can you take fiber and imodium?
#280761 - 09/03/06 07:20 PM
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julief42
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 14
Loc: Michigan
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I was just wondering if its safe to take both. I had started to take fiber pills but, then I felt like I was going a lot more. I was just wondering if I get this way from the fiber is it safe to take imodium? I asked the pharmacist and he said I couldnt but, I did not mention I had IBS so I thought maybe this would make the difference.I have IBS-A Julie
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If you are introducing a fiber supplement into your diet, you may experience the need to use the bathroom more often. It's because your body is not used to the fiber and is acclimating to it. Your best bet is to start with half-dose and gradual increase the dose as to avoid having to use the bathroom. You can take Imodium so long as your need to use the bathroom is food/fiber related as opposed to your body trying to rid itself of toxins (i.e. viral infection).
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I just started taking Fibercon this morning (just one pill..and then I'm going to take 1 pill tonight). I just read that I may need to use the bathroom more often for awhile until my body gets used to the fiber...does that mean generally regular bowel movements or urgent d? I can't afford to have d this week (or anytime for that matter) but I want to be prepared. And if I take Immodioum, then I won't really know what is really working...the Immodium, the EFI diet, or the SF. Incidentally, do some of you take Immodium regularly as a preventative measure and if so how much? Can't this be addicting? I only take it after a flare up but then it takes all day before my attacks subside. Thanks 
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I take Dimor (which has the same active ingredient as Imodium) and I take 4 mg in the morning and 4 mg in the evening daily. If you want to try to take it daily as a preventative you should start at a low dose and increase till you get the desired effect without getting too slow bowels.
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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I have to agree with Ulrika ... I usually take two Imodiums pills at morning ... it's my worst time, and two seems to be enough to slow my bowels along with Acacia fiber, and eating the proper foods.
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 Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow”. Mary Anne Radmacher
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Thanks to those of you who responded to all my previous questions. I would LOOOVE to take Immodium every day as a preventative but I thought I would become addicted to it or my body would eventually become immune to it. Then I'd really be in big trouble for those times when I have a bad attack and need something to stop it. What are your thoughts and does anyone know what a doctor would say about taking it every day? Thanks!!
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I have done a lot of research on this because like you I was worried about this. (I had a period last winter when my IBS seemed to get worse although I took quite a lot of loperamide. And that made me panic. But then it got better and I have actually had to decrease the dose a while here and there.) According to all the medical information I have found in general guidelines as well as research reports it has never been seen that the constipating effect of opioids has decreased with use over long time. And loperamide is a synthetic opioid. So I really don't think you have to worry about that. Personally I have found that it seems to work better if I try to keep the dose as constant as possible, than if I go up and down too often so I just stick with the dose I'm on and if the bowels get to slow I decrease the dose and stick with the lower dose until I notice I need to increase it again. But I don't think you have to worry about getting immune to the drug.
Hope this helps!
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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THanks Ulrika. How about stress factors? For the most part, the majority of my stress is about IBS and the fear of the attacks. I am thinking of trying the hypnosis for my anxiety but maybe if I had some more physical control, I'd have some more mental control. Do you find that if you have something stressful (not really major to the normal person...just taking my kids somewhere without a bathroom nearby) that no matter what you do medicine-wise, fiber-wise, or diet-wise, nothing works??? I had a very embarrassin moment yesterday taking my son to school on his first day (basically b/c I was just nervous that I'd have to go while waiting with him for his school door to open). I ate a banana upon waking, took a Librax the night before and one that morning, and also took two pepto bismol. This disease is the worst...I feel so trapped and paranoid to do anything! Thanks, Linda
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I know that feeling - believe me!!! For a long time last winter I felt like I couldn't do anything! It was a struggle for me to even just take the bus down town to see the psychologist I was seeing at the time to talk things through (this was before I even got the IBS diagnosis confirmed).
Yes, stress is a major factor for me. And even more so than food I think. Sleep is really important to me. If I'm nervous about something and can't sleep my IBS will 90% of the time be worse even with medicine but luckily with the usual dose of loperamide it doesn't get bad.
