I need some help....
#279967 - 08/25/06 06:30 PM
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I have some problems that I need help with. I was diagnosed with IBS recently and I would say that I can remember having bathroom problems for about 9 years - since about 7th grade and I am 21 now. Some people on these boards are talking about how they either have c or d. I never have c and rarely have d. I will try not to make this too grose sounding :D My problem is each morning I will have to get up a few hours before I need to leave because in these hours I go to the bathroom a lot. I can go over 6 times in a matter of 2 hours and then it takes for ever to finish going to the bathroom - to get it all out. Then I will be fine for the rest of the day and night - only sometimes I will go to the bathroom a little bit more but usually never until the next day. I know a lot of the foods I can and cannot have. Greesy fatty foods being the worst. I can't have things such as spagetti, mac and cheese, a lot of meats I can't have such as hamburgers, sausage and SOOO many other things. I don't seem to have any problems that I know of with milk and cheese but I still try to not have too much of that. Usually everyday I go to the bathroom a lot but if I eat these foods it will be WAY worse. Still though when I don't eat these foods I still will be in the bathroom for a main part of the morning. It is better later in the day compared to at night. As of right now I take flax pills and probiotics. I try to eat smaller meals. I eat low amounts of sugar. Pepto is a main thing that helps a lot but the nurse said it is bad to take it a lot which sucks. The doc said to take fiber but that makes it worse. I have tried pepperment pills and that seems to make me worse. I tried collidal silver and that makes it worse. I tried 3lac and that doesn't seem to do anything. The doc I just went to didn't help me. He only told me what I already knew..... So pretty much when I go to the bathroom it is normal but I go so much it makes me crazy. I spend way too much time in the bathroom. Anyone have any ideas???? :crazy:
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I don't have much advice, but be sure you get enough soluble fiber. Have you tried different types of SFS? That should help, not hurt. But some are more tolerable than others. And you might want to stop the flax pills...those help you go!
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~Mary
Had surgery for rectal prolapse in Sept. '06 and feeling good now! Loving life with our IVF miracle #1.
 
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"in these hours I go to the bathroom a lot."
You are an IBS-D (in case you want to read about what others are eating/doing to help their symptoms). IBS-D is characterized by having to go often (more than 3 times a day some days).
I suggest reading the information on this website and getting familiar with the diet, trigger foods, soluble vs insoluble fiber, safe foods, and the break the cycle diet.
You may want to try Imodium AD instead of Pepto. Try taking one tablet/capsule first thing in the morning and see if it helps reduce the frequency and urgency. From my experience, an SFS (acacia, benefiber) will help more with forming better BMs so that going is more comfortable and complete.
I also second the stopping the flax pills as they will only make you go more.
Hope this helps,
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Kat
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Anything that anyone writes is very helpful so thanks to those who reply. I wouldn't have known I was IBS - D. What is also weird is as I was reading the part about taking Imodium my mom was saying the same thing that someone said to try that. I feel this way almost every day so how much is too much to take of the Imodium. Also I can't believe that flax pills will make it worse for me because someone said they would make me better so I am stopping those right now. Also what does SFS mean? And my other question is when you all started trying new things how soon could you tell that they were working and can you tell what makes you worse right away??
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Dear Ibs Sufferer,
I had tried everything and nothing seemed to work and I finally found a lady who said she used to have IBS (her name is Francine) and she has been symptom free for six years. I have been in pain since I was 10 years old and I am now 36--for the last 2 1/2 months I have not had bloating, gas, mood swings, constipation, spastic colon, cramping, or had any IBS symtoms for over 2 months and the products worked with in the first week. She coached me on what products to use and it was so inexpensive and I was able to lose 13 pounds!! I am still losing inches and pounds. I have boundless energy and I love life again. If this is something you would like to achieve please email me at greyhounds99938@hotmail.com. I want to help as many people as I can because I know how much it hurts but you don't have to anymore.
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I agree too that you have a sort of IBS-D. You don't mention exactly what your BM are like so from that it's hard to tell. IBS-C people are prone to get hard, dry BM and IBS-D people are prone to get more or less loose BM. I have IBS-D. For a few years before it got bad last summer I had what I call mild IBS-D with occasional attacks, every few months or so. But even if my BM were ok, i.e. not too loose, it happened pretty often that I went to the bathroom in the morning and didn't feel like I "had to go", but then before breakfast and/or after and/or when I was ready to go out the door I'd have to go. I'd either think I was done or I'd feel like there was more that needed to come out but it just didn't want to come out. This always put me in a really bad mood. This thing with not getting everything out or feeling like you haven't even if you have is very typical for IBS.
About your trying Imodium or some other brand of loperamide here is what I suggest. Look into the different types of loperamide available. If your BM are loose rather than hard and dry then you can probably take regular Imodium as I think that contains loperamide hydrochloride. But start at a low dose and see what happens. If your BM are more sort of hard and dry so you'd be worried about getting constipated if you take regular Imodium then I believe there are other loperamide types to try. I'm not sure about this (it's late and I'm tired and it's been a while since I read it) but I think there are meds containing loperamide oxide (or whatever it's called in English) that is absorbed more slowly and doesn't slow the bowels down as much I think. That type is typically prescribed to people with anal incontinence to help increase the sphincter tone and reduce BM frequency for people who have firmer BM. Check with your doctor to be sure!
