New to Message Board
#89517 - 07/13/04 03:05 PM
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Stacey T.
Reged: 07/13/04
Posts: 4
Loc: Marysville, WA
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I read alot of people's posts on going to the bathroom quiet frequently due to having IBS. What I wouldn't give to even go to the bathroom !! :( I have been diagnosed with IBS since I was 18yrs old. It started with not being able to go to the bathroom at all for weeks, the bloating, gas pains etc. I never went and saw a Dr for any of this until I was twenty yrs old. So I finally went to see a Dr at the Everett Clinic and she said "oh just increase your fiber intake and you'll be fine". (never said anything about doing an over-haul diet change)So I continued to increase my fiber through out the years "but still ate all the junk food" and my pain seemed to get worse as I got older with severe spasms in the colon region. Next Dr I went too (because I couldn't stand the pain anymore, now I'm 27) gave me a prescription for dicyclomine for spasms & ZELNORM. The Internal Medicine Dr I went too never even heard of Zelnorm ? I had to tell her I got the information off of a commerical on TV if you can believe that. Needless to say it doubled me over in pain after being on it for only a week. Is anyone else on dicyclomine ? So after checking into this webiste I bought the IBS starter kit with the cookbook, peppermint caps and acacia fiber. I have only been on the fiber for two days now. Anyways- anyone's feebacks on experiences like I have been dealing with concerning only constipation would be helpful to me so I know I'm not alone out there !! And thank you Heather for all your advice. I'm sure as long as I stick to your guidelines with IBS I will improve.
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WELCOME
#89522 - 07/13/04 03:13 PM
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bigblue
Reged: 05/30/04
Posts: 95
Loc: New Jersey...USA
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I wanted to say welcome & while I`m not IBS C (constipated). I`m IBS D. You have definately come to right place. I suffered for 3 years & no doctor brought me relief. Heather`s books & everyone`s help here has changed my life in a great way. It took a while to stable out. Alot of trial & error. So don`t get discouraged in the beginning & ask lots of questions. Good Luck! 
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Welcome Stacey! I've had IBS-D for 15 or so years and I say the exact opposite. What I would give to be constipated! I guess we think the grass is greener on the other side!
I took dicylcomine (which I believe is the generic name of Bentyl) with results but I have "d". It worked for me for years but my body became immune to it and it stopped working. Not sure if you are "c" why your doctor prescribed it but hey they are the "knowledgeable" ones huh! We put way too much trust in them. Scary 
I too saw Zelnorm on a TV commercial. Got all excited then realized it was for constipation. I think if you read some posts that not too many people had good results.
Hang in there. You'll find a happy medium to this disease. We all did some how or another! 
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~~~Lisa~~~
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Just wanted to say welcome. There's a bunch of people here with IBS-C who'll be along any time now to tell you all their suggestions.
Glad you found us!
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Laura
Keep it simple!
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I am sorry to hear that you have been suffering for almost 10 years before getting the right help!
When I first went on the diet I made the mistake of not eating enough "insoluble fiber". THere is plenty of info on this site and in your book to help you! Oh, and I bought the cookbook instead of The First Year book by Heather. Not sure which one you got, but make sure you get it! That one is more helpful to someone knew to the diet, even though the other one is also great and has many delicous recipes that I am incapable of making 
Good luck!
oh- and I didn't see that you mentioned tea- many people find bloating relief from fennel tea.
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-Sheri
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--------------------
if God brought you to it. He will bring you through it.
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Welcome Stacey - you are in the right place!
I tried dicyclomine, but it didn't do anything for me (everyone is different - maybe it will work for you). I take Hyoscyamine and that works well. What works even better though is Heather's diet. I'm IBS A and the tricky part of the diet is balancing the amount of soluble fiber in your diet - for me having some with each meal manages the C.
Hope this helps. Everyone on this site is very helpful & caring - a great bunch of people.
Have a good day!
Kim
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Hi! I'm about 90% C, although I started out on this diet mainly to prevent the D episodes, which were sorta traumatic after a long bit of C. 
Heather's diet is great for C so long as you make sure you're getting enough insoluble fiber, preferably some in every meal/snack (at least, that's what's been good for me). The soluble fiber - both in supplements like acacia and in bread/rice/pasta - is key in keeping away all the cramping, and the insolubles keep you moving.
Other key things to keep in mind for C is that you need as much liquid as you can stand. Peppermint tea is a wonderful thing, and you can mix some fennel in there as well to help with bloating and gas. Also, exercise also keeps things moving along.
Thanks to Heather's diet, I am pretty darn regular for the first time in my life. I'm getting more fruits and veggies than ever, since getting lots of soluble fiber means that they don't give me cramps.
--AC
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The last doctor you went to was she a GI specialist? I am currently taking Dicyclomine and find that it does help me with the spasms. I did buy the Acacia fiber as well but didn't really like the taste. I find that the Citrucel Clear mix is a little more tolerable. I to deal with the constipation. Do you excercise? I have started excercising in the morning and I find that that has helped a lot with the constipation.
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Janice B 
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I, too am new and C...just replied to another new C...wish I knew how to cut/paste...send you same. I have had this for over 20 yrs....tried every alternative treatment, etc. as traditional has not helped..Zelnorm worked for awhile, then really messed me up. Same with Miralax. I have tried many different fibers...and, for me, results change over time...and I will have to revamp. It is all a process of taking ideas, common sense/science and seeing what works for you...our bodies are all different. AND, try only ONE NEW THING AT A TIME...food/fiber-wise...or you won't know what helped or hurt. I sympathize and hang in there,...be bold/gentle at the same time and try new things!!
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Hi Stacey,
Welcome. I am IBS A but mostly C. Miralax, a mix of insoluable and soluable fiber and exercise really helps me keep stable. OH, don't forget to drink plenty of water, it is really key with the fiber supplements.
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Hi Stacey,
Welcome to the board! I'm new here too. I just signed up today although I bought Heather's book a few weeks back and have been browsing the forums since then. I totally understand where your coming from with the jealousy thing - we all want what we can't have! I'm IBS-D and I am my C friends are always wishing that we could exchange bowels for the day! I've tried all sorts of medicines but have always found plain white rice made up into a sort of porridge with 4 times the usual amount of water to be the biggest stabiliser for me. Good Luck and I'm sure you'll find lots of useful information in the book.
Jayne in Japan
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Hi Janice- I'm not exactly sure if my Dr was considered a GI specialist. I just went and saw an Internal Medicine Dr and I was referred to her in my Dr's clinic for complications like I have. I don't exercise enough- maybe I need to get my fanny in gear and do that more. Thanks
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Welcome to the boards Stacey. Glad you found us.
I too am a C and I'm still kinda new here, but have actually had 2 solid days where I felt pretty normal. I've been following Heather's advice in her "IBS The 1st Year" book pretty closely. One thing I do want to mention is if you can tolerate peppermint, you should try the peppermint caps. I can't take them because they irritate my acid reflux, but a lot of people swear by them. Lot's of tea and water, and try to incorporate insoluble fiber with your soluble fiber meals. Also, excercise is really important as it is a colon stimulant. Good luck, hope this helps.
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~ Rachel (IBS-C)
If life hands you lemons, make lemonade!!
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