It does take a lot of time to get back mentally to feeling confident about doing stuff. I was completely stable from the beginning of March to some time in August and it was finally getting to the point where I didn't think much about my bowels at all. If it was ok before I went out somewhere I just felt confident it would stay that way. Then I had to lower the loperamide dose because my bowels were too slow and then I got a bit stressed out one night and couldn't sleep and my IBS got worse the morning after. But I increased the dose and it was fine. Although the last few days it's been a bit worse. Not at all bad but just close to. (I have to have slow bowels to feel confident since I have a damaged sphincter - I know - not fun!) And I notice that the last few days I have started thinking more about it again. It's like the old thought patterns from last winter are coming back a bit. (You know, you start thinking, ok it seems to be ok, but what if it suddenly isn't?) So it does take time. I hope it goes back to being the way I like it and that it will stay that way. Then I can slowly go back to having a close to normal life.
I'm actually thinking about going through cognitive behavior therapy to learn to deal with the worrying about what's going to happen in the future. Maybe that could be something for you too.
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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It so good (well not for either of us) but reassuring at least to know that someone else feels the same panic and I'm not just crazy. Stress seems to be sooo powerful...I can just think about something major in the future (like a vacation with flying) and send my stomach into panic mode. Incidentally, what do you eat in the morning...they are the worst for me too. Sorry to hear that you are having a bit of a relapse. Has your lifestyle changed? I usually think I'm having more problems when I have to go out a lot vs. when I am home and have the problems I guess they don't register as much b/c I just go to the bathroom and then continue my day.
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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Stress ...
#281808 - 09/12/06 11:07 AM
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Double J
Reged: 03/09/06
Posts: 900
Loc: High Rocky Mountains ibs-d
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Stress is huge factor with ibs. I have a 19 year old son that just drives my ibs into spasms. Some times I thinks that he knows it!!
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Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow”. Mary Anne Radmacher
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I'm usually not too sensitive about what I eat, though I now follow Heather's diet. Since I started taking loperamide daily and especially since I got stable it's been much better. I used to feel so sick in the morning that just looking at a slice of bread could make me feel like puking.
Typically the earlier I eat the more careful I need to be. And the less sleep I've had the more careful I need to be too. Though less sleep is less critical if you get up at noon and have breakfast then if you get what I mean.
I typically have SFS, Oatly chocolate (it's like chocolate milk but made from oat and it tastes like oat chocolate balls - yum) and 2 toasts with marmalade (with no visible orange skin) or maybe a couple of tomato slices depending on what I feel like (I usually don't have any problems with tomatoes). I also have a banana or a peeled red apple (Royal Gala typically).
The tricky part when it comes to stress and IBS is that before my IBS got bad my bowels still got crazy when I was nervous, but it was managable and I knew I was nervous so... Since the IBS got bad it seems that more subtle stress also affects the bowels. I.e. sometimes I can feel fine about something, not worried, and still have a reaction. So it's like the bowel-brain-connection remembers stuff so to speak. Weird. Or I have to look for stress factors. Like now for instance I'm just going back to work after the summer and I guess that can cause stress even though I think it's nice to work again...
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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I have taken it for nearly a year as a preventative. There are times when I skip a few days here and there, but for the most part it is a part of my daily regimen. It keeps me to having 1-2 BMs daily instead of 4-5 smaller ones.
My GI (gastroenterologist) told me that if it worked for me, then I should keep taking it. He said he has patients who have taken it daily for years with no adverse effects. I prefer it to the other antispasmodics because I have no side effects while taking it (sleepiness, dizziness, etc) which interfered with my work. I think you should be fine taking it daily, but if you have any qualms about it, definitely talk about it with your doctor.
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Hi there!
I was just wondering how much Imodium you need to take typically. I started out taking 2 pills a day (i.e. total of 4 mg) and that worked fine for a while but then I had to increase the dose. I have been on 4 pills a day (have actually had to decrease to 2 a day for a couple of periods during this time) since the beginning of March and have been stable apart from one day in August when I had only slept a couple of hours and felt nervous. The last week it's been a bit worse but not bad, but I've still done the BTC diet for 2 days and it's a lot better it seems. I just feel like I don't want to have to increase the dose more since a) that makes me scared my IBS keeps getting worse and that the loperamide will eventually not help and b) we want to have kids some time soon and then I want to keep the loperamide dose as low as possible since it seems I will have to take it even during pregnancy.
