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Woo hoo, now we're to the "I might as well have a lower GI done cuz my colon is almost that clean" stage of the night! I'm so bloody hungry, which makes sense considering my stomach and probably most of my digestive tract is completely empty right now. At least I hope it is cuz if I have to spend much more time in the bathroom I'm bringing pillows and a blanket. God I hate how cold I get after an attack of D too. I don't want to take any immodium cuz if this isn't over and I "clog things up" so to speak, then I will just end up with those horrific cramps again until it gives up and pushes everything through. That's how it usually goes. *sings the "I hate my life" song*. Does anyone else ever feel like giving up? If I had the money I would so quit my job and just hide at home forever and ever. How much fun is it to have to share the fact that your intestines are again malfunctioning to your co-workers and that's why you've been in the bathroom for the past 3 hours, that's why you're leaving early, that's why you weren't there yesterday, that's why you have to leave for a test tomorrow... etc. Can't I be one of the normal people for once in my bleeding life?
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Food for thought: the only kind I can digest.
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Okay, so you're IBS-A (alternating). This is tricky, but not impossible (I'm A too).
What dose of Immodium are you on? If it ALWAYS makes you C, then it's too high. I was on Immodium for ages (as a preventative) and it really helped me stabilise, but if you're A, it has to be a low dose. If you're only on 1 pill, then get your doctor to prescribe the liquid form (you can then take teeny amounts). And, from personal experience, I would recommend taking it daily for a while as a preventative.
With the C, JenX's given you some great advice on how to eat insoluble fibre. Make sure you do! Just be really careful and follow Heather's guidelines to the letter.
You mentioned a "burning" pain. Could it be an acid problem as well as cramps? I had acid from my mouth to my bum when I was really bad!  If so, then peppermint could actually be making it worse. Just a thought... Try drinking really strong Chamomile tea to alternate the peppermint.
Hang in there honey. We'll get you sorted, I promise.
Could you explain the situation to your boss and see about having some longer-term sick leave? I really do know what it's like (I'm in work now feeling like sh*t), but forcing yourself to keep going doesn't help.
Good luck!
Linz
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I'm thinking about it. I just got the FMLA paperwork filled out today so I may ask her for a week off to "recover." I know that stress can just exacerbate things, and lord knows the fear of going to work and just having to leave again makes it worse. Plus this last month at work has been stressful on all of us. We moved to a new building and did a system conversion which had our files backed up to the heavens. Everyone was expected to work 4 hours overtime per week and here I am missing 16 hours per week... it makes me feel really guilty. I've been crying at the drop of a hat from pure frustration. And now I have D so bad that my colon should seriously be very clean by morning. I just hope I get some sleep tonight. Oh, here is a question for all of you - my gastro gave me samples of "boost" to drink while I can't really eat much. But I read the side lable and it has milk protein in it, but no lactose. he gave me the regular kind and the kind that has a bunch of fruit juice in it. are either of these "safe" to drink? I hate doubting my gastro, but I've known heather longer, lol. She's probably the only reason I managed to graduate college sane. Then she became all famous and doesn't have time to e-mail silly people like me *teasing*. So yeah, is boost a no-no? And how do you tell your gastro that you have more faith in a woman who's not a doctor but has spent her entire life dealing with an issue he knows nothing about but in theory?
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Food for thought: the only kind I can digest.
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Toughie. I know that I can have a teeny bit of milk protein in stuff when I'm feeling fine, but if I go near it when I'm feeling dodgy, then it makes me worse. Everyone's tolerances are different though.
What is "boost"? Do both have the milk in them?
Telling an unsympathetic GI about Heather will always be hard. But a doctor who isn't interested in learning and isn't interested in what helps their patients doesn't deserve your custom.
Good luck at work!
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it says it contains milk protein. Beyond that, I dunno exactly. And it's a supplement. They give it to people who can't get all the nutrition they need from solid foods. I guess it's kinda like Ensure.
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hmmm, sounds like a tricky situation - A seems harder to control with meds than C or D. But I was just wondering because I know Zelnorm is only for those with C, and can cause bad D in some ppl - also since immodium can technically also cause C, aren't they having the opposite effect and therefore no effect? 
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Good point here. Zelnorm is ONLY for people with C and NEVER D. And see my post about Immodium doses and IBS-A.
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Hi Beth,
I'm so sorry  you are going through this horrible suffering.
I wish I could give you some advice that would help but you have me stumped.  I will bring up some points, though.
Have you ever had an upper GI done? I remember reading that it felt like fire burning down your intestines. You could have an ulcer. Those are very painful.
My neice had severe pain and D. She had a colonoscopy, they found she had some kind of infection and put her on antibiotics and that took care of it. But, you have had a colonoscopy and nothing showed up. (she also took Vicodin and was constipated from it)
Make sure nothing you are eating or vitamins or gum or mints, etc. has sorbitol. That's a big IBS trigger.
Have you considered changing doctors or do you think your's is doing a good job?
Sorry, but this is all I can come up with but I do think this site will help you work through this and you will get better.
Barbie
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I'm sorry for what you are going through. I know rice is supposed to be IBS safe and probably is for 99% of the people for me personally, it blocks me up every other time I eat it. Just a suggestion, you might want to try to eliminate rice for a while just to see. I get blocked so bad from it, I end up vomiting it up, after like 2-4 hrs. Then my intestines are so sore for a few days afterwards to even touch or walk well.
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