in the metro detroit area, I'll be happy to find his number for you.
I am also on miralax. I have used Zelnorm in the past but build up a tolerance too quickly. If the Miralax is not working, try adding in a second dose for a few days to get things moving. I mix my miralax with the Acacia and drink it in the am BEFORE I eat. Typically, I'll take one 17mg cap full a day. If I get backed up, I'll add in a second dose at night. You can play around with the dose as needed. You need to be sure you are drinking a ton of water for it to work properly! Exercise is also key in helping constipation.
As far as the diet goes, as a generliztion, people who are IBS C, typically need more insolubles in their diet than IBS D people, but the basic's are the same! My daily diet goes something like this-Work out on my eliptical trainer in the morning, drink my miralax and acacia. Usually have oatmeal or dry cereal with rice dream vanilla "milk" for breakfast. Snack on raisins, grapes, applesause, graham crackers or pretzels. Lunch is usually a sandwich, sometimes on potato bread other times on wheat bread, usually turkey, chicken or tuna with a little lettuce and mustard. Dinners are usually chicken, fish, turkey or pasta. Usually with rice or a potato and a veggie. I even have a salad once or twice a week AFTER I eat a piece of bread or other soluble fiber first. Pasta salads with chunks of chicken and red kidney beans or peas are really good as well. Hummus is a great source of insoluble fiber, pretty yummy to dip some pita or lavash bread in. Fruits are a great source of insoluble fiber. Eat a "safe" sandwich for lunch and follow it up with an orange! for some reason, oranges tend to make me go more than other types of fruit! And don't forget the water, drink more water!!!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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I'm really sorry, I don't understand your question...are you asking if it is possible to go from eating 'what to eat when you can't eat anything' to a kind of diet that I suggested?
My typical day involves:
waking up and taking probiotics with a large glass of room temperature water, then a big cup of yogi tummy ease tea with a peppermint cap.
I then have a huge bowl of oatmeal made with water with a banana.
Lunch can be anything from: brown rice bread (I am off wheat at the moment because white wheat makes me too constipated and wholewheat gives me too many loose poos!) with tahini (sesame seed butter) and cherry tomatoes, or with avocado and cherry tomatoes.
Or it can be brown rice with vegetable soup (lots of vegies), brown rice pasta with cooked carrots in olive oil and garlic. Or chicken breast cooked in olive oil and lots of herbs and spices.
My fruit intake at the moment is mangoes, bananas, and lots of fruit purees.
My diet is limited at the moment and I am trying to reintroduce more vegies because I have had a very hard 5 months with my IBS. i was pretty stable for years on wholewheat and everything, but a bug in May threw my bowels to the diarrhea side (after YEARS of C!!! was very strange...) so now it is still very sensitive to rough fibres...but prone to getting C too, so i am adjusting a very fine balance!
Good luck, am happy to answer lots of questions.
Fluids are so important, esp warm ones and exercise is VITAL
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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When I was C I just got fed up and ate anything. Not just what i was suppose to. I want to change all of that now. I am wondering if it is too late.
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No, it's never too late. Don't worry, you'll get there. 
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Ibs-d and fructose sensitive.
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I was hoping for a plan. Thanks. I need to impliment it. Fiber can cause constipation as well from what I have read. I haven't been active so maybe I should try that. Thanks.
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What test have you had run? I have had them all but I have change that because I have forced things out. I need a good doctor that will look at everything. I have played with the miralax and zelnorm but there is still alot of matter in my colon. No one seems concerned. Could you please give me the name of your doctor? Thanks.
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I saw Dr. alexander, his number is 248-273-9930. The office is on 15 mile in troy. Dr. Duffy is also very good but takes longer to get into, he works out of the same office.
Recently, I've just been seeing my general internist for my IBS problems. I have had a colonoscopy, barium eneama, abdominal cat scan, endoscopy, and the one where you drink the barium and they watch it go through your colon. I still have some issues with pain and bloating sometimes but the miralax keeps me from getting constipated.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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Do you get spasm pain, and if yes, what do you use?
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Most of the spasm pain I get is gas!! Gas-x, which the active ingredient is simethicone, works pretty well if you take the maxium dosage for a couple of days. The spasms are usually trapped pockets of gas, the gas-x will help break them up and get them out! I also have a prescription for donnatol, its an anti-spasm medication, that I take when needed.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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all the stuff you were eating that wasn't ibs safe has caused the bad C you are experiencing now (we all do it so don't dwell on feeling bad, because ibs is the most exasperating condition)...but it is never too late to start again. this is why I suggested you sticking up a suppository, to clear you out and give you a clean slate, as it were, to begin a better diet.....
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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I have also been fighting chronic candida along with IBS-C. I'm worried about all the starches with this diet because of the candida. I thought starches caused more gas in the colon. The gas and bloating is so uncomfortable! My doctor just put me on Reglan but it seems to be more for motility of the upper GI not colon. I am also on Citrucel. Anyone else have candida with this IBS-C? Has anyone else used Reglan?
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I tried reglan and it upset my system. It made me dizzy and sweaty and didn't help my tummy one bit! I guess its worth giving it a try as every responds differently to meds. It is supposed to help your system process foods quicker but it had no effect on my C. Sorry, I don't know anything about the candida.
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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When I first took it I had bad stomach pains so we cut the dose in half until my system got used to it. I am now taking it as originally prescribed and feel okay but I can't say that it has helped the "C" yet. I just got my acacia in the mail yesterday but am sure hesitant to use it because Citrucel caused such bloating and awful gas and didn't help the "C" either. Taking Metamucil was even worse. Nothing seems to work for me. Magnesium supplements helped a little at first but then not at all. I drink lots of water and exercise three to five times a week.
