IBS-Cers, some insight?
#222187 - 10/30/05 10:14 PM
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budahbelly
Reged: 10/26/05
Posts: 57
Loc: Virginia
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I've read several posts in which IBS-Cers mention their "attacks," but my question is what exactly constitutes an "attack" with IBS-C (while with D. its obvious)? Is it the onset of prolonged C. when things had previously been moving well, or bloating, gas? If its an onset of prolonged C, isnt it hard to tell what exactly it was of what you ate over the course of the (past few even) day(s) that caused it? I'm always bloated/gassy, and often stopped up so i guess that's why i don't know what my attacks are like and when/from what i get them. I'd like to know what y'all consider an attack so i can start paying better attention and figure out what foods exactly bother me and then get on the way to geting better!
Thanks!
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I consider an attack to be a lot of pain, bloating and gas(not just the usual minor symptoms, I'm talking a sudden increase). Usually lasts a whole evening. Going to the bathroom can help since being C makes the symptoms worse.
It sounds like you're still in the mode of having an attack everyday...I used to be like that! Have you tried cutting back on all the triggering foods?
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IBS-C
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Anything in particular that helped the most? Do you follow the SF before IF rule...and do you eat lots of IF or take anything that helps more than anything else?
I'm getting real hopeless. HOW did you do it!!!  I never eat trigger foods....but it doesn't matter, I'm still in agony. 
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is major bloating and gas (I am relatively stable right now) and cramps to the point where I can't stand up straight. Also when I "go", feeling like if I push any harder my intestines will come out with the poo!
Pushing is sooooo not recommended....
In general, I am stable. I have found that Stevia-Plus in my coffee helps me out quite a bit and I am very careful as to what I eat. I know what MY triggers are and eat accordingly.
HTH
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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An attack for me is when my tummy is so bloated and tight it hurts to touch it, yet there is no relief from the gas that is expelled - and there is a lot - and I am unable to have a regular bm - only rabbit pellets if anything. I feel full and really miserable. If it is severe, there is a lot of pain involved as well.
A mild attack is just that - a milder version of what I described above. Sometimes there is an added urgency like I just HAVE to go and then - nothing. Very uncomfortable.
However, I'm pretty stable right now and very thankful for that!!
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God is Faithful!
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My attacks were similar to Rachel's,but they were mostly upper
GI, I would get severe indigestion, nausea, and a really bad
case of the burps. They may have been caused a little bit by
worsening C, but it was mostly what I ate. I didn't know
about Heather's diet back then and ate a lot of triggers,
like BLT's, roast beef sandwiches, hamburger meat, ham
and swiss cheese sandwiches, soups with MSG. I fortunately
only had five major attacks but ended up in the ER every
time. Fortunately, I haven't had a bad attack since last
April, but I haven't been eating the crap I mentioned
either. -Bob
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<img src="http://www.math.mtu.edu/~rwkolkka/BritPicA.jpg">
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I find that a good balance of SF & IF (mainly veggies) is a great help to keep me stable. I eat mainly the same things every day, (weekdays), Oatmeal, small bx of raisins, 1/2 pear (peeled), some pretzels, for lunch I eat something w/ mainly pasta, or rice as the base, & chicken & veggies,(broccoilli,carrots,cauliflower,peas). For dinner I followw the same rule, & eat pasta or potatoes w/ veggies & chicken.
I'm gonna try perogies tonight, w/ beans. It kinda gets boring, but it helps keep me where I need to be. If it takes me till 10a.m. or after to go, I know I did something wrong. I keep a food journal also which helps me look back to see where I went wrong. I also drink about 100 oz of water/day. Excersize is a great way to keep up. Like 20 min. on the treadmill, & leg lifts! Hope this helps!! If you combine all this, it make a difference! 