Good luck!
And don't worry about grossing anyone out on these boards. I think we're all quite familiar with the topic of BM! 
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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First off, welcome to the site - you'll find the answers to just about all your questions here! Also, we've all been there - so never worry about asking questions or being "gross"... 
With regards to Immodium, it is a lifesaver to thousands of people with IBS-D, myself included. You can also use generic Loperamide - which are exactly the same, but usually cheaper. (Usually the only difference is that generic branded stuff has some lactose in it, which some of us don't tolerate particularly well - but it's in microscopic amounts, so doesn't usually cause a problem).
With regards dosage, it varies more than you could ever imagine! Basically you start with 1, and if that doesn't work then 2, and so on and so on. And don't worry about taking too many - it's impossible to 'overdose' on Immodium, many people take many a day for their entire lives. The key thing is to take it slowly and figure out how many is right for you - i.e. enough to stop you pooping, but not so much it constipates you. (To give you peace of mind - thousands of people take 1, 2 or 3 a day to help control D, and many take much more. My GI, who's the foremost authority on IBS in the UK, has patients who take 15 a day, and probably will do their whole lives! Now that's an extreme, obviously, but many of us on here take lots as we need it to - I tend to take between 2 & 4 a day when I'm not doing so great, and when I need to leave the house I can take as many as 8 - 12, depending how bad my tum is. Natalie1985, who posts mainly on the Living Room board, can take 12 - 15 to stop her D, and like me after 12, can poop fine the next day 99 times out of a 100.)
So the key message is not to panic, and find your own limit! Good luck, and keep us posted
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http://ibsblondie13.blogspot.com/
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Hi there,
I think everyone else has given you some good advice and have given you some good things to try.
I wanted to answer one of your questions in a reply, which was that "SF" stands for "Soluble Fiber". An SFS is a Soluble Fiber Supplement (like metamucil, prodiem, benefiber, acacia, all that stuff).
On that topic, I know you said that it made things worse but how long were you on it for? And did you start out at a small amount and gradually increase? If you just jump in with both feet by taking too much too soon, then you are bound to feel worse and likely to give it up. I would try again, taking a small amount before you go to bed and increasing the amount very gradually. This should help bind stools together for the morning so that maybe you won't have to go quite so much.
Also, you said you have no problems with some of the iffy foods you mentioned but that you are still getting sick almost every day so I have to wonder if you are still eating things that are bothering you. Especially because for a lot of people, the reaction to trigger food is delayed. For me, for example, if I eat ice cream or something I feel fine until the next day and then I am sick as a dog. I'd try keeping a food/symptom diary and see if maybe some foods you eat are still bothering you.. later on.
I would also try taking some immodium, maybe before bedtime or first thing in the morning.. A lot of people take immodium every day, so you don't have to worry about that at the moment. If taking it helps, take it - the Gi doc I saw said there was no problem with taking immodium every day.
Good luck!
Steph
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~~I'm not crazy, I'm just a little unwell-I know right now you can't tell~~Matchbox 20
IBS-D,pain.
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Quote:
You can also use generic Loperamide - which are exactly the same, but usually cheaper. (Usually the only difference is that generic branded stuff has some lactose in it, which some of us don't tolerate particularly well - but it's in microscopic amounts, so doesn't usually cause a problem).
That's strange. According to FASS (the Swedish reference source for drugs) Imodium contains lactose too (in the form of lactosemonohydrat) and more than my brand which is Dimor.
About overdosing, there is a maximum limit given, typically 16 mg a day = 8 pills and I guess there is a reason for that. It could of course be that if that amount doesn't help then maybe you should try another approach. It might be a good idea to ask a pharmacist or doctor about that. The main thing is to take it gradually and see how many pills you need, since there is a risk of a really serious condition if your bowels slow down too much (don't remember what it's called in English but it's listed among the more unusual side effects).
/Ulrika, IBS-D
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"Lactosemonohydrat" doesn't show up in the list of ingredients in the Imodium I have or on their Website. Perhaps this is another country-dependent thing or I suppose it could be hidden under another name: web page
I know there are people on the Board who take a lot of Imodium every day, but I prefer to be cautious with it myself.
My advice is to use Imodium as a preventive to start, taking one tablet every morning or perhaps one in the morning and one at night. While the Imodium is keeping your tummy calmed down, I second K2's advice about trying Heathers's dietary approach and Stephie's advice about trying an SFS and cutting out trigger foods, even those you think aren't bothering you.
You can read about Heather's approach on this Website - click on "Home" in the left hand column to get started. As for SFS, different ones seem to work for different people and you do need to start at a low dose of whichever one you try. Also, a lot of people try Metamucil as their SFS and this is not a good idea for people who are IBS-D. It has both soluble and insoluble fiber in it. For D, you want just soluble fiber.
You might also want to talk to your GI guy about an anti-spasmodic. I like Donnatol, but it will make you a little drowsy.
Heather's approach has worked wonders for me and I hope it will do the same for you.
Welcome to the Boards.
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[Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate. - Sandra Boynton]
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