Does it happen that the IBS just keeps getting worse? I had it for years with one attack every few months or so. It only got really bad last summer. But most of the time (without medication) I haven't had the worst kind of D, more like loose to really loose stool. The problem with me though is that I have a nerve damaged sphincter from a paralysis disease I had as a kid so it's harder for me to hold back a BM than for a person with normal sphincter.  So I really need the stools to be rather firm and dry to feel confident.
How much problems do you have with your IBS? I think it's so cool that you're able to study and have a career as a lawyer. Hurray for Amanda! Isn't stress a trigger for you? I am a MSc in Engineering Physics and a PhD student in numerical analysis and I feel like I will probably never be able to work within the field that I've studied after I get my PhD. That kind of job is just typically so stressful and I just feel like I can't handle that kind of stress any more. I'm still trying to get back to full time as a PhD student. 
Some people don't seem to ever get nervous or stressed out. I sure wish I was like that but I'm pretty much the opposite.
Any inspiration and hope you can send my way will be much appreciated. Studying and being good at what I do has always been important to me and a part of who I am. It just seems weird to not have any of that anymore. (Though I'd choose good health over a fancy job any time nowadays. )
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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Ulrika...don't be so hard on yourself. I know this disease can be debilitating but when I feel overwhelmed and think that I can't reach my goals with IBS, I try to say...just take one day at a time. I usually have to "muddle through" everything and is pisses me off b/c I just want to enjoy life and be normal and not be stressed and nervous like you said. I have 2 young children and the good news is that when you are pregnant (at least for me) the IBS seemed to get better I think partly b/c most pregnant women are typically constipated (because of the hormones and also b/c of the pressure the baby puts on you as it grows) and partly b/c I think I was less stressed nervous about an episode b/c I felt like I had an "out"...I could just tell people I was pregnant and didn't feel well to avoid something or pretend that I was just going to the bathroom frequently to pee. When I was pregnant I ate lots of pizza and ice cream and only had problems sometimes. On the other hand, being a mom and being responsible for two kids is very difficult with IBS b/c I feel like I can't be the best mother possible (simply take them to the park on a nice day). Now my son goes to sports activities and I am so stressed out about being on a ball field with just a portapotty and the baby in a stroller!!! Anyhow, my point is that you should just focus on finishing your degree one day at a time and when the motherhood thing comes your way, you'll work through it somehow...maybe with help from this website. Just as a side note...I have sometimes told people that I had my period or suddenly got my period and had to urgently get to a bathroom in an IBS emergency. Sometimes it helps to just remember that excuse when I have to go somewhere. Hope this helps. Linda
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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The problem for me is not having to tell people I have IBS. Most people know at work et.c. The problem is that I also have a nerve damaged sphincter which means it's harder for me than for a person with a normal sphincter to hold back a BM. Which is not the best combo with IBS-D of course.
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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Hi Linda,
I know exactly what you're saying. My son also does alot of football and soccer. The number of times I'd wished he played an indoor sport so that flushing toilets were readily available 
Usually on the drives to the field I'd be checking out the nearest Tim Hortons or fast food place... just in case. Because it never failed, either the outdoor potties were on the far side of the field...or I wouldn't go in them even in my worst state (hahaha)  .
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Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away
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I'll try my best to address all the things you brought up in your email.
Currently, I take 2mg of Immodium every morning and this is enough for me to stay stable. It firms my stools enough so that I have a comfortable BM (or 2) every day. When I was at my worst, I would take up to three to four Immodium tablets per day (6-8mg).
My IBS has been both a progressive and cyclical disease. I call it progressive because it seemed to worsen from its onset when I was 19 until it reached its worst last summer. After I reached that point, I found Heather's diet and got professional medical help and both helped me to reach stability. My IBS has remained fairly in control since then.
I also call my IBS cyclical because it acts up from time to time and it is definitely triggered by stress. Graduate school, taking the CA bar exam, and working in a high stress profession is definitely taxing on anyone's health, let alone someone with IBS whose troubles are triggered by anxiety and stress as mine are. I used to fret exactly like you, that I would never be able to reach my full potential in the field I loved because my IBS held me back.