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Re: SFS
#120637 - 11/10/04 12:17 PM
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michele
Reged: 06/02/03
Posts: 6886
Loc: southeastern michigan
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Keep in mind that most everyone will experience some extra bloating and gas when they first start ANY SFS. It takes your body a couple of weeks to adjust. Start off with a small dose and work up slowly. STICK WITH IT!! You HAVE to give it 3-4 weeks minimum before you can decide if a particular SFS is working for you!
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Taking it one day at a time.....
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THANK YOU! Thank you! I am IBS-C and am not finding the white bread (& excess starches) helpful for my C - I definitely need more insolubles than the diet prescribes. Thank you - I thought I was the only one.
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You are welcome!!! How is your constipation now?
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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Not good at all. I went into panic-mode last night and just ate any and all fiber I could get a hold of. Didn't help me but I was at the end of my tether. Drinking yogi stomach ease tea at the moment. I am so sick and tired of this condition. We Europeans don't even have SFS so I'm at a loss here - can't test different ones and see which works. Anyway, thanks for being there. Feels comforting.
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I'm having trouble with this diet, too. I've only been on it for 2 weeks, but I've always thought that too much bread & other starches make me C. I've been taking Acacia & adding lots of insolubles with the solubles. I've been sooo C that it's been totally frustrating.
Just wanted to let you know that you're not alone. I'm currently taking small doses of Zelnorm every other day because I feel like I need medication to help things move along.
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Mary mary!
#120883 - 11/11/04 07:00 AM
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daliatree
Reged: 07/10/04
Posts: 1176
Loc: Manhattan, New York
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I am so sorry to hear you are not better. please let me try and help you. Even though C is not my biggest problem anymore (I miss it!! its better then D) I know a lot! Ten years of suffering.
Please tell me what you eat on the average day and your major symptoms and any patterns you have found (eg when I eat this, i feel this etc)....
lets try and get you moving better
PS I recently tried the SFS and got soooo ill. so even though I know it works for lots of people, lets try and get you moving a bit with your diet!
write soon!
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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Hi again! Thank you so much for caring. I feel like a whole world has opened up to me! Ok, I start off the morning with excercise, then have some oatmeal + applesauce + tsp soy-yoghurt + slice of sourdough bread + cup of tea (breakfast is my favorite). I feel ok with this, but constantly C. Lunch I usually feel best when I have a few pieces of sushi (as soon as I eat a lot I feel bloated). I just can't seem to get it right. I don't feel full on the pasta/white bread thing - it's like my body needs something harsh to process. Still, I keep on drinking and drinking, but I can't seem to get regular, no matter what I try. I don't know what to eat (not to eat) anymore. Get reflux from onion, garlic, peppermint, raw peppers, leek, radishes. My tummy is in constant uproar. I feel lost.
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FRUSTRATING is the word. I don't know whether to laugh or to cry. Not much medication available in this regard here in Europe unfortunately (no Zelnorm, no SFS). Thanks - it's nice to have the support and to know that I'm not alone.
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hey there..ok...breakfast sounds good! why don't you try, instead of the applesauce, to peel and chop up a raw apple and put that in your oatmeal (or eat it on the side after the oatmeal)...thats more insol for you (but don't risk the skin yet!).
I find sushi calming but extremley constipating is the truth. I would make myself some brown rice, and saute some safe vegies in it - this is an example of what I find easy to digest - some olive oil in a pan, clove or two of garlic, carrot pieces and asparagus pieces...saute till soft, add to the rice and eat!!!
You didn't say what you have for dinner but here is a suggestion - take butternut squash, pumpkins, sweet potato, normal potato with skin, carrots, garlic, celery and onions (put the celery and onions in in big chunks because you are going to remove them after cooking so they don't hurt your belly) cook all till soft. remove onion and celery. put all the vegies in a blender and add a pinch of nutmeg and some cinnamon (salt and pepper too) to taste. It is the most amazing soup and a great way to eat lots of vegies. you can put barley inside too! or more brown rice.
A huge baked potato with the skin is a wonderful way to do a poo.
Try to drink tea away from meals because drinking lots of liquid with meals makes me bloated!
Try and get some nut butter to put on your bread, its a very nutritious form of fibre as long as you don't have too much because of the fat content.
Try this!!! and let me know what you normally have for dinner!
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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Daliatree!
#120901 - 11/11/04 07:41 AM
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marymary
Reged: 11/01/04
Posts: 43
Loc: Zurich, Switzerland
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You're an angel! Thanks for the tips! I will try them out and let you know how I get on! Dinner - usually chicken or fish and some steamed veggies and some rice. Or pasta and a tomato sauce. I love cooking, but I am starting to HATE eating. Thanks for the avoiding-drinking-with-food. I usually never drink with my food except for during breakfast, but I think I might have to change that routine a bit. Maybe have a glass of water before the excercise and then have a cup of tea when I get to work? Question: I tried the enteric peppermint capsules once, but got such a reflux with them I thought I would never breathe normally again. Would you suggest them? I had them after dinner. Thanks again - I can't tell you how grateful I am.
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Its my pleasure darling!! I would recommend drinking one to two cups of peppermint tea on waking..it may mean you may have to change your schedule but having it on an empty stomach really really used to help me go! I take the peppermint caps and never got reflux, but I haven't used heathers yet, only ones I bought in the shop and heathers smell so strong I am scared!
Please, for now, stop the white rice and pasta and replace it with brown rice...I KNOW its going to help you!!
You MUST let me know how it is all going, every step!!
lots of love
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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Again - thank you. I will get back to you and let you know about my progress (at least I hope!). Yes, no more white pasta and rice for me. Love brown rice so going back to that. Ok, peppermint tea on empty stomach. Will try that tomorrow morning(work day soon over here!). Thanks daliatree. Much love, mary
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