I think I just discovered something vital
#242509 - 01/29/06 11:24 AM
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Hello everyone!
After re-thinking my situation, I decided to try an experiment early this morning. I don't normally ever drink coffee because of it being a no-no on the IBS list, but I thought to myself that it may have cleared something up in me at the time where I went a week or so with out pain in late 2005. I decided to drink a couple cups, to see what would happen. Here is what occurred:
It stimulates my bladder, and makes me need to pee more
I needed to use the bathroom after about 10 to 15 minutes in.
My bowel movements were extremely D (while I'm almost always major C), and I noticed the familiar presence of mucus/fat stuff coming out, with lots of dark bile. Now this sort of stuff was still coming out of me while I went to the bathroom on a regular basis every hour to two hours each day, but it much smaller amounts.
Here are my thoughts on what could be happening:
1. I do have some sort of virus/parasite that has been over looked, and is effecting my bile duct output and fat/mucus waste or somewhere around there
2. Something is originally wrong with the gallbladder. I doubt this though because I never have pain where the gallbladder is located; I only have pain in the lower abdominal area near the pelvis. Also, I have had my cholesterol checked and I'm 110, which I was told is extremely good. So having gallstones at age 20 is unlikely I would think.
3. Something is getting blocked up in my bile ducts, (on account that I can see this sludge in my regular bowel movements with out drinking caffeine or a stimulant). Fat mal-absorption possibly?
4. Bacteria infection? This cleaning of the bowels using caffeine reminds me of how I did have a barium enema from the very beginning of it all (which I was told has the possibility of cleaning out bad bacteria), and after that procedure, it was the ONLY procedure done that I had no problems until almost a year later.
5. Nothing is out of the ordinary with this outcome because of a stimulant, and is a natural result from IBS.
I think this may be the key to something vital. I believe this because when my intestines started to calm down after this morning was over, my pain does not feel nearly as bad as it usually does! I know I may be jumping the gun, but for me it's amazing. Something about cleaning one of these organs seems to be helping me, but I don't know what. Does this sound crazy, or am I on to something? I'm still going to follow the advice given by Sand, Linz and everyone on here, but I figured I'd post this to see if anyone has some opinions on it.
Thanks again everyone!
NOTE: Now that I'm reading through this again, I think its more obvious that I don't have pain because I'm not C right now like usual (because I've been cleaned out temporarily). I'm not sure if I'm looking too deep into this and its just regular IBS, or If I'm onto something. Either way, I figure I would let you guys know what is happening.
Edited by tama_chan (01/29/06 11:38 AM)
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I think that is a risky way to clean out your system. I am normally D - but I went a couple of days w/o going and couldn't stand it anymore and coffee (before IBS) usually kept me pretty regular so I had a cup one morning, and went a couple of times, then I wanted it to stop so I took some Pepto. It worked that time, but every time since then I've even had a couple of sips of coffee I at least feel "yucky" all day. I gave it up and started drinking peppermint tea in the mornings and on weekends I have Teeccino
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You know what, I just found something from Heather's news articles:
"Interestingly, though coffee is known for its laxative effect and many folks with IBS-constipation use coffee for just this reason, the end result will actually be a worsening of IBS symptoms - including constipation. The abdominal cramping and GI irritation from coffee increases gut motility violently and artificially, which is likely to cause a rebound effect of greatly slowed or halted gut motility if you're constipation-prone. In other words, the short-term laxative gain from coffee is likely to actually exacerbate IBS-constipation in the long-run. If you have IBS, your colon contractions are by definition dysfunctional; using coffee to irritate your colon to the point of spasms every morning will simply cause more severe, and chronic, gut motility problems."
I guess that would explain what might happen in the body, so it's more of a gamble then anything with someone with IBS. 
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I'm no doctor, but I don't think you have anything terribly wrong with one of your organs. Coffee is pretty rough on your system, especially if you have IBS.
I am predominantly a D. Before I started this diet, after I had a bout of D I would start to feel C for a day or so. I used coffee to "regulate" my system. Even now, I will use a little bit to make me go if I am feeling "stopped up." When I drink coffee, I don't get D as you did, rather I usually have a couple fairly normal BMs. But like you, the gas and pains tend to go away after I go.
I think it may be that when you're stopped up, as I like to say, the fecal matter causes more bloating and gas which can lead to abdominal pain. When you get that stuff cleaned out, it's better. I'm not normally a C, so you'd have to ask someone more knowledgeable about that, but that's my educated guess.
I agree with you, coffee ought to be avoided because it really does more hurt to us than good. If you're C maybe you should look into laxatives or something. Again, not a C so I don't really know. But I think coffee is probably not the best way to clean yourself out.
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Thanks for your input as well Amanda. I am going to be more cautious about the coffee from now on, so I don't do something stupid that could harm me in the long run. I think I'm just going to stick with everyone else's suggestions about re-starting Heather's strict diet plan. I just thought that the possibilities I mentioned could exist, but I might just be getting paranoid. 
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I have read this situation many times over by lots of different people. Here's the deal.
Caffeine is a BRUTAL trigger. It can stimulate the colon into spasms VERY quickly causing the terrible D.
Mucous in your stools is TOTALLY common with IBS. I have this ALL the time.
Then, after your colon has been OVER stimulated into going into terrible spasms, you have D. THEN.....
DRUM ROLL PLEASE.....
Your colon shuts down. Result: CONSTIPATION.
It is a VICIOUS CYCLE. You may have emptied out your system, but you then forced yourself right back into being constipated. Even though you might feel some relief.
In the short run - yeah, coffee makes you go.
Long run - BAD BAD BAD for IBS.
--------------------
Formerly HanSolo. IBS, OCD, Bipolar, PTSD times 3.
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--------------------
~ Beth
Constipation, pain prodominent,cramps, spasms and bloat!
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But I also wanted to throw in that you *can't* discount gallbladder problems just because you're 20 and otherwise healthy. I developed gallstones when I was 21. Doctors still have absolutely NO idea how or why, but they're in there!
If you haven't had your gallbladder checked, it's one of the many things that needs to be ruled out before a proper diagnosis of IBS is made. Definitely go through the full round of tests to make sure there's nothing else going on.
Good luck!
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I just wanted to pipe in and say that I had my gallbladder removed 2 years ago, when I was 20. My surgeon said that while the regular risk factors for gallbladder disease involve age and weight and such, he would simplify it to simply "living in America" because of all the fatty foods. I didn't have stones - mine simply wasn't functioning. I was lucky that I had a doctor who didn't discount the possibility just because of my age. Also, lots of gallbladder problems don't show symptoms in people and are found during tests for other things. I would definitely tell people not to overlook gallbladder problems just because of age. My IBS isn't really any better but the problems were a whole lot worse when I was having the gallbladder problems before I had it removed.
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Jennifer
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