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Kiwi
IBS-C
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My attacks have been just like Bob's for the past two-three weeks. My attacks are mostly Upper GI, as well. I will get major nausea, indigestion and A WHOLE LOT OF BURPING!!! I will also feel like I need to go to the bathroom, eventually, but nothing comes out. Personally, I think it's because of my nerves.....when I get sick to my stomach it makes my lower gut cramp up, too. It feels all cramped up and twisted up....it hurts pretty bad! But, I can tolerate all the pain.......I cannot tolerate nausea and all of the upper GI issues. I despise feeling sick to my stomach! Last night I had an attack and I took a Pepcid AC maximum strength (20mg) and it eventually just went away. I'm going to keep that stuff handy. It really helped with my upper GI issues last night so I could focus more on getting rid of the lower GI issues quicker. My attacks can be as long as 5 hours. Last night it was only about 2 hours, which is about normal for me.
Michelle
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IBS-D. Hiatal Hernia, GERD
Unstable
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What is Stevia-Plus?
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I'm with Cyndy- I stay away from trigger foods, yet im still CONSTANTLY bloated, gassy, and currently very consitpated (ever since tring all soluble fiber for a few days, actually, which i thought was supposed to help... I have as of yesterday started having some IF so hopefully i'll get on the track to getting better here soon...)
Anyway, I wanted to ask y'all if you would give a brief example of what you typically eat in a day, both when you're unstable and trying to get stable, and also when you're stable and just eating what keeps you so. I know what works for you may not for me, but i figure it'll help to get some ideas.
Thanks! (also for your replies earlier!)
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Have a blessed day!...Rachel
stable and sooooooo thankful!
I have IBS but it doesn't have me!
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I think i understand the feelings y'all are talkng about. For me though, I don't really notice a sudden onset of anything, but there are times when i am even more bloated than usual, along with bad C. when things had been moving at least somewhat. Still, i find it hard to figure out what got me there, since i typically eat the same things. but yea i agree- it's like i'm in the middle of an atack everyday ...
Fishnets, you said you "used to be" like that. So how did you get better? I posted a request near the bottom of this thread ("a day in the life of a stable IBS-Cer") asking you stable guys to give me an idea of what you typically eat, both when youre feeling good and bad- would you (and anyone) give me an example?
Much appreciated!!
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bananas
#222374 - 10/31/05 07:54 PM
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budahbelly
Reged: 10/26/05
Posts: 57
Loc: Virginia
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Does anyone find that bananas bother you? I'm not sure since i'm unstable in general at this point, but I think they may bother me. it's almost like they feel like a heavy lump in my stomach adding to my bloating. maybe its just my imagination..I'm reaching for things here...
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I find that I can only eat bananas in the morning and if I am NOT bloated already. As my grandmother has always said they "bulk you up" so if I have D its almost like a staple for me. But if I eat a banana past mid-morning, lunch time - forget it!!!
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Well first off, remember it takes time to get better, it's slow progress, it took me at least a year to get to the point I'm at now. Mind you, I'm not perfect, but I am much better then when I first started! What I first did which helped was I tried to follow Heather's guidelines. I didn't do the breaking the cycle diet, I just cut my insoluble fiber down to cooked some veggies, and other safer insoluble foods. I made sure I stuck to white bread. I tried to pay attention as much as possible to what triggered me. I had to cut out: popcorn, regular tortilla/potato chips, high fat foods, raw veggies, beans, anything whole grain/whole wheat(could eat oatmeal *sometimes*, but more then one day in a row and I would get an attack), grapes, more then a little fruit, umm...that's all I can remember right now. Some of the other IBS triggers I didn't eat/drink anyway(meat, dairy, tomato sauce, ect), so that didn't bother me. Anyway, so I felt MUCH better when avoiding those things. Not all the way, but a lot less bloating and pain.
