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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