But, I reached the resolve that I was not going to let my stomach control my life. I decided to make myself empowered, rather than over-powered, and stopped pitying myself. I told myself that in a way, IBS was a blessing in disguise. It forced me to eat an extremely healthy diet, which is great for my overall health. It also made me listen to my body in ways that people nowadays fail to do. This has taught me so much about how much stress I can take, when I need rest, when I need exercise, when I need to laugh, when I need to cry, etc. I also realized that I needed some extra help coping with my anxiety and went on Effexor. That has helped me deal with stress and anxiety in ways nothing else has.
The best advice I can give you Ulrika, is don't give up, don't beat yourself up and take one day at a time. It takes time to get better. Stick with the diet diligently, stay in contact with your doctor and remember that not every day is going to be a good day, but that's ok.
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Thanks for your response. How old is your son and in an emergency, would you just leave him playing on the field and drive to a nearby restroom? My son just turned 5 and I always have my 2 year old with me...I'm anxious about just leaving to walk across to the far field and leave him...it's so silly, but I've even thought that I could use my daughter as an excuse when she starts potty training more and say that she had to go! The problem is that I usually don't have to go just once...that wouldn't freak me out...it's that I could be walking back to the field and two seconds later have to run back to the bathroom...I HATE this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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I totally understand your feelings of frustration. My whole day would be filled with stress, knowing I'd have to spend 2-3 hrs on the field later that evening.
But my son was much older, around 10/11. I would always tell him that if I wasn't in my seat by the time the game was over, to stay put and I would be back as soon as possible.
But there were days when I absolutely had to go. Good thing about Canada, there is usually a Tim Hortons around every corner ). If I was really really bad, I would try and stay by the bathroom, judge about when the game would be over so I could race back to the field, pick my son up and race back home. And let me tell you if my son was playing near a wooded area, I wouldn't hesitate to go in there either. I always carried spare toilet paper in my purse.
I'm sure I don't have to mention the images my conscience could drum up. I think at times I'm my own worst enemy
But when I did have to leave I would let another parent know I'd left. Early on I would blame it on having a flu etc, but then it was just easier to fess up about the IBS. I found that most times there's a parent of my son's friends who I know and I was comfortable in asking them to watch over him. And usually I never had to give an explanation.
If you can't leave the area, you could let your son know where you'll be if your not in the stands. Perhaps there's a parent that you know on the field who would watch over your son...and maybe even your daughter. I know myself I've watched over other peoples kids while they had to "relieve" themselves. I'm not sure if you take immodium or not but it was a real life-saver for me in many cases.
I wish I had some words of wisdom for you. My bad episodes were primarily before finding this site. Since then, when I take my son to the field I eat all safe foods the day before and the day of. I take two immodium a day anyway and for the most part, I haven't had any bad episodes. I've even started enjoying watching him play.
I don't think you're being silly for worrying about these things. I give you loads of credit, I never had to deal with this when my kids were so young, let alone have a two year old at my side.
I think this is my longest post ever and I hope I haven't bored you silly. I'll send some good vibes your way and maybe if you get through some games without incident....you can begin to relax a little more. Or.. like I use to do, pray for the season to end sooner rather than later
Take care....and good luck to your son and his team.
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Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away
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Thanks so much for your words of wisdom...I could never be bored silly by someone who truly understands the agony of what we go through. I had to laugh at your comment that you have actually started enjoying watching the games! Isn't that terrible...that IBS can make you so obsessed that you can't even enjoy life? I'm hoping that with what I'm learning from this website and the diet I'll feel less anxious which will have a more positive effect on the physical part those days. We actually need to get a new car soon (we have an SUV) and I'm thinking I'd love a minivan where I could go in the kids' portable potty in the trunk! Anyhow, thank you...I appreciate your empathy.:)
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Originally IBS-D for a million years!
Then IBS-A, Now a transformed slightly C
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Well my family are a bunch of pranksters and although they are very supportive of my very regular bathroom trips, I would not be totally surprised if a port-a-pottie ended up under the christmas tree
I currently drive a sunfire...not sure where I would put a pottie, maybe I'll have to add a minivan to my christmas list
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