Need help from IBS-C folks-desparate
#135173 - 01/05/05 07:12 AM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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If you've read any of my post, you guys know I am struggling with severe Constipation, lots of gas, and bloat too.
In an attempt to relieve the constipation I am taking the following meds every day:
1. 2 zelnorm 6mg each (one in am and one in pm)
2. 2 colace in am and 2 colace in pm
3. 2 Triphala herb tabletes (1000mg each) twice a day--suppose to be good for constipation (natural and safe for everyday per reports and Dr. Andrew Weil)
4. 400 mg of Magnesium glyconate a day-no calcium
5. SFS (citrucel clear mix 2 times a day (4 mg fiber) and equalactin 2 times a day (2 mg fiber)
6. 1/2 Tablespoon of ground flaxseed in am cereal
7. 3 fruits (cooked blueberries or canned peaches and pears)and one cooked veggie a day for insoluble fiber.
Problem is still not constistant BM's and lots of gas, I mean lots and cramping. 
So, do you guys think I am overdoing the meds? Are the meds hurting me more than helping? If so, which ones do you guys thing I should eliminate?
I hate taking meds, and don't know which of the above actions could be causing the increased problems without the benefit of BM's!
I also take klonopin for anxiety and recently stopped my lexapro because I thought that was causing the C. But since stopping it, nothing has improved with my gut.
I've also experimented with substituting FiberChoice tabs for the citrucel, but no improvement. Plus I was on a much lower dose since it was a new product to my body.
What do you guys think? Should I stop taking all this Crap! If so, which ones could be causing the most pain with the least benefit to having a BM? Or should I keep taking them all since I am desparate for BM? I'm afraid to stop any of them since I am so constipated!
Any advice would be gratefully appreciated. Please, I'm desparate.
I've even cut back on the rice to see if that was constipating me. I am begging for advice my fellow C comrads.
Thank you
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
Edited by Augie (01/05/05 06:36 PM)
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IMO, the citrucel powder might be causing the excess gas and bloating. Especially if you're not drinking a ton of water each day to help move it through your gut. Equalactin I am not familiar with, but I'd look up side effects of the one, too. The magnesium would only have the opposite effect, so I can't see that one being the problem. The fruits will cause gas and bloating for an IBSer, they put me in gas *you know where*, so I avoid them like the plague, unless it's papaya. Zelnorm is something my dr wouldn't try me on. She said it's too new and wasn't sure it would help me, so that one I'm not sure either. Colace should only help move your bowels along, so probably not that. One thing though, if you get too much fiber and bowel stimulation without truly sufficient water intake, and I mean at least 60 ounces spread out throughout the day, you could cause yourself a lot of problems. I'm sure you already know that, but I wanted to mention it. Fiber without enough water just sits and a blocked state, causing severe cramps, gas and bloating. Along with my 55 ounces of water and hot tea, I also down a glass of prune juice everyday. Have you tried that?
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Citrucel label says no excess gas or bloating, that's why I chose it. Also, are you saying the colace should be okay to take?
I thought fruits would be good for good insoluble help for the c. It's been recommended by other C people.
Haven't tried prune juice yet as that would seem to cause more problems than the fruits. When do you take it?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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Hrm, well the citrucel only has 2 grams of soluble fiber per serving, hardly worth it just in case it is causing your bloat and gas. I was taking fiberchoice, but it was causing me to have extremely painful gas and bloating, so now I get all of my soluble fiber from my foods, mainly oatmeal and potatoes and carrots. I keep some form of SFF with me all the time. I only take the prune juice with my dinner meal, which usually consists of oatmeal and a piece of plain sourdough toast. If you are eating the fruits without first eating a soluble fiber food, then that could be the biggest problem. That is the BIGGEST rule to follow. Only eat the insolubles after ingesting soluble fiber first, otherwise you're in for pain, gas and major bloat, along with spasms and motility shutdown. Yanno what, lemme look something up real quick about those colace tablets... BRB
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Here is what I found regarding the colace...
What side effects may I notice from taking docusate? (Back to top)
Serious reactions to docusate are unlikely. Call your prescriber or health care professional if you have any unexplained effects.
Side effects that usually do not require medical attention (report to your prescriber or health care professional if they continue or are bothersome):
•diarrhea
•skin rash
•stomach cramps
•throat irritation
What should I watch for while taking docusate? (Back to top)
Do not use for more than one week without advice from your prescriber or health care professional. Long-term use can make your body depend on the laxative for regular bowel movements. If your constipation keeps returning, check with your prescriber or health care professional.
Always drink plenty of water while taking docusate, to help fight constipation.
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Hey Augie...so sorry to hear of your suffering...I am very familiar with it.
I personally think that you are taking tooo many things at once. I mean, I don't know how you began taking all these things (ie was it gradual introduction or in a wild haste to get better did you just start taking all of them without tracking their individual impact on your IBS with a food and symptom diary for example?).
Here's what I would do: start from scratch:....eliminate - colace, zelnorm, triphala, SFS and equalactin.
I would start taking a probiotic twice a day.
I would make sure I was drinking my 2 litres of water a day and lots of herbal teas between meals.
You are not eating nearly enough vegetables to ease your consipation.
I know you are gluten free so its not so easy for you :
Before starting my day I would have two cups of peppermint tea on an empty tummy and give it time to go down before eating breakfast.
I would start my day with a rice pudding made from mainly brown rice with rice milk if you can't tolerate soy and a chopped up raw apple WITHOUT the skin. Can you tolerate oatmeal? its fantastic...
I would make a HUGE pot of vegie soup with squash, pumpkin, carrots etc inside - PACK it with safe vegies and eat it a million times a day!!
I would eat a baked potato, and add a little bit of olive oil to it...you need a bit of fat for help with C.
I would bake a rice bread from brown rice flour or a mixture of white and brown and eat that with nut butters.
Mangos are fantastic too.
If you can tolerate it, saute some asparagus, peas, green beans, carrots and garlic in sesame oil...put it over brown rice and there you go!
Avoid white stuff (bread and rice) or only eat minimal amounts, till you get those logs out! :-)
Good luck!! Oh and remember you MUST exercise and keep moving...
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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fruits are good...but for people with IBS they are not so easy to digest...vegies are better..esp cooked.
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Feel the fear and do it anyway!
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Post deleted by Augie
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
Edited by Augie (01/05/05 08:48 AM)
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after a soluble base.
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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colace
#135191 - 01/05/05 08:02 AM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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My doctor has told me that it is safe to use these on an ongoing basis and I know others on the board use these too, everyday. But maybe they are causing cramps for me.
Thanks for your input.
I read on one of your previous posts that you do use FiberChoice 3 a day. Do you?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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