New to IBS and really need help and advice
#196740 - 07/18/05 09:34 AM
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LisaRae
Reged: 07/18/05
Posts: 90
Loc: Atlanta Ga
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After being put in the hospital in Feb I found out I have IBS. I have had four flare ups since then that last up to a week. I was on librax and now I am on nortriptylin and take citrucel three times a day. I eat a low fat dies and I use soy products. My doctor said this was the worse case of IBS he has ever seen. Please help me. My life is being taken over by this. What meds work? Thank you!
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Welcome to the Boards. I'm sorry you're having such a terrible time. It would be easier for me to make suggestions if I knew a little more, so ...
First and most important, I assume you've had all the tests Heather recommends to be sure this is IBS and not something else. Correct?
Are you IBS-D (diarrhea is your predominant symptom), IBS-C (constipation predominant), IBS-A (alternating between diarrhea and constipation), or IBS-P (pain predominant)?
Are you on Heather's diet?
How much Citrucel do you take every day and what kind (powder, pills, capsules, flavored, sugar-free, etc?)
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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Hello and thank you for trying to help me. Yes I have had all the tests. I take Citrucel powder three times a day with one scoop at a time. I have IBS-D. I hope you can help.
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Sorry, forgot to add I am on Heathers diet.
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How long have you been on the diet? And what kind of Citucel are you on...and how long have you been at that dose? Do you know what the dose is in grams of SF?
Have you been tested for celiac and gluten intolerance?
Have you tried Immodium as a preventative drug?
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I am on the powder form of Citrucle and I have been on the diet since Feb.No, I have never tried Immodium.
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Well you def should!  Talk to your GI about it asap. You can take it everyday as a preventative and it's just great. Doing that for a few months whilst I stabilised on the diet and Acacia totally reprogramed my system! 
Are you SURE you're following the diet 100%? Checked every label and every trigger? And are you going very easy on the IF as you're D and very unstable?
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According to Heather's SFS FAQ page, 1 Tablespoon of Citrucel yields 2 grams of SF. Assuming a scoop is a Tablespoon and you're taking 3 scoops, that's 6 grams of SF from your SFS. That seems low to me. I'm IBS-D and I get 20 grams of SF from my SFS every day. That's high for someone who's D, but 6 seems low. I'd try increasing the SFS very slowly.
Also, please check the label and see if it tells you how much fiber you're getting in a scoop. If a scoop is less than a Tablespoon, you're getting even less SF.
Also, you should be sure your Citrucel does not have artificial sweetener in it. I think Citrucel comes in orange flavor which you may not tolerate well, either. (I'm a little vague on the flavor thing.)
I agree with Linz - try the Imodium. You can do a Search on this Board and see what others say about how they use it. (Use both spellings: Imodium and Immodium)
You can also try posting what you're eating and supplementing for a few days. The people on the Board are very good at spotting problems you might not even notice.
HTH. If it's any consolation I was about as D as D gets prior to finding Heather's plan and have managed to get my IBS under control. I hope the same for you.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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I am so confused. What is SF and what is SFS? The label does not tell me how much fiber it is. The Imodium every day for preventive. How often and how much? Thanks for all you help, I have so much to learn.
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Take the Imodium and not my other meds? Until I am stable or forever? I really watch my IF. Is Acacia better than Citucle? Thanks for all you help.
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As for my diet I had toast and decaf tea for breakfast. Lunch was soy yogurt and a banana. Snack is angle food cake and dinner will be plain pasta with cooked veg in them. It seems all safe to me?
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Lisa
#196862 - 07/18/05 01:37 PM
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Linz
Reged: 09/01/03
Posts: 8242
Loc: England
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For a start you're not eating frequently enough. You should only go for 2-3 hours w/out some SF even if it's just a couple of crackers or a banana.
And the Immodium is best done in conjunction with your GI. BUt if that's not possible, try taking 1 tablet every morning before breakfast. You can go down to a smaller dose if that makes you C or take more if that's not enough, but 1 tablet/day is a good dose to try first IMHO. And you should only need to do that until you are stable. NOTE do NOT stop your other meds! At least not w/out doctor approval and supervision.
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SF = Soluble Fiber
SFS = Soluble Fiber Supplement (like Citrucel, Acacia, Metamucil)
There's a sticky post at the top of this Board called "Common Abbreviations and Explanations" that should help you out with the lingo we use around here. I know it can get confusing, but the abbreviations really help save the fingers.
I'm kind of shocked that Citrucel doesn't tell you how much fiber is in a dose - that seems sort of irresponsible to me. If you'll measure how much Citrucel is in one of the scoops you're taking, then - assuming Heather's number of 2 grams of SF per Tablespoon of Citrucel is right - you can figure out how much SF you're getting now. If you're really getting only 6 grams of SF or less, I would definitely try increasing it - but do it slowly so you don't drive your digestive tract nuts. (I went up 1/4 teaspoon of acacia every 3 days.)
Since you didn't mention it, I'm assuming your Citrucel doesn't have artificial sweetner in it and isn't the orange-flavored kind.
I think Linz has covered the Imodium issue.
There is a lot to learn, but you'll figure it all out. The first few months I was doing this, I felt like I was running as fast as I could just to keep up. Once I got some basics figured out, life got much easier.
HTH.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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My doctor also said I was the worse case of IBS he has ever seen also..
I wonder if that is just something they say sometimes.
I don't have D, am not C mostly crampy pain expecially after eating..
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More food
#197192 - 07/19/05 09:10 AM
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Sand
Reged: 12/13/04
Posts: 4490
Loc: West Orange, NJ (IBS-D)
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If you'll take a look at this page and read where Heather describes how soluble fiber works to help IBS (the section beginning "Why is soluble fiber so special?"), you'll have a better understanding of why it's important to eat enough, often enough - and why it's important to take enough of your SFS. You want your colon to be full of SF "gel" pretty much all the time.
For me, going too long without eating is the worst thing I can do. If I put food in an empty stomach, it's going to complain. Even if you just eat a handful of pretzels or a slice of bread every hour or two, you'll be keeping your digestive engine humming.
Overall, I would say try the Imodium as a preventative measure; if you're getting too little SF from your SFS, try increasing that slowly; and try adding more food to your day.
Please post how you're doing. It can take a while to get all the steps down pat, so if you have more questions, I hope you'll ask. And if things get better, that's always nice to hear, too. 
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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I also was hospitalized with the IBS and I had to have my gallbladder removed. The doctors gave me librax to take 3-4 times a day and said take the imodium when I need it. It wasn't until Heather suggested taking the imodium before the D that it felt better. Now I take one in the morning and one at night and I am so much better. Now the doctors tell me if the imodium works that it's OK to take it but they never made the suggestion. Stick to this site and you will find a lot of very practical and good advice. Good Luck
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My Citrucel is orange and not sugar free. Is orange alright. Thank you to everyone for helping.
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I am confused. I read on Heathers site that 2-4 tab a day of citrucle is 12-15 grams of SF supplement. Is that enoough? I take a cup of water per tab.
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I think you must have misread something. Look on the citrucel package - it will give you the grams of fiber per serving. The tablets are 0.5 g/serving. The orange powder is something like 2 g/serving, where one serving = one scoop = one heaping tablespoon.
Please read all the sticky notes at the top of the IBS Diet boards - I think they'll clear a whole lot of things up for you and we can answer other questions.
--AC
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