Allowing yourself to get stabilized is what will allow you to consume more foods in the future, cause if you're unstable, just about anything is going to set your tummy off. You can then slowely add in things, let your tummy get used to it. Another thing that helped me immensly was finding a soluble fiber supplement that worked(several did not work for me, only one does). Also at first I could only go to the bathroom on my own once a week. So I started taking Colace, and the mix of the fiber and colace helped get me to go everyday or every other day, which is important since being constipated in itself will cause attacks. Being C I do need insoluble fiber, the SFS actually allowed me to add back in a LOT more foods which was great, but also I try to make sure I use a soluble fiber base(like cooked veggies on white rice, sandwich using white bread, ect.).
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IBS-C
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Quote:
I'm with Cyndy- I stay away from trigger foods, yet im still CONSTANTLY bloated, gassy, and currently very consitpated (ever since tring all soluble fiber for a few days, actually, which i thought was supposed to help... I have as of yesterday started having some IF so hopefully i'll get on the track to getting better here soon...)
Anyway, I wanted to ask y'all if you would give a brief example of what you typically eat in a day, both when you're unstable and trying to get stable, and also when you're stable and just eating what keeps you so. I know what works for you may not for me, but i figure it'll help to get some ideas.
Thanks! (also for your replies earlier!)
When I wasn't very stable, I tried not to have too much harsh insoluble fiber such as raw carrots, whole grains, popcorn, beans, and high fat things. I stuck more to cooked veggies, salad(lettuce, cucumber,tomato..all lower fiber veggies), white bread/pasta/rice/crackers/cereal, baked tortilla chips, fake meat, tofu, some fruit if I was feeling ok with it(no grapes!)...that's all I can think of right now.
Nowdays I'll eat: basiclly the same, except I can also now eat popcorn, beans, a couple pieces of fruit a day, a salad probably about 5 days a week(still nothing too "complicated" on it except I can add chickpeas now), in general find I don't have to be as watchful over what I eat...like if I eat a few regular tortilla chips, I don't have a problem. I try to find that balance where I get insoluble fiber as much as I can, while still balancing it out so it isn't overkill.
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IBS-C
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They're a staple for me--I guess I eat them the way others might eat rice or potatoes or bread. I'm not sure if that is a fair comparison, though. I eat more than 1 most days. Often more than 2. They are the food/herb that is kindest to me.
I love them. I think I was born in the wrong part of the world.
Maybe I like them because they are full of natural sugar--that's probably why rice or a potatoe doesn't appeal to me, especially, or tempt me!
They always put me in a good mood, too. Plus, they're full of electrolytes which is really good for me with IBS-D.
Kate, IBS-D.
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What do you meant by limiting your fruit to a little a day? what fruits did you allow yourself and how much?
What safe IF foods helped you not to be C but still safe?
Thanks Fishnets
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Quote:
What do you meant by limiting your fruit to a little a day? what fruits did you allow yourself and how much?
What safe IF foods helped you not to be C but still safe?
Thanks Fishnets
Hmm...I don't remember exactly. I know I still ate fruit, but tried not to have too much, basiclly an amount that didn't cause pain. Bananas are safe, but I also could eat plums, nectarines, and peaches. IF foods that I do the best with are cooked veggies, potato dishes with the skin on, basiclly things that had IF but also had SF, things like lettuce and tomato I did fine with although I know some don't. As I've gotten more stable, I can add more in, which helps to not be C. I basiclly try to add as much as I can without having pain, I still can't eat tons of IF at once without any soluble. Also, I still need to take Colace each day, or else I'd still be a bit C.
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IBS-C
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Did you eat your nectarines, plums, and peaches fresh with the skin? Or canned...or cooked....how? Can you do apples or pears with or without skins on them?
Didn't the bananas constipate you?
I would think that if you are a C, you would want to eat the skins for the IF. 
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Quote:
Did you eat your nectarines, plums, and peaches fresh with the skin? Or canned...or cooked....how? Can you do apples or pears with or without skins on them?
Didn't the bananas constipate you?
I would think that if you are a C, you would want to eat the skins for the IF.
