Irritable Bowel Syndrome Message Boards

I don't know if anyone has heard of this or even tried it, but it is a good way to find out how long it takes for you to pass your waste. My naturopath had me try this using charcoal (in capsules). You take 6 with dinner, record the time taken and then wait till you see the charcoal pass. It should be your darkest stool. If you don't see it within 12 to 18 hours then you may be in for trouble....fermenting food in the gut, etc. My dr. learned this from an MD who learned it from a GI. The solution is to speed up the time by taking buffered Vitamin C powder. To find out your bowel tolerance you take 1,000 mg every hr. until you get diarrhea and then take 75% of that dose as your ongoing dose. This is supposed to reduce the transit time.
Now, I found out that I was passing the charcoal 88 1/2 hr. later. I realize that Vitamin C can be a problem for IBS. I used my dr.'s C that did nothing up to 60,000mg and I quit cause I didn't pass anything not even gas! The next morning I had a headache and then passed a small stool. I tried another kind of C powder and had horrible bloating and gas and had diarrhea at 24,000mg which kept me in the bathroom for over 2 hr. I couldn't even tolerate the 75% dose...way too gassy! So am now taking another brand and doing 12,000 to 16,000mg per day in divided doses, but still causes gas and some GI discomfort but much less than the other. I couldn't afford to take the dr.'s C. at the price and dosage. My transit time decreased to 49 hr. and now it's up to 63 hr. I had the flu in Dec. and Jan. and believe it stressed my body. Also had a tooth refilled at the end of Feb. and I think that messed me up more. Now I can't eat any IF. I have been eating just white rice, potatoes, applesauce, white pasta, rice chex, rice or soy milk and bananas. Tried rice cakes and rolled oats, but think they are a problem. I have been doing this for over a week now. I know this post is long, but thought I'd share this info. I thought it was an interesting way to treat constipation. But it sounds like an awful lot of Vit.C to take. Of course, everyone is different. I didn't think I'd need that much! If a person is IBS-D, this C treatment probably wouldn't be a very good idea. I started doing this in Nov. 2007. My main complaint is lower abdominal pain and bloating with aches in my lower back and sometimes around the waist. Also have a hiatal hernia and GERD. I have had all the yucky tests to rule out serious diseases.
Wlm

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