I eat them with the skins, but that may not work for everyone. I absolutly HATE canned fruit so I never tried it. Personally I'm more sensitive to grain/seed fiber, rather then fruit and veggie fiber(though both bother me). I eat apples with the skins on, but they do cause minor symptoms, to me it's worth it though lol..I love apples! Honestly I don't know if bananas constipate me, I've never been able to pinpoint which foods do and which don't
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IBS-C
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When you say you stick to low fiber veggies like lettuce and tomato, what exactly is considered a "low" (vs. "high") amount of fiber (is there a specific number of grams)?
And why no grapes- do they just bother you a lot?
Thanks!
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Quote:
When you say you stick to low fiber veggies like lettuce and tomato, what exactly is considered a "low" (vs. "high") amount of fiber (is there a specific number of grams)?
And why no grapes- do they just bother you a lot?
Thanks!
I don't know really, I guess just by how it feels...like raw cauliflower and raw carrots, stuff like that bothers me a bit, where lettuce and tomato doesn't. I guess I mean hard raw veggies, the softer raw veggies don't bother me. I don't like broccoli but I'm sure if I did it might bother me raw. And grapes just have a tendency to bother me, I don't know if they're higher fiber or what, but I think they're hard for many IBSers. I can eat some now, but I have to be careful with them, not eat too many risky things that day or have too many of them.
Cindy- are you asking me or someone else?
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IBS-C
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Or are you able to remain stable without any supplements, including an SFS? I take so many things (digestive enzymes, probiotic, magnesium, Acacia) but I still hurt and am so C. I don't get it.
Do you cook your apples and fruits?
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Ahhhhh- it always comes down to trial and error! Would be SOOO nice if there was a single, clear answer... (i know, keep dreaming)
thanks for getting back to me!
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Quote:
Or are you able to remain stable without any supplements, including an SFS? I take so many things (digestive enzymes, probiotic, magnesium, Acacia) but I still hurt and am so C. I don't get it.
Do you cook your apples and fruits?
That's good that you take that stuff, but have you tried a stool softener? Cause even the Metamucil doesn't really make me un-C, it's the Colace that helps that. I don't take the Metamucil anymore cause I can be relatively stable without it(though I still take Colace). But I am considering going back to taking one dose a day, my tummy has been bothering me a little lately, plus the less gas I have the better! How long have you been taking the Acacia? Has it made any difference with any symptoms? Maybe it's not the right SFS for you.
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IBS-C
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I read such good things about it. I know AstroChick and Bamagrl (both C) love it!
I would think if you went back on Metamucil you would get more gas.
Oh, do you cook your apples, and other fruits? You never said. That would be so cool to just bite into a nice juicy pear or apple, peel and all!
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By the way, what is your "real name"? Or if you don't want to say that's fine too!
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Quote:
I read such good things about it. I know AstroChick and Bamagrl (both C) love it!
I would think if you went back on Metamucil you would get more gas.
Oh, do you cook your apples, and other fruits? You never said. That would be so cool to just bite into a nice juicy pear or apple, peel and all!
Nope, Metamucil is the only SFS that works for me, it decreases my symptoms. Although not the C as much, but definitly allows me to eat a wider variety of foods without symptoms  I know it's considered gas-causing, but honestly I think any of the SFS's have ability to cause symptoms, it's really all about just finding the right one(s) that work for you. Metamucil is the only one my tummy can handle! I eat my fruit raw, though sometimes I do microwave apples and put cinnimin on top, very yummy! Eating raw apples with the skin on does give me a little symptoms, but not enough for me to really care. If you wanted to try it, I would suggest first trying a peeled apple and see how it is, then next time eat a little skin, ect.
And I don't say my name or have my pic cause I'm too embarrised that some random person might recognize me! I actually met someone who does go to this board, but they don't know I do
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IBS-C
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Alyson
#223684 - 11/08/05 10:17 AM
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Augie
Reged: 10/27/04
Posts: 5807
Loc: Illinois
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What does happen if you eat a banana after mid -morning?
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~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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